Jim Hightower: Occupying Democracy

[marmar]

from the Detroit Metro Times:



Occupying Democracy
Texas' foremost populist says, 'We the People, not We the Corporations'

Published: November 9, 2011


"It's coming from the feel

That this ain't exactly real,

Or it's real, but it ain't exactly there ...

Democracy is coming to the U.S.A."

—Leonard Cohen, Democracy



To the U.S.A.? No, Cohen's got it all wrong.

As our leaders loudly preach, democracy is something that we export to the rest of the world — to certain monarchies and autocratic regimes that rule Arab nations, for example. And it's understandable though regrettable, they tell us, that there would be eruptions of pent-up anger at aloof upper classes in India, Greece, Spain and Israel.

But a genuinely populist uprising to bring democracy, both economic and political, to the U.S.A.? No way! Yet, there it is: the sassy, brassy and savvy Occupy Wall Street movement, rapidly spreading to every ZIP code.

It is real. Yes, it's youth-driven, broad-based, determinedly democratic and deeply grounded in the most basic of American values of economic fairness, social justice and equal opportunity for all. It's not about left-right ideologies, but top-down realities. It's focused directly on the narcissistic greed of today's financial and corporate elites and on their gross corruption of our political system by a flood of money from corporations that now masquerade as persons. ................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://metrotimes.com/news/occupying-democracy-1.1229505