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

Monday, January 6, 2014

Why do I hate America?

Click here to access article by Mickey Z. from World News Trust. 

Having been a life-long critic (during my adult years) of US political and economic policies and actions, I can really identify with this piece. The conformance to the views of authority figures by many ordinary Americans and the frequent intolerance of dissent that critics experience suggests that many Americans have adopted the prescriptions and views of ruling class authorities like a fundamentalist religion. The fact that there are so many people like this is another result of having grown up in American culture where obedience and deference to authority figures and the neglect of critical thinking are so pronounced.  

Of course, this is not an accident. Our ruling masters in the One Percent have learned over many decades how to get people to buy their views and values just like they get people to buy their shoddy products--even when it is against people's own interests--without having to resort to authoritarian threats and harsh methods that dictators use. 

Hence, our masters have employed all their institutions of indoctrination--schools, news media, even entertainment--in this effort; and, at the same time, found it useful to frighten people: the Russian's are coming, the "commies" are going to control your minds with their propaganda, it's them terrorists who's gonna get you, or it's criminals and drug addicts that are coming to steal what you have, and the sex perverts are going to attack your children. There are many of these people in your neighborhood, so you probably should not even trust your neighbors--but you can trust our authoritative pundits and personalities who tell you the truth between commercials on TV. Thou shalt not question what they tell you--or else you are un-American, and people will ask you, "why do you hate America?"