Solving Economic Inequality: An Occupy Movement for this Moment? -
laura flanders & friends

Were you one of the hundreds of thousands of people on the streets during the Occupy movement? For many the movement was a political awakening, as people rallied to end economic inequality and support democracy in response to the 2008 global financial crisis. On this 13th anniversary, how does the spirit of Occupy live on? And what progress - if any - has been made when it comes to the wealth gap? Joining us for that conversation is Marisa Holmes, author of the recently released book "Organizing Occupy Wall Street: This Is Just Practice" and director of "All Day All Week: An Occupy Wall Street Story" which looks at the takeover of Zuccotti Park in New York City in September 2011. Also joining us is Taifa Smith Butler, President of Demos, a public policy organization working to build a multiracial democracy and economy. Previously she was a leader at the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute. Award-winning journalist Amir Khafagy returns to co-host this episode. Our guests explore the links between economic inequality and authoritarianism and ask how far we've come as a nation to create structural, policy and practice-based changes on the economic front. How can we create a people-led economy that will lead to collective power? All that, plus a commentary from Laura. "During Occupy, we really rejected representative politics because it seemed not responsive to people's needs . . . So we just thought, 'We're going to do this ourselves'. We have to build alternatives ourselves from the bottom up through mutual aid networks . . . That's what I think is going to transform the economy . . ." - Marisa Holmes "Demos has always talked about the inextricable links of economic power and political power. As I think about where we are historically with the retraction of resources, with the threat of authoritarianism and fascism and this demographic shift that is happening in our nation and the inequality that continues to proliferate, i

Duration: 26 minutes and 46 seconds

Episode Number: 123

About Laura Flanders & Friends:

THE LAURA FLANDERS SHOW is back with more award-winning interviews and investigative reporting on the people and movements driving positive systemic change in our world today.

Hosted by multi-media reporter and author Laura Flanders, the series features smart, solutions-driven conversations with forward-thinking people, including Rep.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Indian writer Arundhati Roy, actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, and actress/activist Laverne Cox.

Laura and her team also report from the field on cutting-edge innovations and topics such as collective ownership and ways that organizations across the country are addressing disparity in the housing market.

Every month, contributors S.

Mitra Kalita and Sara Lomax, co-founders of the URL Media network, join Laura for "Meet the BIPOC Press," a monthly feature of the show highlighting reporters of color from minority-owned and operated media outlets from around the country.

THE LAURA FLANDERS SHOW Season 5 is independently-produced and recorded in a small cabin in rural Sullivan County, New York.

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