July 16, 2012 - Bankers, governments, corporations. It sure looks like they're all in this together. I'm not quite sure - yet - what "this" is, but it's taking shape. Commentators, pundits, experts; those in the know refer more and more frequently to criminal behavior. Gangster-"like" behavior. The stealing becomes more widespread with every passing week. Those whom we look to for the execution of justice breathe not a word. See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. Seems to me like this is what the world looks like when organized crime runs the world.
The small-timers join gangs, the erstwhile major leaguers get a broker's license, governments enable all of it. The CIA oversees drug trafficking, the Supreme Court thinks corporations are people - very, very shady types of people, and the Republicans are gaming the voter franchise. Just like in 2000. Ever wonder why Jeb Bush will never run for President? Because he helped his brother steal the election. You can read all about it in Greg Palast's underread book The Best Democracy Money Can Buy. Just like Teddy could never outrun Chappaquidick, Jeb will never stop looking over his shoulder. The media don't care unless he runs.
That's the kind of world we live in. You can torment yourself all night and all day with questions (when did this happen, how did this happen), but I think there's more to be gained by cutting to the chase. If you're one of those who takes refuge in "everybody does thus-and-such," I really just wish you'd stop reading. I haven't got the time or the patience for you. Just to put a period at the end of that sentence, dictators have tried throughout history to get people to all behave in the same way. It can't be done! So don't waste everybody's time with an unthinking response.
It is certainly fair to posit that there has always been evil in the world. There have always been bad people to enact evil. That's still not the point. You see, good people have always outnumbered the bad. Among them are those who understand that the evil can hold sway only if they let it. Some speak out, others do not. If enough good people act to stop evil, there can be no question: it will be stopped. If good people are unaware or uninformed - often a conscious choice - and do nothing, that is their right. Complaining and cursing evildoers is not their right. They should have done something. Good intentions unaccompanied by right action amounts to nothing.
In times like these, living a good life matters more than ever. Setting a good example for one another matters more than it perhaps ever has, right now. Every good person who recognizes evil for what it is, and speaks out against it, undermines that evil by just a little bit. Perhaps someone who is uncertain about what to believe will listen to that good person, and not to the evil. Words are so powerful. Use their power to do what is right and good.
Congressman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) knows about the power of words. That is why, once again, he is exhorting the Energy and Commerce Committee's Republican majority to hold hearings about the link between climate change and extreme weather. Specifically, Waxman's letter to Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) requests discussion about "the recent wildfires and extreme weather events the United States has experienced, and the role global climate change played in these events." Waxman further points out that Congress cannot legislate responsibly if it does not listen to the testimony of experts. You see, Waxman knows that everytime he points out the right thing to do, he undermines the Republican agenda just a little bit more.
Speak your truth as loudly and persistently as you can. It matters very much.
The small-timers join gangs, the erstwhile major leaguers get a broker's license, governments enable all of it. The CIA oversees drug trafficking, the Supreme Court thinks corporations are people - very, very shady types of people, and the Republicans are gaming the voter franchise. Just like in 2000. Ever wonder why Jeb Bush will never run for President? Because he helped his brother steal the election. You can read all about it in Greg Palast's underread book The Best Democracy Money Can Buy. Just like Teddy could never outrun Chappaquidick, Jeb will never stop looking over his shoulder. The media don't care unless he runs.
That's the kind of world we live in. You can torment yourself all night and all day with questions (when did this happen, how did this happen), but I think there's more to be gained by cutting to the chase. If you're one of those who takes refuge in "everybody does thus-and-such," I really just wish you'd stop reading. I haven't got the time or the patience for you. Just to put a period at the end of that sentence, dictators have tried throughout history to get people to all behave in the same way. It can't be done! So don't waste everybody's time with an unthinking response.
It is certainly fair to posit that there has always been evil in the world. There have always been bad people to enact evil. That's still not the point. You see, good people have always outnumbered the bad. Among them are those who understand that the evil can hold sway only if they let it. Some speak out, others do not. If enough good people act to stop evil, there can be no question: it will be stopped. If good people are unaware or uninformed - often a conscious choice - and do nothing, that is their right. Complaining and cursing evildoers is not their right. They should have done something. Good intentions unaccompanied by right action amounts to nothing.
In times like these, living a good life matters more than ever. Setting a good example for one another matters more than it perhaps ever has, right now. Every good person who recognizes evil for what it is, and speaks out against it, undermines that evil by just a little bit. Perhaps someone who is uncertain about what to believe will listen to that good person, and not to the evil. Words are so powerful. Use their power to do what is right and good.
Congressman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) knows about the power of words. That is why, once again, he is exhorting the Energy and Commerce Committee's Republican majority to hold hearings about the link between climate change and extreme weather. Specifically, Waxman's letter to Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) requests discussion about "the recent wildfires and extreme weather events the United States has experienced, and the role global climate change played in these events." Waxman further points out that Congress cannot legislate responsibly if it does not listen to the testimony of experts. You see, Waxman knows that everytime he points out the right thing to do, he undermines the Republican agenda just a little bit more.
Speak your truth as loudly and persistently as you can. It matters very much.
Comments
Post a Comment