I'm a agitator. That means that when I see blatant injustice in society I don't only oppose it or criticize it, but I also want to see people rise up against it in mass.
Over ten years ago I was calling for massive protests around the country. To me, it was clear as the day that the Bush administration was a criminal regime, for many reasons. I immediately understood that "enhanced interrogation techniques" were torture. I understood that war profiteers were getting ready to line their pockets, and that Cheney was their bagman.
Anyways, that stuff was very clear (at least to me). I was concerned about the PATRIOT Act, and surveillance, and phone companies violating people's rights of privacy by allowing the government to tap into their fiber-optics and extract huge amounts of data.
Back then, I was basically calling for the same thing I'm calling for now: A massive uprising that needed to take place in multiple cities, and that it had to be occupation-style.
Then years later, Occupy Wall Street sprung up all over the country, and around the world.
Here's the thing: I knew that the uprising needed to happen exactly like that, and I did everything I could to push the concept occupation-style protests.
But I also know that my pushing for it had absolutely nothing to do with it happening. I do see what I do as planting "seeds" of ideas hoping to influence people; after all, that's what agitators do.
But anyways, I don't for one second think that I can make anything happen, nor -influence large numbers of people to raise up against tyranny, but I stay at it non-stop regardless.
Also, I know that you can't push these things on people. You can't just say, "Ok folks, the time has come, let's kick-off 'pulsating flash mob' protests in 50 cities starting this coming weekend, and we'll keep it for the foreseeable future," even thought I know that that's what needs to happen, and that's just the beginning.
I'm pretty sure that when the next uprising starts, it will take its own form, and it will happen almost spontaneously. It will just happen, "just like that!"
But here's a question for you... For you, personally, why do you think there aren't hundreds of thousands of people across the entire country engaged in organized, relentless, strategic, massive protests, given the situation in this country?
There has been an unprecedented period of massive looting of the country's coffers by Wall Street criminal banksters, who were then protected by a government on the take. A two-tiered justice system. Anyways, it will take several pages to write all that is wrong. I think you know already...
Again, you never know when you reach the tipping point and a period of uprising starts, and I think that we may be reaching that tipping point, but what explains the American citizens' eerie docility?
We live in a nation where doctors destroy health; lawyers destroy justice; universities destroy knowledge; governments destroy freedom; the press destroys information; religion destroys morals; and our banks destroy the economy.
- Chris Hedges
I've heard some say that the reason people don't rise up is because things haven't gotten too bad yet, or that people are tired, working hard, taking care of responsibilities, and paying bills, and taking care of the kids, etc. Others say that people are apathetic, watching too much TV, Honey Booboo, and stuff like that.
But event that, I don't get. For me, personally, I could start the day really busy, get in the car an go to a couple of meetings with customers, then on my way back put some gas in the car, and maybe get some groceries; I could even watch "Honey Booboo" if I was so inclined (although in reality, I don't even know what's about), and then I could make some time to go take part of the "uprising." I could fit it in my weekly routine.
It would be just one more thing I do. Maybe I give up one of the HBO shows I like, and instead go participate in a "pulsating flash mob" in Oakland or San Francisco for a couple of hours, and then back home to work on a customer's project.
I would see it as my civic responsibility to make just a little tiny time to engage, since the times call for it. But again, that's me.
What about you? What's your take? Why aren't people out there in the hundreds of thousands? Why aren't people coordinating action nationwide?
I know it will happen, just as I knew over ten years ago that something like OWS will eventually happen.
I do wish I could have a little tiny bit of influence in helping "wake people up" so the process is accelerated; after all, that's the "agitator" side of me.
I would be great to get different perspectives on this...
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Ray Pensador | Email List | Twitter | Facebook | Social Justice National Ad Campaign
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Some energy driving us... Murmurations
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The current state of affairs. Let's change it!
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