Neo-liberalism and the Elimination of the Concept of Public Good or Community
It has been over two weeks since I last posted an essay in this series on neo-liberalism. I was both hosting out of town company and traveling during that time. Recently I have experienced a number of technical problems on my end too. I hope to avoid any future time gaps of this length between essays.
For those who may be interested in previous essays on this subject, here are the links to those essays.
Week 1 - The Curse of Neo-liberalism
Week 2 - Neo-liberalism Part 2
Week 3 - The Neo-liberal Myth of Meritocracy
Week 4 - Characteristics of Neo-liberalism
Week 5 - Neo-liberalism - Obama and the Clintons
Week 6 - Neo-liberalism - The Legacy of Bill Clinton
Week 7 - Neo-liberalism - Lack of Empathy
Week 8 - Overview of the Impacts of Privatization
Week 9 - The Rule of the Market
Week 10 - Effects of the Neo-liberal Push for Deregulation
Week 11- Cutting Expenditures for the Social Safety Net
Week 12 - Neo-Liberal Commoditization of Education
Week 13 - Impact of Neo-Liberalism on Higher Education
Week 14 - Neo-liberalism and Our Crumbling Infrastructure
Week 15 - Why Our Infrastructure Deficits Matter
In one of my first essays in this series on neo-liberalism, I referenced an excellent article titled What is Neoliberalism? This article was written by Elizabeth Martinez and Arnoldo Garcia and published by Corp Watch. This article provided an excellent definition of neo-liberalism as well as a listing of the five characteristics of neo-liberalism. Among the five characteristics of neo-liberalism is the elimination of the concept of public good or community. This characteristic overlaps some of the others, but gets to the heart of what I believe is really so wrong with the neo-liberal ideology.
ELIMINATING THE CONCEPT OF "THE PUBLIC GOOD" or "COMMUNITY" and replacing it with "individual responsibility." Pressuring the poorest people in a society to find solutions to their lack of health care, education and social security all by themselves -- then blaming them, if they fail, as "lazy."
In Week 7 of this series, I wrote about how neo-liberalism actually promotes a lack of empathy for our neighbors and fellow man. That is because the foundational belief of neo-liberals in the myth of meritocracy is deeply rooted in the ideas promoted by Ayn Rand's objectivism, philosophy.
Modern-day Neoliberalism has its roots in the thinking of Ayn Rand, who developed a philosophy called "Objectivism". The key value in this philosophy can be summarised as "the virtue of selfishness" (also the name of one of Rand's most famous books). Conventional morality (in effect, what we understand as "empathy"), is turned on its head...
A while back, a neighbor of mine who works for local government first brought up the idea of empathy as a public value in an informal discussion with several other neighbors. That conversation with this neighbor provided the impetus for my Week 7 essay on empathy.
Recently, this same neighbor served as a facilitator for a community meeting on "empathy." The idea of this meeting came as a result of numerous meetings that the local planning board held in various communities in the county in preparation for developing a new comprehensive plan. One of the issues that arose multiple times from those community meetings was that communities of predominately minority citizens did not feel as though they were being treated equitably when it came to governmental decision making. My neighbor was quoted in a recent newspaper article, "how can we have equity if we are unable to relate to one another?" To me, this is exactly why the concepts of community and public good are important in maintaining a healthy society.
So how does empathy fit into the neo-liberal ideology?
Probably a good place to start is with this famous quote by Margaret Thatcher, a strong proponent of the neo-liberal ideology. (my bolding added)
"They are casting their problems at society. And, you know, there's no such thing as society. There are individual men and women and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look after themselves first. It is our duty to look after ourselves and then, also, to look after our neighbours." – in an interview in Women's Own in 1987
Apologists for Thatcher often contend that her quote was taken out of context and has been misconstued. However, even in the context of the larger paragraph, it is obvious that what Thatcher was trying to say is that it is not the job of "society" to care for those who fall between the cracks. If there is no such thing as society, then every man, woman and child is completely responsible for providing for and caring for him/herself. This is complete hogwash.
Human beings are social creatures. We are social not just in the trivial sense that we like company, and not just in the obvious sense that we each depend on others. We are social in a more elemental way: simply to exist as a normal human being requires interaction with other people. - Atul Gawande
Because we are social creatures, we human beings need one another, not in just the cooperative sense, but also in a deeper psychological sense. From time immemorial, humans have gathered together in tribes, colonies, and communities. To live as a part of a community is basic to most human beings.
So what are communities and how do they relate to what is known as society? I found this brief definition which distinguishes between the two. Generally, communities are smaller and more intimate subsets of a society. Multiple communities may make up a society, but not vice versa.
