The Weekly Watch

Constipation of Imagination

You see things; and you say “Why?” But I dream things that never were; and I say “Why not?”
GEORGE BERNARD SHAW, Back to Methuselah, act I, Selected Plays with Prefaces, vol. 2, p. 7 (1949). The serpent says these words to Eve.

Robert F. Kennedy used a similar quotation as a theme of his 1968 campaign: “Some men see things as they are and say, why; I dream things that never were and say, why not.”

I can't help myself. I dream of a world that could be. I dream of a better farm and slowly achieve growth and progress on my little homestead. Often easy tasks take thirty years, and I ask why did it take me so long to accomplish this simple improvement that makes my daily life better? May be it's just that things come ripe when the time is right. Will times ever be right for our nation and world? Will we as a species mature? I can't see humans making the changes toward carbon gathering instead of carbon spewing soon enough. But, there are paths forward, and it is past time. We're late...We're late!

rabbit hole.jpg

Becoming Sane Individuals
I learned about Maslow and his hierarchy of needs as a teen. It was an impressive model looking at what makes us sane instead of focusing on types of insanity.

Instead of focusing on psychopathology and what goes wrong with people, Maslow (1943) formulated a more positive account of human behavior which focused on what goes right. He was interested in human potential, and how we fulfill that potential.
Psychologist Abraham Maslow (1943, 1954) stated that human motivation is based on people seeking fulfillment and change through personal growth. Self-actualized people are those who were fulfilled and doing all they were capable of.

https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html

heirarchy.jpg

This initial hierarchy was later expanded...
5. Cognitive needs - knowledge and understanding, curiosity, exploration, need for meaning and predictability.
6. Aesthetic needs - appreciation and search for beauty, balance, form, etc.
7. Self-actualization needs - realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences.
8. Transcendence needs - A person is motivated by values which transcend beyond the personal self (e.g., mystical experiences and certain experiences with nature, aesthetic experiences, sexual experiences, service to others, the pursuit of science, religious faith, etc.).

Becoming a Sane Society...
So there have been efforts to help individuals become sane and fulfilled. But what about paths for societies and cultures? Can we create an actualized society?
Erich Fromm suggests that capitalism doesn't promote a sane society...

An unhealthy society is one which creates mutual hostility, distrust, which transforms man into an instrument of use and exploitation for others, which deprives him of a sense of self, except in as much as he submits to others or becomes an automaton. Society can have both functions; it can further man's healthy development, and it can hinder it; in fact most societies do both, and the question is only to what degree and in what directions their positive and negative influence is exercised.

In fact, it seems that in spite of material prosperity, political and sexual freedom, the world in the middle of the 20th century is mentally sicker than it was in the 19th century. Indeed, "we are not in danger of becoming slaves anymore, but of becoming robots," as Adlai Stevenson said so succinctly.

What kind of men, then, does our society need?
It needs men who cooperate smoothly in large groups; want to consume more and more, and whose tastes are standardized and can be easily influenced and anticipated.
It needs men who feel free and independent, not subject to any authority, or principle, or conscience-yet willing to be commanded, to do what is expected, to fit into the social machine without friction.

...it needs to be said in this context that the very fact that we are governed by laws which we do not control, and do not even want to control, is one of the most outstanding manifestations of alienation. We are the producers of our economic and social arrangements, and at the same time we declined responsibility, intentionally and enthusiastically, and await hopefully or anxiously-as the case may be-what "the future" will bring. Our own actions are embodied in the laws which govern us, but these laws are above us, and we are their slaves. The giant state and economic system are not anymore controlled by man. They run wild, and their leaders are like a person on a runaway horse, who is proud of managing to keep in the saddle, even though he is powerless to direct the horse.

http://thecommunalsolution.org/the-sane-society.html

There are certainly more sane societies than the modern US. In this weekly column I often suggest Bhutan and Costa Rica as examples of saner countries. The US is so large. Alabama is very different than say California – politically, socially, and otherwise. However we are more alike than we are different. We may be better off to forgo national ambitions and work locally. As the climate disaster expands and deepens perhaps re-evolving into tribes might be easier than re-creating our nation. There is no doubt we should look toward local food production and water protection, capture, and enhancement. Clearly a capitalist culture doesn't promote sane individuals nor meaningful interactions among people. Can we even imagine a sane society based on mutual respect for each other and our fellow creatures?

And I don't give a damn about a greenback dollar, spend it as fast as I can.
For a wailin' song and a good guitar, the only things that I understand, poor boy,
the only things that I understand.

