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WilliamPitt

(58,179 posts)
Fri Mar 23, 2012, 12:16 PM Mar 2012

The Finger of Fate Upon You

The Finger of Fate Upon You
By William Rivers Pitt
t r u t h o u t | Op-Ed

Friday 23 March 2012

Then the morning came when I opened my eyes and felt the finger of Fate upon me, I knew the time had come...

- Robert Penn Warren


At this moment, tens of thousands of Americans in Iraq, Afghanistan and all over the world are under arms and in peril, engaged in conflicts that serve only to prolong this terrible, endless age of war. At this moment, millions of innocent people are cowering somewhere because of it.

Make no mistake: someone is, at this moment, bathing in riches at the expense of those soldiers, their families, and the untold scores of civilians whose only crime was getting in the way of the first, best, and biggest payday of this new century. The last ten years have been a festival of profit-taking for a small collection of people you will never meet.

None of them will ever be buried with honors at Arlington National Cemetery, yet their fortunes have been made off the blood and bone and soul of the American soldiers who have gone into that cold ground, and off the screams and agony of millions of innocent human beings ensnared and annihilated by an American machine that eats, and eats, and eats.

Meanwhile, millions of Americans are sitting in their homes with an acid bath at work in their stomachs, fear just behind their faces, because their family is all around them, and they don't want to let it show that the roof over their heads is hanging by a thread because the job just cut back hours and layoffs are imminent. A lot of people have stopped believing in the idea that hard work and dedication will carry them forward, because they are running as fast as they can just to stand still, and that's if they're lucky. A lot of people are going backwards, even as the richest among us enjoy record profits, obscene bonuses and tax breaks that would make Marie Antoinette blush into her cake.

If a family does has to go on relief, well, good luck after November, because even the hardest-working families that need help might have to live up to the Republican ideal, which in the world of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan and Rand Paul and Rick Santorum means there is no help, because real Americans don't need help, but have to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, whatever bootstraps are...and it really doesn't matter in the end, because poor people don't count anyway.

A large and growing segment of the population does not think this is right, and have been saying so in ways both loud and subtle since September

The Occupy Wall Street movement hurled down a marker, and changed the nature of the conversation in this country in the process. For the first time in decades, income and tax inequality, and the pornographic economic largesse given to the wealthy, have become fodder for mainstream political discussion.

Last fall, the movement was met with violence in a number of places, but only after the encampments had been in place for weeks. Last week, in New York City, the movement was met with extreme violence almost from the moment it raised its head.

It appears the authorities have no intention of letting the movement take root this spring, and have put us all on notice that life and limb will be in peril for anyone who dares to stand up. As before, it will all be documented - if last week is any indication, the police still have yet to catch on to the fact that everyone is a journalist in the 21st century, and their violent tactics no longer happen in the dark - and instead of dissuading people from joining in, their heavy-handed tactics will motivate them like never before.

History cracks me up, because it really does repeat itself. The original name for St. Patrick's Day is "Evacuation Day," commemorating the day when the British fleet- under patriotic duress - fled Boston Harbor. That was a tipping point that eventually led to American independence. March 17, 2012 in Zuccotti Park now stands as a similar day of pride in American history. The authorities pushed people around, beat them up, put heads through windows, and made it all too clear that Occupy Spring is going to be a serious, even brutal affair.

The intimidation is very real, and the danger of harm is vividly present, if last week is to be the norm for Occupy Spring. They want to kill this thing before it begins.

We cannot let that happen. We have come too far, and accomplished too much, to let them scare us back into the cowed submission that allowed this country to be plundered in an orgy of greed, fraud and state-sponsored for-profit murder abroad.

Not again. Never again. This is your time. This is our time. Let us show them what real American courage looks like, as we make for ourselves and our children the better country, and the better world, we know is possible.

Right here.

Right now.

