Saturday, December 31, 2011

Happy People


There's a quote attributed to Obama that says in hard times certain people cling to their guns and religion. Conservatives were pissed because the shoe fits so snuggly. But, any honest person knows that Americans, especially the uneducated and poor do just that. It's such common knowledge that manipulation of that flaw is baked into most right-wing campaign strategy.

Well, times are getting tougher for all Americans. The unemployed are growing in number. The employed are they're playing musical chairs with their co-workers. Stress Baby, and lots of it. But far less "Liberals" have guns or religion to fall back on...

Out of this darkness springs a faith in people. Not persons wholly corrupted by capital, but neighbors and friends who are in the pot with you. People can be so much better than their institutions. The non-violent, desegregated Bonus Army of the 1930's, the Civil Rights movements of the 40s, 50s and 60s, the Occupy movement now, show people will resist malevolence in social systems after a while. History also shows these imbalances receive a correction.

In this time of crisis, I'm clinging to my belief in myself, my family, friends and people who don't want to sell out long term communal good for short term personal gain. We need a new system of politics. Something akin to a direct democracy with a well educated body politic. Until then occupy where you can.

photo: taken with iPhone 3Gs, LoMob app

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Crunch Time

So the broken clocks and conspiracy theorists are right - it is 11:59. Obama may soon sign the National Defense Authorization Act into law. This would make the United States a battlefield and allows the military to occupy the Land of the Brave.

Now, don't be fooled into looking at #NDAA in isolation. There are several forces in synchronicity : the aggrandizement of political power to finance, the locking down of the Internet, the co-opting of the media and the rise of manufacturing by private prisons labor. All these forces feed each others push us toward a new normal. America will become a corporatocracy, the Fascist nation with the iPods.

But there is still hope, we are not too far gone. But the solution requires blood and treasure. Our blood, our treasure.

If you are brave, look at American history and ask yourself, what major social changes that benefited the common man was acquired by violent means? We are going to need the courage of the Civil Rights movement, because the corporatocracy will turn the whole country into the Deep South.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Inglorious Bastards

Worked on Christmas. I said WORKED on Christmas. My family and friends bemoaned it, but they are looking without context. Seven million Americans are unemployed. 4 million of them have been looking for work for a year or longer.

That being said it still sucks to work on the holidays. I even apologized to the coffeehouse folks as I walked in to pick up breakfast.

There was a time when working Christmas or New Year's meant double time and a half. Thanks to unions, workers were at least honored for the sacrifice. Honor..

I would say honor is missing in many places in America right now. Where's the honor in freezing workers' pay and rewarding management? Where's the honor in police officers being ask to crush descent? Where's the honor in bringing soldiers stateside and asking them to crush descent as well?

Where's the honor in voting for brands instead of candidates? Where's the honor in not attempting to keep them accountable? Where's the honor in complaining when you didn't write, call or occupy?

We can restore our country's honor one citizen at a time. We can make efforts to restore national integrity by managing our lives the way we'd want the govt to manage its affairs: responsibly and with a care as to how it would affect our neighbors.

If you can't occupy, call. If don't call, then email, tweet or post on blogs. Just make an effort to resist dishonorable persons hiding behind corporations destroying this country. Watch policy not parties. Watch out for your neighbor.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Blood & Treasure

Participated in TwitterBomb against the Stop Online Piracy Act (#SOPA) recently. Tons of participants. I get sense there was impact on the Judiciary Subcommittee that meets on #SOPA. 

But TwitterBombs are just letter writing campaigns in this new era. They assist the people in the street, but not a replacement for civil disobedience.

So I don't consider myself a revolutionary. I make small financial donations to #occupy, tweet & blog. I guess I'm a sympathizer. 

The only language empire understands is blood and treasure, I'm there on treasure...