Martin Luther King had a dream. That dream marched hundreds of thousands of people all over the USA and inspired others around the globe.
The strength of King didn't lay merely on is personality and his ideas.
It laid, first and foremost, on the fact that he had an idea. He combined the existing wishes and passions of people in the USA, centuries of belief in human equality and human rights into a clear an articulated utopia - an achievable new world which managed to wash away cynicism and mobilize masses.
The existence of a clear alternative world is a strong force - the one which explains the force of religions over people. The one which explains why Marxism had the same force over people.
This explains also the amazing strength of the capitalist idea - which is a clear but also one of the simplest of all utopias. Let the market play, don't intervene and the world will be paradise.
There is no leftist utopia nowadays. There is no liberal utopia. Liberalism has succumbed to a pile of post modernist bullshit. It retreated in the face of a mass of relativist ideas which justify why all the ideas of humanism and liberalism should be sacrificed to appease religious, extremist ideologies and oppressing regimes.
Enlightenment as moved aside and in the name of liberalism cleared the way to anti liberal ideas.
The west's liberalism submerged itself in a bath of guilt over the calamities that Europe has brought on the world over the 20th century has disappeared.
Instead of reformulating its aspirations into a new sociopolitical movement is was washed away by relativism, effectively accepting non-liberal ideas as acceptable just in order not to impose "European" ideas and castigating those who still believe in it as "imperialists", i.e. the USA.
For the sake of humanity and the world, the western liberalism has the same right to exist and profess its convictions like any other ideology. Regretting for western deeds should learn to a revision of ideas, improvement of liberalism and cleanup of racist ideas, but not to a full retreat.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Chronology of the Israeli protest – August 27
On Saturday, August 27, there was a main demonstration in Tel Aviv but also big manifestations in several other cities. We headed to the city were I spent most of my adolescence years - Rishon Letzion. The event was divided into a march and a central concentration with singers and speeches.
There were only a few hundred marchers, so it was a bit disappointing. They were a mix of social-democrat youth movements lads and ordinary people. I was soooo proud of this youth, my youth - finally, during this whole protest, seeing the ideological secular-liberal youth taking the streets.
When we arrived to the main park of the city, I was surprised and cheered to find that there was there a huge public of several thousand people awaiting the marchers. They were all family people, and if I know enough the city, you can count that they weren't leftist. Most of them were the common electorate of the right wing parties. They protested, they chanted, they promised to rebuild the tents over and over again and even if the tents will disappear they promised to keep meeting in 'popular gatherings' to discuss their right and planning their next steps.
They were standing and singing shoulder to shoulder with the socialist youth movements. It was a moment to remember. Let's hope both sides will know how to maintain this cooperation.
I momentarily had a dream that the left movements in Israel will stop talking on high profile on the Israeli-Palestinian-Arab conflict and instead embrace this public which joined them and raised the humanist-liberal-socialist banner above all else, and take care of the needs of this public. I hope I'm wrong, but I feel this is nothing but a dream.
All in all only 25K people protested this weekend. The optimists say people are gaining force for next week's :"1 million' protest.
Rightist and religious extremist groups all over the world do the fundamental work of teaching people their ideas from childhood, while liberals just try to convince adults on the rationality of their ideas - this is a lost war, or even better a battle who's results are clear to everyone beforehand. We should finally change the script according which we see and analyze our world. Consumerism isn't an ideology!
What's up this week:
[nggallery id=1 w=400 h=599]
There were only a few hundred marchers, so it was a bit disappointing. They were a mix of social-democrat youth movements lads and ordinary people. I was soooo proud of this youth, my youth - finally, during this whole protest, seeing the ideological secular-liberal youth taking the streets.
When we arrived to the main park of the city, I was surprised and cheered to find that there was there a huge public of several thousand people awaiting the marchers. They were all family people, and if I know enough the city, you can count that they weren't leftist. Most of them were the common electorate of the right wing parties. They protested, they chanted, they promised to rebuild the tents over and over again and even if the tents will disappear they promised to keep meeting in 'popular gatherings' to discuss their right and planning their next steps.
They were standing and singing shoulder to shoulder with the socialist youth movements. It was a moment to remember. Let's hope both sides will know how to maintain this cooperation.
