Comments on: The Peasants are Revolting…But Why Aren't We Rebelling? http://sharonastyk.com/2008/10/19/the-peasants-are-revoltingbut-why-arent-we-rebelling/ Finding the keys to the future…and trying not to lose them in the mess. Sat, 20 Mar 2010 11:24:26 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Lee Cullens http://sharonastyk.com/2008/10/19/the-peasants-are-revoltingbut-why-arent-we-rebelling/comment-page-1/#comment-9760 Lee Cullens Tue, 21 Oct 2008 03:45:51 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/10/19/the-peasants-are-revoltingbut-why-arent-we-rebelling/#comment-9760 I apologize for posting yet again today, but after my last post I came across a TED video that I thought was very moving and enlightening, and connected it with our seeming shared interests. If you're curious about the human condition from a perspective many may never experience, you may find this talk worthy of your interest. Basically he tells through experiences how he believes our humanity is manifested by others reflecting it back to us, and how through such positive change can occur - at least that's the point I derived. Chris Abani: Telling stories of our shared humanity. http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/chris_abani_muses_on_humanity.html I hope you appreciate it as much as I did :o) I thought it important and different enough to add to the recommends list on my site. Note: You might watch it first to determine if it is appropriate for your children. My best to you and yours, Lee C I apologize for posting yet again today, but after my last post I came across a TED video that I thought was very moving and enlightening, and connected it with our seeming shared interests. If you’re curious about the human condition from a perspective many may never experience, you may find this talk worthy of your interest. Basically he tells through experiences how he believes our humanity is manifested by others reflecting it back to us, and how through such positive change can occur – at least that’s the point I derived.

Chris Abani: Telling stories of our shared humanity.
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/chris_abani_muses_on_humanity.html

I hope you appreciate it as much as I did :o ) I thought it important and different enough to add to the recommends list on my site.

Note: You might watch it first to determine if it is appropriate for your children.

My best to you and yours,
Lee C

]]> By: Why Aren’t We? | ElementalMom http://sharonastyk.com/2008/10/19/the-peasants-are-revoltingbut-why-arent-we-rebelling/comment-page-1/#comment-9759 Why Aren’t We? | ElementalMom Mon, 20 Oct 2008 21:15:48 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/10/19/the-peasants-are-revoltingbut-why-arent-we-rebelling/#comment-9759 [...] In yet another superlative post, Sharon asks us, “Why aren’t the peasants rebelling?” [...] [...] In yet another superlative post, Sharon asks us, “Why aren’t the peasants rebelling?” [...]

]]> By: Lee Cullens http://sharonastyk.com/2008/10/19/the-peasants-are-revoltingbut-why-arent-we-rebelling/comment-page-1/#comment-9758 Lee Cullens Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:50:50 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/10/19/the-peasants-are-revoltingbut-why-arent-we-rebelling/#comment-9758 I came across your blog quite by accident, and sensing an outspoken rational presence I delved in. So far I've only had pause with your "The Peasants are Revolting…But Why Aren’t We Rebelling?" piece. While I agree with the gist of your concluding remarks, what troubled me was your seeming emphasis on government as a distinct and separate entity in your thread. Please forgive me if I misunderstood, but I believe government is actually the majority for better or (in this case) worse, whether through acquiescence, cognizant support, or direct involvement. Thus the "rebellion" might better be the process of persuading a majority of rational thought, in opposition to the pervasive irrationality of our consumption driven societal model. Rather than my rambling on and on, I would refer you to my "Mankind's Achilles Heel" piece where I took a stab at what I hint at in my other pieces. http://achinook.squarespace.com/journal/2008/10/11/mankinds-achilles-heel.html This isn't to say that my approach is necessarily any more productive than yours :o) as whatever works best I'm all for. My best to you and yours, Lee C I came across your blog quite by accident, and sensing an outspoken rational presence I delved in.

