Concerns
1. Issues
"If a path to the better there be, it begins with a full look at the worst."
Thomas Hardy, 1887We all are aware of many things, sometimes we become aware of things which change the way we think about the world. Perhaps they even change the way we live. This section is dedicated to such things. I feel I have been awakening to many realities within the last year which have changed my outlook, and my "inlook" too. These range from what I consume, what I eat, where I shop, what I drive, to the government/corporations that I chose to represent myself, or allowed to do so.
Much of what I have learned has not been pleasant. I have a conviction that has been well put on many a bumper sticker...
"If your'e not outraged, your'e not paying attention!"
To begin with a minute summary; We as Americans are fed garbage for news (now THAT'S a news flash!), I have heard from many world travellers that they cannot believe the naivity and ignorance of the average American. It seems that many folks in other parts of the world see things perhaps a little closer to what may be reality. Of course this isn't true in all cases, and I don't wish it to be true at all, however, I believe that if you get your view of the world from the "mainstream" networks and cable news, you are getting considerably less than the full picture. I don't think this is by accident. Quite palinly, our society is arranged in such a way that very few have power over many. I'm sure that if everyone knew what is really going on, things would change. In the words of Ray Anderson, the CEO of Interface , a very progressive flooring and carpet company;
"Our civilization is not flying, because it is not built according to the laws of aerodynamics for civilizations that would fly. And of course the ground is still a long way away. But some people have seen that ground rushing up sooner than the rest of us have. The visionaries have seen it and told us it's coming."
I certainly don't claim to be a visonary, however, I find his quote to be very powerful, and to the point. We WILL become aware, and things WILL change, because the path we are on is not sustainable. I suppose the only real question is, will enough people realize that our plane cannot fly before it spins out of control? That is the million dollar question.
I have been thinking about what I would present here, and am still thinking about it. That is one of the real benefits of this exercise for me. It is a way to determine what I really feel, and placing it here for you to read, pushes me to try and make it coherent, and logical. Another more important result of this is the possibilty that I will not be just "preaching to the choir", so to speak. Maybe, just maybe, someone will become aware of something that they weren't before. And perhaps then they will feel the need to share what they have learned. Because your'e not going to hear about most of this stuff on the 5 o'clock news, not any time soon anyway. That's why you need to read it, because we all need to be aware of the actions we perpetuate or allow to be perpetrated in our name.
Downing Street Memo (7/23)
Peak Oil (7/30)
The core problems of capitalism - bloated CEO pay, sweatshops, and speculative excess to stagnant wages, corporate welfare, and environmental indifference - all spring from a single source: the mandate to maximize returns to shareholders.
Related Resourses
The Corporation (film)
The Divine Right of Capitol: Dethroning the Corporate Aristicracy (book)
The End of Suburbia (film)
