(noon (rearranged slightly) – promoted by On The Bus)
No matter where we live or what language we speak, we are all vulnerable human beings trying to survive in a world of uncertainty and danger. From the first breath we take in this world to the last, we don’t know what the next moment will bring. For too many of us, the only certainty is more fear, more suffering, and more despair.
Humanity has been sailing stormy waters these past seven years. Many of us have been sailing them alone, through dark nights, with no hope of better days ahead. Because our governments exploit our differences in order to expand their power, we tend to forget that we all have the same human needs and aspirations, no matter where we live. We all long to be loved, to be respected, to be heard, to be free. But the corrupt governments of this world have little if any respect for human rights, and are ignoring our appeals for peace and justice.
It’s time to reach out to one another, across all borders, and empower ourselves before our governments destroy this world and all of our futures. It’s time for democracy activists of all lands to unite on progressive blogs, to support each other, and sail these stormy seas together instead of sinking alone . . .
Can you hear us yet, politicians in your halls of power? Can you hear us yet, generals in your headquarters of death? Can you hear us yet, corporate criminals in your boardrooms of greed? You will. We know who you are and what you’ve done. You want class warfare? Fine. You’ll get it. As you ponder the consequences of your crimes against humanity, here’s some math for you to
ponder . . .
There are a few million of you and seven billion of us.
Many of us have been victimized by you for 50 years or more, others are just beginning their long voyage across that stormy ocean of exploitation you call free market capitalism:
Brace yourself, little traveler, the water is cold and the waves are high. But if you let idealism guide you, the voyage will be worth the inevitable heartbreak you’ll have to bear along the way. Grow up strong and be confident in your self-worth. Sail across that sea. Do not be afraid of anyone, no matter how much power or wealth they’ve stolen and use against the powerless to steal even more. Speak out for peace and justice, raise your voice against those who think you do not matter.
Politicians in your halls of power, generals in your headquarters of death, CEO’s in your boardrooms of greed, can you hear this little girl?
She is a human being. She matters.
Can you hear these victims of famine?
They are human beings. THEY MATTER.
Can you hear this soldier?
HE IS A HUMAN BEING. HE MATTERS.
Can you hear them, abusers of power and destroyers of all that makes life worth living? CAN YOU HEAR ANYTHING?
The Angel of Grief is sickened by your atrocities:
She’s not the only one. We’re sickened by the hate and killing you incite and profit from. We’re sick and tired of corporations stealing everything in sight and calling it free trade. We’re sick and tired of racists demonizing immigrants all week and then going to church. We’re sick and tired of this epidemic of stolen elections from Mexico City to Moscow to Islamabad that’s been spreading like a plague ever since the brain dead Bush brothers contaminated America with it in 2000. And we’re damn well fed up with Democrats in Washington who keep lining up to kiss the asses of war criminals.
Thanks for that free advice about how to be obedient little advocates, Madame Speaker, but we do not need your permission or approval to take our country back from the greedy corporate bastards and assassins of democracy who are destroying it. Get a clue, Nancy. Conservatism is not a political ideology, it’s a mental illness. You are not a leader, you have no idea what leadership is. We are not going to eat cake. We are not powerless advocates, we are the world’s future. Everyone who has ever walked among the forsaken is with us. Everyone who has ever fought for justice is with us. Everyone who believes the truth can set us free is with us.
What has been lost can be found again. What has been taken away can be reclaimed. Honor the truth by proclaiming it, democracy activists. In every country, in every city, in every workplace, in every newspaper, on every blog, to everyone you meet. Our voices must be heard in 2008. Our voices must resonate for democracy like Abraham Lincoln’s at Gettysburg, like Mahatma Gandhi’s in India, like Martin Luther King’s at the Lincoln Memorial, like Corazon Aquino’s in the Philippines, like Nelson Mandela’s in South Africa, like Viktor Yushchenko’s in Ukraine, like Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s in Mexico, like Aung San Suu Kyi’s in Burma, like Benazir Bhutto’s in Pakistan.
Emulate them. Summon the courage they summoned. Speak out for DEMOCRACY across this world. Support these democracy blogs and ask them to support us.
A few million powerful people are exploiting everyone else on the planet.
WTF? Why are we tolerating that?
Every human being deserves to be free, to have a voice, to have a future.
Speaking out for democracy anywhere empowers democracy everywhere.
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All the way from the picture of the little boy on the sand until the bottom. We may not have the power now, but we do have the numbers to make it happen. And we will.
Absolutely ::sniff::Beautifully ::sniiiff, sniff::Touching ::sniff::essay Rusty…::’scuse me…SNOrrt, sniff::
Thank You!
We can and MUST be our brother’s keeper the world over. I really believe it can and could be done. We must learn and should know by now, how to rid ourselves of despots, greedy and maniacal so-called leaders who can and always disrupt that which we can and could do all for their own megalomania purposes! Each of us should try to reach out to not only each of us here in this country, but to those throughout the world and create a solidarity amongst the world and ourselves. Sounds like a dream — but it could and should happen for the sake of humanity!
This was so good, Rusty — everything, the music, the pictures — all of it!!!!
Can we stop pretending you are not a Contributing Editor now? If the answer is yes, I will send you the URL for the scheduling forum.
If the answer is no….I will exile you to the Dakotas!
even after you tubing last night i couldn’t cut it loose…
i woke up with this playing in my head
powerful essay
glad your official now!
I grew up in the shadow of WWII, lived through the Korean conflict as a 5- and 6-year-old, and saw Vietnam firsthand.
All this time I believed what I was told, that fighting and winning wars is true American patriotism.
Life has taught me that war begets more war, in one way or another, and that although war may be unavoidable (e.g., WWII or the Civil War), war should be avoided if at all possible, and that the only true and pure winners in war are the arms merchants.
of so much evil and wrong doing is a complete mystery to me. But I’m so, SO glad you do and that you write such inspiring essays, with little gems in every paragraph. Like this one:
So simple and so true — who could argue with that? But the best thing is that you never fail to make change seem not just possible, but inevitable. THANK YOU!!
BTW, if anyone here in the reality-based world would like to give the “speaker” a little feedback on how effective they believe her mildly scolding statement and hand-wringing will be in changing GWB & Co, here’s her contact info:
Office of the Speaker Contact Page
Phone #: (202)225-0100.
I think I’ll be writing her & will include a link to Rep. Wexler’s Cheney Impeachment Hearings Petition. (177,630 signatures currently).