How do you create a world that works for everybody and not just those at the top?
The system we have is run by the wealthy elite for the benefit of the wealthy elite (the establishment). It is extremely resilient and difficult to change.
They use their wealth, power and influence, via corruption, bribery, sponsorship and lobbying, to control the political systems.
The establishment seeks to exploit and control. They give as little, in the way of wages and rights, as they can manage to get away with. The name of the game is to maximise profits from their investments.
The Tory Party (Republicans – and to a lesser extent Democrats) was initiated to protect the interests of the establishment. That is what it has been effectively doing for hundreds of years.
The Labour Party evolved out of the Trade Union movement to represent the working people. It is a socialist anti-establishment party.
When ordinary people forced a democratic process with first ‘one man one vote’, and then the inclusion of women, the establishment were terrified that their unfair system would collapse. So they developed tactics to prevent that happening. They controlled the media to pump propaganda into the homes of the people, used a range of diversionary tactics – wars, threats, race, immigration, foreigners etc. – and deployed the money markets to castrate any potential opposition.
Any socialist (anti-establishment) agenda which might pose a threat to the establishment is vilified in the media with horror stories of the potential collapse of civilisation (see the campaign against Corbyn).
If a socialist government did attain power the establishment rallies against it. Money is withdrawn, trade is restricted. In foreign countries there have been embargoes, funding of internal agitators, direct dirty tricks and even invasion. This is not helped by socialist/communist countries rapidly descending into totalitarian tyrannies riddled with corruption.
The average IQ in the country is 100. By definition 50% of the population have an IQ below 100. The establishment knows that – hence people are bombarded with threats, scare stories, distractions, lies and crass slogans – £350 million a week, oven-ready, world-beating.
The Labour Party, in order to be electable, has to be no threat to the establishment. Hence it jettisons its radical, socialist principles and moves to the centre. It effectively becomes a watered-down Tory party. When in power (as with Blair) it adopts Tory policies with some more caring socialist fringe benefits.
In order to create a world that works for the many and not just the few, we need to create a fairer, more caring society.
That is not easy.
Protest is good. It shows that there is strength of feeling sufficient to motivate people to take to the street, sign petitions, express their displeasure.
But peaceful protest is ignored – see the Brexit protests and mass demos.
Taking direct action can be effective – as seen through Greenpeace – but does not solve anything. The pollution, deforestation and species extinctions still continue. Extinction rebellion used this with some success – but it is difficult to keep the momentum, you need mass involvement, it is rapidly infiltrated and the leaders are open to being picked off (one way or another).
Using violence or damaging property plays right into their hands. They are able to portray the movement as extremist and turn public opinion against them. They have the power to use draconian force to quell any level of rioting or public disorder (as was seen with the riots a few years back).
It seems to me that the only way to create long-term change is through educating the population, raising awareness, and countering the propaganda put out by the media.
This may have to take place through a number of stages.
I fear there are no easy solutions (and A/I is going to make the situation worse!).
The right have always been good at unifying themselves. The left is its own worst enemy. It forms into warring factions that attack each other instead of the enemy (see the Spanish civil war).
In Britain the Corbyn socialist alternative was derailed through the media. The constant propaganda convinced the electorate that he was unelectable. The result is Brexit and the most incompetent right-wing government we’ve ever had. We will have 14 years of Tory rule. In the States they voted Trump in and Bernie Sanders stood no chance.
You can see what we are up against.
The question is not whether to protest, or in what form, but how to convince the electorate that they are being taken for a ride and that there is a viable alternative. These are the people who gave this clown Johnson an 80 seat majority, voted for Brexit (cutting their own throats), love royalty, and believe what they are told by the Express, Sun and Mail.
Until the people wake up to what is being done to them, how unfair the system is, we are wasting our time.
So how do you change the system?
I haven’t seen any pragmatic solution yet!
Most people are fairly content with what they have. They might not be very happy but they can’t be bothered.
Some people strive to become part of that wealthy elite.
Some people try to live outside the system through their own creativity.
A small minority want to actively change it.
Until the majority become motivated nothing will change. That is what the establishment are so good at – giving the majority just enough to stop them getting off their backside.