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, November 14, 2013

“Final Fantasy,” capitalism, and the environment

Click here to access article by Jon Hochschartner from People's World. 
Early next year, Square Enix will release a new game for current generation systems in its popular "Final Fantasy" series. With this ahead, it's worthwhile to revisit the most critically acclaimed title in the franchise, "Final Fantasy VII," released in 1997 for the original PlayStation, which is often cited as one of the greatest video games of all time. Compared to the medium's typical fare, the title holds a progressive perspective on capitalism, the environment, and the relationship between the two.
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