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

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Trayvon Martin and Structural Racism

Paul Jay interviews Glen Ford on this recent tragedy and the continuing racist nature of American society. The One Percent ruling class, like all ruling classes, fosters conflict between ordinary Americans in order to distract attention away from themselves, their destructive policies and actions. Because of so many protests regarding the Martin murder now going on across the US, it appears to me that this "divide and rule" strategy is not going to work very well this time. (Note: in the interview reference is made to "Stand-your-ground law".) 

 

An excellent source for the latest information on this murder, I recommend that you follow an article link in Mother Jones that is being continuously updated.