We've been able to see the train coming down that track towards us. We know that we are in a plutocracy now and not a democracy. We know that the fat cats are not getting even a hand slap for bringing down a world economy. Nope. They are getting monumental bonuses.
But what about us? Who are we and what do we have to say about any of this? Are we just going to wait until we no longer have a way to make a living for us and our families and then just eat our keyboards?
I have a vision.
I don't know how to get it up and running but the vision is clear.
I can see millions of us moving slowly state by state towards dc. And as we go we hold meetings in the state capitals extolling the virtues of paying taxes. Talking about how paying taxes is patriotic. Talking about when things get tough we do our part.
It would be a monumental task to organize and as Nader says we don't have organizers.
I can see us though, camping in state fair areas or at actual camp sites. I see us sitting around at night maybe making "stone soup" laughing about this or that, finding old friends, making new friends, feeling as if we are a part of a history making achievement. I can see us getting up the morning packing up and loading up. We all come together for information about how to act and what will happen. And then we take buses into the capitals where we have speakers talk about how important it is that people support their state and local governments even more when times are hard. We talk about how we expect those that have the most to do more than most because it is fair and just and because it is patriotic that we do for our state and our country and for our home. And we hear how, when people do their part, how much better things can be for all of us. And if we don't do our part, how we are shortchanging our home and our families and our neighbors. And I can see us piling back on buses moving on to the next state. People could join us and leave when they have to.
On the West coast people could start from Washington State or Oregon or California and move to the adjacent states picking up people along the way.
The powers that be would hear us coming. It wouldn't be weekend thing you see. The anticipation of the hordes of people moving towards the US capital even more than any actuality would be enough to give the puppet folks a chill. The media could ignore us except for the local papers picking it up along the way. We could unleash balloon banners with "taxes are patriotic" or some thing that would cause people to think.
As we get closer to dc, or maybe as we go, the rallies could become a little more elaborate - enough to pull in CSPAN coverage. In every state we could pull in any rising progressive political star we could find and showcase them. And we could let the less than progressive pols come into the fold and make them feel that it is important that they welcome us and bask in our strength.
At the end, we would not only have made a mark but we would also have rubbed up against each other enough to establish a better community and develop our network ties.
This is not exactly what the Vietnam vets did to help pull that war off track. They camped on the mall for quite a while.
We've got people in every state. Surely we can find places to camp. And we would need money for buses. And yes I know it is cold out there, but we have to look down the line to spring time for this because of the size of the effort.
There are those who will say "this won't work"! Well tell me what has? I am definitely willing to try something different other than the same insane thing over and over.
And when I am alarmed about something, I would like to do something constructive and not cower in my bed.
So how is YOUR amgdala????