Here’s a question: If you saw and heard what Bradley Manning did, what would YOU do?
Let’s say that as a naive young person, you actually believed the BS about the military fighting to “preserve our freedoms” and “keep us safe”. And let’s say that you also believed that the military would, in exchange for your service, provide you with education that would insure your future career opportunities. Let’s further imagine that you believed that the military was actually about stopping “bad guys” rather than indiscriminately killing innocent civilians. Yes, that’s a lot of false memes to believe, but just for a moment, lets pretend that you believed these things, and so you enlisted. More
For today — and for every day of our lives, the (r)evolution continues. The US Presidential election is over, We have installed a centrist democrat technocrat for another term, and we can all breathe a sigh of relief that basic human rights will not be completely eliminated in America. But corporate polluters, banksters, and every other organization of unconsciousness — have not gone away in the least bit – this is NOT the time to rest easy…It is time to continue to be love in action.
Every aspect of our society that is showing signs of disease is suffering from one problem: a lack of LOVE.
Consciousness is the answer. For those who think that this is too “simple” an answer, consider this..
A conscious person would never knowingly do the following:
dump oil into our oceans
slash social safety nets for the poor, the unemployed, the elderly, and the sick
willfully outsource jobs just to line their own pockets
mindlessly destroy the rainforest, the “lungs’ of the planet
cause unprecidented wildlife extinctions
destroy forests and wildlife
write laws that discriminate against specific groups of people
invade other countries for corporate gain
fight against education and justice
create an industrial food system based upon toxic pesticides and untested GMOs
fund efforts to keep the citizens unaware of all the above
It has been my experience thus far in life that the more self-aware we become, the more aware we are of impact on others. An unconscious person steps on your toes and doesn’t notice… while an aware person picks up the slightest expression that crosses your face.
Consciousness creates connection through increased awareness and compassion. The web expands.
And sooner or later, we realize that our increased sensitivity and compassion towards others, also includes those “others” outside of our own species.
If any political party could represent my views, it would be the Green Party. I admire Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala, and I would be proud to have them as President and Vice President. The Green New Deal is a progressive, ethical, visionary platform. In fact, I visited isidewith.com recently just for fun, and discovered – no surprise – I’m just a point short of 100% Green Party. And Jill Stein is intelligent, passionate, and brimming with integrity — the kind of person you won’t see in corporatist politicians.
As I write this Ms Stein has just been released from jail. She was arrested for taking food to activists at a protest of the deadly Keystone Pipeline. She walks her talk. (Some pundits have claimed that going to jail makes her “not a serious candidate”. I suppose these pundits never heard of Nelson Mandala.)
But when I asked around, I confirmed my suspicion that in the US, outside of green/left circles, Green candidates are still largely unknown. Stein doesn’t even have the promotion that Nadar did in 2000, so there’s no way the Green candidates are going to get even 2.7% of the national vote that Nadar did. The corporatocracy definitely does NOT want progressive ideals to be offered to the American people.
Knowing that a Green or any other third party candidate won’t get elected on November 6th, I ask myself, “which of the two major parties is more likely to take a step towards addressing climate change?” The answer is obvious. The one that accepts SCIENCE – not the one who believes that dinosaurs took a joyride on Noah’s ark .More
But there’s another thing happening on the East Coast after Sandy…something that often happens to human beings when disaster strikes. Compassion. Humanity. Love.
Over 8.5 million people lost power; as of this writing power has been restored to all but about 1.5 million people. But that’s a LOT of homes, apartments and businesses still in the dark and cold. Up to 40,000 people may be left homeless. In situations like this, tempers fray, and looting can be expected. But unexpected acts of community and generosity are everywhere.
Feeding people on the street
Where people were hungry, other people shared their food — for free. Restaurants, community groups, and individuals pitched in to share what they had with others. Makeshift food serving areas spontaneously sprang up on city streets.