The primary difference between a community and a society is that a community is limited to a specific geographic location, but a society can be made up of people who live in different places. Another difference is that a society is made up of direct and indirect social connections between people, but a community is made up of individuals who are more closely connected. For example, people who live in a town represent a community, whereas everyone who lives in the state the town is located in makes up a society.
Without the ideas of community or public good, every human being is expected to fend for himself and those who fail are branded as lazy or not worthy. The modern concept of meritocracy views only those who have risen to the top economically and by education as being worthy. The problem is that our government and and our social structures under the neo-liberal ideology have created a system in which only a few benefit and are automatically given the easy path to the top.
It should be up to our government to provide means by which opportunity is equitable. At the very least, equity comes in the form of basic human needs such as food, clean water, safe shelter, healthcare, and educational opportunities. But in the broader sense, the lives of all our citizens are enhanced when we are provided with additional opportunities under the umbrella of public good such as libraries, parks, cultural opportunities and other amenities that improve our communities.
The neo-liberal ideology views everything through the lens of economic value. The value of a human being is based upon how much he or she can add to the economic bottom line. Those things that add to the public good are seen as superfluous unless they can become monetized in some sort of way. This is why we are seeing the commodification of our public education system and the push to privatize public lands and services under the stranglehold of neo-liberalism.
Denying the concept of public good is denying basic humanity to the majority of our citizens and their families in favor of the few in the meritocracy. Denial of the concept of public good leads to greater income inequality and impoverishment of the masses.
Comments
Public good?
That sounds like some dirty hippie gobbledegook. So last century before Ronaldus Magnumus righted the ship. You hippies need to pick up Ayn Rand, get yourselves on track.
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
LOL,
I'll take that snark as a compliment.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
indeed. :) n/t
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
Thanks. Clipped along with all the rest.
Edited to fix typo.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Thank you, EL! (n/t)
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Hello! Aetna, Humana and United are pulling out of the ACA
market places because they are not profiting enough, according to them and Wall Street. (Blue Cross & Kaiser Permanante are staying)
Aetna in the past 18 months has reported a profit of $6.7Billion. Aetna objects to the rise in "individuals in need of high cost care" - the individuals the ACA was meant to help and the individuals companies like Aetna were never going to insure unless it received government money. (Not enough government money apparently.)
The neoliberal credo is to "enhance shareholder value" above all else, or in lieu of all else. It's just a coincidence that the CEO's of the biggest corporations have large stashes of their company's stock, I guess.
It's interesting to note that since the ACA went into effect, Aetna's stock is up over 600%. This is not a poor company.
This is just my opinion and it might be too generous, but it seems that those who control Aetna don't hate sick people; the company just doesn't want them as customers.
(Wendell Potter used to be an exec in this field and saw the light and writes articles that I find very informative.)
Capitalism, especially the neoliberal variety, is only motivated by greed and regards a corporation that acts like it's part of a community as a sucker corporation. Profits are the be-all and end-all and once a corporation has exhausted a community and its people, it's goodbye because they are looking for new areas and populations to exploit.
Thanks for emphasizing this total lack of empathy, or even an acknowledgement that the corporation is part of society, because it's at the root of our predicament.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
Re: Empathy
I credit my neighbor who has the same professional background as I do, for making the concept of empathy as a public value.
I believe that living under a neo-liberal system, every one of us has become coarsened to just how vicious it is upon people who need equity.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
The ACA is a joke.
That Big Insurance is whining about lower profits is laughable. They're making a fortune signing up the poor that will never make an insurance claim becuz they can't afford the Deductible. For Big Insurance the ACA is free money.
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
One ACA policy has a family deductible of $10,000. Another has
a deductible of $6,000. These are hardly insurance policies at all,in my view.
Private insurance has 8 times the administrative waste the Medicare has. Medicare operates on about 2% over head. Private insurance has over head of 15% - 18%. Medicare for All makes sense for the USA in that it's very similar to the Canadian system which has proved to be very good.
We need to get profit out of the delivery of health care.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
Amen. n/t
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
It Was Once A Religious Calling
Hospitals and medical care in general were once the bailiwick of the religious. Looking at what the religious have become since their origination of health care, maybe it's a better thing that they aren't currently in the business. They would probably demand the right to not treat anyone they deemed a sinner.
Vowing To Oppose Everything Trump Attempts.
Actually
Actually, there are health care providers that are owned by religious organizations, and they do demand just that. I'm thinking of PeaceHealth, the Catholic-affiliated company that owns and operates hospitals here in the Pacific NW. There are many others around the US. They refuse to render types of medical treatment that they deem to be against their religious principles. Pregnancy-related healthcare seems to be at the top of their "sinners" list.
"Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep."
~Rumi
"If you want revolution, be it."
~Caitlin Johnstone
Young, healthy people, too, who used to forego insurance.
ACA was a bailout of the insurance industry, who was shelling out on illness-prone people over 50, but not eligible for Medicare. Now, people in their twenties and thirties have to buy it, too. This helps both health insurers and hospitals with emergency rooms, who were obligated to give urgent care to the uninsured.
Part of the ACA was supposed to expand Medicaid by cutting off all Medicaid funds to states that refused to expand, which also would have helped emergency room type facilities, but the SCOTUS invalidated that part. People were so taken with the fact that the SCOTUS upheld the mandate under the taxing power that few discussed the second part of that case.
Of course, PHRMA made certain that ban on drug reimportation would continue. Obama kept his word to special interests. He killed the drug reimportation bill. So much for the myth that the President has no power over Congress that the loyalists pushed so hard as liberals descried the disappointing ACA bill. The first two years of the Obama administration represent such a wasted opportunity.
Excellent analysis - Thanks. Obama wasted more opportunities
than any president within memory. Based on what he promised and what he actually accomplished, I think he failed the American people.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
Thank you, duckpin. You are always kind.
Obama wasted opportunities from our perspective. Not, however, from his own perspective, I fear. Perhaps he did not get to cut "entitlements" as much as he wished, but he did get the sequester.
Thank you. I will read all of
Thank you. I will read all of your essays. I am writing my dissertation on love as critical constituting dynamic of community building.
Oooo - share some of your findings here, please ;-)
Interesting topic!
'What we are left with is an agency mandated to ensure transparency and disclosure that is actually working to keep the public in the dark' - Ann M. Ravel, former FEC member
Please share
your findings in an essay here. Your comment brought tears to my eyes. We need a whole lot more of love and caring and less of climbing the ladder to wealth and success. IMHO, we will all be a lot happier since love begets love.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
"We wanted you to know, we never wanted you to go"
Thank you and namaste.
Love, Why Did You Go Away
Thanks
This is the most perfidious/insidious aspect of N-L:
This relegates, for example, all artistic and cultural achievements (Visual art, literature, music, etc.) purely to the economic sphere, where the "best" artists are the most financially (not necessarily critically) successful.
Eventually, it will render all art except that which "sells" (panders to the LCD of the public taste) irrelevant and, by definition, useless.
Shite, even ueber-kapitalist Dale Carnegie knew better than that.
There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don't know we don't know.
In education
the arts and humanities are the first areas cut. Liberal arts colleges are struggling. It used to be that a liberal arts degree was highly respected in the work place. Now everyone is being molded into some sort of technocrat from the elementary years on up.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Critical thinking is the primary skill
taught in the arts and humanities, and the last thing TPTB want their technocrats doing is thinking critically.
Excellent series, gulfgal. Highest kudos and appreciation for your efforts.
Only connect. - E.M. Forster
"They" not only want
to privatize Education, they want a yellow brick road from the H.S. exit door to the privatized prison front door.
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
If not private prison, they can become mercenaries in
our neoliberal armed services.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
Exactly. n/t
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
David Simon agrees on the "public good"
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYXNdELqCe4]
I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish
"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"
Heard from Margaret Kimberley
The idea of The Commons is so antiquated these days
I think it was one of the most important pillars of democracy when the experiment began... I don't know how far back we lost that notion - long before my life began.
'What we are left with is an agency mandated to ensure transparency and disclosure that is actually working to keep the public in the dark' - Ann M. Ravel, former FEC member
Part of it was
corporations in the '80s (Reagan years) asking themselves why they're not making more money, and why they're paying taxes to help pay for public schools and parks and "the public good" when that money should be staying in their pockets. By the mid-'90s they were no longer paying those taxes - hell, instead they were demanding ever greater tax cuts for the honor and priviledge of said corporation staying put (and continue providing those jobs and paychecks) instead of heading on down the road to greener pastures. When corporations ducked what once was considered "being a good corporate citizen" (or neighbor) communities - and community - started going downhill (until we got what we got today). Not only did they stop paying taxes (which once went to pay for school supplies), they started cutting jobs. Then more jobs. Then moved to greener pastures.
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
This is going to seem like an outlandish comparison, but to me
it is apropos. Although the pic by my name is of 2 rhinos (mom and babe from the back-side done in Sumi-E ink) I have a particular dedication to elephants. They are amazingly sentient, sensitive and caring.
