How to Conduct the Revolution

The most famous image of the Dada movement was of a smoking pipe, above which were the words “Ceci n’est pas une pipe.” (“This is not a pipe.”) This image tells us strongly how to this day we are being carefully programmed to think the way the Powers That Be want us to think. They tell us that their demands to be released from paying taxes and from having to adhere to environmental regulations and employment fairness laws will be good for us. And, sadly, many people have believed them.

The current “Occupy” movement, which began in Egypt and Tunisia, moved on to Europe and Israel, Chile and Gabon, wound up in Wall Street, and now has spread worldwide. I’m overjoyed – people seem at last to be awakening from the lethargic hypnotic spell under which the ultra-rich oligarchs have put them. I, for one, despair at any shreds I still have of hope that the “system” can yet correct itself. It will more likely do some window-dressing, fire a few individuals while the real perpetrators go free, and then get on to business as usual – making money. I hope that revolution, far preferably bloodless, is in the offing.

All my life, as a pastor, I’ve urged forgiveness and forbearance, but the puppets in public office have been so well-programmed by the soulless ultrarich monsters who are our overlords that they take advantage of the forgiveness and forbearance of people like us in order to further their evil. On their slanted anything-but-objective news media they laugh at the “Occupy” movement, calling it diffuse, calling it leaderless, calling it unclear in message. For being peaceful in their demonstrating, these Powers That Be call them fools and dismiss them. But, on the other hand, if the demonstrators fail to “turn the other cheek”, then the latter can be blamed and arrested. Either way, the oligarchs are confident that they will win – that the crowds will eventually get bored and go home, or else lose their cool and get arrested. They believe that, no matter what the occupiers do, they, the ultra-rich, are going to win. Still, we all must hold to the truth, speak firmly but forgivingly to these wolves in sheep’s clothing, and pray.

The ultra-rich own, or control, pretty much everything – the halls of commerce, the news media, the educational institutions, the legislatures, the courts, the medical arena. Including, all too often, our minds and hearts. They have made us believe that obedience to them is “patriotism”, and daring to speak out in opposition is “un-American”. They use “country” as a way to stir our emotions, and xenophobia, fear of foreigners, as a way to manipulate us emotionally. It is all a form of brainwashing, of hypnosis.

This is why, of late, they have been spreading the message that anyone with intelligence, anyone with more than, say, a community college education, anyone who asks questions, anyone who challenges assumptions, is not to be trusted. Dumb is in. Stupid is cachet.

They repeat their advertisements over and over – and I don’t just mean television commercials or “product placement” in movies, but the “messages” about obedience and patriotism and do your job and don’t ask questions – and people just sit there unthinkingly watching them when the vapid entertainment program takes a “break” - such that, in the supermarket, they will hear those “jingles” when they see the brand name on the shelf, and be unable to keep from buying the products – and, in the voting booth, they will hear the vapid “sound bytes” incessantly delivered by tea party candidates. Back in the States, when someone had the television on, I would look away from it when the advertisements came on, and even “mute” them – and yet, to my chagrin, people would get angry at me because they “wanted to see them” - which told me that they were literally hooked on them, that this brainwashing was like a drug that they needed – which is indeed part of the brainwashing process, to love your jailer and torturer.

And the movies and television programs themselves are vapid, mindless bits of twaddle, with incredibly stupid “humor” that is clearly intended to dull our brains so we won’t question what these oligarchs are doing to us, and action movies (to say nothing of video games) that train the young people to answer the call when the bell of jingoistic patriotism is struck, so they can be killed in whatever senseless war is being waged this time.

Just before I left the United States forever, I was working five jobs, not including trying to sell signed copies of my books for a little extra cash, and yet I was still struggling to put food on the table, keep up with the bills, and pay the mortgage. It was literally killing me, it was literally killing my health. My house was “underwater”, worth less on the market than I still owed on it. The mortgage holder refused to let me refinance. I tried putting a young single mother in it, taking not a penny from her, but I could not keep up with the mortgage. Eventually she couldn’t afford even the little I asked of her and moved out, and I had no choice but to abandon the house; it has since been partially destroyed in a hurricane, and it was robbed of what worldly goods I still had in it, including precious family heirlooms.

All my life I’ve said we should, as Jesus said, give away all that we have and follow him. Before I left the States, I gave away my car to a poor black woman who lives in an inner city. I gave my entire collection of more than 100,000 books away. I cannot afford to return to the States to see my children who are dearer to me than anything, or my parents, who are in the final chapter of their lives. And I am living here in rural Panama in poverty, on a scant few hundred dollars a month, with only a suitcaseful of things I can call my own, doing my best to help poor indigenous people in this little village. That’s my choice, to do what Jesus said. I wish others would do similar.

