The humane obligation of conscience or… extinction rebellion? World rebellion!

The world war of democracy against its people is now official.

On Oct 20, 2019, Chilean president Sebastian Pinera publicly admitted the singular capitalist threat implicitly and silently embraced by virtually all politicians across our embattled Earth: Pinera formally declared war on his people. Said this corporatist salesman of the draconian and ever-expanding horrors of corporatist austerity—better known as greed: “We are at war against a powerful enemy, who is willing to use violence without any limits.”

Then, Pinera had his army unload their weaponry on the non-violent protesters; attempting to kill the dreams of freedom by these impoverished Chilean people who had reached the limits of their human tolerance for this oppression. As a natural reaction, a million Chileans hit the streets to raise their middle fingers at Pinera and all he and his puppet masters stand for. Then they did it again. They continue to do so this day.

Pinera’s self-serving lie, however, had already been recently translated into English by another corporate lackey also no longer possessed of proper human conscience: disgraced former UK Prime Minister Theresa May, who, while departing No.10 for Brussels with her ever reddening barbed tail thus tucked between her bowed and knee scabbed legs, declared to the world: “Populism will be the death of the Conservative party!” in a democracy?!

Occupy redux?—a forgotten spark in a worldwide box of matches.

“The greatest crimes in the world are not committed by people breaking the rules … but by people following the rules.”—Banksy

The world is in flames as never before. Humanity has had all it can take. It will take no more.

Now cornered by national oppression orchestrated by an insatiable globalist salivation for untold riches, the human-animal has but one remaining choice. It is now time for strong words and stronger actions. It is time for real populist leadership. It is time—in any national language—for growing worldwide opposition and activism to come together as one. The forces of capitalism fight minute-by-minute in a collective battle against humanity. The world must now rebel with maximum strength, not only as nations but as the global Congress of the Humane.

As seen in so many desperate protests across the globe, this Congress is increasing, but so far without a cohesive effort that transcends boundaries with a common focal point, one that will bring all national protest movements together to fight this corporate enemy of man. After spending a week marching through the streets of London while reflecting with optimism on the increased opposition protests globally, it just may be that Extinction Rebellion—that scourge started mere months ago here in London—will provide effective necessary organization and an epicentre of protest to this overdue worldwide non-violent demand for real systemic governmental change.

Today, the list of truly populist national leaders is a rarity of decimal point proportions. This past month’s’ American backed and capitalist orchestrated horror show coup against newly re-elected Bolivian President Evo Morales well illustrates this in detail each and every day. Those who aspire to true leadership—like Morales—are demonized, marginalized and vilified—or overthrown—by Zio-Corporate interests and a complicit media that exists for the same purpose as Pinera and May and who have no interest whatsoever in populist democracy.

Rather, today’s leaders of each of the purported international democracies—political, spiritual, and societal—are in reality a far-reaching sociopathic conspiracy cloaked within a very antiquated definition of “democracy” long ago dead and gone. These faux leaders are gladly willing to steal the livelihood of the many while defrauding all but themselves of any future prosperity, thus stealing the democratic apple once known as “Hope” and turning it, instead, into nothing more than a dangling carrot.

Yet…they still want more!

Throughout our ever more impoverished world, what these forces of non-stop austerity do not want, will never tolerate, and abhor to the base of their soulless drive for greed—ever—is resistance: A public resistance that becomes a rebellion and then sparks into revolution. This natural humanist cycle –now suffering under similar social conditions as seen today-has been repeated throughout history by humane civilian necessity when the proper conscience of man finally awakens to the vital need for personal or family liberation from…one’s own government!

These “primal forces of nature, Mr Beale”?!: Oh, how they detest Extinction Rebellion.

For, it is THEM that we come for!

***

As I stepped off the train at Paddington Station after a two-hour ride down to London, memories came to mind of arriving in Los Angeles, then New York, then Washington, D.C., in what seemed like aeons ago, but a mere eight years. Like tens of thousands of others back then whose backs had been broken by the last straw of capitalism, I had come to resist. The name of that resistance was called, “Occupy!”

