The True Sleeping Giant

The alarm is ringing and ringing, will it wake the sleeping giant? It's true that we in the bubble of america have been living in a dream, the american dream. And like most dreams, it quickly becomes a nightmare when we refuse to wake up. Our american dream has always been the nightmare of the rest of the planet, including most of the united states. But the sleeping giant that is now awakening is not the american middle class, or even the american worker, it's the workers of the world. If we keep isolating humans with the false walls of nationalism we will fail to realize the true potential for this moment in time. What is happening in Wisconsin has spilled over into almost every neighboring state and no person can deny the spirit that binds our mid west uprisings with the north african uprisings.

Some are saying the sleeping giant of the american middle class is awakening. It's absolutely crucial at this time that we drop this reference to the american middle class, this is not about any middle class. This is about the workers of the world rising up to throw off their corporate masters, to flush out the parasites of capitalism across the planet. I know that the phrase "middle class" has a powerful effect in our political rhetoric, but it's used as a distraction from a far more realistic model. We hear the phrase "middle class" so much, especially during election seasons, but when do we hear the phrase "lower class" or "upper class"? These phrases have a powerful effect in our rhetoric also, a very different kind of effect. If you just dropped down to earth in the middle of the last election season you might think there were no upper or lower classes, just one big middle class. And it sounds like a world without much conflict doesn't it? We're all just one big happy class.

Do I want to create division where none exists? No. Do I want to create unity where none exists?Hell Yes! Many people who lived their whole lives thinking they were a part of this big middle class have found that in fact, they are poor and they can no longer deny it. Usually when you hear the phrase "middle class" it is a call for them to be treated fairly in our state and local budgets, and not get stuck with the bill when the super rich cause a deficit. You might think it's a given that the poor are a part of this calculation, that of course they too should be treated fairly, but they are not. In fact, politicians aren't really that concerned about the poor, it's the middle class that they're sometimes looking out for. And if you want to be specific, and/or partisan, it's the Democrats who try to look out for the middle class and sometimes the poor and the republicans who look out for the super rich. But democrats are afraid to mention poverty because the republicans (on behalf of the rich and mostly via fox news) start screaming "Socialism!", "Entitlement!", "Distribution of wealth!!!"

But where is it written that a class system has three tiers? You could just as easily cut it in half and call it upper and lower, but it would be far better if we made a less arbitrary line. There are only two classes in reality: Workers and Owners. Unlike the caste system one can change classes but this is the exception, called "new money" among the upper class. Most workers admit that if they suddenly struck it filthy rich they would never work another day in their life, would you? I love my work, but... I might focus on my labors of love, like writing and playing music, but I wouldn't be as motivated to do what I now do to pay the bills. On the flip side, if I grew up in the top 10%, the creme of the american crop, I might take some symbolic positions to look like a functional part of society, but executive jobs are not "work" the way the average american defines it. You won't find an executive office in a corporate headquarters anywhere in the country without office chairs that cost over $1000, have you ever sat in a $1000 office chair? It's tough work, if you can get it.

I dream of a future where former corporate executives and board members have to lie and say they worked in the mail room at Goldman Sachs just to get a little respect. And another future is possible if the workers of the world unite, we can throw off those who drain us and keep us weak and divided. We must unite across all borders and not fall into the trap of nationalism. We must form universal bonds of solidarity and be prepared to stand with workers everywhere against the unjust men and laws that bind them. If we are to wake up to anything, it should be a world united as one, with equal rights and equal democracy for all people. Americans are not better, or special, in fact america is the dream, and it's over. There never was a thing called america, it was all just maps and banners, paper and ink. Nobody ever dug out the earth with a giant american shaped cookie cutter and said, "here's america." It's all in our minds, there are no lines on the planet, just rivers and mountains and oceans and deserts, and people, plants, animals, etc...

Think about it, the upper class has horded so much wealth, that a true redistribution of wealth could potentially wipe out poverty all over the planet.

