Its any given day. You wander around the internet, reading your email and checking the latest news, stopping off at a couple of blogs to see what the daily buzz is. You find a few more bombs have gone off in Iraq, the government is surveilling its own people, yet another politician is indicted on charges or steps down for unethical conduct, and you find people vehemently espousing the elimination of entire nations. Even the most well meaning of us are arguing amongst ourselves, riddled with frustration and anger at the way things are going. The internet is awash with information that can seemingly prove the most outlandish beliefs one can possibly imagine. Its a sea of chaos. And the temptation to submit to fear, paranoia, and despair ever lingers, chipping away at our sanity and our decency. Sometimes you just feel like giving up, especially when so many of your fellow human beings seem delightfully oblivious to the chaos around them. It cannot be denied that we live in interesting times--a Chinese curse, so I've heard.
From the moment of its appointment by the US Supreme Court, I've been dismayed by the words and the actions of the current presidential administration. The list of grievances could fill volumes. But then maybe this is not the horrible thing I've for so long perceived it to be. What's that you say? Do you mean to infer that the rise of George Bush and the neo-conservative movement to positions of power is a positive thing? Well, no...and yes. No for the obvious reasons. Yes because the cats now out of the bag. The foulness of this bunch has brought people together in an unprecedented way over the past two years. The fact that you're reading this blog entry is a testament to that. Even among the general public, the uncomfortable feeling that something just isn't quite right is beginning to take hold. By way of example, take today's news of
concerns shifting from the economy to the war. Look at some of these quotes from this
main stream press release:
"The war is a problem that fouls up what we need to do in the world," said Peter Palys, a lawyer from Wheaton, Ill. "My feelings about Iraq have solidified over the last six months. ... We can't stay; we can't leave, and we can't win. Our success or failure is not in our hands."
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"It's a steady drumbeat," said Walter Mebane, a professor of government at Cornell University. "People who aren't political junkies may not follow the names, but they're always hearing something about corrupt politicians in Washington."
Neal Bowser, a carpet technician from Westchester, Pa., said the bribery scandals are his top concern now.
"Money seems to be corrupting the whole bottom line," he said. "Our political leaders are not working for the people when they're working for their own pockets."
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Some still worry about the economy, however.
"I think the economy is still struggling now, and I won't be surprised if it gets worse," said Wes Byers, an engineer from Wellington, Colo. "I don't think jobs are there like they used to be, especially better-paying jobs. There's getting to be a bigger and bigger gap between low-income and high-income people."
A sleeping dragon is slow to awaken, but at least its venting vapors now. American activists meeting at the
5th World Social Forum are hopeful, given the changes that are occuring across the Americas, both North and South.
This time last year, the world was grieving for the victims of the catastrophic Indian Ocean tsunamis, and Bush had just won re-election, to the dismay of anti-war activists here and many people abroad who questioned the U.S.-led "war on terror".
But now, the outlook has changed, Hurwitz and other U.S. activists say.
"There is a huge sense of optimism about the possibility for change in the United States," he noted. "Many things have happened over the past year that worked in favour of this optimism, like the incredibly low support for the Iraq war, the exposure of corruption in Congress, and the torture cases and other scandals in the administration."
The populist movements in South America are becoming a source of inspiration and ideas for transforming the way we do politics here in the U.S. The broad grassroots movements in Venezuela and Bolivia may offer some solutions for people sandwiched between Mexico and Canada that hadn't occured to us. They've lived under despotic regimes far longer and far worse than any of us have endured in recent memory. And perhaps we will reach across borders in greater numbers via this ever evolving internet and make bonds directly with people everywhere. Forget the government's relation to foreign nations, lets make our own and create our own reality.
If you have some disposable financial means, take a look at organizations like
Kiva and
FINCA, that allow you to offer micro loans to people across South American and Africa. Consider finding a pen pal--or two or three--from another country. Find anyway you can to cross the border. You don't need a passport.
We can continue writing our letters and calling our CongressCritters, but we shouldn't continue to rely solely on these means. If our elected leaders won't make the relationships we want, then its up to us do it ourselves. Whatever you do, don't bang your head against the wall, don't give in to despair. Believing that you can do nothing means that you can do nothing, which is where the powers-that-be want us. They'd prefer we continue setting our VISA cards a-smoldering with the purchase of gigantic plasma televisions and other useless trinkets rather than making meaningful connections with other human beings. When we're divided, we play by their rules, but we can choose to play by our own standards.
We live in a time of great change and we are on the ground level of a revolution, not of guns or violence, but of ideas. As bad as things may seem, the opportunities for positive change are equally great. But change must come slow and steady, for quick changes are undone rapidly. The foundation must be built on solid bedrock. You say things are dire, and they certainly look that way. But the choice is between hope and despair, and I'm not willing to give up. How about you?