what is going on in the world? Ok, i grew up in a world that made no sense whatsoever and i have always been labelled a freak for bringing up the simple fact that well, this shit is wrong and needs to be dealt with. And now In Egypt, they are going to march on the US embassy in solidarity with what is going on in Oakland, California. Arabs, many of them Muslim, marching in support of American protestors! After 9 games in Spain and Levante is in first place? And Michael Moore, the hero of the liberals and some progressives is apparently going to show up at the General Assembly in Oakland's occupation tomorrow or Saturday. I am used to, but never accepting of things not making sense. But now they are not making sense but in a good way!
A marine survives 2 tours of Irak, comes home a changed person and joins Veterans for Peace. He and his ex marine vets from Irak stand in the front lines at the Oakland Occupation, right in front of the armed riot cops and one of them gets shot in the face by a tear gas can for it. An Oakland police man shot a Marine in uniform, who was standing there, unarmed, while his friend stood next to him, waving the veterans for peace flag. Survive 2 tours against a made up enemy and come home and get shot and hospitalized by oakland police. Does this make sense to anyone?
Was down at Occupy Wall Street-Oakland for several hours, tonight. The mayor, for some reason, assumed she could march out and on to the mic and do her thing. Well, sorry "old woman", but we are trying to evolve beyond the bullshit. Your money and position mean absolutely nothing, here and you have to deal with that. This is what some call anarchy and others call democracy; we are all equal here. Perhaps you have learned in history class of those pesky anarchists in Catalonia in the early 20th century? Same as everyone, your presence and opinion are wanted and expected and will be heard. But why did you show up with a huge media entourage? most of the media had left long before your arrival, thinking the spectacle for the evening news was over. They were in the vans waiting for an instigator to go off or the cops to go ballistic so they can entertain on the evening news. Why not come out in the middle of the GA and not expect a special spot of your own? However, you are simply going to have to wait in line like anyone else who wants to speak at the general assembly at these occupations. And you must accept that you, and every politician, democrat and republican, work for "us" and that is not negotiable. Sadly and stupidly, some people at the plaza did not understand this and rushed the stage scaring you and you left, running back to your office. Will you send your police back on the crowd, now? Or perhaps you are just a puppet and while in DC, orders from above were sent to 16 different state, city and county police to take the occupation out, earlier this week. You are a pathetic mayor and must stand down, either way, whether you gave the order or you had your strings pulled, you must go.
Our constitution demands that we take you out when you are corrupt and do the wrong thing and we are simply doing what we as Americans can do, tear down a tyrannical government and amend our constitution with a separation of state and bank and state and corporation!
When i got home, i heard Mayor Quan give a well written speech about how liberal she is. Please, you are a democrat, you love to talk nice and then make pathetic apologies like "i did not know" for your fascist actions. Your time is coming for your kind to get out of the way and let the rest of the planet evolve. Remember the french revolution and how it spread to end feudalism in Europe. Hopefully as an elected official you know of political systems and how they have evolved and how some have been destroyed in order for the planet to move forward. As a college student i watched on TV as walls were knocked down in Eastern Europe. Now, Mayor Quan and all those democrats and republicans in power; those of you who have done nothing, and especially to those of you who are the reason for the banks and corporations to have their way, raping and pillaging the planet, we are coming to your walls, here in Oakland and all over the country and planet. This non violent movement will metaphorically tear your walls apart in ways Napoleon could not have imagined as he tore apart Europe, smashing the old code of feudalism apart, destroying many of the old kingdoms. The more violent your police get on us, the more our numbers are growing. The police will not help you for much longer. The rain and cold will not deter the change that must happen. This version of capitalism has utterly failed us and we are at your walls, ready to take us to the next step!
Ironically, she did mention she was in DC when the whole fiasco went down. OK....who was she with in DC?
At the Oakland occupationtonight , the General assembly met in sub committees, then voted on various actions. Not as big a crowd as yesterday where over 1600 people voted to general strike on Nov 2 to about 100 against and another 200 not voting. (numbers not exact but was way in favor and at least 1600 said). Several actions and marches to take place this weekend including an anti police march on the main station that is bound to get "interesting".
Finally, 11 years too late, yet still welcome, a general strike is planned on Wednesday! How many unions and other workers and students will partake remains to be seen but there is huge union representation at the GA! They are wearing their colors, AFL-CIO, City workers, EBMUD, Sanitation, restaurant workers, nurses, transit, teachers unions, longshoreman (i overheard the head of the longshoreman union say to one of the main organizers of the occupation that their executive committee voted unanimously to strike, and are waiting for the general members to vote. Stop bringing in the cheap chinese crap is ideal and shut down the docks). There is a big list of unions voting on whether to join the strike at least to start. American workers deciding for a general strike? The same workers who allowed a stolen election in Florida in 2011 and went to work as if nothing happened? The same workers who went to work the day the war in irak started and chanted support our troops? The same workers who allowed the tax money to be handed to corporations to "bail them out" and went to work the next day as if it was no big deal. Finally, American workers are thinking of actually dealing with the problem shutting down the system! The resounding sound of over 1600 people voting and shouting STRIKE STRIKE STRIKE, this is Oakland, not Egypt, not Greece. Who would think an american revolution, or more hopefully evolution would start in Wisconsin? And then get tremendous impetus and taken to a whole new level in Oakland, where i have lived and taught and cooked for 14 years?
Still, I reamin livingin a world that makes no sense. As a chef i have to go out of my way to avoid Monsanto products. I hve to spend way more than most chefs in order to only consume the finest grown ingredients from the finest nearby farmers and hook up with other local pasta, tofu and other purveyors who share my commitment to iingredints of the finest quality. At the same time i watch people with their mythologically local and organic menus and see their kitchens which are loaded with processed crap and monsanto products. Yet they are praised for their words of local and organic, woohoo. Meaningless baby steps get praised.
Maybe next spring, Levante (who heard of this team before last year when they showed up in the Spanish first division) will be back in the middle or bottom of the table while fascist's Real Madrid, or more hopefully FC Barcelona are back on top. And Michael Moore will make a movie about oakland and by then most of the occupations are either dead or in jail or many american cities are turned into civil war zones. Or perhaps we are evolving to something that can make a lot more sense than what we currently are dealing with. Can Americans have what the Czeks had, a "velvet revolution", where sides comes to agreements. I and most occupants are more than willing to offer up several red states to the republicans and democrat wannabees so they can have a place to retain their primitive ways of thinking and acting. There they can have a puritanical world based on their myths and values and let us evolve beyond thinking profit/greed is the motivation of all.
What i have seen first hand at the general assemblies in NYC and Oakland is far more inspiring and encouraging than what i see in the US Congress and Senate. Tomorrow i will cook up an 8 gallon pot of potato soup to bring to the newly revived occupation in Oakland. Despite the police brutality, the tents are going back up and will be in bigger numbers than before. Temperature is dropping and that hearty potato soup will help warm up at least 50 people, occupants, homeless and anyone else who comes by with a smile and an empty stomach.
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Philip Gelb
http://philipgelb.com
http://philipgelb.blogspot.com/
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