SOPA, Fukushima, and the Romanian Revolution: Traiasca Revolutia!
by Stan Faryna
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Jahaziel, Help [Us] God!
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What’s the score on SOPA?
Did we move mountains?
Protect IP/SOPA is settled, right? I mean like blocked, chop suey, or plugged out. Has the internet been saved?
Well done!
No?
Isn’t it strange how every political solution ever poses considerable new threat to human freedom, dignity, and happiness?
This is the fifth day of the wake of a violent revolution in Romania. I mention this because I live in Romania. To be honest, I mention it because there’s people here in Romania that are asking me why I’m not talking about the revolution in my blog. After all, I’m all about freedom, justice, and the dignity of the human person – not to mention love, hope, and faith. Or so I say.
I’ve written about corruption, false leadership, the lack of Arab leadership, protest, servant leaders, social media as an instrument of social and political change, etc.
I have blogged about these things with great passion and defiant conviction.
Last sunday, tens of thousands of Romanians were on the streets crying out for freedom, justice, and revolution. Or so the Romanian press claimed.
A Romanian statesmen went to Brussels to demand that the European Union (EU) assist Romania, an EU member, in securing peace and security. EU intelligence, however, suggested otherwise.
Actually, it wasn’t tens of thousands. It was more like a few hundred. Suckers. Yeah, like I’m saying, it was a few hundred suckers organized by the political parties (PSD, PNL, and PC) that want control of the Romanian Presidency and Parliament at any cost. They used to run the show, but they lost the elections and they’ve been trying to oust the President and current government ever since.
Did I mention that the leaders of these former parties have strong ties to the Russians since before the Romanian Revolution of 1989? Did I mention that even the 1989 Revolution is a suspicious and sordid affair if you actually think about it?
No one dares ask the big questions: Who fought for freedom? And did anyone who actually did any fighting know what freedom was all about? Had they been reading up on Thomas Jefferson? Locke? Rousseau?
No one in the PSD, PNL, and PC has the capacity to think that bringing down a false leader (President Traian Băsescu?) in an extra-legal manner (what are elections for anyway, right?) does not support a firm foundation for democracy and freedom. DOH!
Has anyone in the PSD, PNL, or PC even read David McCullough’s 1776? Jacques Maritain’s Man and the State? C.S. Lewis’ Abolition of Man? If so (which I doubt), were their hearts moved?
Did I mention that this blog post was read by Romanian Intelligence before it was published to my WordPress blog?
Hi security guys! You rock. Keep up the good work!
Breaking News (5pm Bucharest Time):
I’m watching Antena 3 TV and thousands of Romanians are gathering at Arcul de Triumf in Bucharest. Busses are coming in from all over the country. This could become a situation where a political farce of the Uniunea Social Liberala is transformed by God into a true and courageous demand for change. A cry for justice.
The politicians are invoking God as I write. And they deserve everything that is coming to them. [grin]
Repeating the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., a speaker tells the crowd, Now is the time!
God works in very mysterious ways. Sometimes.
Oh – Antenna3 is lying about the numbers at the Arcul de Triumf. You don’t have to think hard about who they are working for. [grin] Did I mention that Dan Voiculescu of the PC Party owns Antena3 TV? Did I mention Senator Voiculescu, himself, is accused of much corruption?
Voiculescu will not be convicted of any crimes, however. No oligarch is ever convicted of serious crimes in Romania. That’s how justice (injustice?) swings here.
Here’s a completely different opinion.
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Dignity
The Romanian people have every reason to be mad as hell. And Americans too about SOPA. Without any doubt, Romanians are going to keep on taking it. And taking it. And take some more.
Recently, the Romanian government decided to dismantle their failed socialistic public health care system and sell off public hospitals and medical centers to foreign investors. The intention is that public facilities be converted into private health care facilities. And, yet, the Romanian government continues to collect handsome public health care taxes from employers. Why?
That’s the government having it’s cake and eating it too. But isn’t government for the people?!
We don’t have to think about the Romanian politicians in every Romanian political party that got paid by these European interests. And they’ve been paid for other things too – shares in Romania’s water, electric, gas, telecom, and nuclear power. Nor should we wonder how much these wanna be oligarchs have been paid!
If they have lovely shopping trips to Paris, why should anyone put two and two together?
We must not think about it! Nor must we make any accusations that the French, Germans, and other Europeans are implicated in a level of corruption of this scale. Perhaps, Americans too.
You’ve got to get mad. You’ve got to say, I’m a human being, God Damn it! My life has value!
Hey, I’m a just friendly over-stayed tourist. It’s not my business. Or is it?
