"Stop the world, I want to get off." Part I

Inactive Activism. 

A few thoughts. 

Is activism truly dead? We re-elect Obama and it seems far too many people think everything will be cool now. Occupy has all but disappeared with a few wonderful exceptions, Occupy Sandy and here locally, Occupy Greensboro's Energy Working Group are two that come to mind. Did the FBI destroy the movement or did it just run out of steam? It seems no where near as strong as it was in 2011- early 20012. The movement managed to change the national dialogue from one of austerity to addressing the concerns of the 99%. Obama caught on fast and co-opted the message of Occupy for his own political gain. Romney was not that sharp clinging to the losing strategy of no billionaire left behind.  Sadly, the billionaires still won. Everything is business as usual. 

This got me to thinking about different types of descent, actions and protests that are the most effective. I'm no expert, just a questioning kind of schmo. Speaking truth to power is a good start and that was in my opinion, one thing Occupy has done so well. Simply put "...they got bailed out, we got sold out." That's the easy part. The hard part is offering a workable alternative. Occupy did but the message was not put forward by the main stream media. Real change is not in their interest. If those of us who want things like the end of corporate personhood, the rotting out of our democracy by money, neo-liberalism and continued trashing of the environment; we are going to have to stop playing the game. 

Delegitimize it. Stop voting in rigged sham elections. Turn off the TV. Stop borrowing from banks. Walk the walk on fossil fuels. Stop buying stuff made over seas in unregulated dangerous sweat shops. We are addicted to our comfortable lifestyles and like any addict know the drug is bad for us but cannot stop ourselves. Yet at the same time wonder why change for the better seems only a far off illusion. But all is not hopeless. What is the first step? 

We admit we were powerless over our addiction - that our lives had become unmanageable. 

I think we are only on step one. All along the political spectrum can agree thing are not going well. We come at problems form different narratives but at least recognize many of the same problems. We have to move beyond the narrow confines the current paradigm allows for. We have to conclude neither political party can save us and or bring on the massive change needed to avoid catastrophic loss of life here on Earth via climate change, deadly wars and slow violence. I think the only way forward is to stop playing this game of self-destructive addiction. We have to do more than demand change. We have to embody change. More on that soon.