The People vs The Man: a Never Ending Story
Posted: Friday, October 14, 2011
by Jack H. Schick
I went to a big “protest rally” once. It was down at Point Park, the Golden Triangle, where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers meet and form the Ohio. It’s in Pittsburgh, PA. Of course, it was way back in 1970 when I had just turned 18. Turning 18 didn’t mean as much back then as it does now. Back then, “The Man” could draft you and send you off to Vietnam where there was a hot war going on, a big war, where we’d lose in a month the number of soldiers we’ve lost in the past ten years. However, at 18 you still couldn’t buy a beer. The drinking age was twenty-one; and, you couldn’t vote.
The rally at Point Park was pretty well attended. I signed a petition to ‘give the vote’ to everyone over the age of 18, which meant…me. There were a lot of Flower Children there who sat around on beach blankets singing and playing music. There were some loud ‘radicals’ who hollered at the microphone trying to get everyone fired up against “The Man” and the war. I didn’t get too excited, though. Most people already agree that war “is not healthy for children and other living things,” but I wasn’t sure who “The Man” was. I wasn’t interested in “pulling down” anybody or anything. I thought it would just be fair if they let me vote.
I’ve got to admit, it actually was pretty “cool, man.” I got to see John Kay. I liked him better when he had his band with him, though. I didn’t stick around for the whole thing. There was a party at the fraternity house that night and I had to do some homework first. But now, after I’ve voted a few dozen times, I can still say “I went to a real ‘60’s protest rally!”…even though it was in ’70.
There have been a lot of ‘protest rallies’ since then. Somebody always wants something. Lately, the publicized ones were held by the Tea Party and by the Anti-Wall Street group. I haven’t paid much attention to either of them. I’m sort of busy with work and life in general. I still protest a lot, but usually by sending an email to my governmental representatives or by just bitching at home.
When I looked at it, it seemed, on the surface at least, that both groups were protesting against “The Man,” again. But, like back in the ‘60’s, I wasn’t sure who, exactly, “The Man” was. So, I decided to try to look it up; to at least find out what the protesters wanted “The Man” to do, or quit doing. From what I’d seen on TV it looked like almost all of them were old enough to vote, so that couldn’t be it again. I figured war probably was involved this time, too, but wasn’t sure.
The Tea Party protests were pretty easy to figure out. They’ve issued an official Mission Statement on their website: “Our mission is to attract, educate, organize and mobilize our fellow citizens to secure public policy consistent with our three core values of Fiscal Responsibility, Constitutionally Limited Government and Free Markets.” I guess I’m cool with that. They seem pretty fed up with “The Man” but not particularly hostile toward him. I take it “The Man” is the Government. I can’t figure out why some people I know hate the Tea Party so much, unless they do want to spend more than they have, to ignore the Constitution or to monkey with the laws of supply and demand. I’ve got experience spending too much, and have enough trouble without the government getting more involved, so I can understand their gripes. “Go ahead and protest!” I say.
It was a little more difficult to figure out what the Occupy Wall Street protesters wanted. I checked out their website, but had to keep reading and reading to get to the bottom of it. They say they are “the 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%.” They are really upset with “The Man”, but ‘he’s’ the people who to try to make a lot of money instead of the government, as far as I can tell. They say they use the Arab Spring tactic (I’ll have to look that up), to achieve their ends. They say they are “a horizontally organized resistance movement that aims to restore democracy to America.” (I didn’t know it was gone, yet). They are a “people’s assembly” who are trying to “facilitate collective decision making in an open, participatory and non-binding manner.” I’m not sure what that means. It reminds me a little bit of Marx, but I’m against corruption (I’m sort of greedy myself, so I’ll have to wait and see if I’ll support that—unless there’s something in it for me). Overall, I’m cool with their protests. “Have at ‘em!” I say. Just don’t block the road if I’m trying to get to work.
Back in the ‘60’s, “The Man” used to come after protesters with clubs, tear gas and guns. They’d club them, throw them into chain-link pens then tear gas them. In a few cases, they shot them. They’d cut their hair, dress them up in uniforms, slap a gun in their hands and send them to Vietnam. The Silent Majority didn’t say much about it. We got them to quit that—the clubbing, the shooting, and finally, the war. In the mean time, they let me go vote. Protesting looks a lot easier these days.
I always get a little worried about big protests though, especially if they get in the least bit nasty. I look back at history. Maybe the American Revolution paid off (some people even protest that), but most of them didn’t. The energy always seems to get misdirected. The French Revolution got them Napoleon. The Russian Revolution got them Stalin and the Gulag. The German protest movement in the 20’s got them Hitler. The Chinese Revolution got them Mao. The Egyptian Arab Spring got them military rule. The overall record isn’t good. I’m all for protesting, but it usually turns out, “Meet the new boss, same as (or worse than) the old boss,” as they say, with good intentions trampled in the bloody mud.
I don’t think I’m heading down to the protest rallies this time. I’ve got to go to work to try to pay off my credit cards, taxes and mortgage. I’m too old to get involved in “pulling down” anything or anybody anymore. I think I must be in the Silent Majority now. Instead, I think I’ll head over to the school in November and cast my protest vote. Once, way back when, I protested until “The Man” let me do that, at least.
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)ROFL...we have similar views, and although I'm an Independent, and not a protestor, there is something to say about staying out of debt, working and minding your own business, and paying your bills on time. If they don't want to do that, well, maybe the problem isn't with anyone but themselves.
We need some social programs, and we need capitalism, otherwise there would be no Warren Buffet's to give billions to foundations that help the poor. The government does some good, but mostly they give grants to cronies, and loans to failing businesses, and look at foreclosures of Fannie and Freddie. Socialism???Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy;;;;can't pay the bills. We are headed in that direction too....
SAD that potesting isn't what it used to be, when you did it for a very good reason. If you can die for your country, then you should be able to vote for the person who will be sending you to war!Thanks so much for always reading and commenting.
In my view Jack, you have seen a lot of the world through the eyes of experience - but at the same time it has been forced on you, too - which is what drew me into your article. My views are that if you are old enough to fight and die for your country, your leaders and your government, then why should you not be able to vote, too?
As far as drinking ages are concerned, it would be more than a cool beer that I would be reaching out for in a war like Vietnam - The Lost War - as the stranglehold of the enemy was tight and lingering.
Demonstrations and the attitudes toward the Demonstrators in today's climate is very much different, especially here in the UK, simply because people wish to keep their heads down and go with the flow without drawing attention to be persecuted by The G. Sad, but it is true and as we stride into Global Recession together with both our countries, my hopes are that you will continue to air more articles like this one.
Thank You for sharing.
Marcus De StormWhy, thanks, Marcus. I've been trying to stay away from political articles. I don't like the venom those opposed to my point of view spew in comments sometimes. Too many people want freedon of speech for only their own side and want me to change my opinion. I don't care if they change theirs since it's their right to have it.
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