Alan Strachan put up a nice piece over at Common Dreams, summoning his fellow citizens to move from trance to moral outrage, as the powers that be continually strip wealth and freedom from the population.
The Mega-Rich have declared war against ordinary Americans:
Although current circumstances have not been labeled as such, we are in another Civil War. This time it is not the North against the South. This time it is the Mega-Rich against ordinary Americans.
It is the Mega-Rich who have declared and are waging this war. To do so they have bought politicians from both political parties, in order to change laws and regulations, so that they are free to do as they wish. And what they wish is to make as much money as possible and to increase their power in every way possible, even when that means sending ordinary Americans into poverty, destroying the environment, and gutting democracy. They will stop at nothing, and they take no responsibility for the terrible consequences of their greed.
Make no mistake about it: the Mega-Rich have been getting what they want, and the US government has been enabling them to do so…. Now it is inescapably clear that Democrats as well as Republicans are firmly entrenched in policies that undermine democracy and line the pockets of the Mega-Rich and their corporations.
Strachan concludes that it is time for regular people to rise up and reclaim power:
To passively wait for someone to save us – hoping for a political leader who speaks about and acts upon [our values] — is naïve and ineffectual. We, the People – you, and I – have the power to lead. We must lead our leaders, and show them the way. It is up to us to restore democracy.
When the wealthy and powerful go too far – as they always will if we allow them to – it is up to the People to restore the moral order, to restore democracy. It is up to us to remind our “leaders” – who are supposed to be “public servants,” not corporate lackeys – that “democracy” is People power. Not Mega-Rich power, but People power.
Strachan’s sentiments are shared by many, myself included. I first recognized the power of unity to balance the world’s inequalities at least six years ago, as the many benefits of solidarity amongst humanity were highlighted in the “Global Unity” section of my first book (which is available online). Here’s a sample:
Everyone stands to gain from a united world. A world of peace means we live with less fear and a higher quality of life. Global unity will also help to secure our children’s future and the survival of our species.
Not only will global unity benefit everyone directly, it represents an opportunity to do something that has never before been done on earth – we could unite on a global scale. Global unity will be an accomplishment we can all be proud of.
In a world where nations cooperate, we will no longer have to fear foreign invasion or nuclear annihilation. With global unity, we also get the personal security that comes from knowing that if either ourselves or a loved one becomes sick or injured, the world is more able to help.
Another benefit of global unity will be an increase to nearly everyone’s economic situation – which means more money! We will be able to take control of our world’s wealth and divert the profits of humanity’s labour into social services, like health care and education, which are investments into our future.
The first surplus of wealth comes from the trillions of dollars spent on military budgets. With no one left to fight, the world’s war machine can be dismantled, which is something everyone should want, if not for themselves, then for their family.
Since writing these words, my thoughts have evolved. Now, not only do I see global unity as a great thing, I actually believe it is coming and will arrive within a few short years!
Over the past decade, our world has come together more than throughout the rest of human history combined. 10 short years, and we’re more interconnect than ever before! Now, just imagine how tight-knit we’ll all be in just a few more years, once more people get connected and become engaged netizens.
This transformation will be incredible! When humans work together, there’s nothing we can’t do. And when we work together on a global scale, well, it puts amazing things – like creating world peace and ending starvation – squarely within our reach.
