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

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

The art of becoming human

Click here to access article by Pete Dolack from Systemic Disorder. 
About 180,000 people enlist in the United States military each year, many of whom will come home with physical injuries or psychological damage. Recruits are trained to kill, taught to de-humanize others, to participate in torture, but are expected to forget upon returning to civilian life.

That 22 veterans commit suicide per day is a grim reminder not only of the harsh demands of military life but that the Pentagon effectively throws away its veterans after using them. 
What a powerful article Dolack has produced! He uses an art show in Brooklyn to expand on the plight of returning veterans. Because corporate media rarely cover such issues unless they can put a positive spin on their coverage, we must depend on alternative media to become aware of the terrific difficulties they face when they try to re-adjust to normal life after enduring such de-humanizing experiences.
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