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, August 28, 2014

From Minsk to Wales, Germany is the key

Click here to access article by Pepe Escobar posted on RT.

Brazilian independent journalist Escobar sees Germany as playing a pivotal role in future events in Europe which will have major consequences in the conflict heating up between Russia and the American-led Empire. The headline of this article is about two key meetings in Europe (Minsk, Belarus and in Wales) with the one in Minsk just concluded and the other in Wales scheduled next week. He also mentions an important energy conference in Moscow tomorrow. All of these meetings should have a major influence on which way Germany and Europe will pivot. Based on the just concluded meeting in Minsk, Escobar writes:
Germany is growing only 1.5 percent in 2014. Why? Because the Washington-propelled sanction hysteria is hurting German business. Merkel finally got the message. Or at least seems to have. 
The Empire wants to punish Russia, which has opposed NATO expansion and NATO adventures in the Middle East, with more NATO bases right on its border. The Empire and its NATO army also want to keep Europe separate from Russia and dependent on the Empire, and thus opposes Europe's economic integration with Russia. The current wave of economic sanctions imposed by the Empire is not only trying to punish Russia, but appears to be an attempt to unravel the strong economic ties between NATO-dominated Europe and Russia that have been established over many decades.