I know I describe myself as a grouch and, to be honest, this is a fairly accurate description at times. That is to say that I am not adverse to complaining because I'm angry. But I don't think anger or even discontent should necessarily be a part of revolution.
The concept of perpetual revolution is not a continual state of outrage and protest. In fact the concept is applied in industry all the time. It's simply a matter of not being complacent about the current status quo. I am old enough to remember when only important people had a telephone in their homes. The rest of us made do with queuing outside a public telephone box in the rain while Tracy rambled on to her friend, Sharon about the various pros and cons of her latest conquest, Trev. But we were glad that everyone had access to a phone. So, when the mobile phone became available, surely that was good enough, wasn't it?
No. They had to be smaller. So we get nice small phones that do not require users to carry separate battery packs on a strap. Phones that fit in the pocket. Surely we can't ask more than that?? Do they take photos? Do they surf the web? Do they play tunes? On it goes. As soon as a new model comes out, the developers are looking for the next phase. There is always room for improvement. So it should be with society.
No matter how hunky-dory our lives may appear, we should not become static. Society should never stagnate but should be in a constant process of change. Yes, I can sit at this device on my desk and publish my thoughts to the world even if no one else is interested. But can I plug my dreams into a global grid so that others may share my dreams and I share the dreams of others? How can we bring that about? And then, what next? Life is not a static condition, it is a journey.
In a society that has a lot to be desired, the call for change is invariably an expression of discontent. Because of this, revolution tends to be a rather fractious business. Leaders resist any calls for change and emotions run high. But what would be a perfect society? There could never be one. Our aspiration must be for a society that will welcome calls for change and not feel threatened by it. Status quo needs to become an archaic term.
There will always be a place for social critics. They are the research and development department of society. At the moment, the emphasis is on the negative: what's wrong with society. It is about exposing lies and corruption and this is bound to involve a lot of conflict. But we shall get to a point at which corruption, exploitation, oppression, suppression, opacity, abuse, enslavement and so on are part of our dark history and have been obliterated from our present. What then? Do we say 'enough' and leave it as that for evermore?
Maybe we should stop thinking in terms of what's wrong with society. Even now while there are so many aspects we can identify that are unacceptable. All this is part of a process and even the negative aspects are part of the journey. To confine ourselves to protesting about what is wrong is to be forever looking back. We should be looking forward to what we want our society to be; to be seeking improvements not focusing on addressing problems.
We talk a lot about Them, referring to those who exercise control over our lives. But there are no real enemies. We really are all in this together. Change is necessary not because things are so awful but because this is what the dance of life is. And it is a dance, not a pose. They are Us. Yes our leaders will resist the change we demand just as we resist the restrictions they impose. At the moment, these are the steps in the dance and they are our dance partners. The dance will change and roles will change. The balance of power will change and the benefits of society will change. Needs and aspirations will change and visions of the future will change.
All things change; this fact alone remains unchanging.
