"Get Up, Stand Up": Do Americans Have What It Takes to Stand Up to Corporate Power and Does...

[XanaDUer]

Wisconsin Offer Hope?

"Get Up, Stand Up": Do Americans Have What It Takes to Stand Up to Corporate Power and Does Wisconsin Offer Hope?
Bruce Levine discusses his upcoming book "Get Up, Stand Up," which analyzes why Americans have been crushed into inaction and how recent events in Wisc. offer hope for change.
March 15, 2011

In December 2009, Bruce Levine penned a provocative article on AlterNet entitled “Are Americans a Broken People?” The piece touched a nerve among those who identify themselves as progressive, libertarian, or populist and quickly went viral across the Web.

So in Wisconsin occurred, if not a perfect storm, about as good of a storm as I’ve seen in many years. State employees had actually agreed to eat considerable crap, agreeing to accept a major increase in what they pay toward their pensions and healthcare benefits, but even those major concessions were not good enough for Governor Walker, who continued to demand the elimination of collective bargaining in key areas. Telling a union that they have no collective bargaining rights on health insurance, pension, and work safety is a blatant effort to try to completely crush it. By this “union death threat,” Walker put workers and union leaders in a position of having virtually nothing left to lose in terms of having a union—and when people lose their fear, watch out!

http://www.alternet.org/rights/150260/%22get_up%2C_stand_up%22%3A_do_americans_have_what_it_takes_to_stand_up_to_corporate_power_and_does_wisconsin_offer_hope/



ORIGINAL ESSAY:

Are Americans a Broken People?

Yes. It is called the "abuse syndrome." How do abusive pimps, spouses, bosses, corporations, and governments stay in control? They shove lies, emotional and physical abuses, and injustices in their victims' faces, and when victims are afraid to exit from these relationships, they get weaker. So the abuser then makes their victims eat even more lies, abuses, and injustices, resulting in victims even weaker as they remain in these relationships.

Has such a demoralization happened in the U.S.?

In the United States, 47 million people are without health insurance, and many millions more are underinsured or a job layoff away from losing their coverage. But despite the current sellout by their elected officials to the insurance industry, there is no outpouring of millions of U.S. citizens on the streets of Washington, D.C., protesting this betrayal.


http://www.alternet.org/story/144529/are_americans_a_broken_people_why_we've_stopped_fighting_back_against_the_forces_of_oppression/?page=entire

[Warpy]

1. There is a tremendous amount of anger just under the surface

out there in workaday land. Working people know they're being shafted and that the ones doing the shafting are getting richer at their expense every single day while their own standard of living continues to decline.

It's not going to take much to get them to stand up. However, what will work best in this country isn't demonstrations, it's the non cooperation of the strike, the refusal to work as long as the system is so patently unfair.

[XanaDUer]

2. I hope, Warpy, I hope

:hug:

[jacquelope]

5. It saddens me that this thread only has 12 recs

It indicates just how important this issue is to us. Which is, not that much. Scary. The article is right... we have been cowed, seriously cowed.

[jacquelope]

3. Wow, that's a powerful article. I wonder if this'll get any attention? n/t

.

[XanaDUer]

4. Best line in the 1st essay, to me

Arrogance by oppressive authorities makes them miscalculate the fear and greed variables, important ones in keeping people passive. In the case of Mubarak, his greed and arrogance resulted in him not spreading enough of his loot around with enough thugs, so not enough of them cared about his fall from power. Once Egyptians lost fear and took action, they found even more courage. And, as I discuss in Get Up, Stand Up, the arrogance of oppressive forces makes them a lot more fragile than they appear.

[Zorra]

6. Ya, mon! nt

[jwirr]

7. I hope so. One of the things needed is a party that clearly differentiates

itself the corporate party. While President Obama's bi-partisan play is letting the people see what idiots the rethugs are it also allows him and our party to be associated with their idiot ideas. When the people go to the polls in 2012 they need to know that there is a true choice. At the moment I do not think that is clear.

As to standing up - I am hoping that the Unions will keep us protesting and fighting all year long. We need to let them know that even if the congress is going to set on their asses - we the people are not going to. I was looking to see if there was going to be a march on April 5 in the Duluth area but did not see any advertised.

We need to have every issue that is on the front burner made public so we can act. I do not mean just federal issues - every state should be building their own coalitions to fight for what they want at home.

I like what Lawrence O'Donnell says about some issues need to be addressed even if you know you are going to lose. You need to make it clear that on some issues there is a correct side to the arguement.

[XanaDUer]

8. Kick

so more can see it.

[kickysnana]

9. k&R