This past weekend this came into my facebook page from the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, out of Kenya. They rescue orphaned and snared, injured and abandoned elephants. Quoting entirely and trying to add a pic... lol. Bolding mine.
So the community of these so-called lesser mammals, trumpet and celebrate and help to nurture this newborn. There are many tales of elephant grief, which I won't bore you all with here.. But the accompanying pic is testimony to the dedication and devotion of elephants. They share and help and will stay behind to rescue other eles that are trapped and injured.
They are more humane often than are we, the humans.
She Gawa (to share in Swahili) is pictured just below her mom (large tusks) and surrounded by her nannies, ex orphans and wild ones also.
Don't believe everything you think.
Beautiful!
This also has brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for sharing. We humans can learn a lot from all of nature.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
American Libertarians will completely deny...
...That this is exactly what they wanted all along. Denial is something those assholes do all too well.
Modern education is little more than toeing the line for the capitalist pigs.
Guerrilla Liberalism won't liberate the US or the world from the iron fist of capital.
I've been following this series from the start.
Just wanted to jot a thank you for composing such an excellent treatise, gulfgal I've had time to look back and see how much my thinking on neoliberalism has evolved since you began.
As an aside, you have written excellent courseware for this topic that could be successfully marketed, if you wish. Any library will have an LMP (Literary Marketplace) behind the desk to get you started. Also, it could be published now at Amazon in ebook format. I think it would do well.
When you began, I really had no idea how systemic the effect of the ideology can be. No part of public life is untouched by it. As an economic system, it is widely regarded as a failure, but it would be very difficult to remove neoliberal values from the culture as a whole. Our moral compass has suffered a mutation that looks like a permanent distortion. Empty voids have opened where intellectual connections should be. I don't think civilizations can survive that. Civilizations without pillars of social safety built in, which the US lacks, cannot be sustained when they are infected with a very sophisticated virus, like neoliberalism. They collapse into a protoplasmic jelly.
Thanks again, gulfgal.
____________________
The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
Dear Friend Pluto
Thank you for following this series and for your kind words. This began as maybe a two part post and morphed into a deep rabbit hole as I learned more and more. The more I have researched neo-liberalism, the more I have realized how what was an economic ideology has deeply affected us in negative ways socially. Neo-liberalism has been insidious in that way. It has coarsened us to the plight of those who have suffered as a result of this ideology. It has also made this series more difficult to write because social change is not as quantifiable and I have no background in sociology.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Brilliant stuff, gg! I'm so happy you're still doing the series.
Thanks for the list of your summer essays. I must catch up :=) Read, read, read!
Resilience: practical action to improve things we can control.
3D+: developing language for postmodern spirituality.
Hi Gerrit
If I could only recommend three essays, it would be week 3 on the myth of meritocracy, week 4 on the characteristics of neo-liberalism, and week 7 on the lack of empathy. IMHO, those three weeks give a broad picture of what is neo-liberalism and the underlying philosophy behind it.
Thank you for your kind comment.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Remember "Voodoo Economics"
That's what "trickle down" was and what neoliberalism is.
The bottom line is none of them work.
I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish
"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"
Heard from Margaret Kimberley
"none of them work" except for the 1% and unfortunately the 1%
controls the levers of power and have shown no willingness to give up the power and wealth that goes with it.
It doesn't matter to Wall Street and the global north, headquartered in places like London, Tokyo, and Paris, that hundreds of millions live a life of want and that the planet is being made uninhabitable by neoliberal policies. They have their multiple houses; private airplanes; platoons of servants; and governments who defer to their wishes.
You mention the crackpot economic theories: The 1% rewards those academic apologists for greed and corruption who articulate them and then the for-profit press extols them in the media. Theories which explain how the world really works are ignored and the authors marginalized.
Yes it'll come to a bad end but it'll be us first unless quick concerted action is taken.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
This is what happens whe government has been bought
and monopolies, corporations reign supreme, I can't remember 43 or 44 going after any of them besides those that failed during the .com bust.
Also the bottom line is the banks that failed needed to fail, rather than be bailed, then regulations are needed to be put back in use, privatizing, deregulation has been an utter failure which brings us to today.
Trickle down is for the elites that have incontinence, otherwise where has it ever worked, every system for the people has been destroyed all in the name of "terrorism", well shit happens here and there, that's life.
