Puerto Rico is the 99%
Declaration of War — it’s time for revolution. This is class ‘warfare.’
Introduction
Let’s be clear: the 1% has declared war on the 99%. The 1% is officially the enemy. Of course, I am well aware that other ‘enemies’ exist. But this one is tangible, its attacks are obvious, and its outcomes are already ominous.
I am far from an alarmist. But the alarm bells have been ringing for quite some time. On this issue I am a deeply reluctant pragmatist. War is not a pleasant state of living.
We didn’t ask for this. The 1% made their choice, they are the ones who decided to take what wasn’t theirs. They made it that way, not us. That’s why its called class warfare.
It used to be when we referred to the upper class, we would sometimes think in terms of an ‘old money’ gentry. In many ways, the lord of the manor administrated the estate and its villages aristocratically, involved in assuring the peasantry of fairness and a stable way of life. Those idealized ways of thinking about the monied class are long gone. In fact, it’s difficult to think of using the word ‘class’ in any meaningful context whatsoever when referring to the one percent. The last thing they have is class.
Up until now, I’ve done my best to believe them, to repeatedly give them the benefit of the doubt, to buy into their storylines. And they’ve counted on that.
To clarify, I am not about attacking wealth. The problem isn’t wealth. The problem is unconscionable accumulation of wealth, and equally unconscionable marginalization of the lower and middle classes. This declaration of war is on unfettered, self-serving power and out-of-control greed. It’s a war upon the glorification of divisiveness.
“Greenspan explained during his glory days, his successes in economic management were based substantially on “growing worker insecurity.” Intimidated working people would not ask for higher wages, benefits and security, but would be satisfied with the stagnating wages and reduced benefits that signal a healthy economy by neoliberal standards.” — Noam Chomsky
It’s about Us vs. Them. They call down, up. Wrong, right. Black and brown as not white. They call false true, and truth false. They wither in the face of the truth, but shout louder than anyone to humiliate and destroy in response. When you lift your arm in self defense, they cry ‘offense,’ and take offense by striking back, times ten. They are savage and cruel, but their cosmetics, clothes, riches and surgery make them appear beautiful.
They will do all they can- which is considerable- to propagandize, persuade and convince us that they are not the enemy, that we are all Americans, that we are all in this together. We aren’t, thanks to them. They’ve made it clear that they are separate. Think about that. They give lip service and no more to the United States. Separation? Division? Those are their calling cards.
Stop being polite and pretending like they’re not the enemy. In war, there is no room for politeness. They cheat and game the system. They lie with ruthless determination. They manipulate us.
See them for what they are. Do not look away. See the truth. Watch how they appeal to patriotism. They are liars. This has nothing to do with patriotism. The gloves are coming off, thanks to Puerto Rico.
It’s time for a more responsible consciousness to declare a state of war
What is to be missed when we are gone? When we’re dead?
I know that most of us can point to family members and loved ones that would miss us. And I don’t mean to diminish how meaningful that is.
But if we step back and expand the question a little, it can be rather sobering. For example, I could easily be replaced in my job. No one would miss my writing. Sure, I have some friends who would remember that I was kind, but that would fade.
The rich and powerful find most of us to be meaningless. That’s an extraordinarily hostile mindset, particularly in the context of the overwhelming-and growing-concentration of wealth.
It’s time to change things.
What about Puerto Rico? Who would miss them if they all died?
Who would miss them, other than fellow Puerto Ricans? Isn’t that what’s truly going on? Isn’t it true that 3.4 million people are off the radar of the rich and powerful? Why should they care?
Ask them that. “Why do you care?”
They don’t.
CNN: “Trump authorizes waiver to loosen shipping regulations for Puerto Rico” — eight (8) days after the hurricane, while the lifting of the Jones Act was immediate for Houston and Florida.
Puerto Rico shows us a truth that can’t be denied
Part of what is driving this somewhat depressing question about being missed is the way the majority of us are marginalized. The wealthy get wealthier, and the rest of us suffer erosion.
So I try to get real, and think about erosion for a minute. I understand that water wears down the stone, and that the rough edges of life get smoothed over by experience. But something far more significant is occurring than old platitudes from the wisdom masters.
Because our planet is being destroyed, along with her people. It’s really, really happening.
Puerto Rico exemplifies this. While people are dying, our cabinet secretaries are glibly jetting around on private flights at taxpayer expense. In jets with kitchens. Resignations aside, there are thousands of families in Puerto Rico who don’t even have a kitchen anymore!
I have a kitchen. Unlike Puerto Rico I have clean water to drink, and can still buy food at the grocery store. My ATM works. I have a roof. I’m not devoured by hoards of mosquitoes every night. But Puerto Rico?
Puerto Rico Response vs. Katrina/New Orleans Response
2,200 Troops (for Puerto Rico AND the US Virgin Islands) vs. 22,000 Federal Troops and 40,000 National Guard — per Retired US Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honore (who led the Katrina efforts), as reported by Vox. He also said, “We started moving about four days too late.”
“And the president has shown again, you don’t give a damn about poor people,” Honoré told CNN. “You don’t give a damn about people of color and the SOB that rides around in Air Force One is denying services needed by the people of Puerto Rico.”
Where’s our president? Where’s our leadership? Our rich and powerful president should’ve been on TV multiple times, describing a massive international rescue effort for Puerto Rico. Reassuring the nation - which includes Puerto Rico by the way - that we are doing everything possible. He should have been detailing relief efforts, including huge troop deployments, massive air/sea shipments, prioritizing clean water, announcing food deliveries, clearing roads, providing fuel and power, evacuating, relocating, forgiving debt. But he’s not.
Puerto Rico is a glaring, in-your-face outbreak of everything that’s wrong in a world controlled by the rich and powerful. I do not know the answer to these things, but I certainly know that many people in our nation are suffering from circumstances similar to mine. The circumstances which force us to live with less, work more, save less. Isn’t it odd that a new movement tells us to ”Live Small?” Most of us are not yet as desperate as Puerto Rico, but that day is coming.
Americans are not naïve. The military-like build up of our local police is not lost on us. Most of us sense what’s coming, even though we don’t really want to think about it. The days will come when we will all be Puerto Rico. You can count on it.
I’m an older guy now, yet I am under as much financial pressure today as I have been at any point in my life. And that’s just wrong. But it’s not only me. It’s a growing movement of fatigue and despair. Meanwhile, as the rich and powerful gather even more for themselves, their deafness grows more profound.
I don’t know what to do any more. I’m out of ideas. I’m tapped out. And so is Puerto Rico.
So now what?
All this being said, it is hard to write and share things about consciousness. Particularly when the things that I am most conscious of are the greed and selfishness that have so taken over the world that our planet and her people are being destroyed. Or the bills we have stacking up because companies need more and more profits.
What is the point of reaching for a deeper and more conscious awareness, when the people who control things are destroying our lives to this extent?
Unless we change that.
