Just over 100 years ago, the demand for Peace, Land and Bread was shouted by the workers of Petrograd in per-revolution Russia. These three simple demands, Peace, Land and Bread represent, what I believe to be fundamental rights that all people across the world are entitled to.
However, the call for Peace, Land and Bread continues now, over 100 years later, here in the United States, the richest country to ever exist.
Peace on our streets, communities safe from white supremacists and the police (oopps, I repeated myself). Peace abroad, and at our borders. Ending US Imperialism across the world. And making peace and coming to terms with our bloody history of slavery and settler colonialism.
Land for us to live on without fear of eviction or squalid conditions. Communal land, more public spaces for the community not profit. And Environmental justice, making sure the land is vibrant and usable for generations to come.
Bread. It’s 2020 and we still have people hungry. We need to feed them. But we also need to ensure the nourishment of our other essential needs. We demand universal healthcare and medication.
Why, over 100 years later, are we still demanding these three simple rights? The right to Peace, Land and Bead? Because our current capitalistic system requires human suffering to survive, so we are denied our rights and ,at most, only given the opportunity to achieve them.
The people demand dignity. We demand more. We demand Peace, Land and Bread. And we must realize this is only achievable by working together, outside of traditional political means. We must do more than vote. We must organize.
History tells us that these rights, even these most basic rights, are never won by voting, but won by action and organizing. Let’s use today as an opportunity to make connections, to listen to each other’s stories and experiences, to learn about our theories of change. We must begin to organize, as people in the fight for Peace, Land and Bread.
*EDIT: I'm intoxicated, if this is like that 'professional quote maker' lol my bad.
I think you should start off with the pitch for "peace, land, and bread" as you do, but leave out the Petrograd Soviet until the end. The real heads will catch the reference immediately, and the normies will have some time to digest the message and be strung along until you rip the mask off at the end and call them libs. :)
It will also seem a lot less esoteric for people if you start off by talking about their immediate struggles instead of far flung history. After planting the seeds of what we could have, then you can point to the history as an inspiration.
I get that, I think the audience might be a little cynical that's why I've focused on fundamental rights rather than 'better world is possible'.
That's a great thread thanks. I've always thought the Left should capitalize on American 'freedom' messaging when talking about positive socialism.
Freedom from rent, hunger and debt. Freedom to labor freely on anything you want. Freedom to get hurt, take risks, make stupid decisions.