In those heady days, there was an optimism in the air and an understanding, like here this past few weeks at XR, that it was indeed the “system itself” that was-is—the problem, and that we could change it. Would change it. As documented in more than twenty articles from the Occupy camps at that time and recently encapsulated in, “The Day American Activism Died,” a nation rose to fix that endemic problem: to fix the system. Occupy provided a communal epicentre within scores of US towns for common collective protest. We did this so well—all of us—that Occupy was within 30 days of the first Occupy National Assembly and a potential move to a third political party. Better: A return to the proper definition of populist democracy too long ago forgotten.

Then America’s new constitutional scholar president… he crushed it!

That experience in becoming involved with Occupy on both coasts of America, now on this new day, left an indelible and sad memory of what might have been.

So, while marching up the stairs of Charing Cross station in London, a city steeped in populist history that provided sanctuary to Marx and later Lenin and saw the powerful rise of the political epicentres of The Weavers and the Chartists who propagated social revolution in the time of the industrial revolution. Walking over to Trafalgar Square to join my new brethren at the main XR camp, as I tossed down my backpack—the same one as long before—I once again slowly straightened my spine, drew breath and looked about the camp; slowly turning 360 to carefully study this brand new epicentre of protest: it’s colours, it’s tents, its banners, its protesters chatting with impassioned gestures in small groups, the costumes; drummers beating skins, musicians playing and optimism dancing.

Listening with just the right ears to these increasing winds of change, one could hear a special note so rarely heard: that perfect low rumbling pitch…a cadence? A march? Ever-increasing in its frequency, rising high across this XR camp, entwining with every part of it to create a sweet music that only a concert made of the full instruments of human protest can distil into a simple smile. Oh, it had been far, far, too long. So, so many memories roared back in once again before moistened eyes.

But what had we learned?

***

The world everywhere howls in protest. Worldwide, democracy is now merely oppression rebranded. The old-fashioned definition is repeatedly dashed on the rocks of capitalist austerity while the cries of so many nations beg for release from the iron grip of America, IMF, World Bank, EU, and the docket of ever-greedy corporations and their prostitute politicians who provide them with the military support for their crimes. This has been witnessed just this past week in Chile, Guinea, Catalonia, Kashmir, Hong Kong, Honduras, Argentina, Brazil, El Salvador, Pakistan, Gaza, Egypt, Lebanon, Haiti, Puerto Rico, and again on the Brexit stained streets here in London; where the same human condition has been squeezed—and squeezed—to rebellion.

These protests are growing. They will not stop.

Worldwide, the problem is now understood by far too many. Silence? Acquiescence? Obedience? No more. World protesters are now righteous in their individual causes and sacrifices. But, they all so far lack the one essential strength—the First Rule of Democracy—necessary to achieve real long-lasting change. So far, they resist alone. To win, all must come together.

The first rule of democracy

Sudan has shown that this first rule of democracy when properly used, can truly bring populist change from authoritarian rule and a return back to old-style democracy, a democracy abhorred in the minds of the corporatist’s drive for ongoing profits.

Like Sudan and Occupy, Extinction Rebellion is a substantial societal threat to the established status quo: XR offers a gathering of all like minds to rebel against all the ills of capitalism run amuck…together.

This past April, after a year of organizing and planning XR and its initial UK protest achieved its first staggering victory here in London: the world’s first Parliamentary resolution recognizing Global Warming as a problem. Joining in the collective victory celebration, the anonymous activist artist Banksy appeared—and then disappeared—after encouraging the XR victors on a London street wall: “From This Moment Despair Ends… And Tactics Begin!”

Tactics. The tactics of rebellion. Tactics that cannot be ignored. The tactics of awareness. The tactics that slap the blank disaffected, apathetic, and catatonic stare from the faces of today’s brainwashed and indentured public and into collective shocked, wide-eyed action.

