This is going to be a rant, cuz wtf?
Globally we are at a point where you can feel the world shifting.
work looks different
socializing looks different
travel looks different
We know we can re-imagine every aspect of our lives, if and when necessary.
SO why are we allowing our leaders - political and corporate - to play us?
No for real, we're sitting here watching the richest man in the world buy Twitter in the name of "free speech"... meanwhile his parents were gemstone mine owners who participated in apartheid, and his warehouses have been known to segregate and discriminate against black people, but somehow he has the answer to honest and ethical speech? Lest we forget the price tag of the purchase - $44 Billion.
Or we watch the UK, US, and other global powers hike up prices without increasing wages, without improving healthcare, or without addressing the social gaps that continue to exacerbate poverty. The average billionaire pays a 3.4% tax rate while the average worker pays a 35% rate. Make it make sense. I guess we know where the 44 B's came from - all the tax dollars saved.
Our bosses are advocating for us to come back to work so we can sit in the seats and validate their real estate decisions. Baby, we are in a new era, why do I have to subscribe to the 1920s era manufacturers' framework of employment? A 40-hour workweek for what? Sitting in an office for what? I do like the happy hours, but doesn't technology exist to create efficiency? Why are we working harder and longer?
Are we awake?
Scientists are chaining themselves to buildings to raise awareness of the fact we have 30 YEARS LEFT ON THIS PLANET IF WE DON'T CHANGE. "Don't Look Up" is coming to life and we're not. looking. up.
A man self-immolated in front of the US Capitol two weeks ago. If you don't know what that means - he set himself on fire. For many, this iconic image may come to mind and a part of me wonders, are these the extremes we must go to? What will spark a small push for change and protest?
What's the point of contention for us? When do we face our front?
Is it a lack of self-control, or is it fear of missing out? Do we lack the discipline necessary to go without, in the name of survival? I'm definitely lacking, let me not pretend, but what is there to do?! We may feel small, what is my little voice or vote going to do... and the answer is honestly a lot - if we move as a unit.
Jared Sexton said it best: "We have a global authoritarian movement, historically concentrated capital, tech messianism coupled with white supremacy, pushing isolation, fake news, right-wing ideology, and unparalleled surveillance and control." With the help of social media, the powers that be have gamified our surveillance and control. Why else would someone spend $44 Billion on Twitter? Oh sorry, it's for the protection of free speech.....
Take a lesson from my man Chris who unionized Amazon. The impossible is possible. I'm sure Chris will remind us of the lengths these corporations will go to protect their wealth and widen the class gap. Remember, Chevron destroyed the Amazonian ancestral lands and instead of paying and correcting their wrongs, they paid off a judge and sent the opposing legal team to jail. Shout out to Steven Donziger - he was released last week.
Does Nancy Pelosi think I’m supposed to be impressed with her kente sash? Not to sound like an ageist, and I lowkey love the Bern and Elizabeth Warren, but get these old asses out of office. It’s time for y’all to retire. If I can see your capillaries cuz your skin is so thin, it’s time to go. That was unnecessary, sorry.
If I had to wrap up this rant with a bow, I'd ask - how far are you willing to go to make sure we survive? No, I'm not exaggerating - that's where we are. I remember walking down Pennsylvania Avenue screaming "Black Lives Matter" in the summer of 2020 because it felt dire. It still does. Now the state of our planet, civil war, famine, and disproportionate distribution of wealth have joined the battle cry.
Who are the Fred Hamptons, who are the MLKs, who are the Kwame Nkrumah's, who are the Thich Quang Duc's? You. Take an audit of what small step you can take toward group preservation. We are not individuals in this society. This world revolves around all of us and the more we operate as separatists, the further from success we get. What can you do to make this lifetime function better for you and your community? Do that. Fight. Preserve. Care. Love. Sustain.
We all we got.
xoxo
Joanie