Tag: solidarity

I think about all those folks in power, the bankers and the media and the politicians, to name a few, and they want not just to keep their money but also are desperate to retain the one thing they believe money can buy and that is prestige.  When you’re rich, you’re treated better by the tradesmen, you have clout and can have things the way you want them … ultimately, you end up living in a bubble.  Now that bubble is breaking, not only because of the recent election and the recent wake-up call to all Americans over the hard times ahead, but because of overwhelming change, historic change, that is sweeping across our world.

I’m in a bubble, too … got a job, a roof over my head, enough to eat, clothes, all the necessities of life.  I’m white and heterosexual and still benefit from the unearned privilege that brings, I don’t get stopped by cops just because of my looks, storekeepers and landlords treat me well, all that jazz.

So, lots of bubbles.  No shortage of bubbles.

So there’s all these folks in power who want to narrow the odds so they stay on top.  It is very likely they aren’t even aware of that but instead talk themselves into believing they are acting in the best interests of rationality and intelligence and integrity.  Ha ha.

I’ve learned from the diversosphere and here at Docudharma, particularly from Winter Rabbit, Jessical and Robyn, a very different view of our present state.

Original article, and editorial/news release, vial Socialist Appeal:

On Wednesday 20th August up to 150,000 public sector workers in Scotland will be taking unified action on pay. GMB, UNISON and Unite members will all be on strike because local government workers have been offered a measly 2.5% a year deal over three years. This after the Cost and Price Index published last week shows the cost of living going up by 4.4%. This sudden jump has called the government’s bluff. Everybody knows the CPI doesn’t reflect the real increase in prices we face.

Here in Indiana, our public sector workers aren’t officially able to collective bargain.  It’s up to the whim of the governor if they’re allowed to (I belive they were able to for a bit before Mitch became governor, but he took it away from them).  Indiana, home to Eugene Debbs, Mother Jones and other great labor leaders, is a right to work state.

Today, AMTP broke off negotiations with the Writers Guild (WGA).  This is not a good development and may prolong the strike.

What, if anything, can we do to support the WGA strikers and to be in solidarity with the WGA?

Join me on the right side of this picket line.

My Unified Theory of Everything

Well not really.  It’s not anything so fancy as a theory.

My manifesto, by the way, can be expressed in one phrase:

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX

Let us assess where we are now in the grand old blogosphere:

We have performed approximately seven trillion “gotcha” attacks on the media, reversing memes at the speed of light!

We have helped to elect a Democratic majority in the Senate and Congress.

We have spouted bloviations on every imaginable topic that if laid end to end would easily wrap around the circumfrence of the universe 50,000 times.

We have called to the media’s attention stories they would not otherwise have covered.

What we have NOT done is change policy in our government.  Bush and Cheney have more power now than they did before the 2006 election.  The War in Iraq is still raging, and I see no end in sight, no vote that points to our representatives ending this war.  We have seen no real opposition — NONE.

So, athough the blogosphere has accomplishments to its credit, ultimately we are all frustrated … which is why we are clamoring for a manifesto in the first place!