Eight years ago, we marched to encourage the world to come together and shout, “Occupy!” Today, and in those most important days ahead, under the inclusive banner of XR those in London, Belgium, Sydney, and dozens of other cities sent out for two weeks this invitation to the protest movements worldwide to rise-up together.

This second massive XR global example in October and its encouragement on behalf of those who also suffer daily under the oppression of our boot blackened world is the inevitable beginning. More and more the world now shouts for freedom from the chains of austerity and oppression: A call that translates in every national language into a simple universal shout of collective worldwide protest, translated here in London on behalf of all nations into one call of global action: “Extinction…REBELLION!”

Rebellion is no longer the humane duty of mankind…it is its obligation!

An umbrella of truth in a reign of propaganda

“It does not matter what you know about anything if you cannot communicate to your people. In that event, you are not even a failure. You’re just not there. “—Saul Alinsky.

In the month or so since the formal protests of early October ended in London and its affiliate cities, XR has not dissipated as Occupy did. XR instead has flourished, with many RSVPs to the XR invitation coming in almost daily from across the globe. So… Extinction Rebellion is being attacked on all fronts.

It has been the strongest compliment to the effectiveness of XR that throughout the two-week international call to action virtually all media offerings demonized the specifically non-violent goals and tactics of the scores of independent XR affiliated protest groups and the tens of thousands of protesters who came together under the XR banner worldwide.

Despite the vast number of individual and different issues brought to consciousness under the XR umbrella issue of Global Warming, almost none of the media whores during the two week protest so much as provided a factual discussion on any one of these other many issues, preferring instead to use fact-less propaganda to minimize the collective XR statement and its thousands of participants.

Similarly, these presstitutes denied, again and again, the overarching subject of Global Warming.

To be clear: The proper term is “Global Warming;” not the too conveniently politically correct and rebranded “Climate Change.” Only a thus affected dullard who has been transfixed on media sound bites and is unable to read a thermometer and do simple math (or major stockholders of fossil fuel, military and/or banking corporations) can deny the obvious: The earth is warming at an ever-increasing pace. This fact is not open to debate.

Faced with this obvious admission, the only remaining discourse on this fact is whether Global Warming is, One: man-made because of a decades-long unregulated corporate quest for untold riches in exchange for the loss of planetary life; or, Two: merely the natural progression of the earth as it spirals ever more towards the natural extinction of all air-breathing mammals. Either way, these minions of greed seek to force either option as acceptable upon one’s mind so that the Earth may be nicely pillaged-without resistance—in the meantime. Regardless of which allegiance one’s mind does attach itself to, one might also think that self-preservation would rise to the forefront of both sides of this very polar argument.

Here may lie the worldwide strength of Extinction Rebellion.

In the hopeful days of Occupy, we claimed to be the 99% who had come to confront the 1% who had, election-by-election, become the masters of our society and political system. But we were not the 99%: merely a hopeful 1% looking to grow into higher percentages that would bring the First Rule of Democracy back to life. So, grow Occupy did.

Occupy was all-too-soon destroyed by America’s Nubian president in blackface as a personal favour to his corporate masters. As a calculated result, without a remaining epicentre for resistance (the camps) and therefore severely handicapped in propagating a national cause of action that would inspire populist inclusion, Occupy died a quick death, as did our long-ago dreams of freedom.

Extinction Rebellion does not seem to have this problem. To foment world rebellion XR states it needs the theoretical metric of 3.5 % of the population. XR showcases a worldwide societal cause, Global Warming that provides a core issue and thus an opportunity for all to educate themselves on this vital problem, and by extension achieve the 3.5%. Additionally, the many other vital worlds and national causes of action and resistance are also brought to awareness as is an implicit invitation to join this resistance.