Occupy Sandy , which began Wednesday as an amorphous effort by members of Occupy Wall Street, the environmental group 350.org, and a host of community groups to offer relief to devastated areas of the city, had taken a very definite form over the last 72 hours. Bases like Jacobi church were created to bring people together and concentrate efforts, while satellite locations were established in areas crippled by the hurricane, in Far Rockaway and in Staten Island. Both types of hubs had been wildly successful at collecting and distributing aid and mobilizing volunteers, and now the links between them were being strengthened. More
Why does the United States vote on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November? Seems somewhat convoluted, doesn’t it. And, really, it does it make sense? Many people simply can’t get to the polls on weekdays. Why not switch voting to a weekend?
Actually, many people have pushed for a change to weekend voting, but the change has always been opposed, especially by those who feel they benefit by low voter turnout.
Even though America’s voter turnout is among the lowest in mature democracies and more than a quarter of people who do not vote claim they are too busy, efforts to move elections to weekends have failed.
The Tuesday after the first Monday in November was set as presidential election day in 1845. -BBC
Did you ever wonder why voting day is always on a Tuesday…or why we vote in November? More
“You didn’t come into this world. You came out of it, like a wave from the ocean. You are not a stranger here.” ~Alan Watts
The monotheistic belief of being alien to this world, placed here by a vengeful god, has wreaked a terrible devestation upon us all. After the followers of this belief conquered the earth-based spirituality of our ancestors, it became dominant, with horrific consequences that are finally becoming global.
The belief that we are “outsiders”, and not a part of this planet has lead modern humankind to feel isolated and hostile, compelled to “conquer” nature, fouling the air, soil, and water. In remembering that we are indeed Earthlings, and all beings are our family, comes the realization that we are – and have always been – HOME.
If you are seeking shelter right now, Text SHELTER + your ZIP code to 43362 (4FEMA) to find the nearest shelter in your area.
Today we are witnessing one of the largest hurricanes in recorded history. Cuba has been hit terribly hard, Haiti has
Lower East Side, Sandy
been devastated (again), and as of this writing, New York and the Eastern Coast are being battered by Hurricane Sandy which has joined with two other weather systems to create a huge and problematic storm affecting 50 million people
“Approximately one-fifth of the US population is in the path of this terrifyingly massive storm. We watch helplessly as wind batters, rain drenches, flood waters rise, fires rage and electrical power goes out.”
Occupy volunteers set up this amazing tool for other volunteers to register services or request help, and supply a variety of ways for virtually anyone to get involved in any capacity. It is highly ironic in these times of “Enemy of the State” and “Domestic Terrorism” accusations against activists that when the proverbial shit hits the fan, we step forward, unpaid, to perform civic duties in true demonstrations of patriotism and humanitarianism. .-OccupySavvy.com
When you take shelter – please, please, take your companion animals with you; Pets are welcome at all NYC hurricane shelters. (Please have them leashed or in carriers.)
And be safe.
Meanwhile… perhaps this will put the words, “climate change” back into the conversation.
The alarm keeps going off. We open one eye, then hit snooze and doze off again.
It’s time for us to Wake Up, and Grow Up. It’s time for us to take responsibility for the environmental damage we’ve done, and take a clear eyed look at the consequences we’re beginning to reap. And it’s time for us to make big changes.
And by the way, allowing a vulture capitalist who vows to end FEMA and demonizes unionized government employees — thousands of whom are risking their lives to save strangers tonight — is NOT the way to go.
Oh my, it must be election season. It’s the third day in a row I’ve received a bats*it crazy email from my reich-wing relative about…. (insert scary Halloween voice here)…Obama.
In this case, a two-second check of snopes was enough to get the job done.
*What is inscribed on Barack Obama’s ring? ** Barack Obama has been wearing the same ring for over 30 years. * *When Barack and Michelle were married in October 1992, Barack used the ring as his wedding ring. So, what is so important about this ring that Obama will never take it off?* *The answer is shocking.*
This is followed by blurry images of The Ring. They didn’t use the clear one I’ve posted here, which was used by the folks at Snopes.
So what’s the big scary-shocking deal?
Is it the ONE RING of POWER — with the script of Mordor inscribed inside???