I momentarily had a dream that the left movements in Israel will stop talking on high profile on the Israeli-Palestinian-Arab conflict and instead embrace this public which joined them and raised the humanist-liberal-socialist banner above all else, and take care of the needs of this public. I hope I'm wrong, but I feel this is nothing but a dream.
All in all only 25K people protested this weekend. The optimists say people are gaining force for next week's :"1 million' protest.
Rightist and religious extremist groups all over the world do the fundamental work of teaching people their ideas from childhood, while liberals just try to convince adults on the rationality of their ideas - this is a lost war, or even better a battle who's results are clear to everyone beforehand. We should finally change the script according which we see and analyze our world. Consumerism isn't an ideology!
What's up this week:
- The young physicians insist in resigning regardless of the agreement between the government and their trade union
- The government is raising the taxes on gasoline
- The students declared boycott on a major supermarkets firm, which responded by lowering its prices by 20%
- The whole protest movement is making an effort to bring to the street '1 million' people on next Saturday's (Sept-3) evening.
- There are rumors that this is going to be the gran-finale of the tents camps and that the protest will start reshaping
- As we are getting closer to the Palestinian's 'state recognition' in the UN, the social movement is in a greater risk of being 'forgotten' by the media and the political system.
- Regardless of everything, people keep talking about having a better life, about not being poor when you work and get a salary, about the commitment of the state to its citizens and not only to its fiscal policy. Something has changed.
[nggallery id=1 w=400 h=599]
Chronology of the Israeli protest – August 25
Today buses from all around the country carried protesters to Yeruham. Yeruham is a special place in the south of Israel. It's in the middle of the desert, suffers from the regular problems of any 10K people town that is far away from labor and finances centers.
1,500 people demonstrated in Yeruham supporting the tents camp started by a 16 years old leader.
We went to the tents camp in Rehovot, were people sat in a circle, read the demands phrased by the national movement. People from various social strata joined the circle and the discussion was lively and sharp. There were even a couple of guys from a misticism movement that tried to convince everyone that love among people is the most important thing and we shouldn't handle with demands form the government. A couple of researchers from a social think tank closed the evening with a long discussion into possible models of societies and their suggestion on focusing in investing resources in community and youth development on neighborhoods level.
In the past week the government got another 'gift'. A star celebrity who is a judge in the local version of 'American Idol' got arrested for alleged relations with the organized crime. A whole week that all the newspapers filled their headlines with this stuff instead of the important things, the social movement that still kicks and bites.
Though, the probably most serious problem faced by the protest till now was the demand of the leaders who grew from the tent camps themselves, to take part in the leadership. This quickly became a challenge of the "old" leaders vs. the camps leaders vs. the periphery leaders. Some of the leaders were mad about the frontal attack against the government's committee (it seems people want to believe things can be changed by the government). Eventually, it seems that the 'old leaders' were smart enough to make a place for new faces besides them. I have a strong feeling that some of this demands were nurtured by government supporters in some of the camps in order to remove the 'leftists' leader of the movement. I say 'leftists' because I can personally attest that this isn't so - not everyone who wants social justice or a sane free market is a socialist or a dove.
[gallery link="file" columns="6" orderby="rand"]
1,500 people demonstrated in Yeruham supporting the tents camp started by a 16 years old leader.
We went to the tents camp in Rehovot, were people sat in a circle, read the demands phrased by the national movement. People from various social strata joined the circle and the discussion was lively and sharp. There were even a couple of guys from a misticism movement that tried to convince everyone that love among people is the most important thing and we shouldn't handle with demands form the government. A couple of researchers from a social think tank closed the evening with a long discussion into possible models of societies and their suggestion on focusing in investing resources in community and youth development on neighborhoods level.
In the past week the government got another 'gift'. A star celebrity who is a judge in the local version of 'American Idol' got arrested for alleged relations with the organized crime. A whole week that all the newspapers filled their headlines with this stuff instead of the important things, the social movement that still kicks and bites.