So far I’ve only had pause with your “The Peasants are Revolting…But Why Aren’t We Rebelling?” piece. While I agree with the gist of your concluding remarks, what troubled me was your seeming emphasis on government as a distinct and separate entity in your thread. Please forgive me if I misunderstood, but I believe government is actually the majority for better or (in this case) worse, whether through acquiescence, cognizant support, or direct involvement. Thus the “rebellion” might better be the process of persuading a majority of rational thought, in opposition to the pervasive irrationality of our consumption driven societal model.

Rather than my rambling on and on, I would refer you to my “Mankind’s Achilles Heel” piece where I took a stab at what I hint at in my other pieces.
http://achinook.squarespace.com/journal/2008/10/11/mankinds-achilles-heel.html

This isn’t to say that my approach is necessarily any more productive than yours :o ) as whatever works best I’m all for.

My best to you and yours,
Lee C

]]> By: RC http://sharonastyk.com/2008/10/19/the-peasants-are-revoltingbut-why-arent-we-rebelling/comment-page-1/#comment-9757 RC Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:18:47 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/10/19/the-peasants-are-revoltingbut-why-arent-we-rebelling/#comment-9757 A short addition to what Mr Comis says is that most non-violent movements are shadowed by very violent alternative movements and the established order of the day chooses to sit down with the non-violent movements. Absent the shadow violent movement, detente would never take place. Have you never studied the USA in the 1960s? India during the Gandhi years had many violent movements also. Non-violence is very admirable, but it is also important not to be ignorant of the real history. A short addition to what Mr Comis says is that most non-violent movements are shadowed by very violent alternative movements and the established order of the day chooses to sit down with the non-violent movements.
Absent the shadow violent movement, detente would never take place.
Have you never studied the USA in the 1960s?
India during the Gandhi years had many violent movements also.
Non-violence is very admirable, but it is also important not to be ignorant of the real history.

]]> By: Bob Comis http://sharonastyk.com/2008/10/19/the-peasants-are-revoltingbut-why-arent-we-rebelling/comment-page-1/#comment-9756 Bob Comis Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:31:03 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/10/19/the-peasants-are-revoltingbut-why-arent-we-rebelling/#comment-9756 Sharon, Nice post. One thing I would like to suggest, focusing on a minor part of your post, is that we reconsider the category of violence, especially as it relates to political uprisings. The so-called "nonviolent" movements "led" by Gandhi and King were far from nonviolent. They were *physically* nonviolent, but in terms of their strategy and tactics, they were amongst the most violent political movements we have ever witnessed. This becomes obvious when the idea of violence is expanded from the material to the social, cultural, economic, psychological, etc. Those two so-called nonviolent movements *violently* rent their respective political communities to the core, if only temporarily. The reason it is important that we re-understand violence in such a way is that nonviolence, true nonviolence, the sort of nonviolence that we have been led to believe Gandhi and King advocated for, could *never* advance even a moderately progressive agenda, let alone effect radical political change. What is true nonviolence? Protest politics: Sanctioned "protest" marches; free speech zones; petitioning; letter writing. Such things are *not* in the spirit of Gandhi and King. Such things are done, ironically and unintentionally, in the service of power. I stand absolutely for *physical* non-violence, not out of a concern for resources, but out of a concern for the life, minds, and bodies of human beings, but I stand just as absolutely for the *violent* overthrow of the political status quo, which for me means the overthrow of Capitalism and its state benefactors. Best regards, Bob Sharon,

Nice post. One thing I would like to suggest, focusing on a minor part of your post, is that we reconsider the category of violence, especially as it relates to political uprisings.

The so-called “nonviolent” movements “led” by Gandhi and King were far from nonviolent. They were *physically* nonviolent, but in terms of their strategy and tactics, they were amongst the most violent political movements we have ever witnessed. This becomes obvious when the idea of violence is expanded from the material to the social, cultural, economic, psychological, etc. Those two so-called nonviolent movements *violently* rent their respective political communities to the core, if only temporarily.

