Revolutionary QOTD:

You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your fucking khakis. You're the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world.
-Tyler Durden character in the movie Fight Club.

Yes comrades. A QOTD on Saturday. Because the revolution doesn't take weekends off. It's on 24/7, baby. Weekends off are for 9 to 5 tools of the man, not revolutionaries. The QOTD is a little late though. But that's because revolutionaries do like to sleep in, especially weekends. And that's not because we're lazy or underemployed. I mean we might be, but that's not the main reason. The main reason is that we're up late doing stuff underground. When the man is sleeping, we're awake fighting for the cause. Conversely, when we're sleeping the man is awake fighting to keep us enslaved. That's just the way it works out. Ciao comrades.

Revolutionary QOTD:

"War is when the government tells you who the bad guy is. Revolution is when you decide that for yourself." -wolfdyke.

I dunno who wolfdyke is, but I found this quote on http://en.thinkexist.com/, and it's QOTD-worthy.

Revolution & Love.
That's right people. I said revolution and love. You people probably think that the two have nothing to do with each other. That they are completely separate things. You probably think that revolution is all about fighting the man. About slogans and marching and protesting stuff. About avoiding regular employment and tree hugging and wearing t-shirts with Che Guevara on them. Well, you couldn't be more wrong. It's so much more. And there's a podcast that proves my point. It's called Join the Resistance: Fall in Love. And you can find it at the link we have graciously provided. You can also find it by searching for it under podcasts on iTunes. Be forewarned that it contains a little bit of sexual content, but hey folks, I mean it's about love. And there's a little bit of violence, and that's not the revolution part because we believe in non-violent revolution. I won't leave all my impressions of it at this time because I don't want to prejudice you in any way or give out any spoilers. But it is worth seeing, so I share it with you. Because that's what we're all about here at A Revolution of One. Sharing. And revolution. And love....

Here's a blurb about the short film from ifilm.com:

Directed by the 2003 City of Atlanta Emerging Award Recipient, Franklin Lopez. Narrated by Indigo Girl Amy Ray, this critically acclaimed short is inspired by the book ''Days of War, Nights of Love'' ''Chapter L is for Love'' by the Crimethinc Ex-Workers Collective (www.crimethinc.com). This film narrates this chapter and visually tells a story.

The story is about two couples. One who followed the path that will most likely please society and the other too passionate about life to care what anyone thinks.

The film has reached cult status and has been downloaded over 30,000 times in over 50 countries worldwide. Unofficial screenings are in the hundreds and translated bootlegs of the film have been seen as far as Indonesia

Former Miss Canada Defends Iranian Woman Sentenced to Death for Stabbing Rapist Attacker
I heard this on CNN, but oddly could not find it on their web site. A former Miss Canada is organizing a campaign to save a woman sentenced to death in Iran for stabbing a man to death who tried to rape her and her niece. The story is here. There is a petition on the former Miss Canada's web site, http://www.nazanin.ca/ that will go to the UN to plead for the woman's release. Please add your name to this petition. The picture is of Nazanin Afshin Jam, Miss Canada 2003.

Revolutionary QOTD:

Be the change you want to see in the world.
-Mohondas K. (Mahatma) Ghandi.

When the revolution comes it is Donald Trump who will be fired. And the Trump Tower will be reclaimed in the name of the people and will be renamed the People's Tower. He will be forced to serve the Apprentices who every week on a new version of the television show will force Trump to do real work for the cause of the revolution. Like mopping the lobby of Trump Tower, or running for coffee for the Apprentices while they rearrange all of his businesses into people's cooperatives. Or help Robin out at the receptionist desk while she takes her breaks. At the end of the show the Trumpster will be graded on his performance and will have to meet the Apprentices in the boardroom where he will be fired! But he'll be hired again for next week's show.

I gotta wonder though, if that show will be around when the revolution comes. And the revolution is coming soon. Mark my words my comrades. First Apprentice Martha Stewart flops, and then the original Apprentice gets moved to Monday night. Is that a flushing sound I hear? Cause when show moves from Thursday night, to Monday night, you can be sure it's going down the toilet. I can't understand it because it seems to me that the Donald has found an ingenious formula, I mean he is a genius, whereby he can get a significant audience to watch commercials sandwiched between commercials, sandwiched between self-absorbed Trump wannabes backstabbing each other. Because when the Donald isn't shilling for one of his own many businesses on the show, he's giving the Apprentices a project that involves shilling for one of the shows many sponsors.

