this interesting article, "we are the 100% . . .," hits on a feeling that i've been having as i watch the "occupy" movement sweep the world.
as much as i feel a sense of truth in the feelings of protesters world-wide recognizing that something is terribly off about how our societies run, i don't resonate with the message of 99% and 1%. i feel inspired by the united voices about the need for change, but i feel apprehensive about where all this is headed.
as i look back at other times of protest, the goals and solutions seem more tangible; the problems seem more clear. civil disobedience took the form of resisting specific unjust laws, or at least, the desire of the protesters was clear enough that with time and attention, the demands could be met, the protests could end, and a state of harmony could be achieved.
but, the problems and the potential solutions here are anything but clear. there are definitely issues with the movement of money and its influence of politics, but how do we address them? what will be the cost of taking one path over another? is the solution more government regulation of big business and higher taxes? or is the solution smaller government, so there is less government power to be co-opted?
i don't know the answers to these questions, and as i play with them in my mind, i just see over and over how these questions lead to bigger and more difficult questions - complicated questions about what we value, about the right balance between liberty and justice, the balance of individual freedom and community. with such difficult questions at stake, and such a variety of solutions posed by the different individuals gathering all over the country and the world, i'm having a hard time picturing how this movement could peacefully come to an end.
my bigger concern though, is that there seems to be so much distorted information flying around that i worry about the blameful fingers pointed at the 1%. i worry that this is just the kind-of divisive rhetoric that preceded some of the ugliest revolutions of human history.
no matter where the line is drawn, people divided are people divided. no matter how justifiable the frustration or how small the percentage antagonized, turning against a part of ourselves doesn't seem to me the way to create lasting solutions. i do recognize that there is another side of peace. there is a great need to face up to our conflicts for the growth of society, but i'm feeling there is more focus on our divisions than need be.
my personal focus is on a unified people with various backgrounds, lifestyles, and beliefs, constantly evolving toward the vision of liberty and justice for all. the biggest step that i think we could take towards solutions is in civilly fighting out the advantages and disadvantages to the possible directions we could take, working together - 99% and 1%, rich and poor, red and blue - to clear the smoke and mirrors that make us believe our interests are so mutually exclusive.
stealing from the article linked above: "We must come to see that the end we seek is a society at peace with itself, a society that can live with its conscience." - Martin Luther King, Jr. at the present, i certainly don't see a society at peace with itself, and i don't feel convinced that, on the whole, this occupy movement is headed in that direction. i'm intrigued and i see a lot of positive things stirred, but my greatest hope isn't with the 99%; my hope lies in our ability to start seeing and acting like 100%.
