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

Friday, July 30, 2010

The Wages of Sin: Former Citi Execs Pay Token Fines for Lying to Investors

by Yves Smith from Naked Capitalism

She illustrates how the drivers of profit for the ruling class can and do lie with impunity. Well, don't all ruling classes and servants have their perks? The author doesn't seem to realize that the system creates sociopaths and lavishly rewards their criminal behavior.