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

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Your Money or Your Life: Is There Really a Choice?

by Jamie Johnson from Vanity Fair. 

My favorite rich person (heir of the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical fortune) observes that the rich often commit crimes to obtain their riches which in a capitalist society bestows status as well as comforts. But like taking heroin away from an addict, once they lose their wealth, they can't seem to find any other reason to live.

Be sure to view Johnson's outstanding film, "The One Percent" to gain more insights on this class of people who rule over our lives.
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