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, March 1, 2011

Iraq: Joining the revolution in the Arab world

by Adnan Al-Daini from OpEd News.

Whereas the Empire pretends to be a neutral party admonishing the use of force against demonstrators in other countries, they have a direct interest in maintaining the status quo in Iraq. Maybe that is why we see so little news of Iraqi protests here in the US.  
The young in the Arab world have sought the bond of humanity that connects us as human beings to be the emblem of their revolution.   Their grassroots uprising now sweeping the Arab world is not based on religious affiliation, ethnicity, or political party.   It is not secular, religious or nationalist. It is a struggle for human rights, freedom, and democracy that should be the birthright of everyone on the planet.