What would Gandhi do?
The old hippy in me is cringing. For this historic New Year of 2012, I’m surveying the state of things in the West, particularly in America, and wondering what’s been in the Kool-Aid, particularly the variety that the American left has been drinking. What on earth ever happened to public outrage? Or protest? Or any sense of anger translating into action?
The figures continue to be bad around the world. By way of example, the latest American figures show that half of all Americans are struggling to get by on low incomes. The financial markets continue to worsen, soon to eclipse those of the 1930s. Millions of people have been turfed out of their homes, surrounding homeowners have lost $1.86 trillion in home value, 13 million people are out of work, and the collective wealth of American households has dropped by $16 trillion.
As Thomas Frank, author of Pity the Billionaire, wrote, ‘If you had brought the world’s teenaged anarchists together in some great international congress and asked them to design an ideal crisis, they could not have discredited market-based civilization more completely than did the crash of 2008.’
‘If ever a financial order deserved a 30s-style repudiation, this one did,’ he adds. ‘Its gods were false. Its taste was bad. Its heroes were oafs and brutes and thieves and bullies. And all of them failed, even on their own stunted terms.’
In their stride
Nevertheless, bar a very small percentage of the population in the Occupy movement, most ordinary people are taking all of this on the chin.
In the 1930s, after four years of economic depression just like today, farmers across American radicalized and began to create roadblocks to farmers’ markets. In 1933, thousands of farmers marched on Washington to put a halt to farm foreclosures. Veterans marched on Washington to protest unpaid pensions. Violence erupted in the streets. Leaders like Huey Long and Father Coughlin incited protest – as did Labor unions and the Communist party, which held campaigns, boycotts, and hunger marches that immobilized entire cities.
In the 1960s, after Brown vs the Board of Education, the American Civil Rights Movement gained enormous power and influence through the strategy of mobilizing millions for direct action, with protests, civil disobedience, non-violent resistance and sit-ins. In response to the Vietnam War, college students held well organized mass protests and, in 1970, after Kent State’s killing of four protesting students by National Guardsmen, essentially closed down universities across the land.
Through a friend I got to know the late Al Lowenstein, politician one-time Congressman and general political mobilizer. Without money or influence, Lowenstein started a Dump Johnson movement in the mid-1960s by criss-crossing America, garnering the student vote. As a result of Lowenstein’s solo efforts, Johnson never got a second term.
All this in the days before Twitter or Facebook.
Making nice
Frank’s brilliant point, underscored by an English columnist Nick Garner in the Guardian recently, is that the far political Right, notably the Tea Party, have appropriated all the passion and the anger of the Left and used it not to protest against the real culprit - a broken financial model and a grotesque and untenable culture of consumption - but against the US government for too much interference. I’ve been reading The Daily Reckoning lately and it is instructive. The argument by libertarian columnist Bill Bonner is that the problem with capitalism, the reason it collapsed, is that it is not capitalist enough.
Meanwhile, the Left’s largest demonstration on Washington since the 2008 crash, held in 2010, has concerned. . . let’s be nice to each other. The Rally to Restore Sanity was a call for ‘reasonableness’ and for setting aside political differences. No march against the extraordinary cost in lives and money on two largely meaningless wars. No outcry that the banks took trillions of public money to underwrite a new round of bonuses. No sit-in to stop foreclosures. No rage against the corporate machine.
Let’s make nice.
Obama, their candidate, who ran his entire platform on hope and change, responded to the growing crisis by employing his Bush’s financial advisors, refusing to reign in Wall Street, and then essentially throwing up his hands.
While I am all for looking for common ground and reaching out to the other side of the aisle (where we all have more in common than anyone realizes), what is now required is for each and everyone one of us to get off our oversoft behinds and engaging in some old-fashioned when-in-the-course-of-human-events style protest against all the corruption going on around us.
