May Day Thoughts

Salem had a nice May Day rally today. Great weather, good turn-out; about 4,000 folks per the events' organizers. The rally was more an Immigrant Rights event than an International Workers' Day event. But jeez, I heard a speaker, a State Representative, use the word "solidarity", and there were certainly lots of workers present at the event. My comrades and I were out distributing International Workers' Day leaflets too... So it's International Workers' Day after all; as usual though, it's sneaking in through the back door.

On the other hand, my wife, who was taking pictures throughout the rally, said she sensed a lot of apprehension and anxiety in the crowd. I didn't notice the apprehension I told her, but in retrospect, this was not an energized or optimistic crowd.

Many people are in a bit of a despair these days. Government has failed while the corporate agenda runs through the world like a bunch of crazed foxes in a global chicken house. As for government, any government anyplace in the world, they're all millionaires' clubs and thus, looking out for the interests of millionaires.

What used to be our parties of reform; Democrats here, Labour in the UK, populists and social democrats everywhere; labor unions; all those institutions we used to rely on to protect us have left us hanging. The only debate now considered relevant seems to be the one about exactly how much pain will be inflicted on the other 90% of us.

But May Day has a lesson!

May Day tells those of us who do the world's work that a different world is possible. May Day also tells us that a world based on justice, equality and the abolition of economic exploitation is in our collective hands. As the song goes:

"We want no condescending saviors
to rule us from their judgment hall,
we ask not for their favor
let us consult for all"

and

"we must ourselves decide our duty,
we must decide and do it well" (The Internationale; American lyrics)

In the end, the future of capitalism really is up to us. We can accept a future of being political-economic road kill, or we can do what people are doing now in Bahrain, Syria, Egypt, Greece, Portugal, Turkey, and Libya, which is to make our own future.

It really is up to us.