The 'hidden' truth in this spending cut is that it is singularly the most effective thing we could do to refocus global spending on armaments. Do you not imagine that North Korea, Iran, Russia, China and any number of other countries would feel less threatened if the U.S. curbed its military spending dramatically? Can you contrast that with our current efforts to develop lethal weapons for space and mini-nukes? The way to peace is peace.
5) Plant and Nurture Trees
It's hard to argue against global warming when temperatures all over the country are near all-time highs, when desertification is rampant around the world, when glaciers are melting at record pace, and when millions of acres of forest are being destroyed by insects that couldn't survive such locales even a few years ago.
Most obviously trees take in carbon dioxide, a major culprit in climate change, and emit oxygen. They also 'create the space' for nearly every land-based ecological system on the planet. They are energetically peaceful. Their root systems help retain rain, creating a sponge/trickle effect critical for natural water systems. I could go on and on. Suffice it to say that along with conservation and migration to sustainable energy resources, planting and nurturing trees is the single biggest thing we can do to help our ailing planet.
4) Re-introduce Hemp
A study of hemp's place in human history quickly reveals its central place. Highly prolific, its natural territory circumscribes the globe. Almost every major culture has a hemp component, from African religious 'cults' to Europe's Middle Ages, where it's estimate up to 65% of the population was somehow involved in hemp production, manufacture and distribution.
Hemp oil lighted the world's growing cities. Its seeds were used for food and medicinals. Its fibers for rot-free rope and sails (no New World discovery without hemp). Yet efforts initiated by newspaper baron William Randolph Hearst and carried on today by lobbyists have demonized the plant, reducing its use to the fringes of our culture (if you know what I'm sayin'). In these times when the value of plants for biofuels is gaining prominence, what could be better than hemp, an energy-rich plant that grows well without artificial fertilizers and pesticides. (Heard about that big dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico?)
3) Overhaul Corporations and Institutions
There is little question that multinational interests are undermining workers rights, the environment and communities across the globe. Apologists claim that unbridled capitalism is the only successful model for civilization, but scrutiny of our situation today proves that absurd.. In these times, it seems obvious that some synthesis of capitalism and socialism is required. Capitalism to promote invention, socialism to protect resources and the vulnerable.
On the other side of the coin, many of our institutions are bureaucratic nightmares, where hard work and innovation are stifled for fear of upsetting the status quo. Policies that initiate best practices, integration and honest appraisals of systems and personnel are all required to remake these hulking dinosaurs into institutions that serve our needs.
2) Institute a Global Initiative for Children
Few resources are more important to our planetary and our personal futures than our children. It may seem trite to harp on 'children are our future' themes, but that makes it no less true. More importantly, our most critical human responsibility is to our children. We just have to recognize that all the world's children are ours, and start acting responsibly from that context. (Israel, are you listening? Darfur?)
How tragic and ironic that we can find trillions for the war machine, but can't find money for children suffering from malnutrition and disease all across the Earth. Even in the U.S. , far too many children are under duress. And all the while we're hypnotized by bullshit, baubles and trinkets on the TV. Sheer madness.
1) Dedicate Ourselves to Peace and Love - NOW!
Anyone left standing (or reading) after such outrageous declarations may still swoon at this ridiculous notion. We all know how important fear is to our survival. (That why it's pandered so regularly on the TV.) And since fear is the opposite of love, we just have to throw the love out, right? It's not our fault! We have no choice!
And peace is equally unviable. Just look at the news. Yet outside the news room there are millions of people of peace in our world. We're just not connected. Or empowered. And we won't be within the confines of the current world paradigm.
5) Plant and Nurture Trees
It's hard to argue against global warming when temperatures all over the country are near all-time highs, when desertification is rampant around the world, when glaciers are melting at record pace, and when millions of acres of forest are being destroyed by insects that couldn't survive such locales even a few years ago.
Most obviously trees take in carbon dioxide, a major culprit in climate change, and emit oxygen. They also 'create the space' for nearly every land-based ecological system on the planet. They are energetically peaceful. Their root systems help retain rain, creating a sponge/trickle effect critical for natural water systems. I could go on and on. Suffice it to say that along with conservation and migration to sustainable energy resources, planting and nurturing trees is the single biggest thing we can do to help our ailing planet.
A study of hemp's place in human history quickly reveals its central place. Highly prolific, its natural territory circumscribes the globe. Almost every major culture has a hemp component, from African religious 'cults' to Europe's Middle Ages, where it's estimate up to 65% of the population was somehow involved in hemp production, manufacture and distribution.
Hemp oil lighted the world's growing cities. Its seeds were used for food and medicinals. Its fibers for rot-free rope and sails (no New World discovery without hemp). Yet efforts initiated by newspaper baron William Randolph Hearst and carried on today by lobbyists have demonized the plant, reducing its use to the fringes of our culture (if you know what I'm sayin'). In these times when the value of plants for biofuels is gaining prominence, what could be better than hemp, an energy-rich plant that grows well without artificial fertilizers and pesticides. (Heard about that big dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico?)
3) Overhaul Corporations and Institutions
There is little question that multinational interests are undermining workers rights, the environment and communities across the globe. Apologists claim that unbridled capitalism is the only successful model for civilization, but scrutiny of our situation today proves that absurd.. In these times, it seems obvious that some synthesis of capitalism and socialism is required. Capitalism to promote invention, socialism to protect resources and the vulnerable.
On the other side of the coin, many of our institutions are bureaucratic nightmares, where hard work and innovation are stifled for fear of upsetting the status quo. Policies that initiate best practices, integration and honest appraisals of systems and personnel are all required to remake these hulking dinosaurs into institutions that serve our needs.
2) Institute a Global Initiative for Children
Few resources are more important to our planetary and our personal futures than our children. It may seem trite to harp on 'children are our future' themes, but that makes it no less true. More importantly, our most critical human responsibility is to our children. We just have to recognize that all the world's children are ours, and start acting responsibly from that context. (Israel, are you listening? Darfur?)
How tragic and ironic that we can find trillions for the war machine, but can't find money for children suffering from malnutrition and disease all across the Earth. Even in the U.S. , far too many children are under duress. And all the while we're hypnotized by bullshit, baubles and trinkets on the TV. Sheer madness.
1) Dedicate Ourselves to Peace and Love - NOW!
Anyone left standing (or reading) after such outrageous declarations may still swoon at this ridiculous notion. We all know how important fear is to our survival. (That why it's pandered so regularly on the TV.) And since fear is the opposite of love, we just have to throw the love out, right? It's not our fault! We have no choice!
And peace is equally unviable. Just look at the news. Yet outside the news room there are millions of people of peace in our world. We're just not connected. Or empowered. And we won't be within the confines of the current world paradigm.
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