Acts of Satyagraha
Consider the power and achievement of Mohandas Gandhi. Gandhi was as great a peacemaker as ever lived, yet he believed in Satyagraha, the philosophy of non-violence, which literally means ‘the force that is generated through adherence to Truth.’
Central to Gandhi’s methods was polite – that is to say, ‘civil’ – disobedience. In Gandhi’s view, non-violence activism was justified in the face of unjust laws or tyranny, but the manner of protest should avoid hostile language, damage to property, secrecy or law-breaking or any but the unjust laws themselves.
In other words, and here’s the important bit: when there are unjust laws, the most effective course of action is to collectively ignore them.
Gandhi used these techniques to organise peasants, farmers and laborers to protest excessive taxation, to stop discrimination against women and the untouchables, and of course to end British rule.
Gandhi persuaded millions of Indian peasants to refuse to pay the British salt tax by first refusing himself to pay and then beginning a 24-day 240-mile march, during which he picked up followers along the way.
The power of saying no
Gandhi understood that the power of any law or leader depends upon the people’s agreement to obey it. If citizens simply refuse to obey the law, the law or leader loses its power.
As Gandhi said, ‘I believe that non government can exist for a single moment without the cooperation of the people, willing or forced, and if people suddenly withdraw their cooperation in every detail, the government will come to a standstill.’
As a resident of the UK, I saw the power of this tactic in the 1980s with the much-hated Poll tax. The British people simply refused to pay this tax, and it was eventually withdrawn, even with the Iron Lady in charge.
This year, our New Year’s resolution must be to mobilize together – Left and Right together – and just start saying NO.
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Comments
Posted On
Jan 06, 2012Posted By
Getting off the grill as much as possible and stop taking in the toxic tv news that do not explain anything.
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Jan 06, 2012Posted By
Thank you. Just about time we all join forces and say NO to the unjust system of this country and the world.
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Jan 06, 2012Posted By
I agree with your article completely ~ but I think people are almost in shock over what has happened in the past couple of years....they are shell shocked and are on information overload...
The things that individuals are experiencing in their own personal life has taken a toll...and I think a helplessness or maybe a hopelessness has overcome the collective psyche...I think it is changing...but it has to come from within each and every person...then it becomes a collective intention....
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Jan 06, 2012Posted By
Great post. Wonder if it will be a spark. I'm staggered how many are passive about so much. Just so long as they get a bogoff deal in Tesco!
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Jan 06, 2012Posted By
Hi Lynne -
I also live in London and am planning on going with my yoga and meditation friends to St. Paul's (before it's dismantled) or one of the other camps soon. Let me know if you'd like to join.
Or, since your list of people here is much larger than mine (I've only been here 3 months), we could organize a big group. What do you think? We could do our part on this side of the pond.
Sue
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Jan 06, 2012Posted By
On an up note, I think that the Occupy movement is more of an evolution than a revolution. Perhaps the tip of the iceberg of the change of consciousness we've been working on individually and collectively.
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Jan 06, 2012Posted By
Lets all of us go on a Fast and meditation period as Gandhi used to do and Use our intention so that so that a leader or leaders arise to once more change the course of history as when FDR was president
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Jan 06, 2012Posted By
Retired Canadian and UN General Romeo Dallaire, and now Senator points out to the Huffington Post Canada that there is a change particularly amongst the young. As an example he refers to parlimentary page Brigette DePape held up her "Stop Harper" sign at the parliamentary opening. It was one of the most significantexpr essions of opinion of under-25s ever seen in Canada. Dallaire says "Occupy is magnificent"
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Jan 06, 2012Posted By
LIVING ON DEATH ROWis how I feel right now. After losing our family business with no chance of being able to revive it, being over 50(62)and little chance of getting a job to earn enough to pay our bills to warrant living past 70...I am on death row along with millions of more humans throughout the world. Our lives have been destroyed by a few greedy people and I am ready to mobilize and fight through a non-violent means. What I want to see are (1)credit card companies (banks) legally held to reduce interest charges to allow consumers to get out of debt without going into bankruptcy...we gave them trillions at zero interest. (2)I want to have the choice of when I want to die...I do not want to starve or live on the streets as so many do today and even more in the next few years. I know this is a very terrifying thought...but so many of us are "Living on death row". If we want to change we have to ask for that which would bring the most controversial topic into light!