However, in the hands of XR Global Warming has become by necessity something far more important: a universal metaphor: One that defines succinctly in two words all the scores of societal violations that these soulless corporations, their governmental minions and their foot soldier militaries have perpetrated across the earth in violation of the correct humane conscience of man.

***

The biggest misconception about Extinction Rebellion is that this opposition group started regarding Global Warming first and foremost. Not so. As founding member Stuart Basden points out, XR started in an effort to change many societal violations by fomenting non-violent rebellion against all issues. Deliberately, the vehicle that was chosen was Global Warming because it is indeed a global issue that transcends borders and therefore showcases other issues.

XR started in April of 2018 with about fifteen activists including spokespersons Gail Bradbrook, Roger Hallam with the goal as Basden put it, “to try to create the conditions that would initiate a rebellion.” Theirs was a continuation of the Rising-Up network of movements that had begun in 2016. Within their five initial working groups, these upstarts took their understanding of the historical necessities of rebellion-3.5%—and revolutionary theory into action. Some are former Occupy members. One year later, they and XR morphed into a force that shut down London and forced the UK Parliament to formally and publicly acknowledge a climate emergency. Twice.

That’s victory. That’s direct action.

Using a modified revolutionary doctrine than Occupy did, XR has shortened the democratic process offered at the London protests. This use of an alternative purely democratic, inclusionary and non-violent protest model also allows for the participation of all involved. By dividing those in attendance at the Citizen’s Assemblies (CAs) into dozens of working groups within the whole body of willing protesters these working groups were then tasked with autonomously deriving their answer or solution to an individual problem or issue. After a prescribed time, usually twenty minutes, each group delivered its result and these were tabulated and rendered to the crowd for final approval or further deliberation based on the findings. Observed in action, this technique was a vast improvement on the Occupy model which in its own attempt at complete democratic inclusion was laborious, tedious, very lengthy and simply… really fucking boring.

A very partial list of the groups present in London alone included: XR Faith, International Solidarity Network, XR Youth, XR Women’s Actions, XR Families, XR Peace, Animal Rebellion, Skeleton Rebellion, XR Mothers, Scientists for XR, Parents for Future/ UK’ XR Disability Network, Mothers Rise-Up, XR Art Blockers, and dozens of others.

All of these important social justice groups had previously at best been reduced to the back pages of MSM or the too few struggling independent news services trying to bring their cause and XR before the public’s attention. Their individual protests within the two weeks of XR/ London are just as important as Global Warming in their own right. XR understands, like Occupy, that there is strength in numbers. Hence, all who embrace the similarly simple provisions of non-violent XR resistance are welcome to protest.

As to these goals, XR lists only three:

1) Tell the Truth: The lies of corporate-controlled media are working as propaganda. Governments worldwide must declare a climate and ecological emergency and work with independent institutions to communicate the urgency for change.

2) Act Now: Governments, activists and world citizens must act now to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2025.

3) Beyond Politics: Governments must create and be led by the decisions of populist Citizens’ Assemblies on climate, ecological and economic justice.

To bolster the Three goals, XR articulates ten principles that are as easily acceptable to those of proper human conscience. Each of these ten is addressed individually in great detail for the reader by XR, but highlights include:

• Creating a world that is fit for future generations to come.
• Mobilising 3.5% of the population to achieve system change nationally and globally.
• Creating a global regenerative culture which is sustainable, healthy, resilient and adaptable.
• Leaving personal comfort zones to take part in the action for change.
• Breaking down the hierarchies of power for more equitable participation by citizens.
• Using massive non-violent strategy and tactics as the most effective way to bring about change.

*

The root causes of Global Warming are the same causes of virtually all the impoverished world’s other problems as well. This was best summed up by activist hero and capitalist demon, Greta Thunberg, whom herself managed to rocket the issue of Global Warming to proper international attention and, at sixteen, encapsulated the true scourge of all of society by saying what many already knew: “If the system won’t change …then we should change the system itself.”

