Occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party Redefine American Politics

“We are the 99 percent!” This protest slogan, born in New York on Sept. 17, is beginning to spread throughout the country. In Austin, the occupation began on Thursday, Oct. 6 and has continued without fear ever since. What is this radically socialist movement doing in a country of triumphant capitalism?

Tired of growing social inequalities, of gross injustices and of every man for himself in the land of meritocracy and individualism, people from all walks of life, from all over the country, from all social classes — from the very rich to the poor — are beginning to wake up. This resolutely anti-capitalist movement has no demand other than to change the system in order to change the world, but is this not already a change in and of itself?

A Consequence of the Failure of Obama

In 2008, Barack Obama was elected on the promise of change. Where are we now three years later? The president, perhaps full of good intentions, has not changed very much, and he has been stuck in the Washington establishment. This led to the birth of a radical movement.

This failure of Barack Obama is the failure of American representative democracy, where the candidates, whomever they are, once elected, find themselves unable to implement the promises of change they made during the campaign. If Barack Obama cannot change things, if he, still apparently full of good intentions, cannot assert his authority over the financial markets and other lobbies in D.C., then who can? Answer: the people.

The Symmetry of the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street

It is the only response the protesters have found. While the tea party movement was built on populist disapproval against a system as unjust as it is unchangeable, its position is definitely right of center, with libertarian and other radically conservative components. On the contrary, the rapidly developing Occupy Wall Street movement could, if it is converted into a real political movement, counter the tea party from the left.

However, the tea party was accused by more traditional Republicans of mortgaging their chances for victory in 2012 by driving away radical voters. This may be true, but if Occupy plays the same role in the Democratic Party as the tea party has in the Republican Party, the two will become more radical, and those famous moderates will have to move far from their “moderation.”

The Return of Ideology

Maybe this is a real revolution for the American representative system, traditionally characterized by a rather “soft” two-party system. By that, I mean that none of the two major parties has ever adopted a very coherent or radical internal ideology. By setting each party in opposing political dimensions, Occupy and the tea party will perhaps help redefine the American political game. Failing to succeed in the short term, this could eventually change the world.

A socialist Democratic Party against a conservative Republican Party would at least have more spirit!