Political Disobedience vs. Revolution and Occupy: A Debate

The Occupy Movement has captured lots of attention, and there is an opportunity to learn more about the theory behind modern political movements from a couple of political thinkers. Check out Political Disobedience vs. Revolution: An Exchange and Debate on the Significance and Implications of the Occupy Movement. | Occupy Chicago.

Friday, Dec. 2nd from 3:00pm to 4:30pm at Sullivan Galleries Conference Room, Sullivan Galleries, 33 S. State Street, 7th floor.

Bernard Harcourt, writing in the Opiniator blog of the New York Times, described the Occupy Movement as marking a “political paradigm shift”: a new form of “political disobedience” involving a “leaderless” organization refusing to embrace “old ideologies”—whether of free markets or communism.

Raymond Lotta, an advocate of Bob Avakian’s new synthesis of communism, who had recently spoken at Occupy Wall Street, responded by saying the question is not whether there will be ideology or leadership, these are in play one way or another, but what kind of ideology and what kind of leadership are needed to overcome oppression and exploitation. The recent police attacks on the Occupy Movement underscore the importance of these questions.

Now the debate continues: come ask questions and participate in this debate / exchange on the Occupy Movement.

Bernard Harcourt is Chairman of the Political Science department and professor of law at the University of Chicago. He is the author of The Illusion of Free Markets.

Raymond Lotta is a political economist and regular contributor to Revolution newspaper. He is an advocate of Bob Avakian’s new synthesis of communism.