Of course, these words and actions of Greta Thunberg—like those of XR—have been particularly demonized. This is because she, too, provides a needed aspect of rebellion equally hated by the status quo: Leadership!

Greta’s speech at the UN Climate Summit came in for a frothing reaction by these same concubines because of her emotions and powerful, strongly crafted words. For shame, maggots! It is indeed high time for strong words and impassioned emotions. Nothing else!

In the days of Occupy, the organization of the protests was done by mobile phone and by word of mouth within the camps. Here at XR/London, WhatsApp and Telegram mobile Apps were and continue to be the new lifelines. Regardless of the fantasy that both are encrypted from the cops, all interested journalists were provided with a Telegram thread to the ongoing actions as they happen. Protesters are on a WhatsApp thread. This reporter was provided both and my phone still beeps constantly with new news. In a sign of a small victory; Facebook had a small presence within the protests.

A month on from the October protests, my phone is still beeping several times each day with XR news. Protest this very day is alive and buzzing. London is anything but dormant. World citizens thus bitten with the infection of freedom can join in this one-way ongoing XR news thread on WhatsApp by using UK phone number +44 7479 234522. This news comes in from London and around the world.

November saw the second issue of the online and print XR publication, “The Hour Glass,” come to press. Also available online, The Hour Glass is a slick colour tabloid-sized newsprint publication in the mode of the long-ago Village Voice or the vaunted Berkeley Barb that once had their turn at rebellion via the written word. Already thousands of print subscribers have signed on for delivery to their mailbox in more than a dozen countries. Issue One saw the first run of 140,000 which has already swelled to 180,000 on its second print and climbing. The first two issues can be enjoyed here or subscribed to.

My phone just beeped. Another XR text: Qatar, Israel, Lebanon and Turkey have now joined the fray!

It is time!

Black and white do not a color revolution make

“It doesn’t take a majority to make a rebellion; it takes only a few determined leaders and a sound cause.“—H.L. Mencken

The issue of Global Warming like the many other international causes for resistance is simply black and white. The world is literally and figuratively growing hotter. At XR/ London at the October protests, one privately discussed concern was that almost every example of demonstrative national populist protest in other locales is excused away immediately by MSM using the too convenient brush of being a “colour revolution.” Freedom has no one color.

This excuse incorrectly suggests that the protesters are not sincere—nor intelligent—and instead are merely pawns of some globalist external force; not impassioned world citizens who have been pushed to the breaking point by these same forces of oppression and manipulation. When an issue is factually black and white, such as Global Warming-or greed—using the ridiculous accusation of Color Revolution to negate the correct human desire for a return to the proper conscience of man speaks directly to a personal arrogance and ignorance of mind that can only be purchased.

To counter this massive corporate media distortion Extinction Rebellion has maintained internet-based transparency on its website. In answer to XR critics and their distortions, XR has, among the tremendous amount of accurate information on their website included an extensive list of answers and facts to media questions and allegations. But of course, this link is not presented to the public for their consideration of the truth of XR.

An excellent interview of Oct 8, 2019, with Gail Bradbrook, one of the co-founders of Extinction Rebellion by Amy Goodman on Democracy Now further detailed the reality, professionalism and reasons for the necessity of XR, and why it is growing globally.

One of the primary mandates, like Occupy, is non-violent protest: protest that relies on the First Rule of Democracy—massive politically overwhelming collective populist protest that vastly outnumbers its oppressors and outweighs media propaganda. Throughout the days of the two-week protest, everyday reminders of this obligation to non-violence arrived on every protester’s mobile phone as well as congratulations for a non-violent job well done at the end of the day’s protests. Each time, an unknown kindly voice of reason mysteriously appeared again and again on our phones each day with more and more news, but more importantly words of encouragements, solicitations and advice for remaining calm while bringing the XR message to those who have yet to penetrate the wall of media lies and receive the truth on many issues. At the end of each day, this same secret angelic voice, again and again, brought final words of wisdom and togetherness and love to all before sleep. A reminder: to renew our individual and collective strength for the next day’s fight ahead.