Max and Stacy have been predicting the collapse of the dollar as the international currency standard for years. Well it sure looks like it is starting to crumble (1st 15 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0BQ2H8zc6c
The volume of gold buying has not been seen since 1967 when the world was, in fact, on a gold standard. Does this indicate we are, indeed, back on a quasi-gold standard if USD trade surplus is being converted into hard money, regardless of formal agreements to that effect?

It is past time to imagine Peace!
Given the goal of profit at all costs, it seems the US MIC will impose perpetual war at all costs. This week it at least has been a topic of conversation. Did you hear Tulsi's Aloha announcement (26 min)?

We must stand up, and fight for the soul of our country.

Stand up against bought and paid-for politicians, kowtowing to special interests, selling their votes to the highest bidder. Instead of draining the swamp, our president has turned it into a cesspool of corruption.

We must stand up against big pharma and insurance companies who extort those who are sick, who put their profits above the health of our people. We must fight to ensure that every American gets the quality healthcare they need, through Medicare for All.

Stand up against big Wall Street banks who gamble with our money and our future.

Stand up against overreaching intel agencies and big tech companies who take away our civil liberties and freedoms in the name of national security and corporate greed.

Stand up against those who pollute our land, our water, and our oceans.

We must stand up against corporate private prisons profiting off the backs of those caught up in a broken criminal justice system. A system that puts people in prison for smoking marijuana while allowing corporations like Purdue Pharma, responsible for opioid-related deaths of thousands, to walk away scot-free and coffers full. This so-called criminal justice system which favors the rich and powerful and punishes the poor CANNOT stand.

Stand up against those who perpetuate bigotry, hatred and violence against our brothers and sisters because of their race, religion, or sexual orientation.
Stand up against this Administration who claims to believe in America First but who sells our troops, our weapons and our interests to whichever foreign country is the highest bidder.
Stand up against those who dishonor our troops, treating them as political pawns, and mercenaries-for-hire in wars around the world.
Stand against powerful politicians from both parties who sit in ivory towers thinking up new wars to wage and new places for people to die. Wasting trillions of dollars, hundreds of thousands of lives, undermining our economy and security, and destroying our middle class.
Trump campaigned against regime change wars when he ran for President, but now bows to the wishes of the neocons around him, clamoring for the regime change wars he claimed to oppose, this time in Venezuela and Iran.

https://www.tulsi2020.com/press/2019-02-02-tulsi-gabbards-full-speech-pr...

Well, heads exploded. Jimmy and the gang do a great job dissecting their animosity (28 min)

The twits at MSNBC screw up again when they ask on twitter who do you trust more RT or MSNBC. Guess who wins? This clip pairs nicely with Jimmy's above.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJTDzoM6HxY (6 min)

green new deal.jpg

Another positive conversation this week is occurring because of the introduction of a Green New Deal. I continue to urge a union of the peace movement and a re-imagined green economy. At least this is a start of the conversation ...

"Let's celebrate the fact that—thanks to the Sunrise Movement, AOC, Sen. Markey, and many others—there's now climate legislation in Congress that actually addresses our greatest crisis at its actual scale."

—Bill McKibben, 350.org
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/02/07/what-hope-feels-green-new-d...

Their goal is to meet 100 percent of the demand for power in the U.S. with “clean, renewable, and zero-emission energy sources,” in line with the scientific consensus on climate change, as well as to provide “all people of the United States” with clean air and water, “healthy and affordable food,” high-quality health care, “affordable, safe, and adequate housing,” and economic security.

As part and parcel of this transition, the resolution calls for a federal jobs guarantee, a massive infrastructure build-out, building efficiency upgrades and robust investment in public transit, to name just a few of the measures listed. It would ensure a dignified quality of life for workers and communities that rely on coal, oil, and natural gas jobs (“a fair and just transition”), and says that steps toward reaching zero-emissions — such as building new wind turbines — should not impose on indigenous peoples’ land rights or abuse the power of eminent domain. A full plan, the resolution states, will be developed “in transparent and inclusive consultation, collaboration, and partnership with frontline and vulnerable communities, labor unions, worker cooperatives, civil society groups, academia, and businesses.”

On Tuesday, the Sunrise Movement hosted some 500 watch parties around the country for a livestream laying out its next steps to support the resolution. As of Wednesday, the group was in the process of organizing visits to 600 congressional offices nationwide, for constituents to demand that their representatives co-sponsor Ocasio-Cortez and Markey’s measure. Supported by Justice Democrats — the group that backed Ocasio-Cortez’s primary run — Sunrise will also be launching a 15-city campaign tour through early primary states.

https://theintercept.com/2019/02/07/green-new-deal-resolution/

... this is not the plan to implement the Green New Deal, this is not going to become law, but what it does do is lay out sort of broad principles by which that plan can be implemented, and sort of ramp up pressure on the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, which Speaker Pelosi created several weeks ago and named members to yesterday, and sort of, you know, puts the pressure on them and sort of on politics more generally, and particularly 2020 candidates, to really come out and endorse a very specific version of what a Green New Deal is, and make it more than just a talking point.

