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

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Scotland: Not if people fight back, but how

by Colin Fox from Green Left

The author knows that we must fight the cutbacks, just doesn't know yet how. In any case, he does make a very good case for fighting back. Because the causes are the same everywhere, the cuts are coming to all areas of the Empire. Once working people understand the causes and the necessity to fight back, they will figure out what to do. 
...those who caused the crisis are forcing those who didn’t to pay for it. That’s the blatant injustice at the heart of this debate. It is a con, a “Con-Dem con”.

The rich and all their kept politicians now insist on two “fundamental truths”. First that there is no alternative to inflicting lacerating cuts in our vital public services like health, education, transport, housing and care if we are to reduce our debts.

The second is equally false — that “we are all in this together”.