Of course, this encouragement of love and togetherness was laughed at by the press as being the folly of crusty hippies. In a corporate world where “love” is reduced to a mere marketing tool of commercialism, it is not surprising that any sincere message of love, tolerance and togetherness would also suffer a similar fate. Love, like freedom, is a fundamental right of man and the strongest of emotions. So, to the protesters at XR this was a time to smile, dance, pound drums, cavort, congress and come together in hope. For a full two weeks, this collective drive towards a return to Love and Hope? Well… it drove the hatred filled media absolutely bat shit!

Images of the protester’s laughter filled the front pages of every British rag as if to finally rid society of this folly. This love. Virtually every publication globally relegated this revelry by the protesters to that of the outcast activist or the hippie lunatic. Neither was true, for in the mind of the activist there is always that tremor of anger deep down, an uneasiness, a reason to bring that anger finally to the streets: the one that reminders of love keep in check. But protests can be really boring…unless you have some fun. And fun was everywhere at XR.

In support of the Indigenous Indian tribes worldwide that are being displaced or slaughtered to make room for further capitalist expansion, a large march was well attended on Oct 10. The massive $ 3.7 trillion hedge fund known as Black Rock was besieged in 1999 Seattle/WTO fashion by hundreds of protesters on Oct 14. Black Rock is virtually unknown for their being the number one investor in fossil fuel extractions and the deforestation of the planet and the related localized murder. The protest saw many protesters willingly arrested and local traffic brought to a standstill. As it was with the many protest actions, the result was an awakening about the evil known as Black Rock by thousands who were previously clueless. To prevent Black Rock from slipping back into the shadows the protest returned en masse on Nov 15.

A good 1,500 plus attended the Oct 15 “Bank” protest named for the Bank of England and the local tube station of the same name near the corner of Princess and Threadneedle streets. Here, these and five other normally very busy London streets intersect at a large apex perfect to fit a gathering of cavorting protesters in between adjacent Cornhill and Lombard streets. And lots of cops.

For hours the protesters shut down this intersection and thus a good portion of nearby downtown traffic. Speeches were given, music was played and just to keep up the energy a troop of 25-30 drummers came marching down King William Street to the join the crowd while providing a great dance beat for all to rejuvenate themselves to.

The list of protests large and small over the two weeks is a very long one indeed and a tribute to the energy brought to London by each and every one. Why had they come after so many years of being missing in action from these London streets so steeped in rebellion past? As Robbie, a young twenty-something protester answered as he grooved next to me to the cacophony of the flailing drums;” You fucking kidding, Mate?! You don’t get nuffing done ‘aving a bloody good moan. Mate! You get up on your feet and…” here he quickly pointed all about us into the pulsating crowd, then laughed so loud others looked our way, and finished, ” well…you just fucking dance!” which he did while shuffling, shimmying, bouncing, and twirling as he re-penetrated the undulating crowd full of smiles.

Nonviolence carried the day on all days save one. This was committed by members of the general public who beat a non-violent protester during the much-debated London Underground protest of Thurs. Oct 18, one that effectively brought further attention to Global Warming by shutting down a significant portion of the central London subway for several hours. In their rush to work, these domesticated Londoners preferred to vent their own pent up anger on those who would, unfortunately, remind them of their dissipating freedoms, their ever-depleting bank accounts, their reduced pensions and their austerity riddled lives.

During the days of Occupy, the cops were always of concern. They hated us and they beat the crap out of as many Occupiers as often as possible using Agents Provocateur placed within our ranks to start violence and thus allow them a reason for a renewed orgy of police brutality. Not so here in London. Shooting citizens for sport, such as in the American Empire, has not yet gained popularity in the UK primarily due to the cops suffering a mandated civilian inquest for any shooting or violent indiscretion.

