Only hours before Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) announced yesterday that they reached a two-year budget agreement (The BiPartisan Budget Act of 2013), representatives from a broad coalition demanding a budget that would cut military expenditures in order to increase funding for a wide range of domestic programs called on Congressional leaders to craft a budget for people, peace and the planet.
This deal is very likely to pass thru the House and Senate. The agreement will return some of the previous millions of dollars cut back to the Pentagon and continue cutting human needs programs. It's an austerity budget.
For any push back to be effective it must spread widely across this big and difficult to organize nation. But we have some things going in our favor: (1) The legacy of the occupy movement, which planted the seed of the 99%, is still strong. (2) The new pope is speaking some pointed truths about capitalism. (3) The recent widespread public rejection of Obama's planned Syria attack unified the people and gave them a victory. (4) The growing despair and impatience of Mr. & Mrs. Average across America is growing daily. (5) The near universal understanding that corporations now run our government and foreign policy.
All of these factors combine to serve as a lightening strike waiting to happen. Each of us should find ways in our local communities and regions to connect these dots and build local campaigns which offer the public an opportunity to step into a global political movement that is the best chance in our lifetime to turn back corporate control of the economy and politics.
Corporations have gone global - our organizing and articulation must as well. In Thailand the riot police have put down their helmets, shields, and sticks and joined with non-violent protesters in the streets. The police did not want to beat their own family and neighbors. They recognized that they too cared about the issues the people are raising.
Let it be here as well.
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