Surviving Capitalism (Not) : Collapse of Iraqi Kurdistan

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, February 16, 2016

Collapse of Iraqi Kurdistan

Click here to access article by Andre Vltchek from RT.

I believe this piece illustrates an excellent example of reporting. Vltchek lets the broad range of people he encounters in this region speak for themselves. He adds his own personal information but does not let his perspective overwhelm their views about their concrete experience. Although the situation is complex, one thing is clear: Western capitalist involvement in Iraqi Kurdish affairs has produced, like so many other places, devastation, social chaos, and widespread poverty for most of the locals while enriching those with relations to Western capitalists.