An Open Letter to Chris Hedges...by annienomad-cyberpoet

This is a slightly revised letter that I sent to Chris Hedges, via Common Dreams:

 

Dear Chris,

 

Thank you for your many informative and uncompromising articles. You are a one-man, de-programming machine:)
 

I am writing to you because I have noticed recently that the Occupy Movement is calling for a global citizens' movement and I have an idea that I think will bring the 99% of the world (first world and third world citizens) together in Solidarity...not because I'm a genius or anything. I just think maybe people have been concentrating on the symptoms of the global crisis rather than the cause and might, therefore, have missed the root of the problem.
 

As you know, one of the many strategies the rich rely upon in gaining and maintaining their wealth is to apply downward pressure on labor. And, of course, the benefit to oppressing workers lies not only in increased profits via slave-wages, but in keeping the 99% in constant survival/panic-mode so that the 1% have less opposition from a frightened, and therefore, more easily-controlled populace.

I would just like to remind everyone that LABOR crosses all demographics - race, gender, religion, sexual orientation and all other cultural and social markers. Which makes it the perfect binder for social and economic change.

 

Labor has, in fact, been the basis of the most lasting changes in some of the largest social movements in history. 

 

Sometime ago, I started a petition for a Global Labor Treaty for Living Wages. I am not under the impression that, on its own, a petition will solve anything. 

 

Clearly, a Global Labor Treaty for Living Wages *movement* will require the collaboration of lawyers, journalists, social leaders and political strategists for said movement to come to full fruition...but a petition creates a good starting point for the right conversation.

A sort of Genesis point.
 

I believe a Global Labor Treaty for Living Wages is a good idea, but I am only an unknown poet.

There is simply no reason to listen to me....I have no "branding".

My one claim to *non-fame* is that Noam Chomsky once called my poem "Vigil - A Poem of American Crisis"..."Moving and evocative. And so true".

 

I have posted my Global Labor Treaty for Living Wages petition on many sites (AlterNet, Truthdig, Truthout, Common Dreams, Facebook, Twitter) trying to build support for what seems, to me, to be a viable approach for stopping runaway corporate worker and third world exploitation but no organization or group has stepped up to lend their numbers...so, I figured, maybe, bringing the idea to the attention of someone who has been writing extensively about the dangers of growing corporate feudalism might possibly help move the cause forward.

 

Probably not...but I thought I'd try.

 

 

Here is the link for the petition:

http://www.change.org/petitions/sign-now-to-enact-a-global-labor-treaty-for-living-wages

 

Here is the link to the website:

http://globallabortreaty.org/

 

Here is the link to my poem:
Vigil - A Poem of American Crisis
 

Or, here is the link to the animated, multi-media version of "Vigil":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53fHIfd6vtw
 

I have no idea whether you will find this idea to be worthy of endorsing or viable enough to consider forwarding...but, in any case, thank you so much for your enlightening journalistic work.

 

At least, that's the way it seems to me,

 

Sharee Anne Gorman

annienomad-cyberpoet

http://annienomad.com/