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, September 29, 2021

Posts that I especially recommend for Wednesday, September 29, 2021

In this framework, Biden is openly asserting an actual right to do things he suspects or knows he has no legal right to do. He dares objectors to seek enforcement by the courts, telling them essentially to bring it on, knowing there are enormous costs in time, money, and hassle for them to do so. If they don’t, Biden has discovered an actual right. It’s a giant game of constitutional chicken, with ramifications that can affect generations by greatly expanding the power of the Executive Branch.
 
My reaction: Sanders seems to forget that we are living in a capitalist society where legal challenges take a lot of money to defend legal rights.
The recent article in The Guardian written by suspected MI6-linked Martin Chulov is a sign of the collapsing regime change project driven by the UK and US intelligence agencies since well before 2011. A war in a series of wars and coups that have plagued the region for decades. I recently wrote about the West being forced to partially normalise relations with President Assad after demonising him relentlessly since 2011. This is only the first in what will be a long line of climb-downs by the US/UK Coalition of intervention.
  • Podcast: Asa Winstanley on the Purging of Socialists from the U.K. Labour Party featuring Mnar Adley, a founder of this Mint Press News, in an interview with Winstanley, an investigative journalist and former member of the British Labour Party. (Note: You may want to access this interview via YouTube to give you greater control over the podcast.) My reaction: Britain is a major member of the capitalist de-facto US/Anglo/Zionist Empire--as such the directors of the Empire must keep out any socialist advocate. Also, read this article by British independent blogger Jonathan Cook.
  • There Is No ‘Good’ Form Of Capitalism: Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix by Australian Caitlin Johnstone with her American husband, Tim Foley, also reading the script (but you may miss supporting examples, illustrations, etc.)--from her weblog. My reaction: The answer in the article about democracy is the fake version of bourgeois democracy (or capitalists' version of democracy) where private owners of the economy influence (with their wealth and power) what outcomes are decided. This is not real democracy where the general public has a significant influence on major political decisions, the media, and all other institutions. There should not be private ownership of the economy beyond a certain asset level which is decided by the people of that society.
  • Homo Economicus or Life in the Magic Kingdom by John Steppling from his weblog. My reaction: Steppling is a highly educated American blogger, who resides with his family in Norway and who has a long career in stage plays and films. If you can tolerate many graphics unrelated to the content and content that requires extensive education, you will likely appreciate this article. I found many passages that I thoroughly agree with, but I have doubts that it is worth the great effort to find these passages.
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