Occupying Myself – Oct 28th 2011
“I don't read no papers, and I don't listen to radios either. I know the world's been shaved by a drunken barber, and I don't have to read it.” – The Colonel – Meet John Doe - 1941
To date I have been sitting on the outside of the “occupy” movement just watching what unfolded.
I find it interesting that so many millions of people have come together under this umbrella concept, one that is not defined by any one mandate other than it is “us” talking peacefully to and about “them”. They are what are being referred to as “the 1%”, being those that hold the bulk of the wealth worldwide while many of the 99% live in impoverished states or largely as a varying middle class. The class distinctions are becoming steadily blurred to be simply “rich and poor”, “haves and have nots”.
I have had no real voice in this movement yet as I have merely sat and watched those around me take part through either social media or by attending the encampments and marches taking place in cities like London or Toronto or any other place that social media has conspired to create such an event.
I have been watching with sheer glee at the utter befuddlement of politicians and the media at the lack of leadership and a clear cut mandate by the people involved in the Occupy movements. I have “gotten” why we need this protest and when asked to define it I could only give marginal responses based on things I have read from folks involved “It’s about the 99% vs the 1%” or “it’s about banks cheating people out of their money” or whatever I had in my head from it all that day.
I listened to a call in radio show that my sister Jo-Anne and a friend named Eric were on after they had attended a Toronto “occupy” event. They described a peaceful atmosphere where people shared stories and ideas. The radio host decried the lack of a leader and my sister said that if a leader is needed, through discussion and continuance of the movement, a leader may just emerge!
The radio host also asked my sister why we cannot just rely on our elected officials to do the right thing when we have just had elections in all offices over the past year. This question made my eye twitch and I wasn’t sure why. Today it hit me.
I saw a picture of an older woman holding a placard that read “I don’t mind you being rich. I mind you buying my government!” and that was the trigger of the epiphany. This is what the movement is about. It’s about the poor not having a say because they cannot afford it. Sure we can go out and vote and elect the framework of the government but we don’t influence the actual work that gets done by the government because the votes in parliament are being influenced by lobbyists who are in the house, put there by corporations and wealthy individuals. There’s a saying “money talks” but it could also be said that “Money walks all over anyone that does not possess it.”
We the 99% don’t need a single voice, we all just need to speak as one.
We the 99% don’t need a tonne of money we just need government to respond to the real people in their homes and hospitals and schools and not just those with the money.
We the 99% need a government that recognizes and respects the rights of it’s people to protest corporations, government etc. through whatever peaceful means necessary including legal strikes without the government legislating non-essential industry back to work.
We the 99% don’t need any one leader, we need the governments that we select to act on what WE the people need to help us survive and not the CEOs of giant banks and corporations whispering to the governments that THEY know what WE need and what is in OUR best interest.
We the 99% need the banks and corporations that control mortgage rates, gas prices, laws, food production to back off and work towards a healthy sustainable economy for all.
We the 99% shouldn’t be forced to eat crap food because that’s all we can afford. Major corporations make it so that crap food is all that people can afford and when it affects their health, it’s the corporations who work in the privatized health sectors that are still reaping all the profits.
We the 99% are seeking to end the cycle of rich wielding the carrots in front of the people that those rich persons/non-persons (i.e. corporations and banks) use for their blood and sweat to make their almighty dollar while the rest of us try to scrape two nickels together.
While this movement has no real true figure head that serves as a scape goat for all of the media and the rich’s counter arguments and shady politics, there are many in the public spotlight that are lending their voices. Celebrities and activists like Harry Shearer (actor), Tom Morello (musician), Michael Moore (film maker/writer), Al Gore (former US VP) and thousands of others are speaking in favour of the “Occupy” movements popping up around the world.
Folks in Tahrir square in Egypt were showing support for their American cousins and friends involved in the different cities that have embraced this movement just last week.
This is more than just a protest. This is unrest. This is people genuinely unhappy with the state of things as a whole but being nice about it to start. This is what can certainly turn into a full out revolt if the politicians and corporations don’t start listening to what the people are saying. When that happens, a leader will emerge and likely not with a megaphone but rather with a large stick or a gun or whatever else they can find. Then governments will learn the true meaning of “We, the people!”
This is why we cannot have one clear leader for the media and corporations who control them to perform a character assassination upon. This is what makes the CEO’s and media moguls most angry about this whole thing. Because how can you smear millions and millions of ideas and voices that all say something unique but are directed towards the same problem? That is, that the poor can’t afford to pay to have their voice heard and needs/demands met when banks, media and corporations have the money to make their voices seem the loudest.
