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We are the 99 percent

A New Declaration

Posted 10 years ago on July 4, 2013, 5:42 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
Tags: anarchism, emma goldman, declaration

When, in the course of human development, existing institutions prove inadequate to the needs of man, when they serve merely to enslave, rob, and oppress mankind, the people have the eternal right to rebel against, and overthrow, these institutions.

The mere fact that these forces -- inimical to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness -- are legalized by statute laws, sanctified by divine rights, and enforced by political power, in no way justifies their continued existence.

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all human beings, irrespective of race, color, or sex, are born with the equal right to share at the table of life; that to secure this right, there must be established among men economic, social, and political freedom; we hold further that government exists but to maintain special privilege and property rights; that it coerces man into submission and therefore robs him of dignity, self-respect, and life.

The history of the American kings of capital and authority is the history of repeated crimes, injustice, oppression, outrage, and abuse, all aiming at the suppression of individual liberties and the exploitation of the people. A vast country, rich enough to supply all her children with all possible comforts, and insure well-being to all, is in the hands of a few, while the nameless millions are at the mercy of ruthless wealth gatherers, unscrupulous lawmakers, and corrupt politicians.

Sturdy sons of America are forced to tramp the country in a fruitless search for bread, and many of her daughters are driven into the street, while thousands of tender children are daily sacrificed on the altar of Mammon. The reign of these kings is holding mankind in slavery, perpetuating poverty and disease, maintaining crime and corruption; it is fettering the spirit of liberty, throttling the voice of justice, and degrading and oppressing humanity. It is engaged in continual war and slaughter, devastating the country and destroying the best and finest qualities of man; it nurtures superstition and ignorance, sows prejudice and strife, and turns the human family into a camp of Ishmaelites.

We, therefore, the liberty-loving men and women, realizing the great injustice and brutality of this state of affairs, earnestly and boldly do hereby declare, That each and every individual is and ought to be free to own himself and to enjoy the full fruit of his labor; that man is absolved from all allegiance to the kings of authority and capital; that he has, by the very fact of his being, free access to the land and all means of production, and entire liberty of disposing of the fruits of his efforts; that each and every individual has the unquestionable and unabridgeable right of free and voluntary association with other equally sovereign individuals for economic, political, social, and all other purposes, and that to achieve this end man must emancipate himself from the sacredness of property, the respect for man-made law, the fear of the Church, the cowardice of public opinion, the stupid arrogance of national, racial, religious, and sex superiority, and from the narrow puritanical conception of human life.

And for the support of this Declaration, and with a firm reliance on the harmonious blending of man's social and individual tendencies, the lovers of liberty joyfully consecrate their uncompromising devotion, their energy and intelligence, their solidarity and their lives..

This `Declaration' was written by Emma Goldman at the request of a certain newspaper, which subsequently refused to publish it, though the article was already in composition. (Published in Mother Earth, Vol. IV, no. 5, July 1909.)

11 Comments

11 Comments


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[-] 1 points by Ani (1) 10 years ago

I shall rephrase it a bit: "When in the course of human development, existing institutions prove inadequate to the needs of man, when they serve merely to enslave, rob and oppress mankind, the People have their eternal Light to Shine upon and dissolve these shadow institutions." Go Snowden Go Iceland Go America Go Shine your light on all injustice towards Mankind and Peace be with you for the Force is always within You Namaste

[-] 1 points by Brynin (39) 10 years ago

fire all those assholes in the white house and rewrite everything. We need a new date, a date created by new generations of people. We must create, rebuild, educate and learn the change we want. physically make it happen. People's messages of love and hope are bullshit, and they do not know what they are talking about. God will not fall from the sky and fix anything. We don't need approval from old outdated people or institutions. The united states of america, the country i live in. Is filled with dumb assholes. They are every where. To be realistic, no way in hell some of these people deserve to run around thinking they are free. There is no discipline in this country. We need to rebuild and rethink everything we do for the future.

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[-] 0 points by factsrfun (8310) from Phoenix, AZ 10 years ago

This being published in 1909, we still don't know the name of the newspaper? or was it the NYTs so of course everyone already knows?

In any case, in many ways, I live by this, though the Obama administration still can't figure out what it thinks about it.

[-] 0 points by MKUltra (1) 10 years ago

Occupy "Cabal" sounds like you've already been infiltrated by Mammon.

No wonder that the revolt was located at the universities: as such, it merely signaled the shift to the new forms of domination in which the scientific discourse serves legitimizes the relations of domination. Lacan's underlying premise is sceptic-conservative - Lacan's diagnosis is best captured by his famous retort to the student revolutionaries: "As hysterics, you demand a new master. You will get it!" http://www.lacan.com/hsacer.htm

The French Revolution was co-opted by Bankers (see the Pyramid Eye in their 1789 Preamble), by the Military (see Napoleon as Emperor, whose wars were financed by Bankers). Now even Communist China and Russian Socialism have been Democritized by the Free Market but still a top-down Authoritarian rule.

So what do you really want? Have a more perfect Pyramid Government, though it may call itself Democracy?

[-] -1 points by factsrfun (8310) from Phoenix, AZ 10 years ago

Fucking newbi, why don't you take your head out of your ass and read a bit before you start spouting off.

[-] 1 points by MKUltra (1) 10 years ago

Haven't you heard that History is written by the Victors? Who do you suppose are the Global victors in this Capitalist System?

[-] 0 points by factsrfun (8310) from Phoenix, AZ 10 years ago

What would you know about history newbe? What kind of person logs onto a site and on the first day start blasting the people who created it? A lying asshole would be my guess.

[-] -2 points by Narley (272) 10 years ago

No thank you, I'm quite pleased with the current Deceleration of Independence. If we changed the it every time some yahoo thought they could do it better we'd have had probably over a hundred declarations. What's the old saying, If it ain't broke, don't fix it. .

[-] 4 points by BradB (2693) from Washington, DC 10 years ago

It is broke.....

[-] 2 points by shadz66 (19985) 10 years ago

Tho' you'll no doubt edit it, I am copying your typo and Freudian slip as it speaks volumes I think :

  • ''I'm quite pleased with the current Deceleration of Independence. If we changed the it every time some yahoo thought they could do it better we'd have had probably over a hundred declarations. What's the old saying, If it ain't broke, don't fix it.'' [H8 2 Brk it 2 U - It BROKE !!]

Of course there is the possibility that that is exactly what you meant & pertinently, perhaps also closely consider :

veritas vos liberabit ...

[-] 1 points by MattLHolck (16833) from San Diego, CA 10 years ago

I'm broke

someone said

life, liberty and property