We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Monday, January 25, 2010

Diplomat-whistleblower says he faces government reprisal

from the Toronto Star website. Canada's Harper government likes to practice government US style. There have been times when Canada tried to pursue a more independent course in world affairs, but under Harper it is clear that Canada is an integral part of the US Empire.