The "Worldwide Democratic Spring "...starts at the Puerta del Sol

"We did it

because we didn’t know it was impossible"

At last the Peoples are taking the reins of their common destiny into their own hands.

The "virtual tidal wave" continues to roll: Iran, China,... Tunis, Egypt, Libya, Yemen Syria,... Italy, the United Kingdom, Iceland...

From the zero kilometer mark at the Puerta del Sol a clear, firm voice has been heard the world over. That’s the way Maximo saw it in his excellent cartoon published on May 20 in ABC, which contrasts with other opinions concerning M-15 that appeared on the same day in the same newspaper:

"We’re not anti-system. The system is anti-us". This is what needed to be underscored from the beginning: It’s unacceptable to continue to be mere spectators, passive witnesses of what occurs around us. It’s time for action, to agree and disagree, to protest and make proposals. Above all, proposals, because there are many problems to be resolved.

The dreams of the peoples! It was about time that “the Peoples”, mentioned in the first paragraph of the United Nations Charter, could express themselves freely and serenely". If they don’t let us dream... we won’t let them sleep", said thousands of citizens gathered in the Puerta del Sol in Madrid, and likewise, quickly, in other cities in Spain and the world.

"It may be that Europe commences in the Puerta del Sol". And this may even spread far beyond Europe, through the unlimited cyberspace, to the rest of the world. It’s time to sleep just enough, to rest only as needed. It’s “time to rise up”, in the words of José Ángel Valente.

If we take stock, the final figures showing the results of “globalization” are catastrophic: an economy of speculation and war (4,000 million dollars daily in military spending while over 60,000 people die of hunger). Social inequality, neglect and all types of discrimination have not been addressed in the broad forum of the United Nations, because since the 1980s they have been careful to alienate the UN, replacing it with groups of the world’s richest countries.

This systemic crisis requires bold responses. With Amin Maalouf I like to repeat that “an unprecedented situation requires unprecedented solutions".

Real Democracy, Now... The "realists" –who’ve never changed anything because they accept reality- insist on saying that what we have is "real" democracy... forgetting that for many people "real" means “true”, “authentic”, “genuine”, the one we should have, the one we will have from now on because, as was predictable, distance participation will enable us to permanently hear the voices of the people.

Evolution or revolution. That is the question. The best solution is an active, permanent evolution in which what should be changed is changed, and what should be preserved is preserved. That’s Mother Nature’s evolution.

I was impressed with the proposals made and the firm conviction to continue to seek ideas from all of those who choose to join this great movement. It’s fundamental to continue 15-M in a radial expansion extending to neighborhoods, cities, regions, countries... to the world as a whole, thanks to information and communications technologies. The “virtual tidal wave” will be the beginning and the road toward that other possible world that we all desire.

In "Los alrededores del tiempo" Rafael Guillen wrote, "Being a man is resisting. / Being a man is consciously committing / the sin of lesa immoderation".

Josep Maria Antentas and Esther Vivas wrote, "to be prompted to fight not only requires unrest and outrage, one must also believe in the usefulness of collective action". With specific proposals concerning the markets, energy, the communications media, re-localization of production, disarmament, alternative sources of financing (electronic transactions, for example)...

And many millions of internet users suggesting, supporting and building a new democracy. Many of today’s “impossibles” will be reality tomorrow in democracies that are really the expression of the constant voices of citizens and not only of the partisan obedience, reactive emotion, disillusion, or written and audiovisual media that only express their “master’s voice”.

The current political representatives were elected based on generalized disinformation, claiming that the ballot box can replace justice and that certain alternatives (never clearly stated) will resolve our serious economic problems and unemployment. But nothing concrete has been proposed to address the deregulation of financial transactions; nor the speculation prompted by rating agencies; nor the elimination of tax havens; nor the lack of solidarity of the underground economy; nor delocalized production; nor the war economy; nor the urgent need to fight poverty and hunger; nor world government by the wealthiest countries that, as the last strongholds of globalization, continue to fail, causing serious “collateral effects”; nor renewable energies and climate change; nor a total rethinking of the fight against drug trafficking; nor...

At this time 15-M didn’t affect the votes that were already decided, but it will greatly influence the general elections, because none of the representatives of the holy marketplace and speculation, and those who fail the tests of transparency and solidarity will not receive the support of the citizens.

Those hands will be the invincible weapons that will peacefully and with all resolve build the future that the human condition deserves.

It will be the new beginning.