Tonight's blog is a continuation of the Series "The Politics of
Protest".
In the blogs to follow I
will introduce the "Anatomy of Protest" from the perspectives of
both the protestor as well as the governmental or financial institutions, to
give a multidimensional view of protest so that we can see how/why protest is
NOT an effective means for permanent change - and while there have indeed been
relevant changes to social, economic, and political policy - it has only
achieved isolated instances of change that have been short lived, or have only
yielded relief from a symptom and have not addressed the core issues.
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Day 9 - The
Politics of Protest - Part Five: Explosions of the People
So here we are at the moment of explosion
within the series thus far. To recap on tonight's section on the "Anatomy
of Protest" which is "The Explosion", here is an excerpt from
the first blog -
"The Explosion – This is the sudden and often violent and uncontrollable release of energy that was suppressed for a very long time. This is the point where people as “Mad as hell and they’re not going to take it anymore”. This is when people DEMAND a solution right away, because they can no longer hold back their frustrations. Those in the closest vicinity to this blast – those who are most obvious to attack and attempt to destroy as an act of retribution or justice become the main targets."
During an explosion many things tend
to happen all at once. Key characteristics of an explosion would be the sudden
and violent release of energy that causes disruption and damage to anything in
the vicinity of the explosion - where objects that are not strong enough to
withstand the force of the blast will be forcefully removed from its stationary
position.
Once an explosion happens, it cannot
be stopped or undone - the eruption is permanent and any consequences that
follow the explosion are irreversible. The energy released from the explosion
will continue to forcefully exert itself until it has used up all of its energy
and there is no more fuel or reactive agents that may prolong or sustain the
explosion.
When a people get to a point of
pressure that they can no longer contain - when they have held on to enough
suppressed anger or frustration and can see no other solution to alleviate
their burdens, a protest or a demonstration of discontent can and usually does
escalate into a full-fledged revolt or rebellion against the closest barriers that
have kept them suppressed - whether those barriers come in the form of an
oppressive economic situation, or in the form of a tyrannical authoritarian
leader - whatever has been keeping the pressure in place is usually the first
point stands in the path of the erupting explosion.
By the time such an explosion
happens, those who have had all that they can take - those who can no longer
bear or suppress any longer their burdens, find a singular and unstoppable
purpose - to exert their suppressed energies as quickly and as forcefully as
possible.
At this point it no longer matters
what the issues are, or what considerations must be looked at in order to
address the pressures of the people. At this point the frustration is BEYOND
reason or conversation. At this point it is TOO LATE to set new policies and
hold meetings - if the suppressed energies within the people do not express
themselves, if the energy is not exerted outward and eventually dissipated, the
pressure could lead to an implosion - where instead of the frustrations and the
angers get expressed outward, it instead turns within and can essentially
destroy a people from the inside out - where they have collapsed under the
pressure and can become even more unpredictable - where there is no more a
defined structure or a point toward which the anger and frustration can be
directed at - and so it is instead directed within and amongst the people
themselves. And thus instead of an explosion, there is rather an implosion.
When people get to such a point -
they are no longer in control. The explosion can no longer be contained - and
the only objective within them when they have reached such a state of
oppression and frustration, is to demand and insist upon a change regardless of
what is in the way, and regardless of future consequences.
HERE IS WHERE THE REAL POLITICIANS
MUST HAVE CLARITY
In looking at history, we see MANY
instances of public discontent that, if left unaddressed and allowed to
compound, result in violent demonstrations and revolutions - some of which
leading to the violent overthrow of the government, the removal of entrenched
corporate interests, the institution of new social policies, and the ending of
oppressive regimes - but such instances are NEVER the direct result of public
rage that becomes a revolution that changes the social structure or the
governmental institution or the corporate interests - such change happens by the
consent of the system itself - and no real change that actually threatens the
world system is ever allowed.
We often want to believe that the
people can make a difference if they rise up and demand change and force the
governments to respond through sheer protest and if that doesn't work, to
violently uproot the system through open revolt.
But what is NOT seen and what is
deliberately kept from public awareness, is the fact that the world system is
quite savvy to the behaviors of the common people. The system is a master at
containing, controlling, and manipulating the masses especially when they have
been emotionally charged - because in such a state they simply require to be
given a general target - and a general direction toward which to channel their
anger and frustration, and therefore are very easily manipulated to "safe
targets" or "targets of opportunity".
MEANING - no violent protest or
revolution that ended up in any sort of change happened by the sheer will of
the people - because the very will of the people was already calculated and
manipulated to give a certain outcome - a certain response - and to lead to a
certain consequence that the world system can manage and utilize for its own
benefit.
Those in positions of power and
responsibility who must ensure that the world system continues to operate -
take great measures to ensure that a public spectacle is made of any violent
protest or any political situation that has gone "out of control" -
and that such "outbreaks" are always managed and redirected in a way
that not only poses no actual harm to the world system, but actually reinforces
it.
Thus here is where we must
understand - violent protest or open rebellion may provide a temporary change
within the system and lead to some improvement of the lives of certain groups
of revolutionaries - but such changes are ALWAYS won at the cost of keeping the
world system itself ever more secure.
EVERY major political, economic, or
social change that came from public outcry has always been to the benefit of
the world system more so than it had been for those who fought and bled for
such change. In exchange for a relief of grievances inflicted upon an oppressed
people, the people unwittingly and unknowingly strengthen and bolster the hold
of the system - to a point where the people will, in thinking they have won
some freedom for themselves, will embrace the "change" and insist
that the new government, the new social policies, the new corporate changes,
were in fact for their betterment and that their "struggle" was over
when it had only changed to a less obvious and more sophisticated form.
It is not to blame or judge or
become hateful to the system or those who rule it, or those who are its puppets
and agents. It is to understand that whenever a people react in separation and
frustration to a point, they remain forever excluded from implementing REAL and
lasting change.
Understand, that any change that is
demanded or forced will always be intercepted and redirected - because as long
as those who suffer do not actually walk INTO and AS the very system they
protest against - as long as people remain focused on attacking singular issues
and acting based only on their frustrations and emotional breakdowns, and as
long as people are demanding that change be made on their behalf or they will
attempt to force the system to a more fitting configuration, the world system
itself will always adjust, and will be the stronger for it.
The task then of the REAL politician
who wishes to in fact CHANGE this world must do so with an understanding of the
world system without judgment or antagonism, but with a full and intimate
understanding and SEE how the world system will use and manipulate massive
public upheavals and even deliberately start wars or deliberately induce
horrendous suffering and poverty in order to achieve its objectives and
maintain total control.
It is the power of the people to
erupt into unstoppable energy and force - but if this force is not fully
understood - it is easily taken away or misdirected - which is the expertise of
those in power and influence. When one understands how to manage and manipulate an
explosion, no explosion, no matter how potentially devastating, will actually
be able to harm you. No explosion, no matter how unpredictable, will ever go to
waste.
We will in the next posts look at
HOW TO MANAGE AN EXPLOSION through the DAMAGE CONTROL of the world system.
