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

Thursday, July 26, 2012

HSBC 'allowed drug cartels to launder money'

Click here to access article from Al Jazeera. (My comments modified at 3:00pm Seattle time.)
US senate probe has found that Europe's largest bank had lax controls that allowed money laundering for seven years.
When a US senate committee gets around to reporting findings like this, you can be sure that this is already so well known that it can no longer be hidden. But, notice the glaring omission: no US based banks are mentioned! Isn't it wonderful that US bankers are so ethical! (sarcasm) (See this and this.)