I'm cleaning out the posts I'd star'd in Google Reader and came across this one from last August. Yes. August. Anyway it's a thought piece outlining what "we" need to do to "defeat corporatocracy" given that we are pitiful weak individuated citizens. It's an interesting read given what's happened since August, namely the campout in Zucotti Park that sparked the Occupy movement. Especially as the Occupy movement is all about the pitiful weak individuated citizens coming together to join forces to in part defeat corporatocracy.
The article starts with this assertion, using these three points as the outline for the discussion
I suppose this is the first "HUH" piece of this, because isn't the U.S. supposed to be a Democracy anyway? Well, our government is actually a Republic. Remember in the Oath, "... and the Republic for which it stands ..."?
In any case the first step ("knowledge of how we are getting screwed") just strikes me as the first step in a 12-step program, where you first have to admit that you're addicted to the thing. In this case we have to collectively admit that we're collectively addicted to an unsustainable unhealthy undemocratic society and way of life.
Harriet Tubman (the pre-Civil-War activist who freed a thousand or more slaves) is quoted saying “I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.” Amen, sister, if only more people in the U.S. would admit just how deeply controlled we are. I do object however to applying the word 'slave' to us. I don't know what the correct word is, but I disagree that the correct word is "slave".
It is true that we are "... ruled by so many 'industrial complexes'—military, financial, energy, food, pharmaceutical, prison, and so on" and that the control (rule) is so insidious and ubiquitous that it's difficult for us to truly see the depth of control. There are many decisions being made by corporations that are out of the hands of anybody but the corporations. Governments have been rendered ineffective in their role of oversight over corporate behavior.
The final point, "the energy to do battle", is especially apt considering the lengths to which the Occupy groups have gone, and the Police have gone to undermine the Occupy groups. Several months of camping out full time is not cheap and requires extreme levels of commitment. At the same time the role of the Police is to maintain order, and in many ways it can be said that an Occupy encampment is not exactly order. Or it can be said that the Police are being used as a tool of the corporatocracy to keep the rest of us from gaining any measure of real freedom.
The issues are deeply entrenched and insidiously ubiquitous in our society. To address the issues in any meaningful way will mean a long, very long, perhaps 10 years if we're lucky, process of continual work.
3 Things That Must Happen for Us To Rise Up and Defeat the Corporatocracy
The article starts with this assertion, using these three points as the outline for the discussion
Transforming the United States into something closer to a democracy requires: 1) knowledge of how we are getting screwed; 2) pragmatic tactics, strategies, and solutions; and 3) the “energy to do battle.”Followed by
The majority of Americans oppose the corporatocracy (rule by giant corporations, the extremely wealthy elite, and corporate-collaborator government officials); however, many of us have given up hope that this tyranny can be defeated.
I suppose this is the first "HUH" piece of this, because isn't the U.S. supposed to be a Democracy anyway? Well, our government is actually a Republic. Remember in the Oath, "... and the Republic for which it stands ..."?
In any case the first step ("knowledge of how we are getting screwed") just strikes me as the first step in a 12-step program, where you first have to admit that you're addicted to the thing. In this case we have to collectively admit that we're collectively addicted to an unsustainable unhealthy undemocratic society and way of life.
Harriet Tubman (the pre-Civil-War activist who freed a thousand or more slaves) is quoted saying “I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.” Amen, sister, if only more people in the U.S. would admit just how deeply controlled we are. I do object however to applying the word 'slave' to us. I don't know what the correct word is, but I disagree that the correct word is "slave".
It is true that we are "... ruled by so many 'industrial complexes'—military, financial, energy, food, pharmaceutical, prison, and so on" and that the control (rule) is so insidious and ubiquitous that it's difficult for us to truly see the depth of control. There are many decisions being made by corporations that are out of the hands of anybody but the corporations. Governments have been rendered ineffective in their role of oversight over corporate behavior.
"it is also necessary to have knowledge of strategies and tactics that oppressed people have historically used to overcome tyranny and to gain their fair share of power."I suppose what the article says here is that it's useful to have examples of successful revolutions so that we have a glimmer of hope that we, Americans, can throw off the chains of these corporate overlords?
The final point, "the energy to do battle", is especially apt considering the lengths to which the Occupy groups have gone, and the Police have gone to undermine the Occupy groups. Several months of camping out full time is not cheap and requires extreme levels of commitment. At the same time the role of the Police is to maintain order, and in many ways it can be said that an Occupy encampment is not exactly order. Or it can be said that the Police are being used as a tool of the corporatocracy to keep the rest of us from gaining any measure of real freedom.
The issues are deeply entrenched and insidiously ubiquitous in our society. To address the issues in any meaningful way will mean a long, very long, perhaps 10 years if we're lucky, process of continual work.
3 Things That Must Happen for Us To Rise Up and Defeat the Corporatocracy
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