[Reader-list] Message from Chinese activists and academics in support of Occupy Wall Street

Thu Oct 13 20:02:14 IST 2011

praiseworthy sentiments, unlikely to change much:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/25/nyregion/protesters-are-gunning-for-wall-street-with-faulty-aim.html?_r=2

On Thu, Oct 13, 2011 at 2:08 PM, Patrice Riemens <patrice at xs4all.nl> wrote:

> Reposted from nettime-l with usual apps 4 X-posting!
>
>
> This letter of solidarity, signed over by 50 intellectuals and activists in
> China, was posted to Utopia yesterday. Thanks to everyone for the
> translation and editing work!
>
> http://chinastudygroup.net/2011/10/message-from-chinese-activists-and-
> academics-in-support-of-occupy-wall-street/
>
> >From the middle of September, a great "Wall Street Revolution" has broken
> out in the United States. This street revolution, going by the name of
> "Occupy Wall Street," has already expanded to over 70 cities and countries
> in North America, Europe, and other areas. In their statement on "The Wall
> Street Revolution," the American people have sworn that this demand for "a
> democratic country, not a corporate kingdom" mass democratic revolution
> must spread to every part of the world, and they will not rest until this
> goal is met. From the anti-capitalist demonstrations that began after the
> 2008 financial crisis, and which this year have spread across Europe, the
> Middle East, North Africa and South America, this magnificent global mass
> democratic movement has finally spread to the center of capitalism's
> financial empire -- Wall Street.
>
> The eruption of the "Wall Street Revolution" is an historical indicator
> that the popular democratic revolution that will soon sweep the world is
> set to begin. It is an especially significant and important event for this
> movement. Before this most recent action, street protests had virtually
> been exclusively used as a tool by US elite groups to subvert other
> countries. Now, however, the "Wall Street Revolution" -- with its goals of
> shared prosperity and popular democracy -- has launched protests in the
> country that is the self-proclaimed defender of democracy. This will
> inevitably strike a hard blow against the US elite group, itself
> responsible for the plunder and oppression of people all over the world,
> and the group that pushed the world into crisis and instability. The
> protests ring the death knell of the rule of capital. Popular democracy
> will replace elite democracy in the 21st Century, and the curtain has
> lifted on the movement from elite politics to popular politics. Using the
> language of the "Wall Street Revolution," this is a struggle of the popular
> 99% against the corrupt 1%, a struggle of the popular 99% against the elite
> 1%,and is the final struggle of the popular forces against elite capitalist
> rule.
>
> The world belongs to all of the people of the world. Countries belong to
> the entire people of those countries. Even more so, wealth is produced by
> the entire people, and therefore should be shared by the entire people, it
> cannot be monopolized by the 1% -- or even less than 1% -- that is made up
> of an extremely small number of elites. The demand for common prosperity in
> economics, and popular democracy in politics has become an unstoppable
> historical trend! The rapid expansion of a fictitious economy and the
> massive flow of social wealth has created an amply reliable material
> foundation for the realization of the common wealth of all people. The
> development of internet technology and political civilization has created
> the conditions for human society to make the transition from capitalist
> democracy to popular democracy. Human society is fully capable of
> transforming, on the foundation of the past democracy of slaveholders, the
> democracy of feudal lords, and the democracy of the capitalist class, to
> make the fundamental shift from the democracy of the elites to real popular
> democracy. Common prosperity and popular democracy will become the main
> content of the historical transformation of the 21st Century. No matter how
> brutally the American riot police will attempt to suppress the participants
> in the Wall Street revolution, no matter how much the global elites --
> especially those in the U.S. and China  -- try to suppress news of the Wall
> Street revolution, they cannot stop the vigorous growth and ultimate
> victory of the democratic revolution of the people of the world.
>
> The violent repression and virtual blockade of news about the "Wall Street
> Revolution" by elite groups led by the US proves that the fate of oppressed
> people around the world is the same, regardless of whether they are from
> developed or developing countries, whether they are from so-called
> democracies or authoritarian countries. The international elite was the
> first class to link-up internationally via globalization. Their plunder of
> public wealth and repression of popular democratic movements is cruel and
> far-reaching, and utterly lacking in freedom and democracy. So-called
> freedom and democracy in modern society is nothing more than democracy for
> capitalism, an elite democracy. Freedom is another word for the elite to
> plunder, oppress and violently suppress others. Popular forces have been
> completely excluded from the freedoms and democracy of modern society, and
> the extent of democratic rights is to choose between presidential
> candidates that have already been vetted by capital. You can vote once
