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, July 21, 2021

Posts that I especially recommend for Wednesday, July 21, 2021

If these trends continue, citizens could find themselves effectively exiled by order of corporate governors — unable to travel or go to school while also barred from espousing dissenting views on social media. They would, effectively, be “disappeared” within a shadow state that lacks any electoral or appellate process — a dystopian brave new world that could become all too real if we allow elected officials to use corporate surrogates to control the essential aspects of our lives.
There are two men named Klaus Schwab, no doubt.

One man named Klaus Schwab is seen by the true-believers, fachidiots, the liberal intelligentsia, the institutionally refined population, as a man who deeply cares about humanity. It seems they believe his warnings to be earnest even if uncannily and strikingly prescient. The World Economic Forum after all, must have been established out of great concern for humanity since it is propped up chiefly by the most humane institution in human history, the International Monetary Fund. This Klaus Schwab is a humanist.

So perhaps this is precisely the case for the true-believers; those who accept at face value the new Schwabian ‘distinction’ we are asked to appreciate between a shareholder capitalism and a capitalism 2.0, a stakeholder capitalism.

Then there is a second man named Klaus Schwab, who is seen by the rest of the world and the thinking people within it, for the monster that he is.
  • Research Tools You Should Know About featuring James Corbett from his weblog The Corbett Report, a video presentation (19:34m) of different applications you can use to download YouTube videos and many other tasks to make your online research more efficient. (Note: I don't use these "tricks" because my old brain can't digest them efficiently).
The new government—led by teacher, unionist and peasant farmer Castillo—is expected to make many social and economic reforms in keeping with their promises of putting the people before profiteering, and domination by the United States. This development, coupled with that of the Movement Toward Socialism landslide victory in Bolivia, last October, is expected to encourage like-minded peoples’ parties in many countries, especially in Latin America. 
  • Science Update: 2 C or not 2 C featuring Prof. (retired) Guy McPherson, an independent scientist (via his YouTube channel--(16:46m), who has fearlessly focused his attention and career on the climate crisis. (Note: McPherson surveys the latest articles he found regarding the destabilization of the climate.)
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