In times past, revolution was bloody, violent and for the most part ineffective at changing the social conditions which have created poverty inequality and the abuse of power. Now we are dealing with a different kind of revolution, a revolution that permeates not only the battlefield of third world countries, but our own societies as well. This is of course epitomized in the case of Greece, where riots and civil unrest have brought Athens to its knees. Other protests and riots have been building up too, since the shutting down of trucking in Spain and the riots that have ensued there, Europe is beginning to fear that this could be a new era of instability for the nation state and international order, with things in America looking no better.
I think it is important first to realize the incredible time period that we are all living in right now as a time of great change and retribution. We have all lived ignorantly for far to long on the spoils of a way of life that we now know for a fact as being harmful to the planet and our own health. Global progress and the enlightenment promised an end to poverty, and end to ignorance and the betterment of man kind. We have seen none of this, and the system has in many cases become overtly violent to some of the poorest and most non violent people on the planet. Wealth is being usurped away by smaller and smaller groups of dominant elite white men, while at the same time more and more people are going hungry and unable to support their families. More than 2 billion people live on less than two dollars a day, making this poverty and our current global economic crisis even more devastating to those unable to absorb the impact monetarily.
The system as I will call it or "empire" which is epitomized in the capitalist system of free market trade is for the most part, along with the banks, responsible for this raping and pillaging of humanity. It is not to say that there wasn't some good created and that the system is all evil, but I don't think anyone can deny the devastating effects that capitalist materialism has had on all walks of life from the destruction of our morals values and ethics, to the destruction of our ecosystems, identities and the enslavement of our lives in a police state built on gross domestic products and famous sports stars through whom we are supposed to live our lives vicariously.
It's not very shocking then to see why people are upset and in some cases using violent means to try to make both political and religious statements about our current state of being. It doesn't take a genius to realize that guns won't save us, even for us "liberals" out there who don't read the bible should realize that the story of David and Goliath holds some modern day wisdom, in that you can't just assume the bigger gun is going to win. Just because America has all the weapons and imperial troops, doesn't mean that it is assured of victory. Power, in its pure form can be fought for on many levels. Weaknesses arise where we least expect it, thus our Christian coalition of democracy becomes a terrorist torturing apparatus that is decaying from within, even as we think we're getting stronger and better equipped. Will you trust your military to patrol your streets if it gets too "Crazy". What lengths would you go to in order to prevent revolution in your own country? These are very real questions that we as people of this world, need to start asking ourselves before the wolf is at the door. There are reasons for why our fore fathers decided to make this country so different form other European states, with no standing army, the right to make war given to a group of people rather than one individual, and the expressed law that forbids military to operate on domestic soil have all been evaporated by this president and the linage of predecessors who have all found some reason to unlawfully fight war around the planet for the last 60 years.
War has been our main source of dominance and income in western society since we started ravaging the new world some 500 years ago in search of gold, wealth and God. Some even say that (GOD) or Gold, Oil and Drugs still control the world politic and that, until we realize this our masters will continue to heard us towards the cliff with ever increasing frenzy and momentum.
Revolution in America started with a Musket, and it will end with an atomic bomb, if thats how we let it. Still the choice is up to us, and I for one do not see violence against my fellow man as the answer to our problems. This for me was epitomized in the recent police shooting of an unarmed man who was in handcuffs face down in front of a crowd of people on new years day at the bay area rapid transit. Being on the train earlier that night and feeling the excitement and positive energy that predated the shooting, I feel some what hurt and angry that such a thing should happen, when so many people were simply out to have a good time. Why do police, find themselves in positions of oppression rather than the public good?
Today I contemplate these and many other issues facing our world as it slips into chaos. Athens is burning, war is raging, the Empire is mobilizing but there is still time for a new kind of revolution.
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