Occupy.

http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/8060-the-finger-of-fate-upon-you
28 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
The Finger of Fate Upon You (Original Post) WilliamPitt Mar 2012 OP
Occupy! pinboy3niner Mar 2012 #1
you know what I think, Will grasswire Mar 2012 #2
K&R raouldukelives Mar 2012 #3
... progressoid Mar 2012 #4
Thanks for the kick. WilliamPitt Mar 2012 #5
+1 progressoid Mar 2012 #16
Kick nt Hissyspit Mar 2012 #6
Amen.... daleanime Mar 2012 #7
Right on ! WheelWalker Mar 2012 #8
Spring - we waited for it. xxqqqzme Mar 2012 #9
It's only a matter of time now. Major Hogwash Mar 2012 #10
k & r theaocp Mar 2012 #11
My son March 17th catnhatnh Mar 2012 #12
Another Dandy! fascisthunter Mar 2012 #13
Good article and I think OWS is awesome. But Autumn Mar 2012 #14
K&R! hifiguy Mar 2012 #15
Late kick WilliamPitt Mar 2012 #17
HUGE K & R !!! - Thank You !!! WillyT Mar 2012 #18
Happy to kick Oilwellian Mar 2012 #19
Word! ProgressiveATL Mar 2012 #20
In solidarity. felix_numinous Mar 2012 #21
At this moment--in Iraq? MADem Mar 2012 #22
US troops are out. obxhead Mar 2012 #23
Thanks WilliamPitt Mar 2012 #24
Any US civilians in Iraq are providing security for principals and assets, not MADem Mar 2012 #25
I bet if I were an Iraqi citizen I would cower in fear obxhead Mar 2012 #26
I'll bet you would NEVER SEE THEM. MADem Mar 2012 #28
Solidarity. n/t DLevine Mar 2012 #27

grasswire

(50,130 posts)
2. you know what I think, Will
Fri Mar 23, 2012, 12:46 PM
Mar 2012

...and have been saying for years now. You have the talent to move people with words. This is your talent's time.

raouldukelives

(5,178 posts)
3. K&R
Fri Mar 23, 2012, 12:55 PM
Mar 2012

I have met a few of the profit takers. One was named Paul and he represented something called Fidelity which promised me extra money in exchange for turning a blind eye to it's unscrupulous sources. I politely refused.
Ting a ling!

Autumn

(44,686 posts)
14. Good article and I think OWS is awesome. But
Fri Mar 23, 2012, 05:36 PM
Mar 2012

nothing is going to change until we change the way our elected officials do business. All of them, and that goes to Obama and right on down to the bottom. K/R

felix_numinous

(5,198 posts)
21. In solidarity.
Sat Mar 24, 2012, 02:46 PM
Mar 2012

It is time for all people of conscience to stand up for justice FOR ALL, or the 1% will take it all for themselves. It can get worse.

 

obxhead

(8,434 posts)
23. US troops are out.
Sun Mar 25, 2012, 10:39 AM
Mar 2012

Blackwater is still there on the US tax dollar and not leaving anytime soon.

MADem

(135,425 posts)
25. Any US civilians in Iraq are providing security for principals and assets, not
Sun Mar 25, 2012, 02:05 PM
Mar 2012

patrolling streets, harassing citizens, or busting in doors. The suggestion was that their presence is causing the citizenry to cower in fear from them. That is not the case in Iraq.

It's not the same thing--not at all. Not even close.

 

obxhead

(8,434 posts)
26. I bet if I were an Iraqi citizen I would cower in fear
Sun Mar 25, 2012, 02:07 PM
Mar 2012

as blackwater rolls by protecting assets.

MADem

(135,425 posts)
28. I'll bet you would NEVER SEE THEM.
Sun Mar 25, 2012, 02:42 PM
Mar 2012

You do understand that the Iraqi government threw down and told us to get the fuck out, don't you? We're not running the show over there anymore.

The few people over there have got to step lightly, lest they run afoul of Iraqi law. There's no SOFA to protect them.

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