Forum Post: Why represent the 99%? Ask Howard Zinn, circa 1995.
Posted 12 years ago on Oct. 16, 2011, 11:19 p.m. EST by ribis
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Howard Zinn, in A People's History of the United States, wrote, more than a decade ago, what may as well have been a statement of purpose for today's movement, right down to explaining the situation in terms of a disenfranchised 99%, silenced by petty politics. Unfortunately, I don't have a link to the 1995 edition, the yellowing book on my shelf, but the newer edition is available online.
The entire book is a good read, but everyone interested in a well-contained explanation of what the 99% really means ought to take a look at chaper 24.
http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/zinncomrev24.html
The American system is the most ingenious system of control in world history...There is none that disperses its controls more complexly through the voting system, the work situation, the church, the family, the school, the mass media- none more successful in mollifying opposition with reforms, isolating people from one another, creating patriotic loyalty.
[T]he wealth is distributed in such a way as to turn those in the 99 percent against one another: small property owners against the propertyless, black against white, native-born against foreign-born, intellectuals and professionals against the uneducated and unskilled. These groups have resented one another and warred against one another...to obscure their common position as sharers of leftovers in a very wealthy country.
...[I]t is very important for the Establishment-that uneasy club of business executives, generals, and politicos-to maintain the historic pretension of national unity, in which the government represents all the people, and the common enemy is overseas, not at home, where disasters of economics or war are unfortunate errors or tragic accidents, to be corrected by the members of the same club that brought the disasters. It is important for them...that the 99 percent remain split in countless ways, and turn against one another to vent their angers.
...Now alienation has spread upward into families above the poverty line. These are white workers, neither rich nor poor, but angry over economic insecurity, unhappy with their work, worried about their neighborhoods, hostile to government...[becoming] open to solutions from any direction, right or left...[the system] is now beginning to fail for the middle classes.
[Change] would require combining the energy of all previous movements in American history-of labor insurgents, black rebels, Native Americans, women, young people-along with the new energy of an angry middle class. People would need to begin to transform their immediate environments-the workplace, the family, the school, the community-by a series of struggles against absentee authority, to give control of these places to the people who live and work there.
These struggles would involve all the tactics used at various times in the past by people's movements: demonstrations, marches, civil disobedience; strikes and boycotts and general strikes; direct action to redistribute wealth, to reconstruct institutions, to revamp relationships; creating-in music, literature, drama, all the arts, and all the areas of work and play in everyday life-a new culture of sharing, of respect, a new joy in the collaboration of people to help themselves and one another.
"Disobedience and Democracy: 9 fallacies of Law and Order" by Howard Zinn is quick read and good book to read that explains the necessity of the OWS tactics.
Whats the plan? To have change under extreme evil - you need a good plan.
Howard Zinn - a great historian and speaker..One of the best. The posting of his words are beautiful and informative...but but but... this is not a complete plan.
Wall Street and the 1% are just puppets for those pulling the strings. What is the plan for complete change to a world that is good for life?
The first step is to recognize the magnitude of the problem. It is everywhere. There is nothing in our society that is not affected by the rift Zinn spoke of. It's in our businesses and our churches; it's in our schools and our sports; it's in our laws and our societal mores. It's too big now to be addressed by some raucous minority, some little circle of enlightened individuals. In fact, it's too much for even half of us to handle. To address our problem, we must seek to heal the great wounds that have been inflicted upon our society, the ones that separate young and old, student and steelworker, white and black, religious and not-so-much, red and blue, poor and well-to-do.
The 99 percent need to recognize their mutual oppression, their mutual needs. We need self-entitled college students. They have egos bigger than their britches, but they also have the fresh knowledge and idealistic spirits that are so necessary to buoy the movement and spur innovation. We need the very poor. Yes, their need is the greatest, but so is their capacity for improvement. So much can be done for someone with just a few thousand dollars well-spent -- it can be the difference between modest life security and a life of squalor, for them and their kin -- more importantly, between their contributing to society, and their withdrawal from it. We need the middle class, the engineers and public servants and accountants. Without their expertise and practical wisdom, the fire of the idealists will flare up, but will create only an empty sound and fury. We need these people in the broad middle to recognize that their futures, too, are in jeopardy, that their efforts are as well-spent in making connections to those less fortunate as in networking with those who are more so.
