Is There a Need for Robin Hood?

 


The link below goes to an article about a Mayor in Spain who is marching through the Andalucia country side,  like a modern day Robin Hood. Juan Manuel Sánchez Gordillo is the mayor of a small town named Marinaleda in Southern Spain.  He is gaining fame by taking food from Supermarkets and giving it to the poor in his community. Is our world economy so out of balance, that Robin Hood and his merry band of men, need to rob from the rich and give to the poor?   Well  Mayor Gordillo does exactly that as he sets out on an anti-austerity walk.  He and the protesters have occupied banks and stole food to feed the poor, disturbing the government of Majarino Rajoy.

Mayor Gordillo has immunity from prosecution, so he can not be arrested. Though he is giving up that right to walk across Andalucia to protest. In fact he says it would be an honor to be jailed while standing up for the poor. His plan is to continue to occupy all the banks and grocers. As he stated, "The robbers who have caused this crisis must pay the consequences for what they have done."  He states, "he was attacking banks for repossessing the homes of people unable to pay their mortgages, and supermarkets for damaging local farmers. The euro is a fraud that enriches some and impoverishes the rest ... There are families going hungry, and small farmers who are ruined. We are asking for a change of the political model.”

In the USA we had the Occupy movement which was a movement against both social and economic injustice. Most large cities in the US had an occupy group that was active in their cities. It was cleared out mostly by December 2011. What started out as a committed non violent protest, turned in to a large sit in with undefned goals.  The movement is still active and is going globally, though now it seems more specific in goals. For example in the Czech Republic there was a protest of unions and civic associations that began April 28, 2012 and lasted about a month.

So my question is, have we the ordinary people of the world become so frustrated with the leadership of our nations, that we need to be rescued by Robin Hood?  Or do we need to step up and give a show of solidarity?  I remember a movie in the 1970's called "Network" that has this line that goes, "I am as mad as hell, and I am not going to take it any more." Is that where the civilized world is? I say yes, we are that mad! In the USA we are getting ready for a presidential election where there is no real winner, except for the elected official. The people are not necessarily going to benefit, so we do need Robin Hood and any merry band of men or women who will help us! Yes, and we need to give a show of solidarity.  So I say good For Mayor Gordillo of Marinaleda, Spain. Below is a link to the original article.

 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f1b089d2-e885-11e1-8397-00144feab49a.html#axzz23vcVQQTT