It's like one of those Chinese box deals where there's like a box inside a box, inside a box. It is a mystery wrapped inside an enigma, wrapped inside a conundrum, wrapped inside several layers of advertising. Masterful. Monday before last what did they do? They created a jingle for Arby's to advertise a new chicken sandwich. Last Monday, help launch the P'EatZZa, a new 7-11 sandwich, by creating a promotional giveaway item based on the 7-11 Andretti-Green racing car. I gotta think the remaining portion of the dwindling audience for this show is made up of people who exclusively watch shopping channels and infomercials.

I have to add just one more thing. Occasionally the Donald's lovely daughter Ivanka is on the show substituting for Carolyn because apparently every show must have a very thin blonde woman on the non-Apprentice side of the boardroom table. A few weeks ago the Donald was on the View with his daughter. When asked how he'd feel if his daughter posed for Playboy, the Trumpster said, if she wasn't my daughter I'd probably be dating her. Ick Donald. Ick.

More on Tank Man.
He embodies the idea of a revolution of one as much as anyone could. A single defiant act by a single human being that significantly changes the world. Like Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger in Montgomery Alabama on December 1, 1955. An act which sparked the famous Montgomery Bus Boycott and changed the Civil Rights movement and America forever.

Nobody knows where the Tank Man is now or if he survived after being dragged away from this confrontation. His actions didn't end the Chinese goverment's horrible repression of it's citizens. And his acts weren't the only one's that contributed to the changes that did occur. Changes in China's economic policy that granted new opportunities to its citizens. Many of his countrymen, whose fate we know, lost their lives in Tiananmen Square that summer. But it is his fearlessness, no doubt brough on by outrage at the massacre that occured there, that leaves a lasting impression in everyone's mind. It is something we should remember as some politicians push for more trade with China. And as American companies like Yahoo and Microsoft aid the Chinese government in repression of it's citizenry. It is still a violently repressive government. It's people are not free.

And though it is these kinds of acts that people remember, a revolution of one doesn't have to be an act that changes the world. It doesn't have to be one that anyone notices but you. It can be as simple as expressing an unpopular opinion against any wrong by those in power, especially against the powerless. It could be exercising your right to vote, especially in a conscientious way. It could be voting with your wallet for things you believe in. Like ethanol, biodiesel and solar energy.

Ok listen, I gotta go. Gotta slip on my Nike's and gas up the Hummer and get to Wal-Mart. See ya.

I haven't posted in awhile. Yesterday was the first time since before the end of last year. I haven't had blogger's block or anything. I've been writing, but I was thinking about adding something like a podcast or something else. I never really got it together. I will at some point. Then I was responding to the email forward I wrote about below and I just decided to post it. And now I'm back! So expect a flurry of posts.

Revolutionary IOTD (Icon Of The Day):
Remember the Tank Man from Tiananmen Square? The Frontline story aired on PBS last night. If you missed it you can watch the episode online as well as read program extras on the PBS site. It will be available online Friday evening, 4/14/06 and thereafter. It was one of the most powerful acts of defiance of power I can remember and stands as an icon of rebellion. One man blocking a column of tanks that could have literally mowed him down. It was 1989 and with all that's gone on since we may have forgotten him. But there are lessons in that story for the issues we face today. I'm choosing him as my IOTD in place of my Revolutionary QOTD. Because, at the risk of sounding cliche, this is a picture that is truly worth a thousand words. More later....

Coined term:
Paranoidar - A combination of paranoia and radar, a kind of sixth sense that we're somehow being screwed by the system, but we don't know exactly how. A feeling rational folk might dismiss as ungrounded in fact or reality, but one a revolutionary must develop and hone. Think of it as spidey senses for revolutionaries.

Revolutionary QOTD:

Si se puede!
-Cesar Chavez.

I was sent this forward tonight of a column by someone named David Bresnan. It's the typical conservative anti-illegal immigrant speil. First the forward and my response follows. I sent a copy to Mr. Bresnan.

The Forward:
Dear President Bush:

I'm about to plan a little trip with my family and extended family,
and I would like to ask you to assist me. I'm going to walk across the
border from the U.S. into Mexico, and I need to make a few
arrangements. I know you can help with this.

I plan to skip all the legal stuff like visas, passports, immigration
quotas and laws. I'm sure they handle those things the same way you do
here.