> every four years, but you have no way of affecting the people above you who
> directly determine your fate: your boss or superior. And there is no way of
> constraining the capitalistoligarchs who can take away the wealth of the
> majority of the population with the slight of hand of fictitious capital.
> Freedom and democracy have become a virtual game, nothing more than a tool
> to subvert other countries. Now the popular and democratic world revolution
> -- symbolized by the "Wall Street Revolution"- demands an end to this
> political game, and that freedom and democracy be returned to the people.
> Democracy is not just a check on the president, but a check on government
> officials; democracy is not just a check on power, but a check on capital.
> If the rights and privileges of feudal and absolute rulers are understood
> to be a sin and abomination, then giving those rights to capital is also a
> travesty.
>
> Securities and computer networks should have been two crucial elements of
> our shift from an industrial society to an information society, from a
> material economy to a virtual economy, from capitalism to a human-centered
> economic system, and from elite politics to popular politics. But the elite
> class has turned securities into a tool of appropriation akin to the
> 'indulgences' issued by middle-age church functionaries in Europe. In the
> new securitized economy, all the public's wealth can easily melt into thin
> air -- including their houses, wages, labor power and even their hope for
> the future. All these things have become the targets of appropriation by a
> tiny elite minority. Both the white-collar middle classes in developed
> countries -- owners of fictitious property, and the blue-collar workers in
> developing countries who cannot afford housing or health care, belong in
> point of fact to the same class: modern proletariat. When the people
> protest the unprecedented plunder and vast income gap perpetrated by
> fictitious capital, they are met with violent repression -- both in so-
> called democracy countries that claim to be defenders of human rights such
> as the US, and in authoritarian countries that are said to lack freedom and
> democracy. Faced with street protests erupting from the Balkans to North
> Africa, President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton have repeated over
> and over, "The rights of peaceful protest and the occupation of public
> space should be respected at all times." Yet when US citizens attempt to
> exercise this right they immediately are faced with violent repression by
> armed police, and a blockade by the news media. If this is reaction of the
> US -- the self-proclaimed leader in human rights -- then we can imagine
> what the reaction will be in other capitalist countries. Rule by the
> capitalist elite is just as described by the "Wall Street Revolution" --
> everywhere. There is nowhere left were we can live and die as people.
>
> The eruption of the "Wall Street Revolution" in the heart of the world's
> financial empire shows that 99% of the world's people remain exploited and
> oppressed -- regardless of whether they are from developed or developing
> countries. People throughout the world see their wealth being plundered,
> and their rights being taken away. Economic polarization is now a common
> threat to all of us. The conflict between popular and elite rule is also
> found in all countries. Now, however, the popular democratic revolution
> meets repression not just from its own ruling class, but also from the
> world elite that has formed through globalization. The "Wall Street
> Revolution" has met with repression from US police, but also suffers from a
> media blackout organized by the Chinese elite.
>
> The same fate, the same pain, the same problems, the same conflict. Faced
> with a common enemy in an elite global class that has already linked-up,
> the people of the world have only one option: to unite and in a unified and
> shared struggle overturn the rule of the capitalist elite, to ensure that
> everyone enjoys the basic human rights of work, housing, health care,
> education, and a secure old-age. But we must go further if we are to
> realize shared prosperity and popular democracy in a new socialist world
> historical framework, If we are to fully escape and neutralize the crises
> and disasters that capitalism has brought the human race, and realize
> harmonious social development.
>
> The great "Wall Street Revolution" and the great popular "Chilean Winter"
> that preceded it signal that the day when we realize shared prosperity and
> popular democracy is approaching. It signals that worldwide popular and
> democratic socialist movement -- dormant since the 1970s -- is waking up
> again. But this time, it will be the final battle to put capitalism in its
> grave. The victory of popular democracy and death of elite rule are
> inevitable! The embers of revolt are scattered amongst us all, waiting to
> burn with the slightest breeze. The great era of popular democracy, set to
> change history, has arrived again!
>
> Resolutely support the American people in the "Wall Street Revolution"!
>
> Resolutely support all street protests pushing for shared prosperity and
> popular demoracy!
>
> Long live the "Wall Street Revolution"!
>
> Long live the global movement for popular democracy!
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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