Thursday, September 13, 2018

Notes about #PoorPeopleCampaign: A call for moral revival



I have this blog since 2010, when i was called upon my conscience to say something about the current affairs happening all around me.
It was popular for a while mostly among conservatives and libertarians who mocked my imperfect english writing ignoring I have never learn english ever. My attempt to write in language i barely speak depend on google spelling correct, so i took the mockery & i kept writing.
I was deeply moved by Obama presidency and deeply disappointed in Democrats and the American democracy. Coming from Europe, being born and raised in socialism there was certain occurrences that make no sense to me.
Growing up I learned about capitalism from Marx and from his followers naturally, not mandatory, not voluntary, marxism was part of the schooling curricula in every high school in former Yugoslavia.
As someone who graduate macroeconomics, i become economist who study the adopted version of marxist economics as applied in the society i lived in.
We learned that between the european capitalism, the asian capitalism and the american capitalism, this of the United State was the most backward.
We learned that America legs behind on human rights, labor rights, civil right behind every developed country in the world.
We learned, but it didn't look that way when i first come to America in 1997.
I found job easily, i get full time benefits less then a year after i start working in America, i got healthcare, 401K, i was able to save, and take my family on vacation, live was good, even i worked minimum wage job, cause i supplement my income with tips.
The story we learned about systemic racism and classism & civil injustice where invisible to me.
First crack on the perfect image shield I have about America start breaking when Union attempt to organize the dealers in Vegas casinos.
The labor struggle of union busting employers tricks become open and visible.
I was shocked, but i was immigrant and i kept to my self.
The second shock come after 9/11. Overnight so many people become laid off cause Vegas become ghost city in fear of another airplanes being hijacked and slam into buildings.
In that horrible psychological stress the nation was facing, labor was the mass preemptive victim to capital preserving its interest.
The casino industry show no compassion or mercy or empathy.
I was petrified & I said nothing. True I offered to work less hours if that can help anyone else from being laid off, even i was pregnant with my second child and expecting in december.
By the time i was returned to work after delivery, many of the part time labor were returned to their part time jobs and the rest we never heard about.
Years pass by and then 2008 happened.
The recession we called crises of Capitalism was major this time.
I watched people being laid off again, without compassion, mercy or empathy.  This time i didn't offer my hours reduced, cause I knew the crises was coming and i knew what will bring.
The crises was not some terrorist attack, it was natural occurrence of capitalism.
I get involved this time politicly and helped President Obama being elected and i have high hopes things will get better. They didn't.
I watched the rise of the Tea Party, I watched the protests going on against the ACA, against any measure Democrats attempt and nothing make sense.
Years after years nothing make sense.
I start writing on my own. I couldn't keep quiet anymore. I was leaving public comments in New York Times, in the Nation, on Huffington Post, and i become really active on twitter.
And then i start blogging.
I write for years, but my hopes start melting with each day passing.
The more i read the more i get disappointed, and i read everything i could have find in my local public library, i read the opposition too. Hell I read Hannity books too. Imaging my suffering.
Nothing make sense to me.
Not one solution offered from both political party make sense to me.
I supported Sanders, but i was deeply disappointed in his solutions too.
Anyone who advocate Medicare for all without addressing the private medical industrial complex is placing a band aid on open gangrene wound hoping natural immunity of the host will heel the sick.
Then again compared with ACA, Medicare for all is only option. No sense I tell you.
Advocating $15/hour is like advocating food stamps for all, but compared with $7.25/hour is blessing.
Gun control, justice system, foreign politics of perpetual wars, nothing make sense to me.
It was like the whole nation is saturated with greed, with oblivion from history and subscribed to survival of the fittest policies of a slave owners who feed and clothes their slaves and occasionally punish them, but never use the whips.
The whole nation.
Till i discover Poor People Campaign.
Not everyone is slave owners in America.
And I don't know if i am ready to join them and march with them and be arrested, but i am glad they are out there for me.
Someone is talking true in America at last.
Someone born and raised here.
Someone who understand the interlocking of systemic racism, classism and civil injustice with what they called predatory Capitalism.
Its a start.
Its a long way before they figure out Capitalism always was and always will be predatory, but Americans must start somewhere.
God knows Socialism of 20th Century give bad name to Socialism maybe to the point it will never recover. Maybe the next society will not start with the letter "S" at all, and thats fine with me.
I may not see the promised land, but i remember being there once in my youth and i know how it looks like to live there.
I know how it looks like to have no need for a second job or food stamps because the least skilled and educated labor make a living wage, have healthcare, education, housing, sick pays, vacation and job guarantee from high school till full retirement.
I know how it looks like when police have no guns on their belts, and its there to help and protect, not arrest and submit.
I know how its like to have no idea how drugs look like because family lives are so rich and organized in the community that no-one need escape from reality.
I know how it looks like to serve in army that will never fight on foreign soil.
I know, cause i remember my youth, my parents happy stress free lives and neighbors who never locked their doors.
I don't know how far will Poor People campaign comes close to change anything in America.
Occupy Wall Street get nowhere.
MLK was assassinated.
I am just happy i heard they are aware and they speak out and stand up.
Thank you.


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