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, June 21, 2010

The Real Science Gap

from Miller-McCune. 

The author bemoans the fact that there are so few opportunities for Americans in scientific fields after receiving costly Phds. Articles like this completely amaze me. They waste so much verbiage wringing their hands over the fact that American scientists are getting the shaft, that it just isn't right, etc, instead of looking at the system itself which rewards only profit not patriotism, not commitment to one's fellow citizens, communities, neighbors--no, profit über alles! If you accept the system, then you have to accept the consequences.