Shut Up America!

The people of Libya are fighting for their freedom under a dictator of the last four decades, and just like Tunisia and Egypt they must fight this battle alone. In case the Obama administration (and specifically Hillary Clinton) is not aware of the simple fact that they have zero credibility among the people of the region, I'd like to instruct them now accordingly. Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton: Shut your big mouths, you're not helping! In fact, you can only do harm. Any harsh words you may think you have some authority to dole out to Gaddafi actually justifies his claims that the protests are being fomented by foreign powers. There are people who are being brutally murdered at this very moment because Gaddafi believes (or claims to believe) they are puppets under your influence.

There is nothing more disgusting than to see the parade of US diplomats marching through Egypt claiming to have supported the people against Mubarak. Perhaps the most shameful display comes not surprisingly from John McCain who described the protests sweeping northern Africa as a virus that must be stopped. When he said this people were dying under the corrupt regime of Mubarak and his words lent legitimacy to those who violently opposed the uprising. Of course as a seasoned politician he spoke with no real knowledge of the plight of the Egyptian people, instead he was reacting in a knee jerk fashion from his own views of American foreign policy in the region. And within a week after referring to them as a dangerous virus, he was there in person telling the people of Egypt that he supported their recent uprising.

John McCain saw this as just another platform to grind out the rhetoric that makes him look youthful, he took the opportunity to claim that the peoples' uprising in Egypt was a "repudiation of Al Queda." Whu!? Al Queda!? Was John McCain dozing off for the better part of the last decade? There is absolutely zero evidence of Al Queda presence or activity within the borders of Egypt, nor was there a single link between Bin Laden and Mubarak. In fact, Mubarak was our dictator, our terrorist, our puppet whose tyranny destroyed the lives of millions of Egyptians. If anything, the peoples uprising in Egypt was a repudiation of the US government and their manipulative policies in the region and around the world. I wonder why John McCain would fail to see this simple fact? Could it be because he is perhaps the most imperial republican in his party, whose intent of maintaining American hegemony is rooted in the cold war mentality that he was born into?

What is happening in Libya is notably different from the events that played out in the Tunisian and Egyptian uprisings, and it may seem that America could play a positive role if they intervene on behalf of the protesters. But this is the fallacy of good war and it's time we take a good look at history and admit that the truth is always a selfish and petty ploy to extend and maintain Americas' influence and power. If the US cared about saving the lives of thousands of people they could instead save the lives of millions by doing nothing. Any and all military intervention in that region will unfold very much like the Iraq war did. Remember how easy it was going to be to remove Saddam Hussein and bring democracy to Iraq? Strange how it all turned out, who could have foreseen the peoples resentment of the massive US military occupation of their home land?

So once again I address Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton: Shut the hell up and leave those people alone! You can take your wagging finger and chiding tone and go wag it in the mirror at yourselves. You are the shameless dictators of the world and you have no intention of returning power to the people. You work for the corporations and banks who needlessly horde the riches of the world while the people live in desperate poverty. If you want to help people against tyrants why don't you use your power against the big boys on Wall Street? Why don't you get all FDR on the corporate puppets in the republican party? Why not look at the sad and pathetic state of your affairs in your own backyard and do something about it, for a change. I voted for change I can believe in, and what I got was an escalated Class War waged by the rich and powerful, and you Mr. Obama are on the wrong side. But you will soon find that you're own people are uprising and there will be little you can do about it or any other uprising, because you will be down falling.

And good riddance!

I wrote the above post on 3/2/11 when it was still spring in the Arab world. I'm adding this video on 10/24/11 after the assassinations of both Osama BinLaden and most recently Muammar Gaddafi. We also have a little uprising going on here in the US and no surprise, very recent words from Obama and Clinton are drastically, overtly hypocritical. So please watch this video if you feel I was too harsh in my demand that they "Shut up!" and deal with their own affairs. Enjoy American hypocrisy at it's finest!