Occupy Oakland, No Matter What

At a pre-dawn raid this morning protesters were met with tear gas and flash grenades. How could this be necessary? What kind of country are we becoming?

When I think of tear gas, police batons, and rubber bullets I think of Selma, Mississippi, Kent State University, and the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Some things never change. What is changing is that for the first time it has become so apparent that the 1% are willing to subject us to violence if we don't tow their line. It is happening more and more that protesters are getting arrested, beaten, etc in the past couple weeks. What length will the 1% go to to squash its opposition? Will we have another Tienanmen Square on our hands?

This class war that the conservatives so vehemently deny exists, its here. It is on our doorstep and it is time for this country to define itself as we truly are and not by the 1%'s  propaganda. I want to live in an America that exists for all people, not just for the privileged. I've had enough of them telling me what to think on TV, and who to vote for. I will not accept under-funding public education or their lies about the tax code. The people determine the direction of this country. It's time we all remembered that.

147 Companies Run The World And What To Do About It

What does it mean when 147 countries run the global economy? It means a single decision on the other side of the world can bring us down here. We are so interconnected now, that if one company falls, they all do. That is an oversimplification of course, but it only takes a few to ruin it all. We all still remember the mortgage crisis of 2008. Researchers have found that since such a small group of companies run the global economy, it creates a very unstable environment. It's like playing Jenga with the world's economy. 


So what do we do about it? Not much. No one will be able to stop this trend from continuing. But you can do little things like putting you money in a local bank, shopping at non-corporate stores and farmer's markets. I personally have not shopped at Walmart in 5 years. If going global turns out to undo humanity as we know it, go local. No Starbucks, no chain restaurants, no fast-food. Think about who you're giving your money to. Corporations are OUT. 

Who is Running the Asylum?

Recently, a former colleague from my union organizing days called me up to get ideas about using social media as a tool for community engagement. I felt my ears perk up immediately when I heard "union", "demonstration" and "revolution". It was exciting to hear about what he was up to and what direction he wanted it to take. But it didn't really give me the rush it used to.

I went to a lot of protests during the Bush administration, started a liberal student organization, was a precinct delegate for Obama's presidential race, and spoke to people about revolution in the workplace on a daily basis as a union organizer. Those were the most exciting moments of my life. So what about me has changed?

Well, I've been illegally fired from two jobs in two years. I finished my bachelors degree finally after working on it for 10 years and have been unemployed since. My doctor bills have been more than my rent this month. I guess I have become disillusioned with the struggle. Well that's not right, I believe in the struggle but I'm disappointed in all its recent failures and I'm leery about jumping on any bandwagons.

Or maybe my problem is with the American public. They're so ready to buy into the propaganda and fear that is ruining our country. The populace has become ineffectual. All they can do besides eat chicken wings and watch football is gripe about abortion and pray that "one nation under God" will stay in the Pledge of Allegiance. Oh, and they're pretty adamant about not letting anymore brown people in the country, although they don't like to put it that way. Well, I bet they do at Niggerhead Ranch.

One must wonder, that if the populace is no longer able to start any significant change, and the government is for the people and by the people - the ineffectual people - then the government is also ineffectual. So who is running the asylum?

The dictatorship of the Almighty Dollar. And everyone knows he who has the most money wins. I think its time for a new strategy.

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