This reminds me of the old days—what people call "the 'sixties" and the media usually characterizes in terms of style and culture and is influenced by the right to portray in negative ways (violent, destructive, etc.) but was actually mostly about the passion to stop the violence and destruction, etc. being carried out by the corporate powers controlling, or trying to, government and society.
I first was turned on to this earlier yesterday and planned to post it when I got a chance today, and then my older son, Miles, posted a link to it in the comments thread of my last post, so you may have already watched this. As he says it gets really good about three minutes in, though it's also emotionally powerful to me right from the git go because of the "human microphone" technique used by the crowd to thwart police regulations against megaphones and loudspeakers etc.
This so reminded me of non-violent protests and demonstrations in the 1960s and beyond, where I was fortunate enough to sometimes be the one speaking, that it brought tears to my eyes to see that the spirit of active protest against those responsible for the misery of so many is still alive and growing. This is the true spirit of hope and change [and I don't mean Michael Moore, I mean the faces and voices of the young people in the crowd amplifying his message and theirs]!
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7 comments:
Jim, you have no idea what liberals want - you are just parroting the right wing talking heads. Some conservatives seem to think that the equality is only for people who agree with them. Equality is fine if you are straight, if you are Christian, etc. But if you are gay or Muslim - well that's a different story.
Ah, well, most of you can probably guess what Jim said. To his thinking the early revolutionaries must have been a unruly mob of law breakers defying the rule of the law.
And here is Cornell West at Occupy Wall St. - "Don't be afraid to say revolution!"
http://www.rawstory.com/rawreplay/2011/09/cornel-west-at-occupy-wall-street-protest-the-elite-will-tremble/
It's about time ...
My wife is from Paris, and I can't tell you how refreshing - though sometimes inconvenient - it is/was to see people striking or in protest to policies of governments, unions, and out-dated legislation.
That's where 'peaceful' demonstration actually emphasizes the 'hope' we have for creating change within a democracy.
And it doesn't matter how good a government you have - sometimes they lose touch of what's going on on the front lines, and when enough of a collective voice starts chanting the same message, they usually get that there's some dissent among the ranks - the 'American People' who they often presume to know so much about.
Here is an opportunity for them to actually quote those 'people' rhyme and verse.
But I don't see it happening yet - probably because it doesn't align with party ideologies or agendas. But if the voices get loud enough, long enough - it can't be ignored - like the 60's.
If history has top our leadership anything, it is that those voices must not be ignored because the desperation and futility could eventually lead to radicalized dissent.
So rather than dismiss it as a discontented minority, I would implore the politicians to see it as the tip of the iceberg and be wary of things to come if they don't pay attention to what the 'American People' really want.
Keep the dream alive ...
Here is a tiny excerpt of Mario Savio, Berkely 1964
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5o_0ZYA5HM&feature=related
I hear you loud and clear Tom and Harryn. And Miles, the footage of Cornell West at Liberty Plaza with "the human microphone" moved me again by the sight and sound (mostly the latter) of young people (mostly) responding at last to the flagrant takeover of our economy (almost entirely, at least the part that is dominant) and politics and the way the media portrays both. I'll add the link in a PS in the post so that those who don't read the comments might find it.
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