Surviving Capitalism (Not) : MR Original -- Re-Creating Revolutionary Communities

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

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

MR Original -- Re-Creating Revolutionary Communities

by Abby Martin from OpEd News.

The author reports on Cindy Sheehan's call for people to start organizing in their communities to take care of their basic needs. I think that this ultimately must be the direction that we have to go in. I just question whether it is yet possible given the level of political consciousness existing thus far in the US.

There needs to be a kind of critical mass of a political consciousness to develop before the existing social-economic system and its masters can be challenged. Then it might be possible for an organized, politically aware grass-roots to bring about fundamental change to a new system. I don't believe we in the US are there yet. Too many people still believe the information delivered to them from corporate managed media, and are resistant to critical views.

I'm also bothered a bit by Sheehan's apparent need to always be in the spotlight of activity. The extreme individualism promoted by capitalism in the US has frequently spilled over into even more radical types of political activism. Too often, we see individuals trying to make a name for themselves in the media by making dramatic political statements, and putting much less effort into working toward collective organizing. After learning of her trip a year ago to Venezuela and her "audience" with Hugo Chavez, my doubts about her political consciousness have increased. Her political consciousness may be evolving, but I am skeptical that she is where she needs to be.