Untitled Document
from an Economic to an Ecological (read sustainable) Culture
10) Replace our Current Administration and Congress
The current crop of politicians running our country seems hell-bent on fostering
violence and war. Along with the occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq, the administration
denounces real democracies like Venezuela.
In domestic policy, the vast majority have proven their loyalties by their
complete disregard for us, the people in favor of corporations and elitists.
Energy laws written by the energy industry. Drug plans written by pharmaceutical
companies. Bankruptcy laws written by bank corporations. The laws enacted over
the past five years slap the face of democracy.
The good news is that a lot of U.S. citizens are ready to throw these bums
out. The bad news is that these villains will not go quietly. The next few months
are crucial - and likely explosive.
9) End U.S. Sponsored Aggression
Few can doubt that Israel would be disinclined to pursue their current violent
policy toward Lebanon and Palestine without tacit U.S. approval. Israel’s
argument of self-defense rings hollow in light of the facts. (Google "Israeli
aggression" if you need facts.)
Throw in Iraq and Afghanistan, sprinkle in the threatening behavior toward
Iran, Syria, North Korea, Venezuela, Cuba and others and what do you get? A
clear picture of fascism. It may not be the Hitler kind, but it's fascism. And
it must end.
8) Migrate to Sustainable Energy Resources
Can I get a big "duh?" Behind much of the conflict in the Middle
East is our country's perverse compulsion to control global oil supplies. Then
there's the inconvenient truth of global warming and the impact of oil dependency
on our pocketbooks.
The Apollo Alliance provides lots of fodder for understanding how we can make
the transition away from oil in a way that supports jobs and the economy, while
obviously mitigating the current oil crisis.
Sustainable energy resources have added benefits in being more benign environmentally,
which includes reducing global warming and resource use. We may get lip service
from this administration and big oil, but we know their hearts are where the
money is, and that's in oil.
7) Recreate our Communities
Communities have been the forgotten step-child in government efforts to enable
"free trade" and a "global economy." Community issues are
legion and diverse, from failing infrastructure to dysfunctional schools and
loss of quality jobs. We haven't had serious attention to this issue since Lyndon
Johnson's 'War on Poverty.'
Communities are the foundation of a healthy culture, and the state of our communities
points straight toward the priorities and policies of our representatives in
government.
6) Reduce Military/Defense Spending by 75%
the bankruptcy our country faces is not just an ethical one. We teeter on the
edge of financial chaos, in large part due to the phenomenal amount of money
we spend on wars, arms and defense-related spending. (Tax cuts for the wealthiest
Americans are the other.)
The 'hidden' truth in this spending cut is that it is singularly the most effective
thing we could do to refocus global spending on armaments. Do you not imagine
that North Korea, Iran, Russia, China and any number of other countries would
feel less threatened if the U.S. curbed its military spending dramatically?
Can you contrast that with our current efforts to develop lethal weapons for
space and mini-nukes? The way to peace is peace.
5) Plant and Nurture Trees
It's hard to argue against global warming when temperatures all over the country
are near all-time highs, when desertification is rampant around the world, when
glaciers are melting at record pace, and when millions of acres of forest are
being destroyed by insects that couldn’t survive such locales even a few
years ago.
Most obviously trees take in carbon dioxide, a major culprit in climate change,
and emit oxygen. They also 'create the space' for nearly every land-based ecological
system on the planet. They are energetically peaceful. Their roots systems help
retain rain, creating a sponge/trickle effect critical for natural water systems.
I could go on and on. Suffice it to say that along with conservation and migration
to sustainable energy resources, planting and nurturing trees is the single
biggest thing we can do to help our ailing planet.
4) Re-introduce Hemp
A study of hemp's place in human history quickly reveals its central place.
Highly prolific, its natural territory circumscribes the globe. Almost every
major culture has a hemp component, from African religious 'cults' to Europe's
Middle Ages, where it's estimate up to 65% of the population was somehow involved
in hemp production, manufacture and distribution.
Hemp oil lighted the world's growing cities. Its seeds were used for food and
medicinals. Its fibers for rot-free rope and sails (no New World discovery without
hemp). Yet efforts initiated by newspaper baron William Randolph Hearst and
carried on today by lobbyists have demonized the plant, reducing its use to
the fringes of our culture (if you know what I'm sayin'). In these times when
the value of plants for biofuels is gaining prominence, what could be better
than hemp, an energy-rich plant that grows well without artificial fertilizers
and pesticides? (Heard about that big dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico?)
3) Overhaul Corporations and Institutions
There is little question that multinational interests are undermining workers
rights, the environment and communities across the globe. Apologists claim that
unbridled capitalism is the only successful model for civilization, but scrutiny
of our situation today proves that absurd... In these times, it seems obvious
that some synthesis of capitalism and socialism is required. Capitalism to promote
invention, socialism to protect resources and the vulnerable.
On the other side of the coin, many of our institutions are bureaucratic nightmares,
where hard work and innovation are stifled for fear of upsetting the status
quo. Policies that initiate best practices, integration and honest appraisals
of systems and personnel are all required to remake these hulking dinosaurs
into institutions that serve our needs.
2) Institute a Global Initiative for Children
Few resources are more important to our planetary and our personal futures
than our children. It may seem trite to harp on 'children are our future' themes,
but that makes it no less true. More importantly, our most critical human responsibility
is to our children. We just have to recognize that all the world's children
are ours, and start acting responsibly from that context. (Israel, are you listening?
Darfur?)
How tragic and ironic that we can find trillions for the war machine, but can't
find money for children suffering from malnutrition and disease all across the
Earth. Even in the U.S., far too many children are under duress. And all the
while we're hypnotized by bullshit, baubles and trinkets on the TV. Sheer madness.
1) Dedicate Ourselves to Peace and Love - NOW!
Anyone left standing (or reading) after such outrageous declarations may still
swoon at this ridiculous notion. We all know how important fear is to our survival.
(That why it's pandered so regularly on the TV.) And since fear is the opposite
of love, we just have to throw the love out, right? It's not our fault! We have
no choice!
And peace is equally unviable. Just look at the news. Yet outside the news
room there are millions of people of peace in our world. We're just not connected.
Or empowered. And we won't be within the confines of the current world paradigm.
S
So that's the stark choice. Which will we throw out (individually and collectively)
- love and peace, or the current world paradigm. I choose the former.
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Read from Looking Glass News
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Riding
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The
Class Wars
American
Capitalism and The Moral Poverty of Nations
Neoliberal
Transformation and Class Struggle
Paths
Toward an Anti-Capitalist Liberation
On
Economics
Industrial
Society Destroys Mind and Environment
Renewable
Energy: Economic and Environmental Issues
The
Twilight Era of Petroleum
THE
END OF THE AGE OF OIL
All "COMMENTARIES"
from Looking Glass News