Surviving Capitalism (Not) : An important Icelandic referendum and the media remains silent

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, November 6, 2012

An important Icelandic referendum and the media remains silent

Click here to access article by Mauro Santayana from Pravda.

According to this report, which was translated from Portuguese, the Icelanders recently voted for a referendum regarding a new constitution. (It still has to be approved by their parliament.) Funny, how we in the US heard nothing about this and other political developments in Iceland, another country which was plagued by banksters running amok. It seems that Icelanders who, unlike us, appear to be in control of their country, have committed the sin of blasphemy by rejecting the neo-liberal god of privatization.

The citizens of Iceland voted in a referendum, on Saturday (20th), with about 70% of the voters. The basic text of its new constitution, drafted by 25 delegates, almost all ordinary men, chosen by direct vote of the people, included the nationalization of its natural resources.