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No matter what form of government the people of a nation may be enslaved or otherwise
oppressed by, there are methods that the people of that nation can use to peacefully replace
repressive rulers, laws and customs. No president, king, tyrant, despot, oppressive law,
political system or cultural tradition can remain in control for long unless the people, either
by mutual consent, out of fear or from sheer apathy, permit it. Successful
revolutionaries, tyrants and despots of history quickly learn that in order to maintain power, a
certain percentage of both the economically advantaged and common masses must be appeased and
catered to.
Mohandas K. Gandhi dramatically and peacefully, by personal example, changed the lot of
millions of common citizens of India for the better. In addition to experimenting with
various non-violent methodologies and prolonged fasting, his famous march to the sea convinced
masses of common people to non-violently resist taxation on salt, a precious commodity necessary
for the survival of both rich and poor in India's warm and humid climate. Likewise, the
modern American Civil Rights movement has used a variety of economic boycott and non-violent
demonstration methodology to dramatically change the lot of a great many African American and
other minorities for the better. Even though it has taken many years of often very
frustrating struggle to do so and even though, the struggle for true equality continues yet
today.
Women such as Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and many other past and present social
activists have together, achieved dramatic improvements for the rights of common laborers in
general and women in particular. Cesar Chavez likewise was able to greatly improve the
economic well-being and enhance the dignity and quality of life for thousands of oppressed migrant
farm workers and, as in the case of women's and workers' rights, the American Latino struggle for
equality very much remains a work in progress. Other positive changes have also
been peacefully achieved by worker, peace, rights for the physically challenged, gay rights and
environmental activist demonstrations, strikes and organized boycotts.
Unfortunately, without a dedicated individual such as Gandhi, King, Anthony, Stanton, or
Chavez, people in mass rarely realize or take advantage of the overwhelming power we in fact,
already possess. There have been a few recent events of note that have been organized
successfully without a solitary recognized leader; organizations of concerned individuals
such as MoveOn.org, A.N.S.W.E.R. and others often combining to stage large demonstrations in
major cities, both in the United States and around the globe.
Although involving people representative of a variety of issues, these protests for the most
part, have been centered on the illegal invasion of Iraq by the government of the United States
against a relatively defenseless population that did not first draw the sword. Again
unfortunately, although a great many sincere people have participated, not enough world citizens
in general and Americans in particular, have demonstrated a willingness to shed their economic
complacency and challenge those who currently seek to severely curtail individual freedom and
economic well-being by enslaving the global majority through multi-national corporate,
political and military alliances.
The perceptive man or woman is one who understands that the power lies not with the king, the
mighty, the intellectual elite or the wealthy. The power of positive change now is, has always
been and will remain, with the people. Whether or not the people of Planet Earth in our
modern 21st Century world will take advantage of this power remains to be seen. If we fail
to do so, there may not be a 22nd Century for our singular race of people called Human
Being. And let no man or woman deceive you--change that is not brought about by peaceful
means is NEVER in the long term, positive change for the better. Historically,
violent change soon translates into further violence and inevitably, results in more, rather
than less human suffering. Without peace there is no social justice and without social
justice, there will never be any lasting peace.
So let us cast aside our shallow philosophical, political, intellectual, religious and
other differences and unite under the great and Just Cause of Human and Civil Rights for
all. And let corrupt rulers, the wealthy elite and all those who would seek to
dehumanize, enslave and otherwise, subjugate fellow brothers and sisters of one blood, common
feelings, shared pain and similar aspirations, harbor no doubt that we the people of Planet
Earth, most assuredly shall overcome. We the people shall be free. Power to the
people!
THREE WAYS WE CAN HELP PROMOTE SOCIAL
JUSTICE AND PEACE IN THE 21ST CENTURY
ONE: Begin with our Own Personal Motivation
As described in the article on this website, Notes on the Revolution, we cannot hope to be effective in our efforts for
positive change if we do not, as Gandhi insisted, first become "the change we wish to
see". We must begin to move away from hurting others due to our own greed and
self-centeredness and move towards treating others as we ourselves, wish to be
treated. This is the beginning of all positive political and social change; an
all-encompassing yet very simple idea, which can be easily grasped and applied by small children
and the common people, as well as by the educated and intellectual elite. To move toward
loving our neighbor as our own self is to begin to practice Human and Civil Rights at the
grassroots foundational level.
To view corrupt systems, rather than corrupt individuals, as being the root cause of
our problems and to attempt to produce positive change without first seeking to improve on
our own personal motivation, is to construct a house of cards that will ultimately collapse
and sink into the quicksand of civilization's errant and irrelevant past. Likewise, to
attempt to promote positive change without seeking our Creator's help to care about others, is
like trying to survive in the vast dark and arid human desert of violence, fear and prejudice
without water or light, like attempting to sail a small boat on the vast sea of human iniquity,
without assistance from a rudder, compass or map.