I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish
"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"
Heard from Margaret Kimberley
"Feeding the horses so that the sparrows can eat" is how the
ancient Chinese expressed trickle-down. It only worked for the elites then and only works for the elites now.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
That's cool, thanks
I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish
"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"
Heard from Margaret Kimberley
Excellent series of comments
Thank you both. I always hope that my essays in this series will inspire people here to contribute substantive comments.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Actually thank you
and kudos to you on a brilliant series on neoliberalism, I couldn't have participated without you initiating it all.
I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish
"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"
Heard from Margaret Kimberley
The series is spectacular. Going to catch up now.
Had a difficult summer irl, so not much time.
Thanks for doing this.
Don't believe everything you think.
Thank you, Hester!
As I have posted before, week 3 on the myth of meritocracy and week 4 on the characteristics of neo-liberalism are great starters. I am also recommending week 7 on lack of empathy. Those three essays paint a good overview of neo-liberalism.
Thank you for your very kind words.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Thank you for this excellent series, gulfgal
I really appreciate your work on these and plan to make time to read them all eventually. This one was interesting but I'm having a hard time understanding the difference between neoliberals and conservatives. e.g., I've always heard Thatcher was a hero of "conservatives" and the YOYO (you're on your own) ideology as a conservative mindset. Perhaps as I go back to the earlier essays and linked articles this will become more clear. Neoliberals as you describe them here sound like typical conservatives to me.
Neo-liberalism and neo-conservatism
are actually two sides of the same coin. Many of our politicians are both. Neo-liberalism is the economic ideology which is puts the rule of the markets and money above people and neo-conservatism promotes empire expansion. This snippet from Washingtonsblog puts it into the context of the two major political parties.
One of the reasons I began this series was that far too often we allow ourselves to be distracted by the minor differences when the ultimate goal, regardless of the party in charge, remains the same: corporatism and expansion of empire.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Neoliberals and neocons are very similar and Hillary is both.
Thank you for all your work on this series.
Thank you
for reading and for your excellent comments such as above.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Your series on neoliberalism
has really opened my eyes! I'm appalled at the brainwashing our "society" has been subjected to. If we are not a "society," why do we need government? We should all be out here fighting and warring for ourselves. I know I'm being extreme, but neoliberalism is extreme and we are under its spell.
Thank you for educating me, gulfgal. Now I must take this knowledge and begin the process of educating others in my community and "society."
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
This is awesome, RA!
Thank you Raggedy Ann! Knowledge is power and the more we learn, the more we can take back our government from the oligarchs and make is serve the people.
When I started this series, I had no idea where it would go. That is because as I was researching each week, I was learning more and more about neo-liberalism and how deeply embedded it is in every aspect of our lives. I credt Thomas Frank and George Monbiot for first bringing my attention to neo-liberalism and sparking my interest in trying to write about it. As I research, I am also educating myself along with anyone else who is learning from this series.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Thomas Frank has certainly opened my eyes!
I need to read more on George Monbiot, though. I've really appreciated the work you've put into this!
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
Wonderful series
Thank you so much for this series, I am working my way through it and found a poem by Kritine Batey that spoke so movingly of empathy that I wanted to share it here. I hope it's not too off topic but it just spoke to me so...apologies if it's not to the point.
About Lot's Wife
While Lot, the conscience of a nation,
struggles with the Lord,
she struggles with the housework.
The City of Sin is where
she raises the children.
Ba'al or Adonai--
Whoever is God--
the bread must still be made
and the doorsill swept.
The Lord may kill the children tomorrow,
but today they must be bathed and fed.
Well and good to condemn your neighbors' religion,
but weren't they there
when the baby was born,
and when the well collapsed?
While her husband communes with God,
she tucks the children into bed.
In the morning, when he tells her of the judgment,
she puts down the lamp she is cleaning
and calmly begins to pack.
In between bundling up the children
and deciding what will go,
she runs for a moment
to say goodbye to the herd,
gently patting each soft head
with tears in her eyes for the animals that will not understand.
She smiles blindly to the woman
who held her hand at childbed.
It is easy for eyes that have always turned to heaven
not to look back;
those who have been--by necessity--drawn to earth
cannot forget that life is lived from day to day.
Good, to a God, and good in human terms
are two different things.
On the breast of the hill, she chooses to be human,
and turns, in farewell--
and never regrets
the sacrifice.
Hearkening back to Week 12, CA Commoditization proceeds
Back in July this was pissing me off; Janet Napolitano (president of the University of California system since September 2013, shortly after she resigned as Secretary of Homeland Security): How Public Universities Are Addressing Declines in State Funding
Yesterday's ComputerWorld, Affected IT workers in San Francisco are expecting to train foreign replacements
If California economy is so great (experts agree), then what are the "real economic reasons for the dramatic cuts to public universities"?
Thanks.