We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Monday, October 25, 2010

The Revolt Shaking France

from the Socialist Project. 

There is widespread support in France for the protests against the latest cutbacks against working people.
...the idea is that democracy from below is more important than the institutions of formal democracy. Of course, all of the mainstream parties and the media say that real democracy is what happens in parliament. But the strike movement has raised the question: Where is the power? Who decides? Is it only in the central apparatuses of the government, in parliament or the presidency? This is utterly decisive about the current situation.
See also the latest report from Al Jazerra entitled, "French fuel blockades lifted".
"I think that this is what Sarkozy is banking on. That workers all over France may be suffering from demo fatigue, and that the whole movement will be losing some of its momentum.

"The real day of reckoning for the unions will be this Thursday. They have called a day of national mobilisation. The real question will be in what sort of numbers people will respond to their call."


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