Nearly 3000 protesters in London and another 3000 worldwide during the two weeks decided to make the ultimate sacrifice and to be arrested during the many different actions. None offered resistance. Every age, ethnicity, religion, sex and orientation offered themselves up to be led away—or carried—proudly to the cheers of those who fully understood their decision to be an example of personal leadership. XR provided support groups to those arrested and upon their release, all were met at the jail doors by supporters, as well as ongoing effective legal representation. The XR legal team is of particular note for its dogged and tenacious fight on behalf of the protesters and the UK Constitution. Their willingness to push all issues as fast as possible all the way-if necessary—to the UK High Court has seen the majority of the arrests deemed as illegal. The arbitrary edict of Homeland Secretary, Priti Patel, that razed the XR camps and prohibited any and all XR public assembly was also held to be an illegal infringement of civil rights. This is important and echoes back to the exile of Marx and other populists who began the last great populist uprising against the horrors of Capitalism. In each court ruling, the courts have sided with the protester’s absolute right to exert their statements of sincere personal conscience via non-violent protest and that this right will not be rescinded.

To their credit, the London cops did not hurt or rough up any of the protesters. When they massed repeatedly to cordon off or kettle the protests, the protesters gladly complied and it was a regular occurrence to see a cop laughing along with a nearby or advancing cop who was enjoying a chat in an otherwise—for a cop—uneventful day. Pictures of cops dancing with joyous protesters were, of course, scrubbed after publication and when pictures and video did surface the media demonized the cops for having fun.

However, one behind the scenes worry was whispered. Always whispered. A worry that has destroyed modern populist movements too many times before by using surreptitious violence to brand forever the achievements of sincere practical non-violent direct action with those two all damaging words: Color Revolution.

Sitting and finally resting my feet next to one of the two huge cast bronze lions at the base of the Trafalgar Square monument, a solitary suitcase sat by itself and was suddenly noticed by those of us taking a break. It belonged to none of us.

For a while, not much was said, but we all watched the bag with sideways glances. The large bag was thankfully removed nonetheless, but as the unknown baggage was gingerly carted away by two well-meaning cops, we all breathed a sigh of relief. Memories of Maidan Square and Hong Kong and many others were too close to the mark. Certainly, the press had already attempted to cast everyone here as a paid-for puppet of any one of today’s too many manipulative oligarchs. All that was needed was one bomb to go off and…

Instead, nonviolence was shouted, texted and reminded all day. XR well understands the historical dirty tricks applied by the forces of the status quo to the sincere calls for freedom worldwide.

XR is non-violent. That’s that!

Nothing more than history…of rebellion!

“Unlike Rome, we have not exploited our empire. On the contrary, our empire has exploited us….” —Ronald Steel

War has begun. Our politicians and world leaders have declared this war upon us. There is no other choice, for the leaders of the fascist governed world spawned by the scourge of humanity, America, has already armed itself to the teeth and thrown the gauntlet into our face as a challenge. What other message is there when this past week Zio-America’s piggish pimp, Sec. Of State, Mike Pompeo assured his capitalist puppet masters that his America, will, “work with legitimate (governments) to prevent protests from morphing into riots and violence that don’t reflect the democratic will of the people.”

Of course, Pompeo failed to mention to his cover audience at the University of Louisville, in Kentucky: That “democracy” is dead to him and his ilk and that the “people” he refers to are whomever he and masters allow to be in power regardless of elections. In doing so, Pompeo has now, like Theresa May and Sebastian Pinera declared war.

But the war these aberrations of conscience fight is much more than for control of our lives, families and futures. Much worse, for this battle is for that of our minds, our free will and our existing proper conscience of man… one that continues to awaken exponentially across our ever more ravaged world and in our tortured souls. Scum like Pompeo exists as mere bullies who, without their hired guns and muscle, would soon suffer the justice of a well—deserved Mussolini style public immolation.