TWO: Understand and Encourage the Power of United Effort
As also discussed in the article on this website, Notes on the Revolution, understanding the combined power and supreme advantage
of many diverse sincere individuals working together is paramount to producing positive political
and social change. We who are concerned about one or more of the many important issues
challenging us at the dawn of the 21st Century must encourage sincere individuals to unite
under the common Just Cause of Human and Civil Rights. Whether our area of concern is
poverty, disease, personal and collective freedom, education, worker's rights, women's rights,
animal rights, the physical environment of our children's future or some other worthwhile
endeavor, we must learn to cast aside our petty political, social, religious and other
differences and strive to work together toward the common good of us all.
As the great social philosopher and humanitarian Albert Schweitzer taught, we must learn
to apply "Reverence for Life" to include each other and all flora and fauna that share our
common planetary home. And as the great social activist Helen Keller said: "Alone
we can do so little, together we can do so much." Consider famous modern individuals who
lend their name and often actively engage in various worthwhile efforts of their specific area
of concern. Then consider the combined total of people who lend an ear to these many
diverse individuals of recognizable name. Finally, imagine the political, social and media
clout that could be realized if even a few of these fine individuals worked together,
united under the common cause of true and total environmental change from the foundational
ground up, the Just Cause of Human and Civil Rights for all.
THREE: Using United Power for Positive Direct Action
The historic Civil Rights march on Washington, D.C. in August of 1963 represented the
coordinated efforts of many diverse organizations and thousands of dedicated individuals, of
which Martin Luther King, Jr. was only one of a great many "key" participants. This massive
public demonstration by frustrated Americans was the culmination of a great many earlier
boycotts, individual and group protests and similar events, most of them rather isolated and
perhaps seemingly insignificant when they first occurred.
There is an important historical and
"life" lesson that can be learned from the modern American Civil Rights movement, the beginnings
of which trace long before the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott and the seeds for which can be
found in the speeches, writings and actions of Human Rights, workers' rights and union activists
as far back and even before the days of Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass. That lesson
being that small steps taken by one or a few individuals can over time, translate into major and
dramatic results involving and effecting millions of lives.
Sincere and dedicated activists sometimes become discouraged and 'burn out' at an early
age because they try to accomplish too much too fast and as a consequence, end up being far less
effective than they otherwise could be. It takes patience and experience, as well as daily
diligence, to learn to become an effective soldier for positive change. It is therefore
wise to practice taking things slow and easy. Difficult as it may be for most people to
master, consistently taking small deliberate daily steps will accomplish a lot more in the long
run of our race against time and death than will trying too hard to accomplish too much too
quickly. Keeping this very important lesson in mind, here are a few things we can do
as concerned individuals to begin to promote positive change for the better, here at the dawn of
the 21st Century:
a) Study the lives of effective individuals. It is amazing and quite humbling how much we
really do not know compared to what we errantly assume we know. As Socrates discovered, a
truly wise man or woman is one who understands how much they have yet to
learn. Studying the lives and words of individuals such as Jesus, Schweitzer, Gandhi,
Keller, King, Chavez and Mother Teresa cannot help but inspire us to begin to do our own small
part to positively effect the environment that we as a singular race of beings commonly share.
b) Begin to attempt to treat people encountered on a personal daily basis according to the
foundational Human Rights axiom of treating others as we ourselves wish to be treated. One
of the benefits of attempting to do this is that we might even begin to treat ourselves a little
better. Many sincere people wanting to do well learn that they are often far harder on
themselves than on their friends and even acquaintances. Treating others as we wish to be
treated ourselves is a carefully thought out idea, somewhat different than treating others as
"they" would like to be treated and similar theoretical improvements on the concept, which in
reality, are not nearly as effective, profound and all-encompassing.
c) Find a cause to actively be involved with at the local level. If unsure of how best
to proceed, visit local organizations that care for the sick and poor. Some of our
most physically and economically challenged brothers and sisters can often be the most
inspiring.
d) In becoming personally actively involved in a local outreach, meeting other people who
also want to make a positive contribution will become much easier. Encourage other sincere
people to form a local activist group, keeping the overall goal of Human and Civil Rights in
perspective but otherwise, allowing for diverse issues, activity, opinion and
belief. Practice working with people who are not entirely or even mostly in agreement in
philosophy, religion and politics. Associating only with people we personally agree with
becomes narrow, unproductive and detrimental to our own souls, as well as to everyone else and the
planet at large.
