Since when is social justice passé?
May. 2nd, 2008 12:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eumeliaI'm not going to make it to the May Day march happening in Tel Aviv today and I mentioned it to Mummy, because I share things with Mummy and generally she likes it when I share things her.
She said that May Day is passé. That it doesn't mean anythings anymore. That only old pensioners still want to march and that only the crazy Left factions still choose to march, that they're on the fringe of the political map.
And now that the Soviet Union doesn't exist anymore it's a meaningless communist holiday.
She said that when she lived in South Africa and communism was illegal and she marched in Anti-Apartheid demos on that day it meant something.
Well, it does still mean something.
It's not a "communist" holiday.
The official title for May Day is International Workers Day, or International Workers Rights Day.
In this era; in which temp workers have almost no rights in their work place.
In which the minimum wage in most countries doesn't correlate with the standard of living.
In which the welfare system discriminates against single parent families (usually singe mothers as we know).
In which there are one day strikes where bosses make promises and get the workers back on track but in fact nothing changes.
In which my friend who works as a Barista in a chain doesn't see the point of a union because she isn't going to stay long enough at the job for it to do any good.
In which strikes demanding better pay, better terms, better education are ignored by the government and completely miss the opportunity to show a united front, in Solidarity, for education, higher learning and a future for those who will get a mediocre education.
In which globalisation enables the movement of cheap labour from a "Third World" country to a "Western" country and these workers are used, abused and can barely sustain themselves because they send the majority of their wages back to their families;
In which the lining of ones pocket is more important than the fact that the majority of the peoples pockets are empty.
In which a burgeoning food crisis is immanent and those who grow the food will have nothing left because it will all be taken and distributed all over the world just so "we" won't be without our precious rice.
In which small business, like my Father's pharmacy, have to compete with giant chains and he works so hard to make sure his children want for nothing and works from eight AM to eight PM, being the boss, the worker and the professional.
In which 19(!) families control 34% (maybe more) of the income of Israel's 500 leading companies - Ynet Article.
In this era of exploitation, by-any-means-necessary-profit, "voluntary" over-time, Life Style and unsustainable economics, it is imperative to mark a day, be it a traditional one or a new one, so long as it's international, where those who are exploited, used and have their rights/see their comrades rights being abused move together in solidarity for a better future for everyone.
And to those who say; there has always been exploitation, there has always been inequality, there have always been those who have and those who don't.
I (and I'm sure many others) say: if there is no change, there is only stagnation and the only "always" that comes from that is death.
...
Um, yeah.
I'm done.
Happy (after)May Day Everyone!
She said that May Day is passé. That it doesn't mean anythings anymore. That only old pensioners still want to march and that only the crazy Left factions still choose to march, that they're on the fringe of the political map.
And now that the Soviet Union doesn't exist anymore it's a meaningless communist holiday.
She said that when she lived in South Africa and communism was illegal and she marched in Anti-Apartheid demos on that day it meant something.
Well, it does still mean something.
It's not a "communist" holiday.
The official title for May Day is International Workers Day, or International Workers Rights Day.
In this era; in which temp workers have almost no rights in their work place.
In which the minimum wage in most countries doesn't correlate with the standard of living.
In which the welfare system discriminates against single parent families (usually singe mothers as we know).
In which there are one day strikes where bosses make promises and get the workers back on track but in fact nothing changes.
In which my friend who works as a Barista in a chain doesn't see the point of a union because she isn't going to stay long enough at the job for it to do any good.
In which strikes demanding better pay, better terms, better education are ignored by the government and completely miss the opportunity to show a united front, in Solidarity, for education, higher learning and a future for those who will get a mediocre education.
In which globalisation enables the movement of cheap labour from a "Third World" country to a "Western" country and these workers are used, abused and can barely sustain themselves because they send the majority of their wages back to their families;
In which the lining of ones pocket is more important than the fact that the majority of the peoples pockets are empty.
In which a burgeoning food crisis is immanent and those who grow the food will have nothing left because it will all be taken and distributed all over the world just so "we" won't be without our precious rice.
In which small business, like my Father's pharmacy, have to compete with giant chains and he works so hard to make sure his children want for nothing and works from eight AM to eight PM, being the boss, the worker and the professional.
In which 19(!) families control 34% (maybe more) of the income of Israel's 500 leading companies - Ynet Article.
In this era of exploitation, by-any-means-necessary-profit, "voluntary" over-time, Life Style and unsustainable economics, it is imperative to mark a day, be it a traditional one or a new one, so long as it's international, where those who are exploited, used and have their rights/see their comrades rights being abused move together in solidarity for a better future for everyone.
And to those who say; there has always been exploitation, there has always been inequality, there have always been those who have and those who don't.
I (and I'm sure many others) say: if there is no change, there is only stagnation and the only "always" that comes from that is death.
...
Um, yeah.
I'm done.
Happy (after)May Day Everyone!
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from shira
Date: 2008-05-02 03:14 pm (UTC)I never even heard of May Day until I read your post.
It's a sad truth
I stand beside you- it's worth fighting for
but why must we only march?
This is why I angrily stated last week in the middle of media class- "I don't think true democracy really exists. Only a few have the power of a voice in reality"
let me tell you that pissed off this one narrow-minded gal in class....and made everyone else really sad.
go figure
no subject
Date: 2008-05-03 07:50 am (UTC)This "era" is nothing new - so instead of royalty, we have successful businessman and businesswoman. Instead of imported slaves we have imported illegal workforce, or shipping costs from producing in less socially advanced countries. (End of correction)
In this Era of limited resources, already stretched thin over a growing portion of the global population - the bar is raised higher then it has been in past generations. Currently we are getting to the point where there isn't enough for everyone to live respectfully (at least by modern-westren standards), not by a long shot. Science would have it's solutions, but it would take time and effort and MORE resources.
I'd celebrate this day in honor of all those working tirelessly so everyone may enjoy the fruits of technology. The use of that techonology is of course a different matter.