Violence, Civil Unrest, and Rebellion

Violence, Civil Unrest, and Rebellion

I wish I could dispel some of the concerns and worries of the world population and their feelings about the US economy. I wish I could post something that made sense and didn't upset anyone. But most all I don't like tampering with the way America views itself, especially when I disagree with that view. "Let it be" I tell myself. Nothing makes things worse than the good intentions about what others should do.

Just this once I'm going to walk right into the barbwire. No protective gear, as I have no facts to back any of this up. And worse I'm going to commit the gravest of Faux Pas, and give advice.

BEFORE
In college in the 80's I remember the economics journals and professors bewailing American Capitalism. How are we going to get the whole world to join the system. How can we get the third world to join us and make their own future. Woe is us, the American Dream is being realized, how can we export it.

Digging deeper I learn from archived journals, and diners with professors, that this has been going on since the 70's. All in all, this period runs for about twenty years.


DURING (Early 90's too Y2K)
My American friends are moving to other countries to teach English. They are excited. Huge pay, travel, they don't even have to speak the local languages. They are to teach advanced students who are only to speak English in their classes.
Through the international committee on Campus I'm making a lot of new friends. Japanese, India, The Middle East. Attendance at university by the best from other countries is way way up. Some go back, most want to stay. But even if they do, they still want to go back and modernize their home countries.
China is in the news a bit with modernization plans. Outsourcing becomes something that is legitimate, and cost effective. Larger and larger companies start to notice. American quality services are starting to become available all over the map.

AFTER
I'm puzzled at first. Why all the negative news. Why is every talking head bemoaning the industrialization of other countries. Why, after 30 years of conscious collective effort, and the rest of the world is getting a seat at the table of the American Dream, is all the news portraying this in a consistently negative light.
Then it dawns on me. Human nature. People will never admit that we proved the philosophy behind the Vietnam conflict as wrong wrong wrong. That we have won more hearts and minds with pay checks than bullets ever could. Worse, in the post-modern Sarcastic driven view of the vox populi, good news has no legs.
But bad news travels fast. OMG all our parts are made in china. OMG Japan is making all our steel. OMG all our tech jobs are outsource to India. OMG Omg omg.


CONCLUSION
Every American citizen who has "spread the word" on any of these doom and gloom stories has tacitly, though unknowingly, admitted that it worked. That commerce spreads ideas faster than bullets. That everyone wants some of that Yankee Know-how, if they can just get around the bayonets.

I have to conclude the negative spin has gone out of control. What should have been a decade of celebration and renewed efforts has become jealousy and bitter resentment. The way America views our captains of industry now may very well be exactly how the rest of the world used to view them.



[edit on 1-3-2010 by davidgrouchy]

[edit on 1-3-2010 by davidgrouchy]

That was an okay introduction to what I think was your topic, but what's the advice? I think many people out here in the world could use some good advice right about now.

So what does this have to do with Rebellion? Well I'm glad you asked. I'll tell you what I think.

How hard is it for a politician to get elected on Law and Order when everyone has a good job already. Pretty hard, maybe even impossible. Unhappy people, on the other hand, require firm governance. Better yet, rebellion fully justifies the standing armies and lawlessness the police forces.

My feeling is that we are being encouraged to hate the system.


CONSIDER
Before becoming President, Ronald Reagan is governor of California. The panthers provide him a gift. They assemble on the lawn of the Governors mansion with empty shotguns, and conduct close order drill. A display of unity, and order. Or so they thought. The governor calls out the national guard. He is now _proofed_ as a Law and Order politician, gets the White house and takes on Russia with great confidence.

Bush senior becomes president. War is declared on drugs and the President of Panama is shipped to a prison in Florida.

Clinton becomes President. Waco is surrounded the next week.

Bush jr becomes President. He has a really hard time, until somebody hijacks something.



CONCLUSION
It may sound strange to show sympathy for the elected officials of America, but these guys have a really hard time proving they are strong on Law and Order, when the public is so peace loving. Turning the volume up on the unhappy voices helps a little. But they would really like it better if someone would actually act out. See they have to prove they stand for Law and Order, and that is getting harder and harder to do.

i use to be all for the rebellion idea....

...untill it went all mainstream.


now i question it.