Nor is it just government that is a “pipe”, despite what our overlords tell us. Every institution seeks above all to perpetuate its own existence, to expand its client (parishioner) base, to gain more money and power. Including, yes, religious organizations. It isn’t just the secular institutions, Wall Street, etc., that have stuck their hands in our pockets. We need to tell Rome, Salt Lake City, Jerusalem, Makkah, and all of them, the same thing – no more will they take our monetary and effort gifts until and unless they de-institutionalize in favor of really helping the needy. I’ve seen the riches of the Vatican with my own eyes, to name just one of many examples, and wonder how these people can call themselves servants of G-d when they control such wealth and power while millions are dying of chronic malnutrition, polluted drinking water, diarrhea, dysentery, AIDS, and, above all, war.

Sure these institutions are old and venerable, but the Word of the Lord is older, and, while they do not stand forever, “the Word of the Lord stands forever”, and that Word is to go, give away all that you have, and come, follow Him. Yes, the Pope holds an “ancient lineage”, yes, he represents a venerable institution. There are other venerable religious institutions even more ancient than the Pope’s. But more ancient than the Pope’s institution is the Word of the Lord. Jesus clearly said, “Go, give away all that you have [that's ALL that you have, not just what you can easily spare], and come, follow me.” Given a choice between venerating ancient lineages and following the Word of the Lord, I will choose the latter.

What can we do? A woman recently asked me for a website where she can make a difference. How trained we are by the oligarchs, to think the answer is somewhere on the internet. I don't see how any link can help. Rather, it’s an inward decision to bow to no human being or human institution, but only to G-d, to Allah, to Wakantanka, whatever term you use. It’s an inward decision to give these humans and institutions no power over you. It’s an inward decision to treat all humanity (and other species) with respect, giving to others freely, but yet speaking out and acting when others fail to treat people (and other species) with respect.

Here’s the answer: Buy from local farms. Buy direct from poor people in the Third World through various intermediary nonprofit organizations and coops. Buy generic, not brand name. Save your money at local independent banks. Frequent local independent shops, not big chain stores. Read books (bought at independent bookstores). Walk or use your bicycle. Pay cash as much as you can, or at least keep your credit card balance low; better yet, destroy it. Don’t invest in big business and take your money out of big banks.

Keep in mind the multiplier effect, which states that money that stays in a community increases in value, even if it doesn't increase in the number of dollars: the butcher buys from the baker, who buys from the candlestick maker, etc., in a web of relationships in which no new cash is ever introduced, but yet everyone gains plenty of value. However, when a Wal-Mart (or whatever) comes to that town, the amount of value in the town decreases – it’s sucked off to the ultra-rich slobs in Fayetteville, Arkansas, or wherever the slobs are who earn multiple millions a year. And worse, when one of these mega-companies goes belly-up, millions lose their jobs, their pensions, their health plans, and everything – but those slobs still have their mansions and their millions.

And, above all, don't let them control your mind. The oligarchs fuel our hatred for each other – liberals versus conservatives, whites versus blacks, citizens versus foreigners, Easterners and Middle-Americans and Westerners and Southerners each versus the other three, Yankee fans versus Red Sox fans – and, as long as we remain divided, they win. Right now, those in charge of us are stoking the hatred of “Occupiers” for “Tea Partiers” and vice-versa – because it serves their purposes well to keep us divided amongst ourselves.

I count among my dear friends many individuals whose politics and ethical views are diametrically opposed to mine. We have had many wonderful friendly arguments, not trying to bludgeon each other into agreement, but just exploring the profound depths of important issues. And, you know something? These people are wonderful people. They are truly good, truly moral, and want nothing but the best for this world. We simply differ on exactly what that "best" is and how to achieve it. I love them and trust them completely.

The people who disagree with you on these issues aren't the real enemy; if you think that, you're mistaken; that's what you've been trained by the real enemy to think.

Divided we fall, united we prevail. We should not be fighting amongst ourselves. We should be joined together against the real enemy, which isn’t pro-choicers or pro-lifers, pro-gunners, or gun-controllers, but the ultra-rich oligarchs who control all the institutions from the schools to the news media to the legislatures. Only in unity against the real enemy, the ultrarich oligarchs who, through their multinational corporation-persons, can we win back control of this world and our destiny before they succeed in destroying it.

The French Revolution was sparked by the intelligentsia, but the mob, long crushed under the royal heel, came tearing through the floodgates the intelligentsia opened, and a bloodbath of anarchy was the result. France (and I have lived there) is still suffering the pain of that anarchy.

The United States Revolution remained in the hands of the intelligentsia, with the result that the governmental institution enshrines the monied interests to this day (witness the insane Supreme Court decision that corporations are persons under the law).

I pray for a third way – a peaceful revolution that is neither controlled by the oligarchs to their advantage nor drowned in a sea of angry madness. So far, happily, these “Occupy” efforts are peaceful and surprisingly effective, despite the oligarchs-ordered media mockery.

May Creator guide us and protect us as we lead this revolution and create a New Heaven and a New Earth, free from bigotry and greed, in which all love their neighbors as themselves.