The Logistics of a New Resistance Movement
or,
Where's the App for Revolution ?
The millions of words, countless videos and audio casts, and the impassioned pleas of our best and brightest on the immense, daunting, and seemingly endless challenges facing us in our struggle to overcome a craven, neo-feudal system of oppression, has been well documented in recent times by progressive media, or the remnant of journalists still reporting the truth from what once was the Fourth Estate. They have told us there is a critical, urgent need for change on a global scale. Their voices call to all who are listening, as the dark forces of global capitalism and trans-national finance consolidate even more concentrations of power toward absolute, total dominance of the planet and its inhabitants. They remind us just how toxic our way of life has become, and that it's getting worse, from the catastrophic effects of climate change ( famine anyone ? ) being promulgated by a parasitic ruling corporate class in league with corrupt total governments, to wage slavery, to the massive theft of the public by predatory financial institutions, to the surveillance state, to endless wars, and to the poisoning of our air, water, and the earth itself.
This has been written about, analyzed, dissected, sliced, diced, sifted, opined, discussed, blogged, diaried, and reported ad infinitum for years now by liberals, progressives, and the Left. Yes, we all want to know when another far right anti-drug politician gets busted with cocaine, or how much more carbon is still being pumped into the biosphere by unrestrained global capitalism, or the grotesque income disparity between the wealthy elite and most of the world, but let us ask ourselves, how much more must the obvious be stated when we can see the destruction lying all around us in plain sight ?
Do we really need to read yet another story about the decline of our democracy, and how much has been lost ? To a degree, yes we should, as it is vital we maintain a heightened vigilance as events continue to spiral downward along an increasingly destructive path. I confess that my own experience follows along a similar track, logging onto and avidly reading the insightful entries of dailykos, truthout and truthdig, opednews, and many others on a daily basis. I indulge in the same progressive "porn" as everyone else, and I learn a lot from all those great contributors. But at the end of the day, I wonder when our collective enlightenment will translate into the mass resistance needed for deep and broad activism.
Now that we are armed with understanding and knowledge of the disease, what is in our power to effect a cure ?
What could make it more possible for the millions of us sitting on the sidelines who want to take action make our voices and consciences heard, loudly and vocally ?
All of us who still have some human feelings left, and who haven't been brainwashed by Fox and the happy talk of mass media along with our do nothing neo-liberal establishment, are doing what we can and making whatever contributions available to us to right these colossal wrongs.
We are heartened by the Occupy movement, the protests at foreclosure auctions, the naming and shaming of corrupt politicians on the take by corporations, and the many outstanding progressive blogs on the web,to name but an exemplary few.
All of these actions and more are moving us slowly toward the social changeso critically needed in our lives. I salute and applaud the efforts that these brave souls are initiating. They are having a real impact on many sectors of society. Perhaps in a small way for now, but growing.
Many pundits, commentators, bloggers, and diarists are asking what the next step will be toward a mass protest/social movement, how will we stage the next Occupy, what form will a true citizens' revolution take ? What would it take to awaken the rest of the 99% from their conditioned slumber, to look up from their Xboxes, turn off the TV, ignore Miley Cyrus, and notice the carnage around them at last ? What indeed ?
I submit to you the answer could be in the implementation of a national/ international logistical support network as the vehicle for sustaining and growing a massive resistance movement. Is that naà ¯ve ? Too simple a solution ? Perhaps. But, please read on.
Progressive organizations do what they can to support street protests, civil disobedience, guerilla theater, strikes, and direct action. From providing food, shelter, transportation, and medical care, they use what resources they have. But, as their funds and resources are limited, it is difficult to sustain those actions for any lengthy time frame. Yes, Occupy has been the most successful effort thus far, and it has had a huge impact on moving the national conversation forward toward social change, yet it was not able to continue on the success for which it is credited, due, I believe, to lack of sustainable resources from which the protestors could access to continue their/our work.
But, imagine if you will ( Rod Serling here, lol ) there was a massive, national and international logistics effort to extend Occupy far past its' untimely end, for many more months ( years ? ) of street action and civil disobedience, all captured by the press and the public eye ? Food, shelter, warm clothing, transportation, and medical services all freely available on a continuous basis ? Now imagine this being duplicated all across the country, and other parts of the world, in a continuous, ongoing protest movement for radical change, so that we can begin putting the brakes on the planetary death spiral that will doom us all if not turned around.
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