Occupy a Better World
From the balcony, on Wall Street, the chuckling 1% observes the thousands of marchers, as they clink their glasses of champagne. “We’ll see how long this lasts when Winter gets here; These spoiled kids don’t have any clear demands, they don’t even have any leaders” “why don’t they just get a job?”
They laugh as one pours the last few drops of the bottle down to the crowd. “See we are sharing-we care!” They turn away, certain that if they just ignore these crazy anarchists, eventually they will go away and things will get back to normal.
The 1% has it right. But it’s not the protestors that are going away. They no longer have a “normal” to go back to. The economics are no longer normal, nor is the climate. Many can’t even get unemployment benefits, and were themselves on the balcony not long ago.
Lose your job, healthcare, home, car, your 401k, your unemployment, and your self esteem – a new kind of “freedom”,with nothing left to lose. Get pepper sprayed or beat up a little – “ouch” is no longer an adequate response.
If gathering in a park, street, building or a bridge and saying “We’re mad as hell and we’re not going to take it anymore” meets with derision, dismissal, and misunderstanding, what do we do next?
Just start ignoring the oligarchy, who exist thru our support. Dismiss their hold over you. Stop feeding them and they will go away. Vote with your wallets and your feet -stop supporting the things that you wish to change. The Tweet revolution used so successfully around the Middle East, ushers in a new opportunity of instant messaging manifestos-unparalleled in history to create radical transformation – We now have it in our hands to shut down the privileged oligarchy – neatly and swiftly. The propaganda and the conditioning gives us the mistaken impression that we could “have it all” too. The truth is that, like a sad game of Monopoly, it’s become a hamster wheel. Keep passing go, keep handing off your dough. After a while you realize, once the leverage is established, you can’t get off the board. Your only security is landing in jail.
Better to start a different game altogether. Let’s occupy this idea- another way.
Possible? Finally. It’s happening now. We’re actually holding the ball, never realized that we are keeping the things going that we say we are against, like war, starvation, regrettable energy and environmental practices. As Pogo said, “We have met the enemy and it is us” but as Gandhi also said “We can be the heroes we’ve been waiting for”.
So now what? Do we become co-opted by a certain political persuasion that says they “get it now” and will represent us in the great election to come? Maybe. Maybe there is no real difference in party ideology, when the same people own both sides of the aisle, often, the same people that sell arms to both sides in the war. And sell disease every night on TV and cures for them all as well.
A step by step guide:
Identify and immediately dismiss the companies that advertise those programs on the networks that advocate “The Extreme Oligarch Agenda”. Keep a list handy by the radio, (and TV if you watch it) Tell two friends in your social network or tell twenty. This is the single most important step. Do it before the Powers that be can shut down the internet. Stop feeding them. They will get the message Real Quick!
Beware of propaganda and Greenwash. A lot of corporate “persons” will put on a Green Suit and a Red White & Blue hat. Don’t buy it. Stop buying the things you don’t want.
Not sure who they are? Pick up a copy of “The Better World Shopping Guide” – the baddies are all listed: Banks, Energy, Food, all the stuff we use.
Start buying what you want! Better World lists the good guys, too! Let the “market” decide! (you and I!) Credit Unions, Renewable Energy, Local food, and even alternative media!
Get the idea? Go get ‘em and tell those “friends” of yours that you “like” this Better World.
Will it be perfect? No, but it will be in progress, and a heck of a lot more cozy than standing out in the cold and wet, waiting for the privileged 1% to “share”. Tell the 1% to kiss it where the Sun doesn’t shine!
Leave a Reply