Thank You, Anarchy: Notes from the Occupy Apocalypse

I’ve always been a little bit disappointed in positive social movements that rise brightly and then slowly fade away. I’m a child of the 1960s, and I wanted to believe Bob Dylan when he said the times were a-changing. Then they didn’t. Still, does that mean that peace and love are worthless concepts? Surely not. It may just mean that one movement is not enough to change things, but maybe it’s a step in the right direction.

That’s what Nathan Schneider seems to be saying about the Occupy movement in this day-by-day account of his first-hand involvement in Occupy Wall Street’s New York City first year, Thank You, Anarchy. His careful notes from the trenches reveal not only the idealism and community spirit of the Occupy movement, but also the frustrations, setbacks, and unclear outcome.

Schneider’s notes from the ground show that even if the protesters didn’t succeed in their ultimate goal—economic equity for all—they made inroads. Thanks to them, we now have a model of successful decision-making by consensus, and an example of protest activity to learn from for the next round.