Be The Revolution: How Occupy Wall Street and the Bernie Sanders Movement Reshaped American Politics

Most people think that Occupy Wall Street failed, and Bernie Sanders's meteoric rise to the national stage was simply a 'viral' phenomenon that captured the hearts of unrealistic Millenials. Be The Revolution reveals how Occupy organizers strategically activated their national network of activists to fuel the grassroots movement that propelled the Senator's campaign to change the course of American history. This is an inside journey through the key events of the 2016 and 2020 primary races. It follows a secret group of Sanders influencers called Bernie's Avengers as they challenge the Democratic establishment and then join the historic pipeline fight at Standing Rock. This book also offers important insights into the rise of QAnon and neofascism.Be The Revolution is a gonzo adventure into the heart of the grassroots movements that defined a decade, a memoir that also contains a theory of change to guide the development of the movements urgently needed to take on national and global crises.Be The Revolution offers Important insights into some of the most significant developments in modern America, based on intimate knowledge and direct participation.-Noam Chomsky"We should thank Jay for his life's work. As an organizer, he is a wonder to watch in action. This accounting of events of the last ten years is a profound and seismic piece of American political, and cultural history that has gone all but unnoticed in the mainstream. Be The Revolution is not about a battle of right or left, but the battle for humanity and the natural world. The timing of this book couldn't be more right, nor the message more on point. Ken Burns should do a doc on this!" -Mark Ruffalo "Jay Ponti is a legendary long distance revolutionary thinker and activist whose vision, analysis and courage is a beacon of hope in our bleak times! Don't miss this jewel of a book!" -Dr Cornel West"This is the book the establishment doesn't want you to read." -Nina Turner"The prevailing narrative of American politics is not the real story. It obliterates the deeper reality of who we are as people and the overarching meaning of struggles for justice. Beneath the corporate-created hype and the games of our political establishment lie the activism and sacrifices of real people doing the gut-wrenching work of trying to further and save our democracy. Be The Revolution tells the story of those people." -Marianne Williamson