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Jan 06, 2012Posted By
Interesting, but I think you're comparing apples to oranges. The Rally to Restore Sanity was part spoof/part serious. The intended audience was politicians who are more interested in making sure Obama doesn't get re-elected than they are in the plight of Americans. The way they talk to each other-like the Rep from SC calling Obama a liar during a speech-is reprehensible. Americans, through the models of people from politicians & talking heads to comedians-now believe that cynicism & snarky sarcasm is the only way to communicate.
For those of us who have gotten off our behinds and participated in the Occupy movement, many of us have been treated with violence-belongings destroyed, faces pepper-sprayed. I know my reps in PA are more interested in saving their jobs than they are in real issues because I bug them regularly. Anyone who tries to run against them is targeted & slandered.
Mandela tried Gandhi's tactics-eventually, he gave up.
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Jan 06, 2012Posted By
If you want to understand 'why' watch the movie Thrive www.thrivemovement.com
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Jan 06, 2012Posted By
I'd just like to point out that Obama is our president, not "their candidate". Very disappointed to read more us/them stuff here.
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Jan 06, 2012Posted By
Wouldn't it be nice to say YES to something instead?? People voted for a vision of the future, not against what-is. And we've proven that pushing against what-is prevents that movement forward.
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Jan 06, 2012Posted By
I've been trying for 3-4 years to wake up people. NO ONE CARES! They only want to watch their TVs. I point out the chemtrails and show videos, interviews..everything! nothing works. The people are too dumbed down, too selfish, and too ignorant to care. I don't see anything stopping these nut jobs from destroying America. and all these stupid people who want to shoot the messenger will get what they deserve for their selfish "i don't care" attitudes as people are suffering all over the world. My family has surprised me by being the most dumbed down, ignorant Arses..i have ever met. they deserve what they get for their self obsorbed lifestyles.
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Jan 06, 2012Posted By
As much as I feel the need for outrage and good old fashioned protests across America, I think we also need to be accurate.
I'm not a historian, but I don't think Al Lowenstein was responsible for Lyndon Johnson's lack of a second Presidential term. Johnson chose not to run because of the Vietnam War mess, among many other political problems at that time. There were greater powers against him (including Robert Kennedy) than Al Lowenstein's "solo effort". Let's not mislead.
Now... on with the protest. I think Americans have been numbed. They now expect to be cheated and mislead by their their leaders and feel powerless to stop it. Right now, only big Money has a voice in America. The result, unfortunately, has become a "why bother" attitude. I also agree with "Waking People Up." I, too, have tried. It falls on deaf ears. People only care about their new big screen tv's, mocha lattes, gas guzzling luxury vans and themselves! So sad.
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Jan 06, 2012Posted By
If the intention experiment could help bring peace to a war torn area, why don't we set one up for 8 days of sending intentions to the corporate world. The intention being that they have fairness, integrity, honesty, and be of service... We could do it for the entire community or we could target a single corporation. My vote would be Monsanto, but I would participate with any of the others like banks, insurance, medical, congress, pick one and let's start.
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Jan 06, 2012Posted By
Love this idea! I think the activism of today needs to be different than that of the '60s...we have more levels in which we can work! I also agree that pushing creates a push back...but a NO is a stance that can be strong.
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Jan 06, 2012Posted By
excellent idea...Monsanto would be an excellant place to send a group intention to since they are bent on poisining us all in the name of "feeding" the world
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Jan 07, 2012Posted By
What a good idea. Yes, why don't we all use the energy of the intention experement to change the whole banking and corporate mess.
We are many across the world and we could all work together in this goal.
