Throughout the years I've been writing, agitating, and blogging about the ascendancy of the increasingly oppressive and corrupt Corporate State, one recurring theme in my writing has been the importance of discipline and clear vision when it comes to social justice activism.
Many times I've expressed dismay about what I perceive to be a reactionary distaste by leftist activists of anything that has any hint of a disciplined approach, strategy, cohesiveness, or clear vision when it comes to social justice activism, when I've attended (countless) activists' meetings, and protest rallies (including several Occupy Wall Street events).
I often call attention to the fact that those behind the Corporate State are extremely focused, disciplined, strategic, and cohesive, as prescribed in what is probably one of the most important inspirational documents of the corporatist movement: The Powell Memo. And I call attention to this fact in order to point out the reason they have been so successful in taking over all the levers of power.
Of course, it goes without saying that when it comes to competing worldviews, the side that's highly organized, focused, and disciplined will win over the side that is not--every time.
Lately I've come to this conclusion: We are indeed talking about Social Darwinism. There are two competing forces: The Corporate State (now in control of the levers of power in the U.S.) is based on the manipulation and enslavement of the population, and on the rapacious exploitation of the natural environment (in the final analysis). The Social Justice Movement is based on fairness, the rule of law, constitutional protections, and economic and environmental sustainability.
These are two competing worldviews, and in the final analysis one of them will win over the other; there is no middle ground. It is clear (or it should be) by now that the Corporate State is seeking to completely destroy any capability of the people to oppose it. Therefore, it should be clear to Social Justice Activists that their mission must be to take down the Corporate State.
This is indeed a competition, and only the stronger of the two camps will survive.
Before I continue, I think it is important here that at this point I define the "Corporate State."
In the final analysis the Corporate State is defined as a situation where a very tiny group of extremely wealthy individuals and supra-national corporations have used their wealth and influence to buy off the entire political/governmental system in order to push their agenda forward; an agenda based on the subjugation and exploitation of the population, and on the rapacious exploitation of the natural environment.
Because I've always had this understanding about the need for the Social Justice movement to become highly disciplined and organized if it eventually is going to be able to take down the increasingly illegitimate and oppressive Corporate State, I was pleasantly surprised to come across a video of a theRealnews Network "Reality Asserts Itself" interview of Chris Hedges by Paul Jay.
Of course, the fact that a screenshot of one of my diaries ("Chris Hedges: Time To Revolt Against The Global Corporate Mafia") appears in the video (at minute 1:00), was an added inspiration (and an honor).
Please take a few minutes to watch this video... Obviously, I totally agree with what Chris Hedges says in the interview.
He's calling for the Left to become disciplined and capable of articulating a clear vision.
I've written about this before, but my answer to that call is the deployment of a website called Market For The People.
Market For The People seeks to answer Chris Hedges call for the need to set up local sustainable markets/economic systems that challenge the corporatist ecomomic model wich is based on oligopolistic and predatory practices. Our mission is to encourage people to develop localized food production, support the development of local micro-economies by supporting locally-owned independent businesses, and, by doing so, start defunding the Corporate State in a systematic manner. In the video below, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Senior Fellow at the Nation Institute, and activist Chris Hedges says that an effective movement that defies corporate power will have to be disciplined and be capable of articulating a clear vision. Market For The People's purpose is to find a way to answer that call. Would you join us in this worthy endeavor?
And so, as I develop this project further, I will be recruiting people to join me in this effort. I'm looking for real hard-core activists that believe in this radical concept:
A People united will never be defeated. We THE PEOPLE have the capability of defunding the Corporate State. We have the capability of choosing how to spend our money. We can choose to band together and form localized food and housing cooperatives, and form self-sustainable micro-economic ecosystems all across this country (and indeed, around the world), sidestepping the corporatist infrastructure. And we can work together to reach out and educate the rest of the population (counter-propaganda) about these goals, and recruit people to join the movement so we gain the strength necessary to take down the Corporate State.
Obviously, I'm only one guy; I recognize I don't have all the answers. But I'm stepping forward with this vision, with this goal. I need other people to share their ideas and perspectives, their dreams, their enthusiasm. And that's why I've added features to
the website so we can develop think tanks focused on moving this vision forward.
My goal is to make this project a community project, but one that has a clear focus, agenda, and goal: the defunding of the Corporate State, the protection of the natural environment, and the ascendancy of a system based on social justice, the rule of law, and constitutional protections.
You can take the first step by joining me at Market For The People and sharing your ideas.