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 25, 2020

Posts that I especially recommend today: Wednesday, March 25, 2020

  • Shortage of ventilators [respirators] explained by Dr. Emily Porter of Austin, Texas (via YouTube). (Note: There is not only a shortage of ventilators but also test kits and facemasks, the latter especially for hospital workers, which are necessary to seriously limit the damage done to our population. It seems common sense that only telling people to shelter-in-place ensures that infected people will spread the virus to their families. Only people who test positive must be quarantined. And, Jimmy Dore wonders why Facebook has waited until a few days ago to donate 720,000 facemasks.)
  • Trump Administration Endangers the Lives of Health Care Workers by Anita Desikan from Union of Concerned Scientists. (Note: Blaming things on Trump seems to be so fashionable these days, but I don't buy it. Still, I think that this article presents credible information regarding our health system and its weaknesses.)