The Democratic mayors (and social liberals such as New York City's Michael Bloomberg) of America successfully crushed the Occupy movements.
But from Istanbul to Rio de Janeiro the people are protesting.
And the videos are informative and inspiring.
Like Julian Assange, Bradley Manning and Edward Snowden, video messengers know the power of the Internet. Let us salute Carla Dauden for her most informative video. Just as wikileaks spawned the early protests of the Arab Spring, Dauden's video has added to the raised consciousness across Brazil, igniting popular opinion to protest deep and wide. Through this month there have been protests over transit fares among other things such as corruption and police violence, leading to what is called the Brazilian Revolution or V is for Vinegar.
Thousands are being displaced from their homes and neighborhoods so that tourists can see a Brazil where poor people and old tenements are cleared from site for the stadium and new nearby dwelling blocks.
We should listen to her in the United States as well. We do not need municipal or state dollars to go to stadiums where the majority of the public cannot afford a day at the games with their families. The bread and circuses of organized sports are today's opiate of the people.
Give us money for schools, hospitals, clinics, aging infrastructure, not showpiece stadiums.
Here are some inspiring videos I have come across:
Carla Dauden, "No, I'm not going to the world cup."
And an Anonymous video listing five demands or causes for Brazil and here translated with English subtitles
Notice how, as the marchers chant "Sem Violencia," "Without Violence," the police fire rubber bullets. Note later in the same video, police fire rubber bullets and tear gas, at peaceful protestors and the media, even when informed that personnel are the media. Note also the police unit unhelmeted office, videotaping the crowd, as the police did in the Occupy days in New York City.
And here, a Brazilian reporter tells of how police shot her in the face, point blank.
Iranians celebrate the overwhelming victory of moderate cleric politician, Hassan Rouhani in the 2013 presidential election.
And from 45 years in the past, inspiring us for today, a video on the May Movement in France, 1968.
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