Monday, October 17, 2011

Thoughts on the Occupy Protests (click on title to read the post)

Got into a bit of a facebook debate earlier this evening about the whole thing.  My question was "what are you really protesting?"  I'm not against it, and thoroughly support the whole "Occupy Wall St." movement, but we've got a history nearby (June Stanley Cup riots) of jumping on any excuse to smash and burn things.

A few things stand out about what I've read about what's going on in NYC.  First, it's obscene that CEO's of banks are still ridiculously overpaid and getting bonuses when they bear a lot of the blame for the mortgage mess.  Meanwhile, average folks don't get help with their personal mortgage crises, and are losing their homes.

The Republican obsession with protecting a system of tax breaks designed to maintain one of the largest disparities between the wealthy and the poor in the first world is reprehensible, and their propaganda against any sort of health care system to provide for those who don't have insurance is sad to watch.

But what's the protest about closer to home, on this side of the border?  It feels a lot like "We're angry and government sucks" but I don't hear specifics.  David Suzuki offers his perspective on it all and I agree with his take on wrongs that need to be righted.  But I'm not sure what the road map is for this change.

Maybe it's just that we need governments to be a little less comfortable; those in power should sweat a bit when they decide to take away yet another social program or cut funding to those in need just to give corporations a tax break so they won't move to some country with a corrupt government and lax environmental laws and no unions.

But it would be nice to have a manifesto, or some sort of list of demands.  Since I haven't seen one yet, I thought I'd offer a few suggestions:

1. Let's stop bullshitting ourselves that we're really working towards freedom from fossil fuels.  The percentage of the power grid that is supplied by solar, wind or other non-fossil fuel power is not growing fast enough.  Gas, oil and coal are still providing about 3/4 of our fuel needs, and non-fossil fuels are mostly nuclear and hydroelectric, neither of which is hugely friendly to the environment.

Less time fighting wars and building pipelines for oil and more time redesigning homes to use geothermal/wind/solar power would be a good start.

2. Stop stupid importing practices.  I realize I can't give up coffee so the 100-mile diet isn't for me entirely.  But it's stupid to use trucks and trains and ships to bring apples from California or other long distances when I can grow pretty decent apples in my yard, and there are many orchards nearby.  Same with potatoes and other fruit that will grow in this climate.

If I want oranges, they should come from California, not Florida--maybe draw a line along the Mississippi and buy from your own side.  You could argue that there is plenty of beef in Alberta so why should we be bringing it in from New Zealand or Argentina?

This flies in the face of free trade, I realize, and I don't want to destroy the economies of countries that rely on a few exports.  But we're killing all kinds of local industries by buying into the Walmartization of our economies.  In July my family got a tour of the last lace factory in England, and they doubt it will still be there in 20 years.

I still want to support ethical products in places where they're helping change lives, but there are some things I don't need to import.

3. Get involved in politics.  Putting on a George Bush or Steven Harper mask and marching is easier than going out and banging on doors and talking to people, or setting up a car pool system to get people to polling places.  If a movement is truly supported by the populace, you should be able to get them to vote for it.  If not, then you're less in touch with the common man and woman than you think.

4. Create/support alternate media.  At a time when newspapers are folding and Fox News is growing, we need to make a conscious effort to stay informed.  We can't rely on media conglomerates who want to keep corporate advertisers happy to challenge the status quo.

5. Stop making heroes out of assholes.  Why is "The Situation" getting rich and famous and going on talk shows while people who volunteer with inner-city youth or work to get food to the starving in Somalia toiling in obscurity?  Paris Hilton, the Kardashians, Charlie Sheen--do we really need to hear about their latest self-indulgence?  Don't watch shows, buy magazines or encourage the glorification of plastic orange people with disgusting values and maybe children won't try to emulate them.

If you're going home after your protest and watching Jersey Shore, you're part of the problem.

6. Turn the theoretical disadvantaged into real people.  It's one thing to say you support helping those in need; it's quite another to get to know them.  I've got a ton of time for the message of folks who walk their talk, and you don't have to have a lot of money to make people's lives better.  The first time you go to the homeless shelter might be a bit intimidating, but when you realize that people need whatever help you can give them, and many are interesting, engaging folks who could offer a lot if they could get past what's undermined their lives, you'll be more ready to get involved the next time.  I and my family have had the privilege to do this, and it's something I'd recommend.



There's a lot more, but it's late.  Feel free to add your contributions in the comments.  (If anyone reads this any more.)  Also feel free to criticize the new layout; Blogger pushed it on me in a weak moment.