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, August 2, 2010

The New Superclass [46:29m video]

from Al Jazeera. Although I haven't had a chance yet to view the whole video, it appears to be a very interesting discussion about the Empire's ruling class, a subject that is rarely addressed. I may offer additional comments later.
A new breed has emerged; they set the global agenda, ride on Gulfstreams and manage the credit crunch in their spare time. They are anything but elected; they are entrepreneurs and entertainers, media moguls and former politicians - the self-made super rich who are using their money to lay down a new set of global rules. So where did this new global aristocracy come from and who is keeping them in check? Is the world suffering from a global governance gap?
3:15 PM update: The discussion ends with the question, "Who are they (the global elites) accountable to?" My answer is that they, like all ruling classes, are only accountable to their peers in their respective ruling classes.

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