17. Permanent revolution: Occupying democracy

Abstract

The Occupy movement constitutes an upgrade of political activism from campaign to prototype. This shift from the traditional narrative, goal-oriented movement to activism as ‘infinite game’ is consistent with the changing media environment informing this activity. As we move from a culture defined by the book and broadcast media to one expressed more through the net and peer-to-peer media, our approaches to politics and our expectations for its results change. We are transitioning from a spectator democracy, in which citizens project their hopes and dreams onto charismatic leaders, to a participatory democracy, in which citizens enact change through their real-time interactions. This shift reflects more than a change in communications technologies; it marks a change in the mode and dimensional level of activism.