Though, the probably most serious problem faced by the protest till now was the demand of the leaders who grew from the tent camps themselves, to take part in the leadership. This quickly became a challenge of the "old" leaders vs. the camps leaders vs. the periphery leaders. Some of the leaders were mad about the frontal attack against the government's committee (it seems people want to believe things can be changed by the government). Eventually, it seems that the 'old leaders' were smart enough to make a place for new faces besides them. I have a strong feeling that some of this demands were nurtured by government supporters in some of the camps in order to remove the 'leftists' leader of the movement. I say 'leftists' because I can personally attest that this isn't so - not everyone who wants social justice or a sane free market is a socialist or a dove.
[gallery link="file" columns="6" orderby="rand"]
Chronology of the Israeli protest – August 20
On August 18 a terror attack on the Israel-Egypt border which was planned and launched from Gaza, left 7 dead and dozens wounded and threw the media and public opinion into the 'security, Palestinians and more security' discourse. Israel responded to the attack killing the responsible militant leaders and as result the whole south of Israel was attacked by rockets from Gaza. Definitely not a good atmosphere for social protest.
The protest movement decided to change its regular plans and instead hold in Saturday (the regular day for big demonstration) a 'Silence March'. The idea was to achieve 2 things: 1. Maintain the protest and not stop it because of a 'security event'; 2. Make the demonstration different in order to pay respect to the dead and not to antagonize the public.
Over the last couple of weeks the government's 'committee for social economic change' started its discussions and interview of public representatives.This gave some credit to the government for trying to 'do something', mainly among people who aren't natural sympathizers of the the tents movement. The committee's head, Prof. Trachtenberg, is a very nice person but also a hardcore adherent of the current system - he declared changes are needed but that the state's budget won't be reopened. On top of this it isn't clear at all what the government will take from the committee's recomendations if any. It seems the public isn't yet sure what to think about this.
The first tent dweller and uncrowned leader, Daphne Leef, demanded Prof. Trachtenberg to resign and boldly said that the committee is a farce aimed at dragging legs and await the protest to disintegrate. Some of the movement's participants, mainly the Students Union which is the strongest and best organized organization, oppose this aggressive approach of Leef. They have made public their disagreements, but at the same time declared they remain part of the protest movement and are committed to making a social and values change in the Israeli society.
Eventually about 15K people appeared to the 'Silent March' on Tel Aviv on August 20 - Saturday night as usual. It was a special event in many aspects. First of all a manifestation of silence, no music, no chants, no slogans crying. Second, some people in the street reacted against the protester with signs calling for free market or shouting that we are shameless protesting while people get killed. Eventually, these were about 5 individuals, but yet it was something new. Third and most important it's the first time that the society-wide tissue of this protest was challenged. The very minor-ton speeches were given by a settler, an Arab political leader, a girl from a Hamas bombed city in the Israeli south border and a combat pilot. Each voiced his own view and expectations of the protest. Needless to say there were some contradictions. However, both the speakers and the public who was sitting in circles in the grass managed to hold themselves and respect those different from them. A group of ultra-left lads didn't manage to hold themselves and chanted anti government slogans against the spirit of the event. They were hushed by the public.
[gallery link="file" columns="6" orderby="rand"]
The protest movement decided to change its regular plans and instead hold in Saturday (the regular day for big demonstration) a 'Silence March'. The idea was to achieve 2 things: 1. Maintain the protest and not stop it because of a 'security event'; 2. Make the demonstration different in order to pay respect to the dead and not to antagonize the public.
Over the last couple of weeks the government's 'committee for social economic change' started its discussions and interview of public representatives.This gave some credit to the government for trying to 'do something', mainly among people who aren't natural sympathizers of the the tents movement. The committee's head, Prof. Trachtenberg, is a very nice person but also a hardcore adherent of the current system - he declared changes are needed but that the state's budget won't be reopened. On top of this it isn't clear at all what the government will take from the committee's recomendations if any. It seems the public isn't yet sure what to think about this.
The first tent dweller and uncrowned leader, Daphne Leef, demanded Prof. Trachtenberg to resign and boldly said that the committee is a farce aimed at dragging legs and await the protest to disintegrate. Some of the movement's participants, mainly the Students Union which is the strongest and best organized organization, oppose this aggressive approach of Leef. They have made public their disagreements, but at the same time declared they remain part of the protest movement and are committed to making a social and values change in the Israeli society.
