Tomorrow morning, I'm getting on a seven hour busride to go to Paris. I'm bringing a good chunk of my net worth with me; camera equipment, my laptop.
My aim is to make videos depicting the current circumstances in Paris, bring some awareness about this slow-motion uprising to the English and Dutch speaking spheres, from my perspective.
(Find my channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUvwPuxVK__hyhkKE883UZg )
It reminds me of two years ago, when I was there last, with a similar goal. The Nuit-Debout protests which had claimed the Place de la Republique for the duration. I was instantly reminded then of the Occupy camps in Amsterdam and The Hague. Less tents, more discussion.
I am reminded of the often quoted words of Walter Benjamin, "behind every fascism, there is a failed revolution."
I really hope this one goes through. France is too close to home, to dear to me to fall victim to fascism.
Occupy in the US did something remarkable. There would not have been a Bernie Sanders, and now, an Alexandra Occasio-Cortez without Occupy. But there also would not have been today's version of the Republican party, without the failure of the U.S. establishment to address the grievances of the movement at the time - instead opting for violent repression.
There would not be a Bolsonaro without the failure of the mass protests in Brazil in 2013 to achieve political change.
I will make this comparison more often: With occupy, the people tried the carrot. Yellow vests is the stick. If neither work, then the next stop for this train may indeed be fascism. It's the flavor of populism the capitalists in charge can get behind. It's a proven structure that pits the less fortunate as the enemy of the people - rather than the most.
I am relieved to see the yellow vests espousing hardline anti-capitalist values, so far. At least in France - In my hometown it has the pungent smell of nationalism around it. A portent of what is to come.
Let us hope, for Europe, and the world, this movement brings some changes. Sets some hearts at peace. The alternative wouldn't be pretty.
We need to have our noses to the future.
In real terms, Given how scared the big geopolitical powerblocs are of a strong united europe, perhaps we should still look in that direction. But the yellow vests, occupy, syriza, and DiEM25 should all be helping us see that the current EU blueprint is not sufficient to bring on board the support and faith of the people .
Is there a way to salvage the EU? How can we address the challenges being faced - climate change, refugee crises, economic upheaval as europe slinks in relevance as a marketplace, and political polarization - without succumbing to the faux-reassuring 'strength and order' promises of strongman nationalism. Steve Bannon is helping nationalist parties across Europe to align themselves and gain support as we speak. We will think back wistfully at the days when snickering hyena Nigel Farrage, frothing at the mouth, would at least never be taken seriously as a leader in times of trouble. But are we really so sure a figure like Scar could not appear on the stage?
Well, these musings should be continued on the bus tomorrow. It is a long trip to Paris for me, but just one more step in the long march into history for mankind.
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