e) Practice effective target boycott. If a local business is known to be racist, sexist,
or to violate basic Human Rights in some other fashion, not only refuse to patronize this
business but openly encourage others to avoid it as well. There are so many corrupt
corporations in the world today that attempting to boycott
every harmful corporation has little hope of attracting large-scale participation. On the
other hand, an effective target boycott carried out on a massive scale against two particularly
'rotten apple' corporations, such as Wal-Mart and Exxon/Mobil for example, could produce
international positive domino-effect results; other corporations fearing that they will be
next. It is highly recommended that every person of conscience on our planet actively
boycott these two organizations of extreme greed and avarice, both of which openly practice
large-scale policies detrimental to the positive advancement of Human Rights, the well-being of
our planet and its war-weary inhabitants. Actively encourage others to do likewise (see
notes below for a few of the many reasons why).
f) Begin to promote the peaceful revolutionary idea of sincere people of many worthwhile
diverse issues joining together under a common Just Cause banner of Human and Civil Rights
toward an eventual massive march on Washington, D.C. and other capitals around the globe
simultaneously; the purpose being to induce major positive changes in Western and other
so-called 'democracies' by threat of a coordinated international people's
super-strike. Nothing short of a well-coordinated major March on Washington, D.C. with
effective threat of national strike by millions of Americans is likely to change the extremely
corrupt modern U.S. government in any measurable way for the better, while modern European and
other theoretical 'progressive' societies, likewise controlled by corrupt monetary interests,
are not much better, if at all.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Revolution
Revolution -- Side B: Notes on the Historical Record
Key of History: Theory of Social Justice and Peace
The Way: A Theory of Root Cause and Solution
Notes on the Revolution
NOTES: Exxon/Mobil is the most profitable company in the world. Yet it has refused
to pay one single penny of over 6 billion dollars in damages that a jury has ruled as just
public compensation regarding the Exxon Valdez oil spill (however an actual pittance this amount
may be compared to actual damages). Recently, Exxon/Mobil has
sought to illegally subvert Constitutionally protected protest by Greenpeace International
outside of its corporate offices. Although much more can be stated, this alone is more
than enough to justify a permanent international boycott.
Wal-Mart is the largest corporation in the
world. Yet it continues year after year to demand more labor for less compensation from
already severely impoverished third-world populations around the globe, thus ensuring that
the situation of these already greatly impoverished individuals will become even worse. On the
U.S. home front, it continues to do everything within its power to keep wages and benefits
as low as possible, irregardless of whether or not employees can afford housing, adequate
food and medical care. In many areas, public welfare medical, food stamp, bread line and other doles
are filled with Wal-Mart employees, collecting much-needed subsidies at the expense of the U.S.
payer and charitable donor.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Wal-Mart has been known to attempt to
deliberately drive a wedge between organized labor and African-American Civil Rights
organizations by donating relatively small amounts to various charitable causes, such as the
Martin Luther King, Jr. Little League in Southern California; something Human Rights activists
such as King and Cesar Chavez would no doubt have roundly and soundly condemned. Recently in California,
Wal-Mart attempted to subvert established environmental protection, city, county and state laws
by spending millions to promote a ballot proposition against the wishes of the majority
population, as well as civic leaders. Everywhere Wal-Mart sets up a so-called
"Super-Center", many smaller companies soon go out of business and better paying jobs are
replaced by Super-Low-Wage positions. Organized labor and consequently, the average
American worker's buying power, has suffered substantially since the recent expansion of Wal-Mart
super centers and many lawsuits have been filed against Wal-Mart for alleged sex discrimination
and forced overtime hours without legally-required compensation. People who imagine they
are ultimately going to be better off financially by shopping at Wal-Mart and community leaders
who pretend that Wal-Mart will create more jobs and better economic conditions, are truly fooling
themselves.
For the more dedicated Human Rights activist, Yum Yum Foods, Inc. (KFC, Taco Bell & Long
John Silver's), as well as being singled out for animal abuse, has repeatedly refused to provide
adequate wages to the both legal and many illegal impoverished laborers who harvest tomatoes
used in various Yum Yum, Inc. products. On the contrary, this corporate example of
extreme greed has done everything in its power to keep wages for farm workers in Florida and
elsewhere as low as possible, irregardless of the economic consequences to already often well
below minimum-wage scale workers; those who engage in extremely hard piecework labor that few
Americans would themselves attempt. Manual labor consigned to piecework remuneration leads
to lower and lower wages paid for the same amount of work, invariably leading, if not restrained
and curtailed by organized resistance, to impoverished working and living conditions, hunger,
disease and death.
[ Information contained in these notes has been obtained from various news
organization reports, including from the Los Angeles Times, CNN, Mother Jones
Magazine and the NY Times. Though what is described here is very minimal
compared with actual abuses, it is accurate as far as can reasonably be discerned based on recent
Untied States public media outlet information. ]
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 Slow Train Comin'
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