https://www.democracynow.org/2019/2/8/ocasio_cortez_markey_unveil_sweepi... (video or text)

The three core principles of the GND: decarbonization, jobs, and justice ...
The GND is, at its heart, a form of social-democratic populism. Its intent is to involve the entire citizenry in the shared project of adapting to the 21st century, and in so doing materially improve the quality of life of the poor and middle class. It is an attempt to rebalance the economy and the political system, away from a monomaniacal focus on private goods, toward a more generous view of public goods and public purpose.

https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2018/12/21/18144138/green-new...
A thorough history and explanation of the GND.

Can we even imagine a world without war...or a healthy global ecosystem...or a population with no poverty? It is time to free our minds to do so. My partner worked with Paul Torrence for a few years, and we were lucky to distill his philosophy into our lives...

My experience and research have increasingly made me aware of the dreadful importance of falling in love with “something” –a dream, an image of the future. I am convinced that the driving force behind future accomplishments is the image of the future of people. Positive images of the future are a powerful and magnetic force. These images of the future draw us on and energize us. Giving us the courage and will to take important initiatives and move forward to new solutions and achievements. To dream and to plan, to be curious about the future and to wonder how much it can be influenced by our efforts are important aspects of our being human. In fact, life’s most energizing and exciting moments occur in those split seconds when our struggling and searching are suddenly transformed into the dazzling aura of the profoundly new, an image of the future.

https://scottbarrykaufman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Torrance-fallin...

caring for earth_2.png

We might learn how to better communicate and cooperate by listening to the plant and soil community...

When we think about plants, we don't often associate a term like "behavior" with them, but experimental plant ecologist JC Cahill wants to change that. The University of Alberta professor maintains that plants do behave and lead anything but solitary and sedentary lives. What Plants Talk About teaches us all that plants are smarter and much more interactive than we thought!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrrSAc-vjG4 (53 min)

Forest ecosystems act like a single organism
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un2yBgIAxYs (18 min)

Have you ever heard Paul Stamets the mycologist? Talk about imagination and creativity. (18 min)

Unbroken Grounds explains the critical role food will play in the next frontier of our efforts to solve the environmental crisis. It explores four areas of agriculture that aim to change our relationship to the land and oceans. Most of our food is produced using methods that reduce biodiversity, decimate soil and contribute to climate change. We believe our food can and should be a part of the solution to the environmental crisis – grown, harvested and produced in ways that restore our land, water and wildlife. The film tells the story of four groups that are pioneers in the fields of regenerative agriculture, regenerative grazing, diversified crop development and restorative fishing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWHabbAOON0 (2 min trailer)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ezkp7Cteys (25 min full film)

It is hard to wrap your head around the idea that farming can capture carbon rather than spew it out like a commercial production. It requires a different mindset and production techniques. Even animal production can help capture carbon...
So this film is a little long at 54 min, but it is really an interesting innovative farm well worth your time if you have an interest in regenerative means of production...
Principles and strategies to create symbiosis and synergism, the presentation covers the nuts and bolts of pasture-based, beyond-organic regenerative farming.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXHrkPC5bok

Can the way we farm radically impact not just our output but also overwhelming wide-ranging concerns for our environment, hunger, and poverty? Ben Dobson has a unique, personal perspective on how we can make universal changes. Growing up on an organic farm in Hillsdale, NY, Dobson was raised in an environment that was conscious of the ground. Having established multiple organic agriculture businesses in the Northeast, dabbled in coffee importation from Haiti, and assisted in producing and exporting organic products from the Dominican Republic, Dobson has now returned to his roots. He is currently working to plan and transition Stone House Farm in Livingston, NY, into an organic and sustainable producer. Implementing the “no-till” method, the transition of Stone House Farm is based on holistic management of our land to retain and rebalance the earth and bring healthy grains and meats to local markets.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp1i8_JFsao (10 min)
Ben does a nice job distinguishing between organic and regenerative agriculture

I understand farming isn't for everyone, but everyone can imagine and live a more fulfilling and balanced life. Consider the approach of his couple from down under (15 min)

If we can't imagine a better world we will continue to decline...as individuals, societies, and ecosystems. I'm hopeful the Green New Deal incorporates the peace movement. We must end these absurd corporate for-profit wars and use those resources in a positive way to re-create our communities, nation, and world. We can't do this...we can't do that...doesn't cut it. When I was doing research on no-till crop production in the 70's, farmers would often explain to me why it wouldn't work. My line became...it is my job to figure out how to make it work. And that my friends is our job too. How do we transition to a peaceful, prosperous, healthy planet? We start like the couple in the last clip. Start living harmoniously, care for the people around you, tend your personal piece of the Earth. Let's all walk on a path toward these goals...

