There most certainly is enough of a chance that we (Western Culture) will be experiencing nothing but further instability and dysfunction in the federal government and in multinational markets. The probability of energy scarcity seems likely as well. Now is the time to become skillful at self-organization, while there is time to practice and get it right. Before it is too late.

I believe that it is our job as artists and musicians to do the work of making this egalitarian self-organization understandable, strong and beautiful. In a visceral, instinctive and wild way. We are competing with the would-be artists of our time who have compromised their skill and talent to the fundamentalist religion of “brand management.” “Occupy” is what a movement looks like without “brand management.”

I hope we can get busy making art that shows who we are instead of the continuation of the multinational corporatist telling us who we are. The movement is, to me personally, a new and real conversation about who we are and where we want to go as a society. It’s like we haven’t seen each other in years. It is awkward and strange in its absence of ageism, sexism, PR firms, and conventional power constructs, but we are just barely coming alive from the insanity of the age of industry. There are some other things starting now.

And again, it’s the job of the artists to give this mystery some clarity. Before “Urban Outfitters” starts selling 99% shirts. If wealth was once again in the hands of working people, musicians would no longer need to license their songs to survive. Imagine us all with decent pay and able to support independent culture. We can do this. Music can be ultimately powerful. We can shut ’em down!