Revolutionary Protests: What could you do?

Required reading:
The Cybersecurity Act of 2009: Article
The Cybersecurity Act (PDF)

Here's a line of response I often read on various forums...

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"History is written by those who have hanged heroes."
"There is only one version of history, the winner's."
"History is the polemics of the victors."
"The history of a nation is, unfortunately, too easily written as the history of its dominant class."

... But we never hear about the horrors and sleight of hands the Victors dealt now do we.

You have absolutely no idea what the victors did or are doing to achieve their versions of history. Stop pretending the world is so small and just research some the coup's that have happened at the hands of the Western Governments' intelligence agencies. Then come back to me straight faced and tell me that one of those very types of coup's couldn't partake on American soil.

We have no idea who leads us anymore. It could be any group of people. Every single one of us (internet browsers) already know the Main-stream Media only reports a very small fraction of important worldwide news; we witness (and complain) daily the events rarely reported. Our politicians are involved in an alarming rate of bribes and scandals and are buried in mountains of secrets. We even know that our election systems can be rigged in any number of ways.

The average citizen, regardless of country, has absolutely no control with how or why our governments act. Our elections are media guided and quite possibly effected by the very cybersecurities this bill aims to combat. We're completely shut out and are forced to rely on "Hope" and "Change" and "Faith" of all things.

I'm not saying bombs and bullets are the answer; but very soon now, they won't even be an option. It seems most people have the spirit to vocally express outrage in anonymous forums; but until people start gathering - be it peacefully or revolutionary - the leaders will continue to censor and repress every possible route of resentment... and there aren't many left.

I can't talk about this stuff enough. If that lands me on some NSA watchlist then so be it. I'm not a violent person; and I don't have an arsenal of weapons ready to blast away with. But mark my words, when the timing is right; people like me all across the board will leap into action with a fury the leaders never predicted.

Personally I believe that if the people will allow this bill to pass; essentially giving the government power to pick and choose which "internets" can run, we give up our most powerful tool of all - information and organization... and if we give up this right of free press and open exchange; then we'll have already lost; and our history is already set in stone.

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I read this type of encouragement and patriotism all over. People are standing up and vocalizing their concerns all over the internet. All bravado and full of spirit, but lacking any direction or leadership. The 'movements' fizzle out within days and everyone is back to cruise control until the next freedom is quietly stripped away; then we're all hootin' and hollerin' for about 3 days. Rinse and repeat.

So that leaves me to wonder; when (hopefully not if) the breaking point finally comes.. what could you do?

[I shouldn't need to remind everyone that everything you say in a public forum can be used against you in some quasi court of law; so don't name names or locations.. we're discussing fantasy revolution here.. not detailing operations.]


Personally I haven't given this notion much thought beyond 'Would I have the courage?'. I normally lose myself in thought with that very question; wondering if I had it in me to (if need be) violently stand up for my beliefs.

It's quite obvious to me that our current forms of protests aren't even a blimp on the world's leaders radars. The media is designed to focus on the violence and fringe sections of any large movement; making any legitimate protesters' views unwitnessed and unheard. A complete waste of time.

Which begs the question 'Is violence the only method of getting the needed attention?' and then ultimately, 'How much violence is justifiable?'.

All 3 loaded questions essentially become overwhelming and I ultimately just hope that someone else in this world has the courage to stand up. But it's a fascinating mental trip to take nonetheless.

One event always seems to strike out in my flurry of imagination and fascination with the subject. What if just once, the people took control of a protest instead of thousands of riot charged police officers?

So here's my revolutionary fantasy.. a real-time stand off.

If there's one thing we all know; is that a stand off always gets the eyes of the press. And with the powers of the internet; the viewers aren't limited to the eyes and lips of mere reporters and editors anymore. (Until the President obtains the power to shut off the internet of course.. re: above reading).

Now obviously, a stand off is only successful if no one is fatally harmed. Start shooting a bunch of people up and you go from stand off to senseless slaughter on the Evening News.

I won't go into too much critical detail; but my vision of a revolutionary protest consists of seizing property instead of the current preferred method of destroying property.

For shear amount of 'Shock and Awe' I imagine several hundred people forcefully seizing local buildings. Essentially replacing the authoritative "riot control/containment" with and anarchist display of freedom of assembly, encouraging people to protest vigorously in the streets below. Using the internet as a tool of communication to the world (and not just the authorities) would be the most powerful weapon of all. And even that is about to be taken away.

I admit it all seems very thuggish. But if a large section of a city were suddenly over run by "terrorists and extremists", buildings were seized, an extensive PR campaign launched, and entire neighborhoods overrun with protesters refusing to leave unanswered... then I believe the message (albeit only if it's a well versed message) would have compounding effects throughout the world.

Then of course I imagine they'd all be gunned down or dragged off to be tortured in prisons throughout the world, essentially making the few hundred people that stood up; martyrs for the cause.

My little act of rebellion, albeit full of plot holes, is the only fantasy that comes to mind whenever I read about the governments taking even more control over my freedoms. Every time I read an article that infuriates me; I dream of an imaginary leader, a hero, walking my idealistic path.

What are your fantasies? Do YOU have a fantastical plan to stand up to an authoritative government that seems to have stepped way out of line?


[edit on 4/3/2009 by QuietSoul]