Just one month ago, this was unthinkable.
Well, it was thinkable - but absolutely no one thought it was possible. People thought that all Hope was lost. The President was a serial capitulator-in-chief who was destined to cave. The issue of Wall Street abuse, Banking abuse, the growing influence of the monied and powerful, the shrinking wages, shrinking jobs and shrinking options of the middle-class were a foregone conclusion.
For literally years I wondered - why aren't there people in the Streets - up in arms over all this.
I railed here and elsewhere about the unfairness, the injustice, the war crimes, the lies, the spin, the grift and flat out theft.
Over a thousand diaries.
Just a few weeks ago Keith echoed my frustration and desperation - Why aren't we in the Streets?
Where is the outrage over these Great Hypocrisies? Do you expect it to come from a corrupt and corrupted media, for whom access is of greater importance than criticizing the failure of a political party or defending those who don't buy newspapers or can't leap website paywalls or could not afford cable tv?...
Do you expect it from those elected officials who no longer know anything of government or governance, but only perceive how to get elected, or how to pose in front of a camera and pretend to be leaders?...
Do you expect it will come from the great middle ground of the country, with a population obsessed with entertainment, video games, social media, sports, and trivia?
Where is the outrage to come from?
It will come From You
In response his boss Vice President Al Gore called for the start of a New American Spring...
This inspired me to do my small part and start a facebook page to try and gather people to do exactly that.
In all honesty, It failed.
But then something else happened... and brother although it hasn't succeeded yet, it certainly has completely changed the conversation.
In case you been living under the Geico Rock, Wall Street seems to have gained a grand new pack of semi-permanent residents.
It began small, it nearly dwindled down to nothing all on it's own....
Then it grew... and grew.
Michael Moore Came.
Russel Simmons Came.
Cornell West Came.
Susan Sarandon Came.
My Old Pal Tom Morello Came.
Even Kanye Came.
These are People who are angry, but not belligerent. People who are clearly articulate and informed. People are brave, and willing to put their bodies at risk with the courage of their convictions - standing up to arbitrary and vicious police actions. They've been Maced. They've been beaten. Kettled. Run over.
And still they remain. Still they Occupy.
No longer a Silent. No longer invisible. The teaming huddled masses of the disenfranchised can no longer be ignored.
They have been dismissed. They have been ridiculed. Belittled. Called "Dirty", 'Druggies", "Unfocused", "Whiners", "Dangerous".
Yet they remain. And they grow, now - as of today - reaching over 900 Cities, and 100 Countries?
Could we have even Hoped for something like this?
The Dream has come true. For decades due to the trickle-down Friedman-omics we've been gradually slouching into Corporate Feudalism.
But not anymore. Now, finally - the people have begun to fight back. To finally start to stem the tide of endless greed and viciousness that drives the 1%, owns all of the GOP and most of the Democratic Party.
It doesn't matter that they don't have an specific agenda. They aren't trying to come up with the answers, they asking a question!.
Why does all of our national and international wealth seemed to be disappearing into the massive maw of Wall Street and Big Business? Why do we work harder and longer and continue to get less and less - while being expected to give more and more?
Some believe they already know the answers, but frankly only an idiot thinks they have an answer before they even understand the question.
It doesn't matter that they don't have a specific list of legislation or action items. It doesn't matter that they don't have a "Leader" -- what matters is that they've changed the conversation. Permanently.
No longer are we obsessed over austerity and how much public services need to be cut to service the needs and whims of the wealthy. NOW THE NEEDS OF THE MANY ARE BEING DISCUSSED.
The answers won't be easy. They won't be simple. They will take time to implement. Some will fail. Some will succeed.
The process has finally begun. And at this stage, I don't think it will ever stop.
I certainly Hope that it doesn't.
Vyan
Occupy Everywhere