There's no one bit of legislation that does this. It won't show up as a bullet point on a Powerpoint presentation, or a bumper sticker, or a ten-second made-for-TV soundbite. We can't say, "do this one thing, and things will get better." If you want a "ten step plan," this isn't the time for it. Not now -- OWS actually has a more important task: outreach. A thousand barriers have been built to thwart these efforts; we must tackle and demolish them. OWS is still too offputting to too many people; its unificatory aspirations are correct but as yet unrealized. Too many people who are absolutely the victims of elite greed and indifference still do not recognize their lot. Too many people still cling to an exclusive racial identity, seeing whites or blacks or latinos as enemies. Too many people cling to non-inclusive religion (or to confrontational atheism), seeing devilry (or irreconcilable indoctrination) where common cause and charity ought to exist. Again, too many middle-class skilled and college-educated workers see all of those who failed to reach their station as foes and parasites; conversely, too many below cannot differentiate between oppressors on high and oblivious petty tyrants nearby.
A critical mass must yet be reached; we must grow in numbers, and work tirelessly to integrate the wisdom of our fellows into our common pool of expertise. We are not building a new political lobby, one more red or blue or green party; we're researching how to confront and put away this petty factionalism that has so long entrapped us. Along the way, we'll find little things to recommend -- economic policies for immediate relief of some of the system's worst transgressions, redress for various forms of exploitation, advocacy for those whose pleas have gone unheard. These can and will add up, as they're implemented in a multitude of ways, locally, federally, internationally. The performance of these ideas will inform the core research, the core discussion, and will lead to better future recommendation.
I hope to see OWS grow to become a people's laboratory, a refuge and seedbed for thought on society. Not some ivory tower, guarded by pre-examination and steep entry fees; not some subversive clique, meeting in back rooms to ruminate on dark deeds and taboos. A public forum, where the people, once more, have a real voice, a real chance to be heard without being tiredly dismissed by long-cynical bureaucrats and party regulars. A place where all these disparate people can talk openly, without the deadweight of status to divide them.
Maybe I'm dreaming. Nevertheless, I think it's a dream worth fighting for. I think we're long overdue for a new American Dream, something better than a 2-car garage and braces for the kids. I want a better America for the next generation. I don't really think that's too much to wish for.
I appreciate the coments
But ideas alone are not an effective plan. You need first to know who is in control. Remember: evil pays well. The temptation to the dark side gives those in control many allies at all levels of society. Money and benefits tempt way many.
I do not know much about this world....but I am sure you have heard the saying... a lock will stop an honest person ( padlock - door lock)
the same is true for laws and regulations. Laws and regs will stop most people - most of the honest and dishonest - but NOT the ones who you should be concerned with.
There are many laws now. There is one called "disturbing the peace" Anyone can be arrested for anything disturbing. Laws do not apply to those who control.
A society can have all the laws you want and have an army and police but it wont stop those who are pulling the strings or should we say chains. Who was allowed to fly anywhere they wanted on 9--11?
VIPs Very Important Puppets.
You be dreaming bro if you think laws and armies will stop the 300 more or less who pull the strings of_? a world. Unless you know the problem, the cause, how are you going to have an effective solution?
Do you have any idea who these 300 are? or say 350 or 1000? They are out there on every planet. They are organized and the threat of some keeps all of them aligned or passive.
Some of them may sympathize with you. Some may even secretly help you and your efforts.
But laws mean little to the worst of them. People think names of politicians, companies and corporations are the problem or the cause - and new laws stopping one or many corps is the answer, or the solution. It is an innocent mistake and deadly one.
These companies, CEOs, and politicians are just puppets. You want to stop the show - all the shows - you have to know the puppet masters.