Let's define and set the focus and do it!
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Jan 06, 2012Posted By
I agree with you that we need to rise up in a non-violent way, as Gandhi did, do challenge and defeat those vested interests, who have kept us down economically and in other ways. Gandhi, as well as other great leaders like Moses, were successful because they united people in a non-partisan way. While you call for finding common ground between liberals and conservatives, you come from a progressive position, having basically bashed conservatives in your last 3 posts. With such a tone, you will never get conservatives on board with your vision for united action.
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Jan 06, 2012Posted By
I agree Lynn. People need to wake up. The Occupy Movt is a good start. I am also amazed at how little is being said about the NDAA act the Obama just signed on New Years eve that would give him and the military power to detain any American anywhere in the world and at home in prison without evidence,charge ,trial just on the suspicion of being a terroist. Your bill of Rights just got stripped with barely a whimper from the public. So disturbing that this act of govt treason; the most lethal ban on your essential freedoms has barely touched the public ears and not provoked much of a protest except in small circles like the ACLU group .
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Jan 06, 2012Posted By
I am in agreement. I, too, am wondering why the sheep are so compliant. Of course, lots of things have contributed to this; TV, computer games, school, consumerism. I think the worst is FEAR. The powers that be play into our fear and promise to keep us safe; is only we give away our rights. Everyone needs to wake up and see the giving away our rights isn't safe!
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Jan 07, 2012Posted By
Carol Kraft:President Obama didn't sign away the Bill of Rights. He rejected those violations of the Constitution in a "Signing Statement," but agreed with the desirable parts of the legislation. But, if another President were later to enforce that law he/she might ignore the Signing Statement. That is the only possible danger. Obama was an adjunct constitutional law professor at the University of Chicago ( a distinguished institution).
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Jan 07, 2012Posted By
Lynne: The free market is not an evil system. Capitalism is not an evil system. The evil was perpetrated not by the system itself, but by unprincipled people gaming that system,. That is common knowledge in the U.S. The evil lay in not enforcing the regulatory laws already in place to control malfeasance in the marketplace. Capitalism has made the U.S. the world's richest, biggest economy, and the world's most powerful nation. It goes by the name of "free market," "free enterprise," and "private enterprise," but it is still capitalism. The Occupy movement arose spontaneously because regulation was not enforced, deep recession resulted, and gross income disparity outraged the nation. Other huge spontaneous protests arose in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indians, Michigan against the actions of a coalition of billionaire would-be oligarchs who are essentially fascists under an inocuous name. I agree that non-violent protest on the Gandhi model is most effective.
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Jan 08, 2012Posted By
Brilliant Lynne, lets all focus our INTENT on a unified desired outcome! WE ARE THE CHANGE!!
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Jan 08, 2012Posted By
With every NEW BIRTH there is 'perceived' pain................ we are in the midst of a Fantastic Gigantic moment. Please don't underestimate our power(I don't mean 'force'!!!)'gentleness' is the way, smile.......grow your garden..............externally and internally...... destiny is NOW!!!!!!!!!
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Jan 08, 2012Posted By
... Just Say No!"
-- Adi Da / Not Two IS Peace
-- www.da-peace.org/
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Jan 08, 2012Posted By
You nailed it Lyn. My support 100%
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Jan 09, 2012Posted By
There is a need for a spiritual solution to this. Gandhi was helpful because he was awake. He knew he could only effect change from within himself and stand for what he knew to be true. We all need to wake up. Selfishness and greed can be rooted out within your own mind. The outer reflects the inner. It is time for a global awakening.
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Jan 09, 2012Posted By
There will be no changes in amerika until mass arrests start happening and the camps open. That will take the National Guard and the Military likely rebelling unless Obama or whatever supreme commander we have can keep a military coup going. Martial law is always the result of fixed economic states like we have been in for 30 years, it's just the "trickle down has ended". As more people go to jail the resistance will shrivel and we will remain poor, quiet and in our place.
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