I watch the pictures of the people gathering in Tahir Square and I must confess I am overcome with extreme envy. As you watch, you are witness to the passion and conviction of all those gathered as they demand a change in direction from a government that has not been responsive to their needs. They gather together bubbling with hope for the future. They carry the hope and dreams of a better world that they know they themselves must create.
They dare to dream of a fairer economic system in which many more people can share in the fruits of their hard labor and improve their standard of living.
They dare to dream of a society where educational opportunities are available to all and will lead to innovations and improvements to their way of life.
They dare to dream of a society where hunger and sickness are eliminated.
They dare to dream of a democratic government with positive dreams for its people.
Contrast that to our world, where our current government debates dismantling the future rather than building it. Our government is poised to end many programs and services which are mainstay of the American way of life. I wish we would meet in a square to promote school programs and college education rather than cut funding for these programs. I wish we would fight for clean air and water systems rather than eliminate funding for agencies that oversee and prevent pollution. I wish we would march for feeding undernourished children, rather than watch as we cut these funds and continue to feed large corporate weapons manufacturers. I wish we would gather together and fight to provide health care for all our citizens rather than reverse a law we worked so hard to enact.
How do recapture that revolutionary spirit of hope and dreams that will allow us to build for the future?
Howard, dearest brother, the sad news this happened in the US last year. Only it was the Tea Party in the streets, fighting for their dreams. Their passion was inspired by selfishness, fear, and resentment. They wanted desperately to return the US to the mid-twentieth century. They continue to wreck havoc because of the furor they generate.
ReplyDeleteI am lifted up by your voice. May others be inspired as well.
ReplyDeleteIt is inspiring to witness a peaceful and successful revolution. Wonder what comes next?
ReplyDeleteHeidi, I do not see the popular uprising in Egypt and the Tea Party gatherings as similar. I actually see them as representing two different phases of the human experience. I see the Egyptian movement as a spontaneous outpouring of people coming together to fight for certain freedoms and opportunities that have been denied to them by a common oppressor. This movement had no leaders but was a peer inspired revolt. This is the spirit of many revolutionary movements. I see the Tea Party movement as a sad example of a social movement in a society that has been relatively stable for awhile. One group which feels left out or less fortunate than another becomes vulnerable to propaganda and manipulation by specific leaders and media outlets using fear tactics to get these people to follow an agenda. Ironically, the Tea Party agenda really contradicts the needs of its members. However, I do believe that after things stabilize in Egypt, a group of Egyptians will eventually fall prey to some demagoguery which will pit one group against another or have one group feeling superior to another. I believe that this is a social evolution from a common cause to a self-interest movement. How do we keep these initial revolutionary movements pure and not subject to strong and divisive leaders who comes to power by diving not bringing people together?
ReplyDeleteRemember the story where Daniel Webster is at a dinner party and he asked the women next to him if she would sleep with him for $100,000. She answers, "Why certainly, Mr. Webster." He then asks her if she would sleep with him for free. She slaps him across the face and exclaims, "Mr. Webster, what kind of women do you think I am?" He answers, "We already established that, now we are negotiating a price."
ReplyDeleteI believe that if this administration had to come to the American people and stated we are going to provide you the same or even more comprehensive healthcare than you currently receive for the exact same cost or even for a lower price the American people would have been completely obliging. Everyone would have been happy and had nothing to protest about. However, if the American people hear from a demigod or media outlet that there healthcare premiums are going to soar and that their benefits will be cut and that they are going to have to wait weeks for care with some appointed doctor at a strange clinic you get"slapped in the face." This group then gets mad and directs its anger at the groups, in this case the poor and underprivileged, that are responsible for taking away what they already have.
The Obama healthcare plan was poorly constructed and poorly presented to the American people so that they felt that they were going to get that big payoff and the administration got slapped in the face.
Last line should read "so that they felt that they were NOT going to get that big payoff and the administration got slapped in the face."
ReplyDelete