Age 12 I wrote: "If we don't become more like the Indians, more cooperative in our relations, we will destroy ourselves." I saw the US destroying Guatemala in the 80s. I learned from Howard Zinn that all the polls by 1975 showed that Americans were against all such foreign military aid, because it usually strengthened dictators. I've promoted direct democracy ever since, spearheading Boulder, Colorado's 1993 Voting by Phone ballot initiative, and working with Senator Mike Gravel on his project for National direct democracy.