Occupy Wall Street was born of this image. That is what it is about. That is its power.
The United States Supreme Court, when, in the early 20th Century, it moved to codify restrictions on free speech in this country, decreed that it was unconstitutional "to shout 'fire' in a crowded theater."
The Street people evade that. They, in fact, turn that decision on its head. They, instead, as seen in that image, in re that ballerina, dancing upon that bull, encourage all and every, to instead "shout 'theater' in a crowded fire."
There has not yet been a United States Supreme Court decision, extinguishing that right. To "shout 'theater' in a crowded fire." Because that is too far afield of what is believed to be normal. And so it was believed to be unnecessary. To outlaw it.
But that is its strength. Its very abnormality. That is what, even into these days, lives. The impulse to shout "theater," in a crowded fire. The very reason the Street people are successful, in what they are doing.
The true meaning of the ballerina upon the bull, is not something that can be translated into language. And that is why no one can "define" what the Street people are. For they are beyond definition. And so, flowing from that, the Street people will not have leaders. They will have not demands. They will not have goals.
Though they do have an end. Inchoate as that may sometimes seem to be. And they will employ means. As shifting as those may be.
What is key: the Street people know there is a fire. They are not asleep, as the fire rages 'round them. They are, instead, standing amid it. The fire. And they are shouting "theater." So that all those, who are also being consumed, might see. And mayhaps move out of the flames.
There is at present four times as much money owed in debt as exists in the world. This is not something that can be resolved under any known currently understood process of politics or economics. This is a new dawn.
So too, are the Street people. They have arisen as reaction to something unprecedented. So, seems fair, they are allowed too, to be unprecedented.
In recent days, well-meaning people have hobbled themselves up upon their hind legs to declare that Street people should de-evolve into "a group of leaders" to "do the rounds on the cable talk shows." Should take "10 specific polices" to Congress. Should "run candidates." Should hire "a professional messaging team."
No.
What the Street people are about is this, from Jerry Garcia:
The information we're plugged into is the universe itself, and everybody knows that on a cellular level. It's built in. Just superficial stuff like what happened to you in your lifetime is nothing compared to the container which holds all your information. And there's a similarity in all our containers. We are all one organism, we are all the universe, we are all doing the same thing. That's the sort of thing that everybody knows, and I think that it's only weird little differences that are making it difficult. The thing is that we're all earthlings. The earthling consciousness is the one that's really trying to happen at this juncture and so far it's only a tiny little glint, but it's already over. The change has already happened, and it's a matter of swirling out. It has already happened. We're living after the fact. It's a postrevolutionary age. The change is over. The rest of it is a cleanup action. Unfortunately it's very slow. Amazingly slow and amazingly difficult.
And this, more simply, from Emma Goldman:
If I can’t dance, it’s not my revolution.
The Street people are a ballerina dancing upon a bull. Let them be that. Hand-wringers, if you must: rend your garments. But: stay out of their way.
Krzysztof Kieślowski was the finest film director of the 20th Century. In his Three Colours trilogy, he expressed all of what it is to be a human being. At this time, in this place. When he died, he was envisioning another trilogy: Heaven, Hell, Purgatory. He only got the first one mostly written. Heaven. It was later made into a film by somebody who was not him. It's not what it would have been, if he had directed it, but it's still something. It features Cate Blanchett, and a guy. At the end of the film, these two are being pursued by The World, and, opting out, they go up in a helicopter. And it keeps going up. And up. And up. And up. Until it isn't there anymore.
That is what the Street people are. They are up, and up, and up, and up. They are unchained by peculiar bemusing terrestrial entities. Like "Democrats." Or "voting."
Let them be who they are. Let them be who they are to be. They are now our "Lark Ascending."
That song written by a man, as he stood at dock-side in England, watching sadsack soldiers sail, to become among those tens of millions who died, in WWI. For no reason at all.
Street people say: never again. No wars. No soldiers. No suffering. No pain. All of all of all of who we all. Equal and elevated. And riding. Right. All of our lives.