(MintPress) – After spending the last year directing their energy toward the condemnation of big money in politics and the immorality of the Wall Street bailout, those involved in the Occupy movement are bailing out one another to lift the burden of medical bills of everyday Americans.
A telethon aimed at eliminating medical debt is set to launch this month, with the help of politically active celebrities, including comedian Janeane Garofalo, who has emerged not only as a celebrity figure for her acting and stand-up comedy, but also for her work as an activist.
The idea behind the People’s Bailout telethon is simple, yet powerful. Those within the Occupy movement have spent one year protesting and speaking out against a government they see as an instrument of powerful and influential corporations. While they’re not leaving that cause behind, they’re taking a more direct approach to immediately impact the lives of those suffering.
“People shouldn’t have to go into debt for an education, because they need medicare care, or to put food on the table during hard times,” Occupy stated in a press release.
The telethon does just that. It aims to unite and offer relief for those who they see as the victims of the policies they stand against. With the money collected, Occupy will buy debt from creditors. And instead of making money off that collection of that debt, they’ll simply eliminate it.
“The Rolling Jubilee is a bailout of the people by the people — we buy defaulted debt for pennies on the dollar, but instead of collecting it, we abolish it,” Occupy National stated in a press release sent to MintPress.
The lives of everyday Americans will literally be changed through their actions.
A variety show leading to real change
Eliminating debt is a serious issue, but Occupy plans on having some fun with it. The People’s Bailout comedian list is robust. In addition to Garofalo, Occupiers will have the pleasure of hearing from Lizz Winstead, the co-creator of the Daily Show, and Max Silvestri, host of the Big Terrific comedy series.
The main show will be broadcast from a venue in New York, but will be broadcast live at www.rollingjubilee.org. Organizers are encouraging Occupy activists throughout the nation now to get the word out and organize viewing parties at Occupy encampments.
Social media has emerged as the main source of advertising for the telethon, as organizers know they have limited resources to choose from. Yet they’re hoping the power of Twitter and Facebook will lead to a great turnout — in person and through viewing parties.
Tickets will go up at 10 a.m. Nov. 2. through the rollingjubilee.org website. These tickets don’t only get purchasers a seat at the event — they also help abolish Americans’ debt. Tickets range from $25 to $250.
To promote the event, a page has also been created on Tumblr, complete with photos and stories of everyday Americans who are struggling under the weight of debt. Their stories are the reason for the telethon — and people like them will be the ones who benefit.
The stories presented on the page aren’t too dissimilar from one another. One photo of a man holding up a notebook description of his situation describes the $87,000 of education debt he’s in. In the midst of paying this off, he used his savings to pay for medical care for his father. The story below his belongs to a 24-year-old woman who is working more and for less than she did before graduating college — and now she owes $33,000 in student debt.
“I am stressed out and depressed,” she writes on the site. “The American Dream is dead for my generation.”
Another evolving step for Occupy
The frustration that spilled over into Zuccotti Park last year stemmed from the stories shared on that website. Of course, larger issues, including government bailout, were the focus of the initial Occupy protests in New York and around the nation. But those who were moved to act did so because they knew the hurt the current economic and business system was causing their friends and neighbors.
The initial Occupy protests generated change, at least in the realm of American political dialogue. The “99 Percent” phrase was born and injected into the mainstream debate. But police aggression toward protesters has not allowed for a gathering of that magnitude to take place again.
American philosopher and political critic Noam Chomsky saw this coming. In December of 2011, Chomsky praised the movement, but told attendees at a lecture in Maine that the tactics would have to change.
“Don’t be obsessed with tactics but with purpose,” he said. “Tactics have a half life.”
That same sentiment was shared in a question and answer interview with the Guardian in April, during which time Chomsky said Occupy can continue forward with the solid base of non-selfish solidarity shared among members.
“One of the real achievements of the Occupy movement, I think, has been to develop a real manifestation of rejection of this in a very striking way,” Chomsky said in the interview. “The people involved are not in it for themselves. They’re in it for one another, for the broader society and for future generations. The bonds and associations being formed, if they can persist and if they can be brought into the wider community, would be the real defence against the inevitable repression with its sometimes violent manifestations.”
The upcoming telethon is an example of Occupy capitalizing on its strong solidarity to help others in a tangible way. And they’re not likely to have any run-ins with law enforcement through the process. The actions that stem from the telethon will send a political message, but more than anything, they will provide change in people’s lives. That’s difficult to argue against.
The stories of those who benefit from debt relief will serve as shining examples that could shed light on what the Occupy movement really stands for. With media reports focused on arrests and images of hippies sleeping in parks, discussion on the issues activists care about are lost through distraction.
It could leave more people open to the idea of engaging in dialogue with activists in their own community, recognizing that, while not everyone agrees on everything, it all comes down to helping the American people — the ones who need it most.