I read The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein a while back. If you're a political junkie you have probably read it, or are at least acquainted with the idea of Disaster Capitalism. The idea that after a disaster, there is a window where things the population wouldn't normally accept, can be forced upon them while they are disoriented and desperate.
A window of opportunity....
Just because corporate 'free market' forces are the only ones currently using that window of opportunity, does not mean they are the only ones that can. In fact, I would like to suggest that the New Deal was an example of Disaster Progressivism. The Depression was a disaster, and the New Deal was pushed through while the country was still in shock.
Instead of bemoaning the idea of the window existing, we should be planning on how to use it. As I see it, in this day and age, it may just be our only chance of getting anything done.
When the financial crisis hit, the Capitalists (banks) were able to get Congress to write them a blank check, with three pages of notes and a "the sky is about to fall" speech. That's what you can do if you're powerful. We aren't all that powerful. However, there are things we can do. What if we had been able to do something like this:
Civil Disobedience, with each incident demanding Glass Steagall be reinstated immediately. Flash mobs at the homes of bank CEOs, singing "Beggars at the Feast" from Les Mis, demanding Glass Steagall be reinstated immediately, then quietly walking away. Organized bank runs, as groups in every city withdraw most of their money on the same day. New York on monday, Chicago on tuesday, San Francisco on wednesday, etc..
On every withdrawl slip, writing "Reinstate Glass Steagall" on the back. Yes, using actual tellers! That's how serious we would have to be. I'm sure we could come up with lots of creative and disruptive, but non violent ways to cause trouble. Do you think we could have gotten Glass Steagull reinstated? Maybe. I do know that talking about it here, knowing it was the right thing to do, and letting the governmental process take it's time DID NOT WORK. Time is our enemy at this point. The more time we give the lobbyists, villagers and Frank Luntz to come up with ways to avoid doing what is right, the worse off we will be.
We have to be ready to Do Things when that window of opportunity occurs. We have to be ready with ideas and cell numbers to get the word out. We have to (shudder) be willing to take orders from those we choose to lead the offensive, and show up and do what they decide is the best plan of action. There won't be time to vote on it, have meta wars over it, and nit pick it to death. It's usually better to do something right now than to do the right thing too late. We have to have our pitchforks and torches (AND the zippo to get them started) all in the hall closet ready to move out.
So, who wants to actually do stuff, and who wants to endlessly complain about the shit we're getting? And, um, how many of you can actually sing?
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Bluto: Hey! What's all this laying around stuff? Why are you all still laying around here for?
Stork: What the hell are we supposed to do, ya moron? We're all expelled. There's nothing to fight for anymore.
D-Day: [to Bluto] Let it go. War's over, man. Wormer dropped the big one.
Bluto: What? Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!
Otter: [to Boon] Germans?
Boon: Forget it, he's rolling.
Bluto: And it ain't over now. 'Cause when the goin' gets tough...
[thinks hard of something to say]
Bluto: The tough get goin'! Who's with me? Let's go!
[Bluto runs out, alone; then returns]
Bluto: What the fuck happened to the Delta I used to know? Where's the spirit? Where's the guts, huh? This could be the greatest night of our lives, but you're gonna let it be the worst. "Ooh, we're afraid to go with you Bluto, we might get in trouble." Well just kiss my ass from now on! Not me! I'm not gonna take this. Wormer, he's a dead man! Marmalard, dead! Niedermeyer...
Otter: Dead! Bluto's right. Psychotic... but absolutely right. We gotta take these bastards. Now we could do it with conventional weapons, but that could take years and cost millions of lives. No, I think we have to go all out. I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part!
Bluto: We're just the guys to do it.
D-Day: [stands up] Yeah, I agree. Let's go get 'em.
Boon: Let's do it.
Bluto: [shouting] "Let's do it"!