{"id":6618,"date":"2009-02-12T04:08:51","date_gmt":"2009-02-12T11:28:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.amptoons.com\/blog\/?p=6618"},"modified":"2009-02-12T04:08:51","modified_gmt":"2009-02-12T11:28:39","slug":"letter-to-the-editor-the-question-is-not-cylon-or-human-but-the-many-or-the-few","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/?p=6618","title":{"rendered":"Letter to the Editor: The question is not Cylon or Human, but the many or the few"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I note with interest recent<\/a> discussions<\/a> to this paper about the recent failed coup and a Cylon-Human alliance.<\/p>\n

I believe that these authors are asking the wrong questions, as if our only choice is an unelected president and military dictatorship, or a once elected vice-president and military dictatorship. The problems in our society run much deeper than that.<\/p>\n

There are those who argue ‘not now’ and that the survival of humanity must trump any concerns of justice, equality and self-determination. Those who make these arguments are trying to cement their own power. Our responsibility is not just to survive, but to build a society that is worth saving.<\/p>\n

I look at the few children within the fleet and despair for the world they are growing into.<\/p>\n

Pilots who are in danger get all the resources of the fleet looking for them. Aboard the Tillium ship workers’ deaths are treated as inevitable, and speed ups continue despite the risk.<\/p>\n

Women are using scarce resources and risking their lives to get illegal abortions. But if they do what the state supposedly prefers and continue their pregnancy, they get no support. Women suffering post-natal depression are just given more shifts and more drugs.<\/p>\n

The power and the resources of the fleet are being used to maintain Caprican dominance. The military murder of Sagitarron citizens, is not just the result of one evil individual, but the reflection structural racism which the fleet is based on.<\/p>\n

The ruling class have used the near extermination of humanity to cement their own power, and increase their control over anyone who challenges them. Neither a military alliance with some cylons, or a coup would change that. Zarek and Gaetna were no better than Adama and Roslyn. They were using the power of the military to attempt to make a few minor changes in policy.<\/p>\n

Real change, the sort that builds a society that is worth saving, comes not from above but from below. Let the government make military alliances with the cylons, or not. Those of us who are fighting for another society that is indeed possible need to build relationships of solidarity with the cylons who are interested.<\/p>\n

Chief Tyrall is a union man – Cylon or no. He has made clear, time and again, that he is fighting for something more than the unjust unequal society today. Colonel Tigh has made his position equally clear, he is for dictatorial power, and military control.<\/p>\n

It is not enough to put up with intolerable inequality now, for the hope that things will change when we reach our mythic destination. Who believes that when we get to Earth those in charge will meekly give up the extra power that they have seized during this crisis? We must be organizing now among all who are willing to dream of a better society than this one.<\/p>\n

[Illustration by Ratscape<\/a>.]<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I note with interest recent discussions to this paper about the recent failed coup and a Cylon-Human alliance. I believe that these authors are asking the wrong questions, as if our only choice is an unelected president and military dictatorship, … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,106,31,62,93],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6618","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-abortion-reproductive-rights","category-class-poverty-labor-related-issues","category-feminism-sexism-etc","category-popular-and-unpopular-culture","category-race-racism-and-related-issues"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6618","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6618"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6618\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6618"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6618"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6618"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}