The Pensive Moments

Whereas democracy or a republican government is short-sighted and driven entirely by short-term political gains of elected officials and candidates for elected offices for the next election, a monarchy provides for stability, continuity, and most importantly, allows the government to truly govern for the good of all people -- including those who are excluded, denigrated and disenfranchised by the republic -- without fear or favour of anything except for the highest good and timeless moral principles.

Full text: http://cjoccupology.blogspot.com/2011/12/is-this-what-democracy-looks-like.html

Like many cities across North America, the #Occupy solidarity movement has arrived in Portland, Oregon. Along with other cities in Oregon including Bend, Astoria, Eugene, and Salem, Portland -- reputed "Little Beirut" -- had a massive demonstration yesterday and continues it with the mass encampment in downtown Portland's Lownsdale and Chapman parks, nested between the Portland City Hall, U.S. District Court, and the Multnomah County Jail.

Yet, unlike a specific name such as #OccupyWallStreet, #OccupyPortland does not convey the same notion; after all, we Portlanders already live and work here and thus have already occupying the city even before any of this movement started. On the other hand, Wall Street is a specific place with its own inherent symbolism and functions. Most demonstrators do not live on Wall Street.

This morning hundreds of demonstrators were awakened by "peace keepers" appointed by the #OccupyPortland organizers -- at 5:45 a.m. The word was that there would be a general assembly (GA) at 6 a.m.

This so-called GA was one of the most confusing and disorganized meetings I have ever seen. While it has that good feeling associated with a participatory mass rally, all what I could figure out was that participants were simply repeating back whatever the speaker was saying in unison, almost like a religious sect involved in mind-control. I guess anyone could be a speaker and voice what was on their minds; yet all this seemed both superficial and dangerously disorganized. If history is any lesson in organizing, any successful revolution that comes with a lasting impact must have a solid, coherent core leadership. Whether that would be in a form of a singular dictator or in a form of a small presidium or council is irrelevant; rather such a structure clearly defines what a chain of command is, and what roles each person or sub-group plays within the larger organization. While a meeting such as the GA creates an illusion of a direct, participatory democracy, in reality there will be a confusion, misunderstanding and lack of direction in both decision-making process and also in the execution of the decisions therefrom. What I saw in this GA was a mix of an ochlocracy -- mob rule -- and psychologically-manipulative pep rally mentality. This psychologically overcharged mob rule is exactly what went wrong with the Chinese revolution when Mao Zedong introduced the Great Cultural Revolution, which turned the entire China upside-down with great confusions and casualties everywhere. There must be a clearly defined parliamentary procedure (even if it is consensus-based), or it will eventually collapse as people lose a sense of direction and unit cohesion.

In fact, the party atmosphere has already diluted much of the original grievances that brought #OccupyWallStreet into manifestation. While I greatly appreciate Mayor Sam Adams' support (in whatever the degree he is capable of) and the restraint on the side of the scandal-ridden Portland Police Bureau, the lack of perceived hostility is a two-edged sword, a mixed blessing. On one hand it brings together more people, especially more mainstream, everyday people into the fold -- instead of making a demonstration a near-exclusive property of the ultra-radicals; on the other hand, the sense of common, shared purpose is not as palpable or clearly communicated. This, perhaps, is also the reason why the corporate mass media outlets quickly shifted from self-censorship and blockade of #OWS-related news to a near real-time continuing coverage of the #Occupy demonstrations nationwide. In the age of social media information of all forms spreads like wildfire; instead of giving #Occupy an allure of a forbidden fruit to the masses, the media could instead provide a sanitized version of #Occupy coverage to render the demonstration and movement irrelevant.

In the words of a certain random unhoused passer-by, who perhaps uses this same park habitually for his own camping needs, this is turning into a "hippie-fest." Indeed, I have noted the presence of many unhoused people who just showed up so that they could have some uninterrupted sleep without police harassment and with safety in numbers. This was further augmented by the fact that the organizers of #OccupyPortland arranged for massive distribution of free food for demonstrators -- which many unhoused people mistook for a "homeless feed." It is not that I am saying this is wrong (after all they are among the worst-affected victims of the present American system, and we ought to stand in solidarity with them!) -- but I am concerned that all this could easily render the movement powerless and without impact.