I’m here because I have a son here – a soon-to-be seven year old boy that is not in my custody. Otherwise, Johnny and I would be out of here. Yesterday.
Hey guys, make it happen and I’ll never write critically about Romania again. Hint. Hint.
Where was I going with this?
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A Human Solution
If you want to stop something like SOPA, you need to start with 10,000 blog posts, 10 Million tweets, and 1 Million Facebook shares. I said, start.
The content must describe the problem and, more importantly, name ALL of the authors and supporters of SOPA by first name, last name, job title, and company.
If you say that I am mistaken, prove me wrong.
The authors and supporters of SOPA and any similar legislation to be advanced in the near future as an emergency directive… they count on the fact that you don’t really care enough to make much ado. Tirelessly. Passionately. Courageously.
Make it so.
If you want democracy, freedom, and change in Romania, you will have to go out into the streets, you will have to non-violently occupy downtown Bucharest for a month with a million Romanians, forcing business as usual and traffic to a stop, and you will have to demand that the EU audit the political process of change, elections, etc.
That also means you might not get your free flour, sugar, beer, etc. at the next election.
The Romanian media will not help you. Because the Romanian media is owned by the same powers and principalities that have long held Romania and Romanians as a hostage in a grip of corruption.
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Beatles, Revolution
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Fukushima
Ah, yes, the revolution!
So bear with me here. Imagine with me that you too are a Romanian. Your grandfather, grandmother, aunt, uncle, mother, father, brother or sister are dying of cancer. It’s an epidemic that no one talks about.
Chernobyl? Fukushima? If some of those vulgar Romanian jokes have any truth to them, the Japanese people are in for a heart-breaking shock in ten to twenty years.
So someone you know is dying of cancer because it wasn’t diagnosed and treated. You do like any other Romanian does it.
You make vulgar jokes about politicians, people, and life. Then, you lower your head. The corner of your lips dip on both sides in a pitiful humility. Then you turn on the TV and watch the Romanian equivalent of Star Search. Or you jump on Facebook and play Castleville. Or you post a pretty picture and hope some foreigner will fall in love with you and send you lots of money by Western Union. Supposedly for an airplane ticket.
Supposedly.
You don’t think. But when you do think, you think to yourself, wouldn’t it be nice if I had a wide screen TV. OR you call up your girlfriend or boyfriend and make plans for clubbing this Thursday night.
And there, my friends, are the real Romanian revolutionaries! Revolutionari!
Drinking your troubles out of your heart, becoming one with the rhythm and the beat on the dance floor, and, yes, tears running down your cheeks in response to the emotional exploitation of almost talented suckers on third-rate TV contests – just like on Japanese TV.
Are the American people so different? Are American politicians so different? Are American corporations so different?
Remember Fukushima. Remember it with tears. For the Japanese people – they are people too. They are mothers, fathers, grandparents, brothers, sisters, children, and grandchildren.
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SOPA
Did you notice that neither Google, Facebook, nor Yahoo? (who’s Yahoo?) threw themselves passionately behind the STOP SOPA movement and complements? By passion, I mean serious money, unstoppable influence, and tremendous voice. That’s outrageous, considering that Google, Facebook, and Yahoo will be the first targets of SOPA. Those three companies alone are responsible for moving the lion share of pirated and copyright-infringed content.
Silicon Valley, of course, is all up in arms. Online piracy and copyright violation has been a key ingredient in the success of online start ups and enterprises. 100s of Billions have been made by venture capitalists and others through what we naively describe, sometimes, as the magic of sharing things that we borrow, um share, um something.
And if you think about it, the losses of the entertainment industry may not compare to the gains of billion dollar online enterprises that have benefited from the magic of sharing (Google, Facebook, Yahoo?, etc). Someone should do the numbers on that.
On the other hand, piracy is a problem. It’s part of why the America economy has fallen to her knees. Americans create, invent, and innovate like no one else. America is not just a dream. America is dream time.
Let’s overlook the losses of domestic piracy, copyright infringement, and its impact on the American economy. But global piracy of American inventions, innovation and ideas is the bigger problem. The American economy can’t ever thrive again if America can’t derive expected dividends and royalties on inventions, innovation, knowledge, and creativity.
In other words, investing in invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship is another dead end. Because there won’t be adequate ROI (Return on Investment).
New world order? One world government? A one world police state?
There’s another problem. It’s even bigger than the bigger problem. Because the world has become dependent upon pirated and copyright-infringed things (shared stuff) for entertainment, communication, business, etc. Blog posts, tweets, facebook shares, youtube videos, hacked software, blah blah blah.
