ThirstyFish

After the conclusion of Occupy National Gathering on 4th of July, a Vision Statement - a list of ideas and ideals to work toward - was produced. The first 20 items are listed below:

• clean water, air, and food
• free education for all
• no war
• sustainable human society
• a culture of direct democracy
• free universal healthcare
• local food production, community gardens, & permaculture agriculture
• economic equality
• localized economies
• a world where basic needs are met
• military-industrial complex destroyed; military spending slashed
• economic system based not on profits, but mutual aid and meeting all human needs
• housing for all
• workplace democracy and worker-owned co-ops
• freedom to live anywhere: no borders, no nations
• a collective, horizontal, non-hierarchical society
• corporate power and influence rejected
• all cultures respected equally

Although the list is not tied to any specific course of action, it is nevertheless revealing. None of those ideals are really "radical". They constitute a framework for a better and more sustainable future, that one would think, most of us might desire.

It is not difficult to separate right from wrong. What is difficult is to convince the blind majority to act in their own self-interest. The blind majority is easily distracted with entertainment, drama, trivia and conditioned to continuously retain a false sense of hope. The manipulators know this all too well. That is why news has become a form of entertainment. Religion has become a kitsch. Colleges have become the perpetuators of conformity and intolerance. And, false hope can be summarized in a quote paraphrased from John Steinback: "Americans don't think of themselves as poor. They think of themselves as momentarily delayed from richness". It's going to take ingenuity for Occupy to come up with ways to convince the blind majority.

The photo was taken in NYC, before the Occupy National Gathering. More Occupy photos.

Song of the Day: Reckoner - Radiohead (2007)