What I am concerned about this spate of #Occupy movement in North America is that, while it is often compared with the Jasmine Revolution and Arab Spring earlier this year, Americans would turn this into a strange fad -- yet another consumer brand, just like Obama's "Hope" and "Change" brand became during his presidential campaign almost three years ago. In the end, the original impetus is quickly forgotten, the message is diluted and made irrelevant by the mass media and social media, and quickly forgotten as soon as Americans move onto another short-lived fad. After all, very few people today talk of Wisconsin, which now seems like a long time ago but only about half a year, and even the observers of #OccupyWallStreet did not associate it with the earlier mass demonstrations in Madison, Wisconsin.

The reality is that Americans -- and the American government -- are resistant to change. And unlike some similarly-resistant and regressive countries such as Japan, there is really no significant external pressure that compels the U.S. to change the way it governs itself. At the end of the day, even the #Occupy demonstrators, the majority of them, do not want the U.S. Constitution suspended even for a moment. Even for a good reason, Obama will not suspend the U.S. Constitution so that he could implement his "hope and change" free from the Republican saboteurs in Congress. The bank bail-outs and foreclosures will continue, and more undocumented immigrants will be thrown in private jail and deported. Education, healthcare and social services will continue to be slashed. Obama will not suspend the Constitution or dissolve Congress. Unlike in most parliamentary democracies in the world in which the prime minister has a power to dissolve the parliament and call for a new election at any time, the U.S. president is entirely beholden to and at the whim of Congress and its juvenile antics.

While I am cautiously optimistic about this massive change in people's consciousness around the world, there still must be a solid plan that is well executed in order to effect a lasting, meaningful transformation in society. In an ideal situation, this empire too will fall after the manner of the Soviet Union and East Germany. But that will only happen when a significant number of those who are charged with enforcing the law will defect and refuse to obey the orders from above. Soldiers and policemen would have to obey their conscience instead and defect in solidarity with the #Occupiers if there could possibly be any significant change in the short run. Otherwise, this too will become another background noise for politicians that they can occasionally exploit to further their money- and power-worship. Ultimately, this is about changing the consciousness of the people one person at a time, in a grand scale. It can only be accomplished with a great leadership and a plan, and most importantly through a carefully executed education of the masses and raising of awareness and conscience.

Monday, September 10, 2001.

It was a hot and sunny day. I decided to go to Blue Lake in Fairview, Oregon. I loaded my bicycle on 12-Sandy and got off at the nearest stop, Fairview Avenue at Sandy Boulevard. I rode the bike from there downhill to the Blue Lake Regional Park.

It was a quiet afternoon, being already a school day. There was a couple of Latina girls, making fun of each other. One of the girls teased the other, prostrating before her, exclaiming, "Allah! Allah!"

I had a green and blue tartan-patterned swimming suit, it was one of those swimming suits made for actual swimming. It nicely showed off my back and legs.

It was really hot, and I loved the cold, clear water of Blue Lake. It was occasionally disturbed by a far away motor boat, which made waves. It was a peaceful afternoon. I heard some distant sounds of cars driving towards Marine Drive, and occasional sights and sounds of airplanes, big ones to the left, to or from the Portland International Airport, and to the right, small Cessnas to and from the nearby Troutdale Airport. Occasional breeze was pleasant.

It was getting dark earlier than mid-summer. I figured I should go get to the bus stop and make my way back to Portland. This was also the first day the MAX Red Line opened. There was a festival happening at the airport and all rides were free between Gateway and Airport. I figured I would ride the Red Line the next day, as I heard it was chaotic with so many people on the MAX.

I stopped by at a lone payphone in the middle of the park near the shuttered concession stand. The phone booth already had the sign changed from "GTE" to "Verizon." I had a cell phone, my very first one, an AudioVox 480 with the Airtouch branding that I got on sale at the Portland Rose Festival earlier that year, but I was paying 60 cents a minute so I usually used a payphone, for which I got unlimited call for 50 cents. I called Tri-Met's (with a hyphen, then) bus schedule line. It just replayed a recorded time table at a major time point back then. It was $1.20 for an 2-zone trip from Fairview to where I lived, just off 57th and Sandy.

I went home, and the Puff cat was flopped on the floor. Kiki was hiding somewhere in a cool place. I felt lazy. A while later I went to the Trader Joe's and got myself a few things for dinner. I had more money back then.

I went to bed eventually, after being online for a few hours on the WebTV.

Tuesday, September 11, 2001.