While the arbitrary metric of 3.5% may prove to be sufficient to foment world rebellion, what is for certain is that understanding of the need for resistance will directly and proportionally increase in reaction to capitalism’s desperate draconian responses. Extinction of the humane conscience is not an option. The human desire for freedom, family, prosperity, and a future are the correct traits of the sane mind.

In the eight years since Occupy was quashed the world has continued to spiral down the drain of a swap of corporate and political greed that has only been more emboldened by the lack of popular resistance and leadership.

Until now.

The return to the humane condition of rebellion is long overdue. For the past eight years it has smoldered, while the unconscionable forces of greed continued to increase the pressure in the false assumption that this fundamental human condition of man would always continue to endure their lashings, their hunger, their murder, or the blanket and wanton and absolute disregard for the value of human life except as chattel.

The human spirit will not tolerate this any longer. Twist the knife as you will! Each scream of anguish, each cry for freedom and every howl of protest from our oppressed world grasps at each and every remaining human heart. In any world language, any nation, any religion, race, colour or creed the correct conscience of man will never sacrifice the correct humane and fundamental right of humanity: Freedom…from oppression.

The organization that is Extinction Rebellion has been a good start. From what this reporter observed in a week on the streets and the dozens of text messages afterwards, XL is growing across Britain and worldwide while the Hour Glass logo flies in more countries every week. The ranks of protests worldwide have swollen and become emboldened. Yes, fascist leaders like Trump, Pompeo, May, Pinera, Bolsonaro, el-Sisi, etc. will use the only tool they know-force—to attempt to put the tear gas back into its lead bottle of fascism, but this will be met with even more rebellion and suffer a similar fate. History, the history of despots, dictators and false prophets will come again and will certainly meet the First Rule of Democracy. The correct conscience of man will no longer be denied.

***

There’s an energy one receives at large protests. It lasts.

Heading down the metal stairs of Charing Cross after a week my feet were light, despite my backpack, now strangely tapping out a cadence long forgotten while skipping down to the train. One… two, three. One, two, three… and four, five. On the last flight down to the train landing my boots again accidentally click that same cadence on the metal stairs once again. One… two, three. One, two, three…and four, five. A rhythm? A beat. Weren’t there words?

Dead tired but smiling still I sit down and throw my feet up on the opposing blue seat, now humming and drumming to find those words missing from my mind: One… two, three. One, two, three…and four-five. That strange cadence, the cadence of a chant—a protest chant—from a lifetime ago.

One… two, three. One, two, three… and four-five. Struggling, the words slowly coming back, buried too long under the last eight years of growing madness.

One… two, three. One, two, three… and four, five. That’s it! My favourite chant from those bygone days of Occupy, days that, after a week on the streets, have suddenly returned. To my mind!

“Shit’s… fucked up!
Shit’s fucked Up…and bullshit!”
“Shit’s… fucked up!
Shit’s fucked Up…and bullshit!”

These words rang still true that moment as they suddenly passed my lips for the first time in years. I said them again. And then, again.

So these past few weeks, when listening closely to the winds blowing across London one could hear the people’s distant echoes, their chants, their screams … coming through in dozens of languages across the globe. Their voice, as one, growing ever louder daily as we shout one collective statement: our Global populist challenge to those who— out of correct humane obligation of conscience—we now come for.

Chile… Rebellion! Iraq…Rebellion! Haiti… Rebellion! Albania…. Rebellion! Israel… Rebellion!

Extinction... Rebellion!

World… REBELLION!

It is time.

Brett Redmayne-Titley has published over 180 in-depth articles over the past ten years for news agencies worldwide. Many have been translated and republished. On-scene reporting from important current events has led to his many multi-part exposes on such topics as the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, NATO summit, Keystone XL Pipeline, Porter Ranch Methane blow-out, Hizbullah in Lebanon, Erdogan’s Turkey and many more. He can be reached at: live-on-scene ((at)) gmx.com. Prior articles can be viewed at his archive: www.watchingromeburn.uk.