Recap: The System In Crisis – April 19

The recent “The System in Crisis: A Teach-In for the 99%,” co-sponsored by Occupy Detroit and the Wayne State University chapter of the National Lawyer’s Guild, was a dynamic and energetic exploration of the financial crisis and its impacts on ordinary people. With nearly 150 people attending sessions throughout the day, the teach-in was a vibrant source of conversations about all that is broken about the current system and what the 99% can do about it. The day’s events kicked off with a screening of the Academy Award winning documentaryInside Job, which offers a scathing indictment of the structures of greed and corruption that led to the financial collapse of 2008. A discussion, led by Wayne State history professor Fran Shor, followed the screening. Next, University of Michigan economist Tom Weisskopf gave the keynote address, “The Current Economic Crisis and What to Do about It,” in which he offered his analysis of neoliberalism’s origins and the nature of the current crisis. He urged the audience not only to understand the intricacies of our current economic woes, but to continue organizing to confront the political interests that stand in the way of real solutions. Three panels followed the keynote. “Endless War” discussed the relationship between the crisis and U.S. foreign policy, while speakers on “The Assault on Rights and Liberties” offered insights into recent offensives from the 1% on labor, the poor, and democratic culture. Finally, “The Local Crisis” assembled several local activists who provided inspiring insights on the important organizing … Continue reading →