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, June 21, 2011

NATO, the ultimate transformer

Click here to access article by Pepe Escobar from Asia Times Online. 

The writer uses his typical cynical style to interpret the Empire's latest misadventure in Libya. It might seem a tad in bad taste considering the horrifying violence of the actual events referred to. But, the style has its uses as potent satire, particularly of the extensive efforts of the ruling class to hide its crimes against humanity. In this piece the satire is greatly enhanced by providing an Orwellian interpretation of events. You may need to use some reference sources like Wikipedia, as I did, to interpret some of his allusions to Hollywood creations. 

If this piece is too callous for your tastes, I recommend this one by William Bowles entitled, "William Hague: Following in Churchill’s footsteps" which demonstrates that the current imperialism is following in a grand tradition of the Western capitalist elites.
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