Protests are happening throughout the world. Yet, the question remains, "will there be real change?" We've been down this avenue several times. In my lifetime, it was the 60's and early 70's protests against the Vietnam War, the women's movements, and the movements for racial equality between blacks and whites. Positive social change appeared to be happening while our unions and the fruits of other social movements made us think that our lives would become more and more comfortable. We were promised no end to technological and financial growth. Why we even had shows such as Star Trek which promised us a future of never ending advances in everything from medicine to space ships. Yes, we would be flying faster than the speed of light, we thought as we heard Captain Kirk tell his crew to go into Warp Drive.
All lies.
The women's movement wound up helping women to come into the market at lower rates of pay. The movement of more women into the work force wound up meaning that both men and women had to work to make ends meet in an economy that was geared towards making the rich richer. All of this on the back of the more rural times when women and men had their different jobs, the woman in the house, tending to children, canning and so on with men tilling fields, tending to animals and so on. While women's and men's work may have differed, they both meant the survival of the tribe, the culture, and the family.
And as far as racial equality it appears the target groups have changed somewhat towards those of Hispanic and Middle Eastern Descent. The Hispanic population was targeted because they took jobs for slave wages that the more demanding American workers of the white working class refused to take. And who got the brunt of abuse from this scenario? It was the migrant workers. Yes, it was the Mexicans sneaking across the border to enlist in slavery that were punished and not those paying the slave wages.
Yes, our Archie Bunkers changed their target of hate from blacks to Hispanics. Yet, it was old Archie that would soon be dumped upon. The beginning of the end for Archie was the Reagan Administration and it's over zealous love for rich bankers. And what a job the administrations and congresses and supreme courts did for the rich. Lower wages and a school system more built to control than educate children to be questioners. And, to help the movement, there was the thrill of the game boys filled with violence and cheap sexuality. Our children have been mesmerized into slavery where good paying jobs with benefits are not to be found. Yes, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush Jr and now Obama have done a wonderful job.
But, we are catching on as per the Occupation movements. Yes, we are the 99%, the 99% that is getting screwed by the 1% who continue to laugh all the way to the bank.
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