By Bob Boldt

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With these angry words the American people were able to find their voice and rail against whatever they thought were the forces that were oppressing them. Of course these people were just being manipulated by a demented TV talk show host and his network executives to increase sagging ratings. Sound familiar? This was the plot of the 1976 classic film, “Network.” Today this “I’m mad as hell!” mantra is being repeated by groups as diverse as the T-Party and the Occupy of Wall Street movement.

Sadly, manipulation is pretty transparent in the case of the T-Party. The discontent of these disenfranchised Americans is being exploited and funded by the very forces of big government Corporatism they purport to be so vehemently opposed to.

If I despair of the T-Party, I am hardly more sanguine concerning the results of the Occupation, even though, unlike the T-baggers, they represent authentic, grass roots, populist, democratic movement. Isn’t it interesting how many editorials in the media recognize the T-Party and denigrate the Occupation?

Protest and resistance seem limited unless they can result in a true mass movement that will strike the military/industrial complex at its heart. This needs not employ violent sabotage, although things are rapidly reaching that point. Remember Kennedy's famous quote? About “those who make peaceful revolution impossible...” The movements like those in Madison and Manhattan need to develop plans to provide alternatives to the institutions they oppose—alternatives like community credit unions in place of nationally affiliated banks and the support of local businesses that keep money local.

Massive boycotts need to be staged against such admittedly evil, misogynistic, anti-labor institutions like Wal-Mart. People must stop using credit cards. Such a thing is not as unheard of as those who profit from their use would have us believe. 

There need to be mounted massive guerrilla advertising campaigns and teach-ins against the ROTC and High School military recruiters, to reduce the cannon fodder and end our brutal atrocities waged against the people of Iraq and Afghanistan and stop Obama’s upcoming war with Iran.

Occupations of Wall Street are encouraging but they are only the first step. The capitalists and the arms manufactures in their suites high above the sweaty streets can easily just wait out the encamped masses below. We need strategies to strike them in their black hearts and their pocketbooks—where it hurts.