Feedback needed for Protest Planning

Hi everyone! I am a long time lurker and former UF1 member. I wanted to pose a serious question to you all. Please give my question serious thought before replying back. You all (and I) have been through the wringer and back again and as such we all have a lot of "experience" with the tragedy and chaos going on now in the US. That experience and understanding of the world today in which we all live is why I need your feedback.

My question is, "What are the reasons that Americans have chosen to not begin serious protests throughout the country?"

Keep in mind that I believe that there are an enormous amount of things going wrong in our country worthy of protesting. Just in the avenue of unemployment there are subgroups that are substantial such as the over 50 crowd that is being discriminated against....the new college grads that can't find jobs other than minimum wage (if even that)....the long term unemployed, etc.

In addition to this there are many Americans who are angry and confused about why we are still at war in certain countries and now seemingly getting involved in yet more conflicts. Angry that our young men and women are being put in harms way for what exactly. Certainly war protests in years gone by were reasons that large amounts of Americans found it within themselves to bind together to voice their displeasure.

What about the Americans that are furious over the ridiculous gas and food prices? Or the Americans that are furious over the fact that no one has been prosecuted for the Wall Street fraud that has basically toppled our country. Or the Americans that might have voted for our president but now are upset that they have not seen enough of the change that was promised.

I of course can come up with a few reasons why the unemployed have not grouped together to demand their voices be heard:
1) When you are trying to survive day to day, spending money doing anything that is absolutely not survival related is out.
2)It might be embarrassing to march as the "unemployed" since there is so much hostility directed at us (cause of course we're all lazy dontcha know)
3) There doesn't seem to be any real solid leadership that is organizing a protest that seems worthy of getting behind.
4) A feeling of apathy that even if this was done it wouldn't make a difference anyway.

I have been trying to come up with lists of reasons why we have not seen protests from all the angry Americans in all the groups I mentioned earlier and of course ones that I left out. The reason I wanted to do this is because I think that once you identify the obstacles to such protests you can work to find solutions in order to potentially facilitate a successful protest with a high turnout.

Again, I am looking to get feedback from you regarding why you think we have not seen countrywide protests from angry Americans on issues like unemployment, the wars, the rising prices, the Wall Street mess and foreclosure epidemic, etc. Please feel free to use yourself as an example as why you haven't made the effort (if you have not) to participate in some such protest since this situation began.

You bring to this forum a very good post. Thank you. First, I think that as Americans, we are not conditioned to protest, except in groups that can actually win. We are pretty much over achievers, and since the protesters of the 60's and 70's, we want to make sure we look as intelligent as they did, at least for those times we lived in. What they protested against did get the voice of America talking and the attention of the then Govt. But, as you probably know better than I do, I'm only 54, ha ha, we are up against a much different govt and actually a entire global world economy. As our Country and the entire network of the United Nations begins to break down there will be pockets with resources that can and will begin to protest against what they believe is taking us back instead of forward. However, if you look at what people truly have over the last 20 years, it is so small compared to the weath of this entire World, I also don't believe it may be possible.

What I mean is that it is going to take weathly folks with resouces to get people out up against those that want to take away the American, and even Global access from us. Working people really haven't the funds to sustain this type of campaign. Sadly, I know that defeat will be the end. And, so when it begins, it will start with those who believe that it is right, and we will join in, and we will pray that we can actually make a change against this World we live in now compared to yesteryears that a gone, but not forgotten.

I agree with disgutedwithgovt about the lack of funding for one massive protest, but smaller simultaneous protests across the country would be just as effective.

We have the means today to achieve this using the social media. Unlike the protests of the 60's and 70's, we have the advantage of connecting through the internet.

A few of these well synchronized smaller nationwide rallies would gather support of the angry Americans, as well as activists and lobbyists.

I'm not sure that I agree with the premise of your question, Grlnxdor. What do you call Wisconsin? And people did protest against Iraq in huge numbers. We have protests here in Pittsburgh all the time--just had one yesterday over corporations not paying their taxes. What's different now is that the media doesn't cover these events like they did back in the 60s and 70s. Oh, except if there are 30 teabaggerspartiers who get together--then they pull in the camera real tight so you can't see that it's only 30.

I don't know how we combat the corporate media that we have today. I wish I had an answer for that because I think that may be the single largest obstacle to getting our country back.

Don,t forget Columbus, Ohio either. The Democratic Party is having a petition for Senate Bill 5 to be on the ballot!

A good many of us are signing other petitions that are a form of protests. Just because were not out in signs, does not mean nothing is being done.

Many of us are afraid to protest in the street because if your arrested you could loose you Unemployment benefits. Remember if your not available 24/7 for one hour you can loose it.

I do think that it is time to start to be violent. The rich need to know that we don't play anymore. If they are threatened then action will happen. I am not a violent person, but the BS is now taller then the old world trade center was. We need to shake up the system and give them a timeline. When January 1, 2012 it is time to recall many new politicians, especially Republicans. Ohio and Wisconsin Governors for sure.

The Republican Party needs to be defeated and be told that no way will they have any support from now on.

You're right about Ohio, and Michigan too! Didn't mean to leave you guys out. And the efforts on the recalls, should they be successful, would really put a scare into them, I'd have to believe.

But I can't say I'm ready to get on board with the violent route just yet. Consider the oppressive regime they toppled in Egypt with a non-violent movement. And there are ways to get way more obnoxious without being violent. More effective too, like general strikes, for example. The hard part is getting enough people to do it. But if you had people who were working in essential functions who also just happened to belong to unio....hey, I think I might be on a theme today!

Egypt is an excellent example of how change can come about peacefully and successfully using the social media.

Just want to add one more GOP governor to the list - Rick Scott in FL has to go!!!

Thanks for starting this thread Grlnxdr!

I'll share my thoughts as soon as I get them together LOL

To start with, we need to reach more of the unemployed and disenfranchised. Doing that has proven to be very difficult and will take time. We really need a great leader, like for example Martin Luther King, where is our "Martin Luther King" of our time? Every generation seems to have had someone like him who had connections and a unique way of getting peoples attention and bringing them together.

If we could get someone like the AFL-CIO or a PAC to help us get the ball rolling I really feel people would join in along way. We need someone with a strong voice, and financial backing to stand up for the poor and middle class america.

One suggestion comes to mind, and I think some have already tried this , but I feel we need to make a list of philanthropists or people like Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, etc and appeal to them to take up our cause (or causes)

They are a few out of many that have signed a letter to congress asking them to NOT give them the bush tax cuts and wanted to be taxed more!