I have been watching with more than just a casual interest, the events unfolding in the streets of many cities across the United States.
It has been building for some time but this public vein has only just opened up recently, about three weeks or so ago, in New York City.
The Occupy Wall Street movement started there but it has spread like wildfire, now to my city as well as many others. I’ve never witnessed such a formation of people happen in such this way before.
I have heard many opinions on the phenomena, from television pundits, to neighbors and friends to the crackpots on the street corner. Everyone has a take on it and everyone has it right on the money. Again this is new to me, all this agreement.
We have much in common; We the people, We angry 99%. The American dream, that long gone ideal that’s been shoved down our throats now seems like an impossibility. Our whole way of life is threatened and it’s like nothing will ever be the same. We are on the losing end of a golden age and we can all feel it.
People are angry and confused. They feel helpless. All this marching, this “occupying” is at least something. We elected a new president who promised us change. We thought this new president would end the wars, we thought this new president would make us great again. This new president is too much like the old president.
We elected him. As we have elected all the rest of them. It is hard to swallow, but in that aspect we deserve them. It is our system that elects those with the best sound bites and the most money. It is the system we must change.
Marching will only get us so far, we all know.. but what else can we do? We the People are at a crossroads and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
I see it in the faces, the desperate faces from all walks of life, marching in solidarity. this is a powerful thing, this unity. Knowing you are not the only one effected by all this decline, this decay. In this way I think that all the marching has been good for the collective national soul.
This movement is in its infancy and without leadership it may die a premature death. Never before have I witnessed such potential power in a group of people.
It is a shame that this power has no leadership. We are in search for a leader once again, We are searching for someone to represent us, to speak for us; We The People, and not just the 99% but all 100%.
I don’t know how this all will play out. Only time will tell…..
…and that reminds me of this quote:
“Waste no time with revolutions that do not remove the causes of your complaints but simply change the faces of those in charge.”
Francesco Guicciardini (1530)
The more things change, the more things stay the same.
For more revolutionary quotes; go to my FRESH QUOTES page
Viva la revolution! StrawberryIndigo.
Life Is Color 
Brilliant quote and great post 😀 The 99% are angry indeed 🙂
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Thanks! Anger is a powerful emotion for sure.
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Thanks for sharing your views…I enjoyed reading. I think for me personally, I’ve really felt more empowered by the Occupy Wall Street movement in spite of it’s lack of leadership…because..like you said, it’s “at least something!” I wrote about previous protests in our (U.S.) history that did bring about change…it feels encouraging to me when people hit the streets because they’re so fed up with how unbalanced our society has become. I firmly believe that each individual can do something positive…but they have to want to bad enough… Power to the people!
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Right on Bodhirose!
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Beautiful quote ” The more things change, the more things stay the same. ” and the image following it. Hope to see you with similar beautiful quotes in future !
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Thanks Rahul, I appreciate that.
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welcome always. i always appreciate once work.
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I just got home from taking pictures of our local Occupy movement. My main question is, other than expressing how fed we all are with our horribly broken government and corporations who now own it, what is the point? Protesting is good, but now what?
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That’s a good question idiotphotographer, I think that at least it might scare some politicans or big finance or maybe the protest might begin a public dialoge that would bring up many issues previously swept under the rug. I just hope these protestors don’t become a national joke. They need a leader and a clear message.
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Given what I saw here, not much hope of a clear message coming out of Chicago that the rest of the country would like. It seems our Occupy movement is mostly run by local socialists and it possible they are more hated than atheists in this country.
I only hope New York comes up with something good, otherwise it is all just an expression of impotent rage and our once great nation will continue along the sewer pipes of the world until we are no longer a first world country.
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The occupy movement in my city is being run by committe and has splintered into factions, each occupying different areas. There now is a movement of homeless wanting equal rights to be able to camp out in the parks too. It’s a mess. The cops have been arresting people. It’s a circus attracting every nut for miles. I think they should stand for something and not aganist everything. I don’t think this occupy thing is doing any good.
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