Eventually about 15K people appeared to the 'Silent March' on Tel Aviv on August 20 - Saturday night as usual. It was a special event in many aspects. First of all a manifestation of silence, no music, no chants, no slogans crying. Second, some people in the street reacted against the protester with signs calling for free market or shouting that we are shameless protesting while people get killed. Eventually, these were about 5 individuals, but yet it was something new. Third and most important it's the first time that the society-wide tissue of this protest was challenged. The very minor-ton speeches were given by a settler, an Arab political leader, a girl from a Hamas bombed city in the Israeli south border and a combat pilot. Each voiced his own view and expectations of the protest. Needless to say there were some contradictions. However, both the speakers and the public who was sitting in circles in the grass managed to hold themselves and respect those different from them. A group of ultra-left lads didn't manage to hold themselves and chanted anti government slogans against the spirit of the event. They were hushed by the public.
[gallery link="file" columns="6" orderby="rand"]
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Chronology of the Israeli protest – August 17
August 17-18: I stayed the night in the main tents' camp in Tel Aviv.
I decided to do so as I felt that the protest was losing some momentum so I wanted to feel the vibe from within and I was sure that one more head to the count wouldn't be bad for sure.
I arrived around 20:00 and was impressed by the amount of people. There are several gathering places were meetings were taking places - in some of them were classes were given and in others there were round tables of experts debating and explaining economic, ideological, cultural and other aspects of the protest. In many other points in the camp people were sitting around talking, debating, getting a free massage or running a regular tents camp 'life'. Half a hour before I arrived there was a video conference with the tent dwellers in Puerta del Sol square in Madrid.
The sight of hundreds of people respectfully and politely debating into the night finances, economy, budget planning and society base-values is something to remember. This awareness won't die and won't fade, even when the tents won't be here anymore. Israelis were always opinionated, but the culture of street debates and finances-society oriented debates are new.
I could feel some tiredness comparing to the first days of the camp. The humidity and temperatures of the Israeli summer and the days passing by are taking their toll. However, when I started talking with people it was obvious that it's a 'tactical' weariness. The motivation for the protest is still there and even stronger. People know now that they aren't alone, that others think like them and that there is a wide public support for their demands.
At 24:00 I went to grab a slice of pizza. While I was eating and sweating outside of the pizzeria, three men in undershirts took a seat nearby and were passionately planning the next protest actions in a suburb of Tel Aviv - what is called here 'the neighborhoods' (the low and low-middle class neighborhoods). My guess is that they were followers of the ruling right wing party and one of the religious parties. They discussed how the ruling party activist in their places are trying to obstruct the protest and how they (the speakers) are successfully coordinating their actions with the protest leaders, though they insisted that they must be independent in taking new initiatives, since otherwise the protest can't succeed and if it fails the next chance to make a change will be in years.
I was generously hosted in the tents of the National Left movement. My neighbors for the night were 2 high school students, a graphic designer and its amazing puppy, a 50 years old women who was thrown of her house and 3 students. Everyone were looking for ideological discussion including the 60 years old man who joined us at 1:00am with a small bottle of beer to join with everyone. Each person had its own reasons to 'Attent', but they have formed a community, they know each others history, weaknesses, pains and even food preferences - much more than what I know about the neighbors of my rented apartment. I went to sleep at 3:00am, when everyone were still discussing the relation between state and religion.The others said they'll wake up for work at 7:00am, but I needed to wake earlier.
When I woke up for work at 5:45am, everyone were asleep, but the light was great for another round of photos. Enjoy!
Previous post on the chronology of the Israeli Social Protest
[gallery link="file" columns="6" orderby="rand"]
I decided to do so as I felt that the protest was losing some momentum so I wanted to feel the vibe from within and I was sure that one more head to the count wouldn't be bad for sure.
I arrived around 20:00 and was impressed by the amount of people. There are several gathering places were meetings were taking places - in some of them were classes were given and in others there were round tables of experts debating and explaining economic, ideological, cultural and other aspects of the protest. In many other points in the camp people were sitting around talking, debating, getting a free massage or running a regular tents camp 'life'. Half a hour before I arrived there was a video conference with the tent dwellers in Puerta del Sol square in Madrid.