Ebay and Etsy item descriptions, Google search results, Facebook and Linkedin status messages, I can go on and on.
We are a wicked generation for God’s sake! Let us own our wickedness and shout down SOPA!
Because every political solution ever poses considerable new threat to human freedom, dignity, and happiness.
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Bee Gees, Stayin’ Alive
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Sleepless in Bucharest
Every political solution ever poses considerable new threat to human freedom, dignity, and happiness.
This observation bums me out. Where do we turn? What do we do?
I feel helpless. But maybe I am. Helpless. Vulnerable. What about you?
What do we do, Jack? Jack Steiner and Dr. Jack King, yeah, I’m asking you both for ideas.
How’s that for a triple entendre?!
My nose is pressed against the hard wood floor. Dog hair and dust is making my face, itchy. I’m praying. I’m praying. Are you?
Help us, God. Please…
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Feedback
If you think that this blog post sucks, let me know in your comment and don’t forget to include a link to YOUR favorite blog post.
If you think this blog post rocks, tell me why it rocks in the comment. “Awesome,””Great post,” etc. works for me. Don’t forget to include a link to YOUR most recent blog post.
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Stan Faryna
19 January 2012
Bucharest, Romania
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P.S.
No fairies were harmed during the writing and publishing of this blog post.
Follow me on Twitter: @Faryna
The unofficial blog of Stan Faryna 
Reblogged this on Basil Wheel.
Thanks for sharing it!
My beautiful friend, what follows is a brief review of things I’ve said in the past (some published, some not) and published in its entirety today on my consultancy site. Will it help? IDK. But I do know we are in this together, and together we shall get through it. Such is life. Such is the essence of love. I hope it helps. As a minimum, I hope it gets others thinking, and letting us know what they are thinking. Then I hope it motivates us and encourages us to DO something. Love and hugs.
There is no question it is a mad, mad world. It always has been. I suppose it always shall. Amidst the madness lies a warm cozy blanket of love. Within the blanket’s warmth a glow permeates the surrounding darkness. That gentle light represents all that is good in this world. What we learn is the darkness has no defense against it. It must submit.
A Tibetan proverb holds, “Goodness speaks in a whisper, evil shouts.” Madness is like that. It shouts, seeking solace in the company of misery. Because it shouts, it draws our attention, if only for a moment, away from all of the good in our world. To do otherwise is to lose its own life to the glowing goodness that is sure to conquer.
Plato also spoke to the whisper of good, pointing out “the essential Form of Good is the limit of our inquiries, and can barely be perceived; but, when perceived, we cannot help concluding that it is in every case the source of all that is bright and beautiful — in the visible world giving birth to light and its master, and in the intellectual world dispensing, immediately and with full authority, truth, and reason — and that whosoever would act wisely, either in private or in public, must set this Form of Good before his eyes.”
Good is everywhere; it has no need to draw attention to itself. We come to realize this soon enough. Why? Because, as Saul Bellow reminds us, “Goodness is achieved … in the company of other men, attended by love.”
From where I stand, love is the answer. Okay, Oliver Wendell Holmes puts it this way: “Love is the master key that opens the gate of happiness.” I personally like what Martin Luther King, Jr, has to say about the matter: “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy [aka, madness] into a friend.” Willa Cather posits, “Where there is great love, there are always miracles.” Can madness hold a light to that? “Who so loves,” we learn from Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “believes the impossible.”
Lest I get too carried away, let us consider the wise words of Nietzsche: “There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.” Yet, Thomas Mann teaches, “It is love, not reason that is stronger than death.” The late Rabbi Noah Weinberg, a great friend to many, offers a memorable lesson: “There are things worth dying for, and if you don’t understand what you are willing to die for, you haven’t begun living.”
We live, not because madness wreaks havoc in the world, but because love subdues the madness and unites us as one. We learn this lesson in Dumas’ Three Musketeers. As King Louis appoints D’Artagnan to the Musketeers, he proclaims,
This world is an uncertain realm, filled with danger. Honor undermined by the pursuit of power, freedom sacrificed when the weak are oppressed by the strong. But there are those who oppose these powerful forces, who dedicate their lives to truth, honor, and freedom.
As we can see, madness has been with us since before time. So, too, has love! In the end, love wins. Because in the end, we are bigger than the madness and we can see it for what it is. And we can forgive its trespass. “Forgiveness,” as Reinhold Niebuhr so eloquently puts it, “is the final form of love.”
Leaders, it is important to get this right: We stand one with another not to ward off the madness but, instead, to shower each other with love.
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