I woke up around 10. My housemate was still asleep, having been recently laid off. I turned on TV in the living room (the same one that was connected to the WebTV), and I saw a news that an airplane crashed on one of the twin towers in New York. Every single channel was showing the same thing. I thought, wow, now that is a bad accident. Shortly after, another airplane comes and hits the other building. The first tower collapsed.

It was announced that all shopping malls in Portland area decided to close. Schools were also cancelled.


Wednesday, September 12, 2001.

Bush repeatedly said on TV, calling Americans to go back to normal and spend money. Businesses reopened and everyone tried to pretend like everything is business as usual. I walked by the main post office in the Pearl District. Across from the post office was the Immigration and Naturalization Service. For the first time ever, I saw a full-sized "INS Detention and Deportation" bus parked in front of the loading dock.

American flags were suddenly everywhere in Portland, which used to brag a lot about not being like American. At the Pioneer Courthouse Square the granite steps by the fountains became a makeshift altar. The Northwest Medical Team had a van parked at the square, providing a trauma counseling service.



I thought this will be the beginning of an end. Everyone thought more attacks were coming. The Republican-led Congress and the Republican White House were quick to turn America into a police state at home and warmonger abroad. Everyone was singing God Bless America and calling for an invasion of the Middle East. On one hand most people I knew were sympathetic to the plight of the Muslims in America. On the other hand, there were a lot of madness. There was a viral computer game software called "Yo Mama, Osama" -- which was a primitive Java-based game that let users shoot at Osama Bin Laden. At the end of the game the American national anthem plays and users are directed to make a donation to the American Red Cross.

I think, in retrospect, I had an easy life until that point. I was gullible and naive, was led to believe just about anything, and did not have to face difficult situations in life.

The period between 2001 and 2011, on the other hand, has been different.

Quite honestly, democracy is a farce. It is a failed social experiment whose days are counted. Even worse is how the U.S. imperialists use "democracy" as a way to install military dictators and corrupt despots all over the world and to topple the governments that receive popular support by the local population.

But why is democracy so evil? For a long time I was not quite able to articulate this. But yesterday I was reading The Street Roots and there was this article about the federal "motor-voter" law whose less-known provisions mandate social services and universities that receive federal funds to register voters, just like it is done at the driver licensing offices throughout America.

But all this is still such a joke. Yesterday the U.S. Congress reached this "deal" to raise debt-ceiling. To achieve this the Democrats and the Republicans, among others, came up with this concept of "Super-Congress" -- a board of 12 members selected from and among the members of Congress, who will possess a dictatorial power over every aspect of federal government and federal funding of state and local governments. This is legitimized by the fact that Congress is allegedly democratically elected by popular and universal suffrage, and that members of Congress are already assigned to various committees, select committees and sub-committees to handle specific tasks of national interest, even though they are elected to represent their geographical constituents. Beyond all the rhetoric, what the Super-Congress means is that this gang of 12 thugs who represent the wealthiest and the most powerful, with the cheers from ignorant and misguided "Tea Partiers" (who are essentially digging their own tombs by opposing the programs they will need soon in the future) as background noises, now has the ultimate power of life and death over millions of impoverished and most vulnerable people in America. The gang of 12 has an unlimited access to the kill switch to cut off Medicaid, SNAP, SSD, SSI, Section 8, and all other life-saving programs at their whim.

Come to think of it, the missing piece is not the right to vote. Anyone who is a citizen of the United States can in theory vote, with only a few limited exceptions. But that does not mean this biennial civic ritual would have any significant impact in affecting change. Voters select from a slate of candidates who represent the corporate interests and those of their party affiliations. Candidates must spend an astronomical amount of dollars to win an election -- and even with that money, people like Ross Perot and Donald Trump cannot win, because they do not have the blessings of the real powers-that-be. In this sense, America is no better than North Korea if not worse.

A real change cannot happen unless everyone not only has a chance to vote but also to stand for elections and have a fair chance of winning solely based on one's own merit. It is nice to see that the Street Roots, Sisters Of The Road, and other organizations are helping poor people and those experiencing "homelessness" register to vote, but nothing of significant value can happen until Congress, State Legislative Assembly, county commission and city council are truly represented by people of all walks of life. As the system now stands, the whole system of democracy is inherently classist. I will only support democracy if I see prison inmates, prostitutes, ex-cons, chronic homeless, dead-end minimum-wage workers, and all the imaginable outcasts of society are elected and placed in the hallowed chambers everywhere.

Until then, democracy can expect my fiercest opposition and utmost contempt.