A video of what people around the world are saying about Occupy Wall Street. Very interesting. When you have a minute, hop onto http://occupywallst.org/... and read what people are saying. Here's a few statements I found:
I will share that every night I pray*. Included in my prayers are these two requests:
"That the Spirit will impress on the hearts and minds of those with power to do the RIGHT thing for ALL people"
and
"That those with knowledge of the truth will find the courage to come forward and expose what they know to help All the people."
Like many here, I am a self-taught student of history, politics, and the environment. As such, I must say that karma is a beotch. If we, in the so-called western world, are honest with ourselves and history, we have to admit that much of our comfort has been derived by the maurauding of other countries' resources in a manner that has not been helpful to the good people in those countries. Diamond mining is a perfect example.
Now we, in the western world, are experiencing the negative impact of the same callous social attitudes of Multi-National Banks/Corporations. And many of us are standing up and saying "Enough!"
We are also standing on the precipice of a Golden Opportunity; however,
it would be naive to think that the changes we dream of will come without a price.
I hope we can own our past and dedicate outselves to a better future not just for the western world, ourselves, and our own families. I hope we will keep our vision global.
I hope that we can be willing to forego some of our comforts, for however long it takes, to make sure that our sisters and brothers throughout the world are saved from the callous and irresponsible behavior of Multi-National Corporations.
There is no question in my mind that economic war, of sorts, was declared on the world's people, including ourselves decades ago. We have reached a crescendo in that war. It has come home. In retrospect, it makes perfect sense that we would eventually become just as vulnerable as those in the diamond mines of Africa. To date, the heinous levels of cruelty have not been unleashed on the Western World. Isn't it naive to think they never will be? Last I checked, there is a huge, deathly war just across our southern border. It wouldn't take much for that to leak across the border into our country, would it?
The veil has been removed. Those relatively few, the so-called 1%, who have rigged the system must feel quite sure that they have won the war, otherwise we would not be experiencing the austerity the multi-nationals and their puppet politicians are trying to unleash on the majority of the western world's working people.
Now, I'm no rocket scientist; however, I'm not completely clueless either.
I get that most of us feel boxed in. In fact, I believe most families are boxed in. They are experiencing horrendous financial insecurity while at the same time watching prices for everything go up. It is stunning that declarations of "low inflation" are made by those who know better. Everyone knows that prices for everthing, other than fast foods for the most part, have increased greatly, and that wages have been either stagnant or reduced greatly. For these reasons, family bread winners really are not the position to risk what little security they have left by standing up and marching in the streets, although many are.
However, as has been the case in so many societal evolutions, the youth of the world are. Furthermore, those with power feel secure enough that they have won the economic war they wage - their power grab, that they are blatantly making it difficult, if not impossible, for a majority of the world's youth to find a job that will pay a true living wage. Today's youth are facing a life of want with little opportunity for upward mobility never seen in the western world. Maybe that can be turned into a very good outcome. Perhaps upward mobility was the wrong goal all along? Who knows. Perhaps a better lifelong goal is a life of security, knowing that food, health/dental/eye care, housing, and work are a guarantee for all citizens.
And those traditionally secure jobs, like teaching, are no longer secure jobs. I watched a story on TV this week about a teacher of 15 years in Ohio who was laid off, and then a year later hired back as a "full-time substitute" for HALF HER PRIOR WAGE. That is just unacceptable.
She, like so many others, is being robbed!
Perhaps it's our karma. Whatever. That's what, so what, now what?
Now what = Each of us must find in our hearts and minds, the compassion and empathy FOR ALL needed to stand up for what is right FOR ALL the people of the world.
I think this is what is happening. I think this realization and nuevo global compassion and empathy is what is driving the Occupy Movement.
The question that comes to my mind is this:
In this economic war waged against us, to what extent are we each willing to suffer in order to create a sufficient push back that can remove the grip of the rich and powerful few, that are poised to squeeze or drain every drop of hope, endurance, compassion, empathy, and financial security we have left?
We have a few now willing to sleep out in the cold and risk arrest, even brutality, to do so.
How can we watch their backs?
I'd like to think that there might be politicians that would like to DO THE RIGHT THING FOR ALL PEOPLE. Call me naive.
If there are, in this climate of austerity (manufactured in my opinion, imo), what do these politicians need from us?
I think they need to see an unending resolve by large numbers of people who are brave and willing to stand up and stop the engines of commerce, if need be. If we analyze Gandhi's peaceful resistance, we will see that it was when the peoples of India refused to cooperate with day-to-day commerce, that the British Empire finally decided to relinquish its hold on India.
Today we have an empire that is more mercurial. It is the Empire of the Multi-National Corportions. The armys of the USA and Nato are being used to secure the paths for the Multi-Nationals to do what they have always done: rape and plunder the resources of countries. Water is high on their list at this time. Water. Give me a break. Water is necessary for survival of the human race and the Multi-Nationals are in a frenzied battle to own it all.
Aren't there some things that the people of a country should own? Like their water?
Ok, this argument can splinter in a myriad of directions.
The key points or questions that must be answered at some point are:
How much are we each and as a group willing to suffer to remove the tentacles of Multi-National corporations that, quite frankly, don't give a lick about you, the environment, others, or me?
Can the peoples of the world reach a critical enough mass so that we can agree that the Corporate Meme of Eternal Market Growth is simply insane and certainly unsustainable?
Can we put our heads together and develop a system that is Sufficient to at least meet the basic needs of all the peoples of the world? I think we can; however, it can't be implemented until we defeat the structure the Goliath Multi-Nationals have wrestled into place while we were sleeping.
In conclusion, perhaps we can each dedicate a few hours, at the very least, to show up at our local Occupy Events and doggedly, persistently write and call our State and Federal Representatives and let then know that, if they would like to DO THE RIGHT THING BY ALL PEOPLE, that we have their backs.
We have launched our first counter move in this Economic War. Occupy must continue forever if that is what it will take. I know that what is good always wins over that which is not. Persistance is the key.
At the same time, I think there needs to be a peaceful escalation running simultaneously with the Occupy Movement.
What's the next move?
Look forward to your ideas.
Peace and Courage to all.
Here's some ideas:
Homeless Families: Imagine the reduction that could happen if each Church Congregation adopted one homeless family. Provided heath care, dental, eye care. Clothes, a home, food, and a good jobs to the parents. Eventually that family could move on, freed from the trap of homelessness, and help another family.
Feeding The Street People: I learned that many restaurants won't serve a homeless looking person, even if that person was lucky enough to panhandle score enough for a meal. Let's find out which restaurants do this and let that restaurant know they will be boycotted if they refuse to feed a street person.
Companies that don't pay a living wage: If you work for one, tell some one else and let another person not working for The Cheap Company expose the company.
Policians that don't respond to your request(s): Expose them.
Well, you're a much more clever group than I am. The point I am trying to make is that we are many. We have power. We have the power of the purse, a very potent power when we are engaged in an economic war. Let's use it creatively.