I really want to like the Occupy Wallstreet movement, but I can't figure out what it is about. I thought I had a handle on it last week, after reading one earnest website, but then I read a few other websites that said that they were the official website for the movement and the thing morphed again. I talked to friends who attended the movement, and I walked away more confused than when I started. 

If the protesters want to make a change, they have to pick ONE problem. Maybe two closely related problems, but certainly not a thousand. Sure, if you don't limit your demands, you'll get a big crowd, because everyone has a problem. But if you don't narrow it down to one problem, then politicians won't know what problem has to get fixed. Your message gets watered down. Nobody with any power will align themselves with you, because they won't know what you're for and against. 

I'm tired of people telling me that movements always start as diffuse, confused, leaderless, message-less mobs, because that's not true. I'm pretty sure that MLK knew what he wanted. 

A movement needs leadership. A movement isn't about conversation; it's about getting things done. It has to be hierarchical and organized. Without organization, the movement is not only inefficient, but it is endanager of getting manipulated by other groups with better organization. If Occupy Wallstreet is really supposed to be something new, then they need to reach out to other groups and look for commonalities, but not let them run the show. 

After there's leadership, a unified message, a plan for politicians to rectify the problem, then they must pressure politicians to make that change. They need to go to Washington, DC or the state capitals. They need to show politicians that there will be no way that they will get re-elected without supporting their policy. They need to show politicians that they will seriously gum up the status quo, if their demands aren't met. 

Alright, let's just say that they main problem is that the top 1% of the country isn't getting taxed enough. That's fine. Let's get the facts straight then. The top 1% of the country means everyone making more than $590,000 per year. By the way, 99% of the people who work on Wall Street don't earn that much money. Not even close. So, you have to figure out who is in that 1% (think — Jay Z, Steve Jobs, Oprah, Tom Cruise, the CEO for Staples, Katie Couric). So, maybe the protest should be positioned in Hollywood and outside corporate headquarters. After you determine what the right tax rate should be, then you explain why and get on the cable news shows to convince other people why this is a good plan. You show that a good number of voters are on your side through big protests, petitions, and big demonstrations of support. Then, maybe, just maybe, change will happen. 

Making real change is very, very hard to do in this country. Our system was designed to work slowly and incrementally. Even if you do all these necessary, boring steps, there's no guarantee that change will happen. But without some organization, Occupy Wallstreet is just a big street party. (Not that I have a problem with a good street party.)