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, January 21, 2021

Posts that I especially recommend today: Thursday, January 21, 2021

  • After 'Incredible First Steps' on KXL and Paris, Biden Urged to 'Go Further' on Climate by Jessica Corbett from Common Dreams. My reaction: This liberal (in the current sense in the USA that promises only reforms to the capitalist system benefiting ordinary people) website celebrates the return to "normal": by thinking that the Biden administration will go forward to enact serious environmental regulations. The latter will only pretend as they have for so many years. Such liberals will be silent with the disappointing results, and they will be well-rewarded with solid careers for their silence. The capitalist ruling class, which supports both parties in our "democracy", will never compromise their system in any way that interferes with their access to their highly addictive drugs of wealth and power. But the corrupted Democratic Party will now promote the ruling class's agenda that results in the culling of "deplorable" workers ("useless eaters") not only in America, but across the globe as their preferred way to cope with the climate crisis. As for foreign policy, which few Americans pay attention to, it will be more of the same.
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