What Will It Take To Hasten
The Revolution?By Harold Niver
22 October, 2007
Countercurrents.orgIn a story about Thursday's labor strikes and the dissolution of French President Nicolas Sarkozy's marriage, the NY Times reported that "The ultimate indignity for Mr. Sarkozy was that power was cut off to La Lanterne, which he is using as a secondary residence, in Versailles." Forget the fact that he's only been in office for a few months and the nation was gripped by striking workers who are already tired of his failing leadership. Forget the fact that most of his country shut down for a day - the ultimate indignity for him was that his second home lost power.
When you hear someone tell you that every one of the top ten industries making political donations is giving more money to one of the political parties, you would likely expect that party to be the GOP. Not so. Democrats, who when elected to majority in Congress one year ago were supposed to turn the country around, are taking in more money from corporations than Republicans. How are things supposed to change when the entire political system has been bought off by corporate fat cats???
Our "leaders" in the Senate have reached an agreement with the Bush administration to grant immunity to the telecom giants that have assisted the government in spying on American citizens. Gotta love that system of checks and balances.
The "sovereign" government of Iraq has called for Blackwater to be expelled from their country after they've been found to be guilty of opening fire on innocent people (on more than one occasion), but all indications are that if they go, it won't be until sometime next year. How's that for sovereignty?
Bush is telling us that WWIII could erupt in the Middle East if Iran is allowed to continue with its nuclear program, apparently not realizing that the US's military power is the greatest threat to the region and to world peace (you know, that peace that doesn't exist and won't as long as the U.S. continues its path of military dominance?). And the press sitting there at his press conference eats it up, only asking him if Turkey really has the right to tread on Iraqi soil. Isn't the larger question, "Does anyone have the right to tread on Iraq's sovereign territory?" Nevermind that the U.S. is the most militarily active and most nuclear-ized nation on earth, and has been for decades – Iran is the real threat.
The gap between the rich and the poor is steadily widening, meaning that working people are losing more ground every day to the military industrial complex. Soon, our country will be recognized around the world to be exactly what it is – a corporate dictatorship, and the military will be recognized as the Republican Guard. Because let's face facts, folks – the military is not defending you and I, it's protecting the opulent.
People need to be mobilized. But who do we have to lead us? The answer is short - we need to lead ourselves.
People across Latin America eventually took notice of the doom that would befall their nations if the status quo was maintained. Revolutions have taken place in Bolivia, Venezuela, and elsewhere, and the threat of revolution exists in Ecuador if Correa doesn't deliver on his promises. They haven't exactly been people's revolutions, but the people have stood behind them, even amassing enough power to overthrow the coup that ousted Hugo Chavez a few years back in Caracas.How long will it be before the people understand that they're being herded, being oppressed, being systematically altered to be "patriotic" and to "support our troops?"
Wake up, nation, and rise up. The "terrorists" are not the enemy – the system that grinds you down in really at the root of your pain and suffering. Overthrow the dictatorship that is planning to destroy you, the one that has already purchased you like you're a common commodity.
Marx was really right when he wrote that the spectre of communism was haunting Europe. And he was also right that a true revolution needs to be led by workers if change is going to come. In fact, Marx was right about a lot of things. Which is why Communism was branded the ultimate evil during the cold war – and still is. But the truth is that capitalism is going to eat itself - -there's no doubt about it, and there is no other option. The authorities don't want you to know that, so Marx isn't taught much anymore. But they can't change the facts.
The question is, are workers ready to stand up and hasten the eventual collapse of the global economy and assert their rights and powers?
Harold Niver, is a student of Social Theory, Social Structure and Change at Empire State College, living in Albany New York.He can be reached at [email protected]
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