The sight of hundreds of people respectfully and politely debating into the night finances, economy, budget planning and society base-values is something to remember. This awareness won't die and won't fade, even when the tents won't be here anymore. Israelis were always opinionated, but the culture of street debates and finances-society oriented debates are new.
I could feel some tiredness comparing to the first days of the camp. The humidity and temperatures of the Israeli summer and the days passing by are taking their toll. However, when I started talking with people it was obvious that it's a 'tactical' weariness. The motivation for the protest is still there and even stronger. People know now that they aren't alone, that others think like them and that there is a wide public support for their demands.
At 24:00 I went to grab a slice of pizza. While I was eating and sweating outside of the pizzeria, three men in undershirts took a seat nearby and were passionately planning the next protest actions in a suburb of Tel Aviv - what is called here 'the neighborhoods' (the low and low-middle class neighborhoods). My guess is that they were followers of the ruling right wing party and one of the religious parties. They discussed how the ruling party activist in their places are trying to obstruct the protest and how they (the speakers) are successfully coordinating their actions with the protest leaders, though they insisted that they must be independent in taking new initiatives, since otherwise the protest can't succeed and if it fails the next chance to make a change will be in years.
I was generously hosted in the tents of the National Left movement. My neighbors for the night were 2 high school students, a graphic designer and its amazing puppy, a 50 years old women who was thrown of her house and 3 students. Everyone were looking for ideological discussion including the 60 years old man who joined us at 1:00am with a small bottle of beer to join with everyone. Each person had its own reasons to 'Attent', but they have formed a community, they know each others history, weaknesses, pains and even food preferences - much more than what I know about the neighbors of my rented apartment. I went to sleep at 3:00am, when everyone were still discussing the relation between state and religion.The others said they'll wake up for work at 7:00am, but I needed to wake earlier.
When I woke up for work at 5:45am, everyone were asleep, but the light was great for another round of photos. Enjoy!
Previous post on the chronology of the Israeli Social Protest
[gallery link="file" columns="6" orderby="rand"]
Saturday, August 20, 2011
A photographed chronology of the Israeli social protest
In this post I will keep track and present to you an photographic timeline of the Israeli social protest events as I experience it. In category "Israel - j14" you will be able to find longer and more in depth thoughts.
August 27
August 25
August 20
August 17
August 13
August 6
July 30
July 25 & 28
July 23
July 19
July 17
July 16
Prelude
August 27
August 25
August 20
August 17
August 13
August 6
July 30
July 25 & 28
July 23
July 19
July 17
July 16
Prelude
Chronology of the Israeli protest – August 13
August 13 - no central demonstration in Tel Aviv. People were called to attend demonstrations in other cities. 70K appeared in total, with many high profile artists performing.
A famous popular singer attacked the protestants during the week saying they have the political motivation of throwing over the prime minister and for being spoiled child that just complain for not having inherited an apartment in central Tel Aviv. Her comments caused fury and after 2 days she complained and even participated in August-13 protest.
The number of attendants in the 'periphery' cities wasn't a disappointment as it showed substantial support in numerous cities. On the other hand, it wasn't a head-counting achievement for relatively low number of participants that compering to the 300K of the previous week. In total, nothing that would move the government's coalition of rightist parties that seems rock solid at this point.
The protesters are aware that the more time passes, the bigger the chances are of losing momentum and getting the public distracted to other issues as the government would wish.
A famous popular singer attacked the protestants during the week saying they have the political motivation of throwing over the prime minister and for being spoiled child that just complain for not having inherited an apartment in central Tel Aviv. Her comments caused fury and after 2 days she complained and even participated in August-13 protest.
The number of attendants in the 'periphery' cities wasn't a disappointment as it showed substantial support in numerous cities. On the other hand, it wasn't a head-counting achievement for relatively low number of participants that compering to the 300K of the previous week. In total, nothing that would move the government's coalition of rightist parties that seems rock solid at this point.
The protesters are aware that the more time passes, the bigger the chances are of losing momentum and getting the public distracted to other issues as the government would wish.
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