The reason it is important that we re-understand violence in such a way is that nonviolence, true nonviolence, the sort of nonviolence that we have been led to believe Gandhi and King advocated for, could *never* advance even a moderately progressive agenda, let alone effect radical political change. What is true nonviolence? Protest politics: Sanctioned “protest” marches; free speech zones; petitioning; letter writing. Such things are *not* in the spirit of Gandhi and King. Such things are done, ironically and unintentionally, in the service of power.

I stand absolutely for *physical* non-violence, not out of a concern for resources, but out of a concern for the life, minds, and bodies of human beings, but I stand just as absolutely for the *violent* overthrow of the political status quo, which for me means the overthrow of Capitalism and its state benefactors.

Best regards,
Bob

]]> By: becky http://sharonastyk.com/2008/10/19/the-peasants-are-revoltingbut-why-arent-we-rebelling/comment-page-1/#comment-9755 becky Mon, 20 Oct 2008 10:49:31 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/10/19/the-peasants-are-revoltingbut-why-arent-we-rebelling/#comment-9755 and sharon, thank you, i meant to say...this was a beautiful post. and sharon, thank you, i meant to say…this was a beautiful post.

]]> By: becky http://sharonastyk.com/2008/10/19/the-peasants-are-revoltingbut-why-arent-we-rebelling/comment-page-1/#comment-9754 becky Mon, 20 Oct 2008 10:46:55 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/10/19/the-peasants-are-revoltingbut-why-arent-we-rebelling/#comment-9754 i took such hope recently from a main stream news focus on the sheriff in illinois(?) who stood up and said he wouldn't be using his police department to enforce any more evictions. i know he was forced back into compliance but, i still took heart from his defiance on behalf of those he felt had been so unjustly harmed. that's the kind of individual courage i believe it will take on a massive scale. it's already happening, it's just not connected. if wall street keeps partying big time on OUR payroll while so many of us are suffering, perhaps nader will have a few more recruits when he leads the next march on wall street. i took such hope recently from a main stream news focus on the sheriff in illinois(?) who stood up and said he wouldn’t be using his police department to enforce any more evictions. i know he was forced back into compliance but, i still took heart from his defiance on behalf of those he felt had been so unjustly harmed. that’s the kind of individual courage i believe it will take on a massive scale. it’s already happening, it’s just not connected. if wall street keeps partying big time on OUR payroll while so many of us are suffering, perhaps nader will have a few more recruits when he leads the next march on wall street.

]]> By: David http://sharonastyk.com/2008/10/19/the-peasants-are-revoltingbut-why-arent-we-rebelling/comment-page-1/#comment-9753 David Sun, 19 Oct 2008 23:32:30 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/10/19/the-peasants-are-revoltingbut-why-arent-we-rebelling/#comment-9753 Wait… you’re writing about overthrowing the government on the day that thousands of people are going to visit your blog from the NY Times article? Really? Sharon, you're awesome. Wait… you’re writing about overthrowing the government on the day that thousands of people are going to visit your blog from the NY Times article? Really?

Sharon, you’re awesome.

]]> By: Dan http://sharonastyk.com/2008/10/19/the-peasants-are-revoltingbut-why-arent-we-rebelling/comment-page-1/#comment-9752 Dan Sun, 19 Oct 2008 23:26:44 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/10/19/the-peasants-are-revoltingbut-why-arent-we-rebelling/#comment-9752 The links: http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs8ry31BLLM http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_QjqOIy7Tg The links:

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs8ry31BLLM

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_QjqOIy7Tg

]]> By: Dan http://sharonastyk.com/2008/10/19/the-peasants-are-revoltingbut-why-arent-we-rebelling/comment-page-1/#comment-9751 Dan Sun, 19 Oct 2008 23:25:13 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/10/19/the-peasants-are-revoltingbut-why-arent-we-rebelling/#comment-9751 Melinda et al: Here's Nouriel Roubini explaining things. Might clear it up: where we've been, where we're going. Melinda et al: Here’s Nouriel Roubini explaining things. Might clear it up: where we’ve been, where we’re going.

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