I hold a strong belief in collective action sometimes called people power. The union movement is an excellent example, collective bargaining creates better outcomes for workers. Many unions in the USA are fighting for survival and people are joining together to defend their rights. The following two quotes are from Mike Moore, the well known film maker, discussing those defending and those opposing people's democratic rights.
The scene in Madison is nothing like what they are showing you on TV or in the newspaper. First, you notice that the whole town is behind this. Yard signs and signs in store windows are everywhere supporting public workers. There are thousands of people out just randomly lining the streets for the six blocks leading to the Capitol building carrying signs, shouting and cheering and cajoling. Then there are stages and friendly competing demos on all sides of the building (yesterday's total estimate of people was 50,000-70,000, the smallest one yet)
Governor Snyder, once elected, yanked off his nice-guy mask to reveal that he is in fact a multi-millionaire hell-bent on destroying our state and turning it over to his buddies from Wall Street.In just 8 short weeks he has:* Gotten the House and Senate to pass bills giving him "Emergency Management" powers such as the ability to appoint a corporation or a CEO who could literally dissolve town governments or school boards, fire the elected officials, nullify any local law and run your local governmental entity. That company then would have the power to immediately declare all collective bargaining contracts null and void.
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The USA is keen to "police" democracy overseas when it suits , but not in it's own backyard.
In regard to the democratic issues in Libya, the USA openly stated its reluctance to invade a nation state, indeed, Obama said yesterday that ground troops would NOT be sent in to fight against Gaddafi pro-government forces.
ReplyDeleteI think there is a marked difference between the democratic processes in western societies and the kinds of freedoms or lack of them by those who live under oppressive regimes. I'm also anti-war, but I think that since 'we' have not experienced the situation that many have in poorer countries and we do not struggle on a day to day basis with the consequences of such, we have the luxury of being able to take the high moral ground when it comes to thinking about war. If the tables were turned and our freedoms were eroded, then we too, might change our ideas about what might be worth laying down our lives for.
I don't agree with your last statement! Democracy is alive and well in the USA and people feel assured that they (unlike those in Libya) can protest against injustice without being shot at or killed!