George Orwell was a convinced
communist until he saw how it’s ideals where being corrupted by the power
hungry leaders of the Soviet Union. In 1984 he wrote of the dangers of thought
policing in the service of doctrinal purity and in Animal Farm he addressed the
suspicion with which we should approach those that claim to be our leaders. The
animals, having become aware that they were being exploited by what they initial
believed to be well meaning farmers, revolt and expel them, establishing an ideal
and egalitarian society established on agreed and publicized principles. It
does not take long for a certain group of animals, the pigs, to claim
leadership in the best interest of the collective, quickly replacing the
plutocracy of humans with a plutocracy of pigs.
I get the chills when I read
updates on the English language facebook
page of the “The Israeli Social Movement (NGO)” such as:
“Alon Lee-Green, Stav Shaffir, and Yonatan Levi,
leaders of the Israeli Social Movement, in Time Out Israel”
or
“In a highly divided society in Israel, it is a
challenge to mobilize everyone for the cause of social justice. Social justice
movement leader, Stav Shaffir, believes it is possible. Stav posted on the
issue of representation in organizing protests”
I cannot help but think of Orwell’s
pigs strutting about on two legs, not long after all the animals shouted “four legs good, two legs bad!”
What are these people thinking? Do
they not see the irony in claiming leadership of a movement that has been
driving the ruling elite crazy by refusing to appoint leaders they can negotiate
with? How can they possibly claim to represent a movement that is so broad it is impossible to reduce the protests to a simple list of demands, no matter
how long?
The genius of the protest movements
of the last year, be they in Tel Aviv, New York or Madrid is that they recognized
that the entire system requires an overhaul in order for things to change. It’s
not enough to pressure a party on the left or on the right because in the end
they are part of the same corrupt political structure where capital and
politics are merged at the hips. By understanding that if these movements imitate
the same power structures of those institutions they are protesting, they are
destined, like the animals on the farm to go from the tyranny of humans to the tyranny
of pigs, to become that which they rail against. The most important outcome of
the protests has been to cause us to look and think about our respective
societies outside the narrative of the establishment and their media
mouthpieces.
It’s disappointing to see how well
intentioned individuals are unable to resist the temptation to take ownership
of movements they are a part of. Is it so difficult to insist on being an
activist and not a leader? Why cheapen yourself by giving in to the very same
culture you are protesting, where everyone is just working to get ahead while
elbowing their comrades to the pavement? Have you so little self awareness that
you are reduced to a Ya’ir Lapid?
This is our protest movement. It
belongs to all of us. We will join you but we will never follow you.
