In the fall of 1777, the Continental Army of George Washington was wrapping up the campaign season and looking for a place for winter camp. The site chosen was Valley Forge, Pennsylvania; an easily defensible point that was close enough to the British to keep them from getting squirrelly and going on raids; but far enough away that the chances of British attack directly on the camp were relatively low.
Valley Forge: a singularly appro pos name, for in the valley, the American colonial resistance was truly put to the forge and hammered into shape. A mob of quasi-militia volunteers went in, and the next spring, an actual army marched out. The Tea Partiers love, love, loooove their Revolutionary War motif and costumes, but I think that the comparison with OWS is far more apt.
See, the Colonies were in revolt as much about economic injustice as they were about political freedoms. The revolution started primarily over the taxation of tea --it was far more complicated than that, of course, but that particular issue was the straw that broke the camel's back. OWS protests economic injustice, but fortunately we have managed to raise awareness using Motorola rather than muskets.
But what now? OWS, like the Continental Army, has had some victories but also they find themselves having to scatter and seek new shelter elsewhere. No doubt the "1% Nation" is hoping that General Winter will do their job for them, and break the back of this ragtag band. We go into our winter and we will meet our forge, and (hopefully) emerge the stronger for it next year.
However, this cannot be done by magic or well wishing. One of the key ingredients in the forging of the Continental Army into a more disciplined and effective force was one Baron Friedrich von Steuben, a Prussian aristocrat and military master who had decided to hitch his wagon to the fledgling American cause, and he arrived just in time.
Like the 1% Nation, the British Army was skilled in putting down insurgents and challengers to power and legitimacy. The corporations and wealthy have resources and loyal followers, and they've manipulated popular movements in far worse conditions around the globe. The British Empire, too, was no slouch when it came to dealing with upstarts and challengers as well, and a pitiful band of poorly-led, badly-fed, untrained militia types in the Colonies was not going to pose a serious challenge.
But Baron Friedrich von Steuben was no slouch, and he wasn't the type to let the staff handle things while he stayed warm and comfy. He worked with the men, handling drill and maneuver with them, and did his best to (literally) write the book that got everyone on the same page.
von Steuben's military manual was the first manual used by the freshly-forged American Army. It could not be boiled down into an easy bumper-sticker or slogan since it tackled a wide range of subjects that defy simplification-- much like the wide array of injustices that OWS seeks to rectify. But it got the Army working together and functioning in mutual support to attain goals. And attain goals they did.
So as Fall marches inexorably towards Winter, and the cold sets in and we face having to disperse and possibly slow some operations, I think we should all take this time to think like Baron Friedrich von Steuben. Perhaps contemplate a variety of slogans that can be useful when needed, even if they are the pocket change of political currency; think of common tactics and safeguards to spread while Occupying during the winter. Think about goals and articulating them, use our 'Motorola-muskets' to maintain contact and exchange large, long-term Occupations with more guerrilla-like flash-mob style protests that are fast, mobile, and more easily sustainable during the winter. Anything to make sure that the issues do not fade: a Flash Mob a Day Keeps the Ignorance Away.
Perhaps an actual von Steuben-like figure will emerge, someone to be that public face and help guide the passions and stoke the fires of the forge. Our own Ministry of Truth is an ideal candidate, but the American Revolution wasn't won by one man. Everyone needs to step up and make sure that this winter is our Valley Forge, and not a winter of forgotten discontent.
Good holidays, and remember... Occupy Momentum!