A revolution is coming: a revolution which will be peaceful if we are wise enough, compassionate if we care enough, successful if we are fortunate enough- but a revolution which is coming whether we will it or not. We can affect its character, we cannot alter its inevitablity.
- John F. Kennedy
If you take a good look around, it’s difficult to escape the conclusion that America’s become a meaner, more divided, and less compassionate place. With the advent of the Tea Party, it’s become fashionable on the Far Right to regard those less fortunate as “less than”, as if they’re less worthy of survival in a dog-eat-dog world. Welcome to the dawn of a new America, an America where only the strong survive and the weak are left to the wolves. It’s an America where the social contract is held to be a quaint, outdated concept- if it’s acknowledged at all. The new thinking is that we’re responsible only for and to ourselves. The larger community is no longer our concern- “I got mine; you can damn well get your own.”
We’re seeing the creation of an America in which the Sheeple participate in- indeed, orchestrate- their own demise. Corporate money has bought sufficiently effective propaganda that it’s convinced Americans to vote for those who immediately turn on them and work to create an environment skewed toward the wealthiest among us. Corporation and the wealthy are held to be more worthy of support and subsidies. The job of the rest of us slowly evolves into supporting the oligarchy as they create a two-tier social system: the upper 1-2% of earners, and the rest of us, who are left to compete for whatever scraps the oligarchy deign to allow to hit the floor.
Somehow, we need to find a way to convince those at the top of the economic food chain that they wouldn’t be where they are but for those of us who purchase their goods and services. They need to understand that they didn’t grow rich in a vacuum. I would argue that this means that they have an implied responsibility to give back- to whom much is given, much should be expected. It’s a matter of recognizing that you’ve been blessed and that sharing the wealth benefits all of us. No, I’m not arguing for “Socialism” or a redistribution of wealth, though I have no problem with either concept. What I’m arguing for is a collective recognition of the reality that we- all of us- have a responsibility to one another.
We can either try to move forward collectively, looking out for one another…or we can sink as individuals. The question is which choice we’ll make. The early signs aren’t promising, but I still believe that ultimately our better angels will prevail. Perhaps Occupy Wall Street is the first step in that direction.
Every journey begins with a single step….