So, would you mind telling your buddy, President Vicente Fox, that I'm
on my way over? Please let him know that I will be expecting the
following:

1. Free medical care for my entire family.

2. English-speaking government bureaucrats for all services I might
need, whether I use them or not.

3. All government forms need to be printed in English.

4. I want my kids to be taught by English-speaking teachers.

5. Schools need to include classes on American culture and history.

6. I want my kids to see the American flag flying on the top of the
flag pole at their school with the Mexican flag flying lower down.

7. Please plan to feed my kids at school for both breakfast and lunch.

8. I will need a local Mexican driver's license so I can get easy
access to government services.

9. I do not plan to have any car insurance, and I won't make any
effort to learn local traffic laws.

10. In case one of the Mexican police officers does not get the memo
from Pres. Fox to leave me alone, please be sure that all police
officers speak English.

11. I plan to fly the U.S. flag from my house top, put flag decals on
my car, and have a gigantic celebration on July 4th. I do not want any
complaints or negative comments from the locals.

12. I would also like to have a nice job without paying any taxes, and
don't enforce any labor laws or tax laws.

13. Please tell all the people in the country to be extremely nice and
never say a critical word about me, or about the strain I might place
on the economy.

I know this is an easy request because you already do all these things
for all the people who come to the U.S. from Mexico. I am sure that
Pres. Fox won't mind returning the favor if you ask him nicely.

However, if he gives you any trouble, just invite him to go quail
hunting with your V.P.

Thank you so much for your kind help.
Sincerely,

David M. Bresnahan

C 2006 David M. Bresnahan - All Rights Reserved

David M. Bresnahan has over 30 years of experience as an award-winning
journalist, broadcaster, radio station owner, talk show host, and
business owner. David has been a prominent writer for many Internet
newspapers.

My Response:
Dear Mr. Bresnan, I received a forward recently of a column of yours. A letter to President Bush stating your intent to cross the border and expecting all same favors in Mexico you believe Mexican illegal immigrants get in this country. But I think you left a few things out. You should add this to your list.

1. The reason you have to cross the border is because a treaty with Mexico (NAFTA) resulted in the buying up of all the land that you used to farm, so there's no work for you and you can't feed your family.

2. You risk your life to cross into Mexico and see many people die trying to get there because they are so desparate for work. Dozens of people die in the desert, are killed or maimed hoping trains or are killed by drug dealers and criminals trying to cross the border every month.

3. You pay someone thousands of dollars to get across the border. Money that will come out of the very low paying job you'll get when get across. You'll be lucky if that person, a coyote, doesn't rip you off. And if you don't get deported several times before you can find work in Mexico.

4. You do back breaking work in Mexico for such low wages that you can barely afford to feed yourself and you have to send money back to your family in the US so they can eat.

5. Everyone in Mexico looks down on you for taking the lowest kinds of jobs, working harder than the average Mexican for the lowest pay, work they wouldn't do for the same pay. Yet they hire you to do it.

6. They look down on you for breaking the law to feed your family, but if their family was starving, wouldn't they break the law too?

7. Your employer takes advantage of you, cheats you, makes you work long hours and in unsafe conditions, but you have no recourse because you can be deported if you complain.

8. Rich journalists, talk show hosts and politicians whose life has been a cake walk compared to you will say things to the Mexican public that will make them resent you. Accuse you of taking their jobs and social services as if you had a choice.

9. At the same time they will eat the vegetables you farm, hire you to clean their pools, do their gardening, be nanny to their kids, but they will never look down upon the people that hire you and are the reason you came to Mexico, as much as they will look down on you.

10. Funny how people don't resent the handouts that the rich get as much as they resent benefits to people like me, the poorest of the poor. Like tax cuts for the richest of the rich that President Bush wants to make permanent during a time of war and a national debt over 8.4 trillion dollars. Don't the rich have to sacrifice during war too? Or the billions of dollars defense contractors like Halliburton are making off the war. Or the record oil profits the oil companies are making during an oil shortage.

"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist." -President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

"War is a racktet." US Marine Major General Smedley Darlington Butler

11. Funny how the people who's parents, or grandparents, or great grandparents were immigrants, have so little compassion for the immigrants among them and how easily they forget what their ancestors had to go through and the discrimination and hatred they suffered. Through revisionist history their ancestors are the noble ones who worked hard and did everything right and legally and weren't looked down upon and denigrated by the citizens of their time.

Wonder how many people will forward this?