Do you want to know who is at the heart of movements toward democracy in places like Bosnia/Serbia, Egypt, Tunisia, and Tunisia… and whose writing is found in many other places like Burma, Tibet,China and Iran that have experienced a rise in pro-democracy thinking and action. Believe it or not, the unassuming fellow at the right, Gene Sharp, is at the heart of these democratic tendencies. Following in the footsteps of Ghandi, Gene Sharp has written a practical guide for non-violent replacement of oppressive governments. Dictatorship To Democracy is his flagship publication and is available at Amazon among other places. If you want to see change toward a more democratic world, then this book is essential reading for you.

Oppression is much more than a particular form of government. It is, rather, the systematic destruction of hope and self expression of a population in order to line the money and power pockets of a few. The interesting thing according to Gene Sharp is that that works because the people that are being oppressed tacitly play the games that are established by the few. In essence, the people prop up the very thing that is causing them to suffer.

I have often wondered what bit of magic caused people in the USA to constantly act and vote against their own self interests. Why would a retiree vote for a Congressman whose stated objective is to diminish or abolish Social Security or Medicare. It makes no sense. In the final analysis it’s because the buy into carefully woven rhetoric that appeals to them on emotional levels. Perhaps in the short run perception is reality, but in the long run reality will always end up biting you in the butt.

The 99% movement may take a bit of a different direction with the approach of winter. Now is a good time for some self reflection. How do you buy into the games of the 1%. Do you bank at Bank America or Chase? Are you a compulsive accumulator of stuff? Do you max your credit cards? If you want the world to change and remove the oppression of economics that has replaced political oppression, then the first step is to change yourself… and you can do that by learning more about Gene Sharp.

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