A guy called Michael Rupert turned me on to this very simple yet very powerful train on thought that I now apply to any situation I don't understand or need to understand more fully. "Show me how the money works. Who's making it; where it's going". I bring this up now; inspired by a video I want to share with you in this post. It reminded me of the times I've fought; for my independence and mobility; for the forests of Tasmania; against bureaucracy trying to treat me as a number. In all of these instances, the motivating factor was never money; far from it. I see a time coming, sooner rather than later, when some among us are going to choose to fight; indeed, many have already begun. I'm not talking about a war in another country; Rupert’s "show me how the money works" puts that in it's rightful place. No, I'm talking right here on this continent. When it begins; when the images begin to fill television screens across the nation, as indeed they always do when people protest against the IMF or the G8; stop and ask yourself; "how does the money work in this?" Do these people have anything to gain by protesting, and if not, what is driving them? Please don’t fall into the trap of thinking it's because they have nothing better to do. I had plenty better to do in my days as a front line activist; but once I'd seen the devastation being wrought on one of the world’s pristine wild places I simply could not turn away. I chose to fight. For something I believed in. For money; not likely. I had to give up well paying work to do so.
With all this being said, I have to precede this video with a disclaimer. Don't for a minute think that I'm interested in influencing how you vote. Or even suggesting that you vote. Those of you who've been reading these posts for a while will know my beliefs lie in their being much more power in how you spend each dollar, effectively voting with your wallet, than who you choose to elect as your leader.
No, the reason I'm sharing this video with you is because the message that will.i.am wants you to get is that the power to change is in your hands, nobody else’s. That this world we live in right now might be working fine for you; I know its working fine for me; but it's not working for everybody. It's not working for the families being caught in our "friendly fire" in Afghanistan and Iraq; it's not working for our soldiers coming home blown to bits if not in a box; it's not working for the children being born with AIDS throughout Africa; it's not working for the children working in sweatshops to make our cheap stuff; it's not working for those who've just defaulted on their mortgages (did you know the banks had been on selling our mortgages?); and it's not working for any of us who've lost or had a family member diagnosed with cancer.
We can change. It won't be easy; we're going to have to give up some stuff. But it’s not working; and if you think that’s ok because its working for you; think again. We're all connected. If you think that sounds airy fairy; think again. It's the biggest thing I've learnt, and if anything, my life has been all about learning. Trust me on this. We have to change, and we can. You can.
To view in higher res and read will.i.am's story about this song, go to: www.dipdive.com
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