Takin' It To The Streets

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to fulfill it." ~ George Santayana.

And, so it is in America today.

For those who may have read about the French Revolution, you will recall a few of the reasons the French people took to the streets in protest:

• Economic factors included hunger and malnutrition in the most destitute segments of the population, due to rising bread prices, and being admonished to "eat cake". Last year, 46.2 million Americans lived in poverty - the highest total since record keeping began more than half a century ago.

• Another cause was the state's effective bankruptcy due to the enormous cost of previous wars, particularly the financial strain caused by French participation in the American Revolutionary War. Today in America we are financially burdened by the cost of two unfunded wars. In France, the social burdens caused by war included the huge war debt. 

• France's inefficient and antiquated financial system was unable to manage the national debt, something which was both partially caused and exacerbated by the burden of an inadequate system of taxation. In today's America, Congress is unable or unwilling to manage the national debt. A full 67% of Americans favor a deal that includes taxes on wealthy individuals and corporations, according to a poll released by Quinnipiac University. Like the French aristocracy, the Republican Party refuses to listen to the people demanding a more equitable system of taxation.

• The royal court at Versailles was seen as being isolated from, and indifferent to, the hardships of the lower classes. King Louis XVI was an absolute monarch, but he was often indecisive and known to back down when faced with strong opposition. While he did reduce government expenditures, opponents in the Parliament successfully thwarted his attempts at enacting much needed reforms. If that doesn't sound familiar to you, then you have been living on another planet.

On July 14, 1789 the French people stormed the Bastille. On September 17, 2011 Occupy Wall Street began. By October 9, 2011 similar demonstrations had been held or were ongoing in over 70 cities. The French aristocracy, like the Republican party and the Wall Street bankers, failed to take the protesters seriously - until heads began to roll.

The Republicans as well as the Democrats need to listen to the people - all of the people and not just the special interest groups. The Tea Baggers just need to sit down and shut up!

Today, we are seeing democracy in action with Americans "takin' it to the streets".