Spain's Inspiring Protests Are Rooted in Restoring Democracy & Decent Life in Era of Turbocapitalism

[marmar]

via AlterNet:





Asia Times / By Pepe Escobar

Spain's Enormous, Inspiring Protests Are Rooted in Restoring Democracy and Decent Life in an Era of Turbocapitalism
What we are seeing in Spain goes way beyond a student revolt. It's a revolt that lays bare a profound ethical crisis convulsing a whole society.

May 24, 2011 |


"No one expects the #spanishrevolution." That's one of the signs in Madrid's iconic - and occupied - Puerta del Sol Square; Monty Python revised for the age of Twitter.

"I was in Paris in May '68 and I'm very emotional. I'm 72 years old." That's one of the signs in Barcelona's iconic - and occupied - Plaza Catalunya. The barricades revised as a Gandhian sit-in.

The exhilarating northern African winds of the great 2011 Arab revolt/spring have crossed the Mediterranean and hit Iberia with a vengeance. In an unprecedented social rebellion, the Generation Y in Spain is forcefully protesting - among other things - the stinging economic crisis; mass unemployment at a staggering 45% among less than 30-year-olds and th e ossified Spanish political system that treats the citizen as a mere consumer.

This citizens' movement is issuing petitions that get five signatures per second; it can be followed on Twitter (#spanishrevolution); streaming live from Puerta del Sol at Soltv.tv; to see its reach, click here. Reverberations are being felt all across Spain and word-wide - from Los Angeles to Sydney. A mini-French revolution started at the Bastille in Paris. Italians are planning their revolutions from Rome and Milan to Florence and Bari. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/world/151065/spain%27s_enormous%2C_inspiring_protests_are_rooted_in_restoring_democracy_and_decent_life_in_an_era_of_turbocapitalism/

[bighughdiehl]

1. Why....

Don't we have this in DC? I would participate. I know this is a big country,
but with so much of the population living within just a few hours drive of
DC.....why the fuck not? I guess we're all too busy bitching on the internet.

[ixion]

2. too busy bitching on the 'net? No. Too busy trying to stay afloat in a crappy economy?

Spot on.