Who is really in control? Those with power are in control. and many are not in the news. And they are not in any one country nor reside in one place. What ever you can think of... you can assume they have thought of, and they will deal with any threat or force as they always have.
They may be smart or not so smart ... but do not underestimate the resources at their disposal and their iron resolve.
A powerful shark does not have to smarter than a human to consume him. And they employ many sharks. But as the generations change so can a world change..
You want a plan that will work. Get everyone on the same page - locate all the sharks and puppet masters - and identify the puppets too.... then deal with that information.
No one person, persons or group or groups can be tolerated to have such power as to be able to secretly or openly control or harm anyone or any group.
That is necessary or you will have the world you now have on Mars - Red, hot, and not good for life. I do not know much about this world.
In capitalism, the market determines price, including pay - the price of labour. If some people are paid huge sums, that is because other people believe they have unique talents which are worth paying for. If they fail to perform, then they will stop being rewarded so highly. This is all part of a dynamic capitalist system which values individuality and rewards ability and risk-taking. In any case capitalism isn't a monolithic system - capitalism can have elements of control in it. After all, taxation is a capitalist creation and almost all capitalists accept a role for state regulation to prevent market rigging and to help those in absolute poverty.
Good capitalism versus bad capitalism - - The Free Market
Good capitalism =
You improve & you profit You create what is good for life and wanted & you profit --- Creating what is good for life is profitable
Bad capitalism =
--- Parasites profit &--- Predators profit with Bad Capitalism --- Greedy – harmful – persons: in corporations, in government, religions, etc profit.---The secret elite profit --- The corrupt prosper ---- Those working for evil do well………for a while. ---Thats all Bad Capitalism
Good capitalism is creating what is good for life and prospering.
You can apply this to --- a good Free Market vs a Bad Free Market --- to Good banking vs Bad Banking
You ask what is good for life? What is the effect?
The Free market vs The good free market
The good free market is with Good capitalism where what is created is good for life and one profits and prospers --- however, In the free market people are not free to do harm to others. --- There are many details that refine and keep this concept good for life Consumers – producers – merchants all work to help each other.
No one wants junk on their table or in their life. The market is free for all to enter but none are free to do harm to others.*
--- Ri is the highest law of the land
RI = Respect for the Individual
The RI Citizen is respected by all with power.
Capitalism isn't a box deal. It can be manipulated and operated in many different ways, which lead to very different societal results. China is capitalist these days, and they're profiting massively from the choice; nevertheless, their government is also massively authoritarian with little sign of changing. Right now, the American implementation of capitalism slants massively towards old money, giving enormous advantages to people who start off with a lead, while using a plethora of methods to keep the poor and most of the middle class "in their place."
The contention is that we can do better. Not by abolishing capitalism, but by empowering everyone to contribute more productively to the system. That's going to mean some investment in the people who have slightly less unique talents. It's going to mean helping not only those who have NO food, but those who are stuck working 80 to 120 hour weeks, and still can't hope to put two kids through college; those who have made it through college, yet can't find jobs; and, yes, even those who have frittered away other opportunities. We need not do so blindly; in fact, we must become ever more cognizant of how we approach these issues. Moving from a "handout" model of welfare to building "partnerships" with the needy isn't going to be easy -- nevertheless, it's the way forward.
Capitalism works because it's flexible, because it can change to meet the needs of the day. Its precepts are not and cannot be engraved in stone, however dearly some might wish they were. Too many people forget that Adam Smith's "invisible hand" explicitly called for the government to act as both an active market participant and a custodian, called in to clean up when the wisdom of the crowd gives way to a stampede or to mass dejection. Our system needs a thorough scrubbing, from top to bottom; we have already procrastinated too long. So, here we are, mops and buckets in hand, looking for a place to start. We're ready.
Rip off the scab, allow the wound to heal and carry on.
Whats the plan? To have change under extreme evil - you need a good plan.
Howard Zinn - a great historian and speaker..One of the best. The posting of his words are beautiful and informative...but but but... this is not a complete plan.
Wall Street and the 1% are just puppets for those pulling the strings. What is the plan for complete change to a world that is good for life?