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mhatrw

(10,786 posts)
Wed Oct 21, 2015, 07:46 PM Oct 2015

Some Words of Wisdom For Anyone Discouraged By How Hard It is to Fight for the 99%

Last edited Wed Oct 21, 2015, 10:16 PM - Edit history (1)

Entertainer Al Lewis (Grandpa Munster) fought for the 99% his entire life. He came from nothing and always did his best to fight for the oppressed.

Several years before his death, he had some words of wisdom for all "the Johnny-Come-Latelies" who might try to follow in his footsteps. In my darkest political hours, I find both profound wisdom and a shred of comfort in his words.

http://www.the-reelgillman.com/munsters/grandpa/S43grand.html

...

SHADOW: So these demonstrations for Tom Mooney, and labor demonstrations...

LEWIS: Warren K. Billings, organizing the CIO, and District 65, and the UE, and NMU. All that was going on and the police were there to see that you didn't do it. And if they could get away with it, they'd beat the shit out of you.

SHADOW: And people would resist?

LEWIS: Well, obviously. And unions were created. We used to have a saying: "If you don't get the asses of the masses out in the street, forget it." And you get enough of them out there, the ruling class gets scared. That's the only thing they're afraid of, is numbers. Numbers! See, one thing you have to understand. ... The ruling class is smarter than you, and they're more creative. And if you forget that lesson, you go down the drain. Because if they weren't, they wouldn't be around as long as they have been and as strong as they have been. It's not an accident. Not an accident. ... Lord Acton said: "Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely." I say that power works 24 hours to remain in power. Throughout history. Go back to kings, feudal times. The same thing. ... Their fucking machine works 24 hours a day, man. It grinds; it grinds. Otherwise they don't stay in power; they topple.

SHADOW: So what do you think people can do in response to that power? What do you think we have to do?

LEWIS: First of all, (laughs) you have to agree that these people shouldn't have the power. ... You see, the thing is, ... Everybody in this society wants the quick fix, like the junkie that we just talked about. So do the radicals, whatever you want to call them, a bumper sticker. Put it on your car. "I'm a radical," "I'm a lefty," "I'm a progressive," "I'm left of center." It's all bullshit. I learned a long time ago -- I've been in the struggle over seventy years -- it doesn't bother me I may not win.

SHADOW: So what keeps you going?

LEWIS:What keeps me going? My belief! (Laughs) You see, what happens with you "Johnny-Come-Latelies" -- and I'm not personalizing -- is like you take people of the Sixties. After five or ten years, they didn't get the victory, "Oh, fuck it, man, I'll take this job down on Wall Street and make the fuckin' money. I didn't get the immediate fix." ... "We didn't win!" America only knows the "win."

SHADOW: Maybe we're being naive, but maybe we serve some purpose...

LEWIS: There's nothing wrong with being naive. But, after doing x amount of time or years, don't throw your hands up in the air, because, you see, everybody wants the "the win," they want it today. It doesn't happen. The struggle goes on. The victory is in the struggle, for me. And I accepted that a long time ago. ...

You have to understand, the power structure and the errand boys, the guys who carry the bedpans for the power structure, the politicians, councilmen, congressmen, senators, whatever, they only understand one thing: numbers. It's numbers of voters. You get fifty people out, "Fuck 'em. Get the local precinct, hit 'em on the fucking head." Get ten thousand people out? God, that's four hundred cameras, it's all over European television. Scary. Numbers are scary. Your problem is to get ten thousand people out on the street the first time they go to bulldoze that garden. And you won't. But that's not a defeat. Because all you can do, all I can do, is, I do a show; I influence those people. Hopefully, they'll carry that message forward. That's all I can do. ... I don't feel bad about that. I understand the limitations. I fight against them; I stretch 'em out. I'm not out to save the world.

7 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Some Words of Wisdom For Anyone Discouraged By How Hard It is to Fight for the 99% (Original Post) mhatrw Oct 2015 OP
To which I can only add Demeter Oct 2015 #1
I sing this in the car artislife Oct 2015 #7
Thank you Mhatrw and Grandpa Munster. iemitsu Oct 2015 #2
What a wonderful man. malokvale77 Oct 2015 #3
SHADOW:So have you played any roles recently? OxQQme Oct 2015 #4
And people wonder why I sometimes seem to not take things so seriously.... Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2015 #5
I remember a quote from a novel (but not which one) eridani Oct 2015 #6
 

Demeter

(85,373 posts)
1. To which I can only add
Wed Oct 21, 2015, 07:57 PM
Oct 2015


If you have never seen the stage production, you must! Your world will be turned upside down and shaken into sense.
 

artislife

(9,497 posts)
7. I sing this in the car
Thu Oct 22, 2015, 10:24 AM
Oct 2015

It is one of the most inspirational songs!

Saw the stage production, too.

iemitsu

(3,888 posts)
2. Thank you Mhatrw and Grandpa Munster.
Wed Oct 21, 2015, 08:52 PM
Oct 2015

For reminding us that the win is in the struggle. You lose when you give up.

malokvale77

(4,879 posts)
3. What a wonderful man.
Wed Oct 21, 2015, 09:22 PM
Oct 2015

Al Lewis, with his words, has given me the extra courage to not bow down to the inevitable.

Thank you mhatrw.

Go all us for Bernie.

OxQQme

(2,550 posts)
4. SHADOW:So have you played any roles recently?
Wed Oct 21, 2015, 10:39 PM
Oct 2015

LEWIS:I just did a film in Toronto a few months ago. I do mostly
now memorabilia shows, autograph shows, and if the guy comes
through with the money, I'll do a film out in California. I
learned this from my mother: you have to know what you're worth.
I don't work cheap. Everybody has a worth. I don't ask for what a
piece of shit like Tom Cruise gets. A piece of shit who can't act
his way in or out of a paper bag.
Somebody wants to pay him that,
it's no skin off my fuckin' ass. But what I'm saying is, know
what you're worth. Know what you contribute. If you don't know
that, you're in fuckin' trouble, man. And the one thing I learned
from my mother is: never sell yourself short. My mother used to
say, in broken English: "This is a big world. When you go out,
there's millions of people ready to kick you in the ass. Don't
bend down to accomodate them." That's peasant humor. Even biggies
in Hollywood don't understand that. They'll bend down to take the
kick, but they'll get two million for the picture. Not Al Lewis,
not my mother's favorite son. No, no, no.

 

Spitfire of ATJ

(32,723 posts)
5. And people wonder why I sometimes seem to not take things so seriously....
Wed Oct 21, 2015, 11:51 PM
Oct 2015

That's what happens when you've been at it and at it and at it and at it and seen the occasional loss.

That's why I extracted these clips from the Malloy Show over a decade ago.

http://server4.whiterosesociety.org/content/malloy/MalloyMemories/Mike_Reads_Mark_Morford.mp3

http://server4.whiterosesociety.org/content/malloy/MalloyMemories/Liberals_Win.mp3

eridani

(51,907 posts)
6. I remember a quote from a novel (but not which one)
Thu Oct 22, 2015, 03:31 AM
Oct 2015

Grandma was describing a life of fighting the good fight to her granddaughter, who then asked "But when does it end?"

Grandma said "It doesn't, honey. You do."

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