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

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Recovery or Collapse? Bet on Collapse

Click here to access article by Paul Craig Roberts from his blog. 

This is more evidence that solid members of the One Percent are losing faith in their capitalist religion. As a member who has been thoroughly indoctrinated in this religion and practiced it in universities and the government throughout his life, Roberts seems to be panicking at the prospect of its demise. This is the end of capitalism! This is the end of Western Civilization! 

To be sure his kind is in the minority among the One Percent. Still, his example and that of others: Michael Hudson, Jan Lundberg, Yves Smith, ascetics and lifestyle reformers like John Michael Greer, John Howard Kunstler, Jan Lundberg and a host of other doubters who severely criticize the high priests of capitalism must be worrying for other prominent members of this church who are committing so many sins and creating so much havoc in the world. Unfortunately, none of these critics want to overthrow the capitalist arrangements of the economy--frequently they can't even accurately name the system, much less criticize it for fear of excommunication. They just want people to behave better, to enact regulations curbing the excesses, and to make individual lifestyle choices that use less amounts of fossil fuels.