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Bisbonian's picture

each other and our fellow creatures?" Yes. But perhaps not in a unit of 300 million or so.

"Have you ever heard Paul Stamets the mycologist? Talk about imagination and creativity."
Yes! I have listened to him for hours, and am certain he is headed in the right direction.

And now I am off to plant a couple more fruit trees.

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"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X

Lookout's picture

@Bisbonian

....that we might be better off re-evolving to localized tribes rather than trying to address systemic change across the country. If the climate disaster is as severe as I suspect, it may be a natural consequence of the degradation of the ecosystem.

We live in interesting times and we will see many changes over the next decade or two.

Thanks for coming by this AM. Hope all is well in your corner of the world!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Bisbonian's picture

@Lookout , with "leaders" living in one ecosystem making rules for people living in another.

Not sure how to get there, but I think communities ought to be located in, and responsible for, their own watershed.

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"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X

Azazello's picture

@Bisbonian
I think the local "leadership" in Benson is in favor of that ridiculous housing project and will allow it to be built if the Feds don't step in. Adios San Pedro.

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We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.

Lookout's picture

@Azazello

1. the people can vote themselves a just society

versus

2. The courts will have to step in to control the tyranny of the majority.

They were both civil rights advocates (and FDR New Dealers)

Now the courts are being stacked with RW extremist so perhaps there is no political answer.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Azazello's picture

@Lookout
Arizona Daily Star

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We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.

mimi's picture

@Azazello
because I am trying to access it from Europe. That really sucks.

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Lookout's picture

@mimi

...to give you the gist of it. Sounds a bit like standing rocks dilemma -

A 28,000-home development in Benson near the San Pedro River could start construction next year, now that federal officials have reinstated a crucial permit that had been on hold.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers told developer Michael Reinbold of El Dorado Holdings in Scottsdale that it has approved a Clean Water Act permit for the project “with modifications.”

The Corps’ action reinstates a permit it had approved in 2006 but suspended in July 2016 for additional environmental reviews. That came two months after environmentalists sued the agency over the permit.

Environmentalists say the groundwater pumping for the Vigneto project could dry up the San Pedro River, the Southwest’s last major free-flowing desert river.

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mimi's picture

@Lookout

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Bisbonian's picture

@Lookout

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"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X

janis b's picture

@Azazello

And all the money and time spent on on-going legal matters is a part of the tragedy. Is that what is required to fight the system from doing something obviously disastrous? Sad.

And how could it include building a golf course in a place that is drying up.

Good luck.

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Bisbonian's picture

@Azazello , if the Feds didn't have a major Army base skewing the demographics of the area.

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"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X

Azazello's picture

@Bisbonian
I believe another lawsuit has been filed and Grijalva is now the chair of the House natural resources committee.

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We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.

Lookout's picture

@Bisbonian

And now I am off to plant a couple more fruit trees.

I'm still planning on planting a few more too. Trying to get some older adapted varieties.

Saw a interesting approach on an espaliered apple tree. Each of the six lateral branches was a different variety grafted to the tree. It spread out the harvest, provided variety, and minimized space. There are some creative folks out there.

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Raggedy Ann's picture

Very eye-opening words with which you close the essay. You are 100% correct. It is up to each of us to learn to caretake our space in conjunction with our neighbor, not at the expense of, which has been the SOP for too many years. I'm on board. Keep talking to me. Keep bringing me these articles and videos. I then share them with Mr. RA, who already works in a greenhouse and has expanded his knowledge base in this area by leaps and bounds. His knowledge then spreads to our daughter and granddaughter who are already growing their own gardens, plants, etc. They are keen to learn sustainability because they, too, see what's on the horizon.

I believe things are hurtling through a big change, which can be a painful process. Think of childbirth. The labor is intense and painful - society's "labor" will be intense and painful as they awaken to the need to do something then act - then, the baby is born and all is well - it will take ~10 years of labor to "birth" the new society. How long have the modern societies (not third world countries) lived under dictatorships/oligarchies, etc.? They all arrive at enlightenment and emerge into a new society, eventually. India? Germany? Anyway, I hope I'm being clear, sigh.

Well, I believe we will emerge as a better society, but it ain't gonna be easy.

Have a beautiful Sunday, folks! Pleasantry

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"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

Lookout's picture

@Raggedy Ann

Thrilled to read about the ripple effect of this column. Thanks so much for your words of encouragement.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Lots and plenty of food for thought. A positive outlook is what we need.
Thanks!

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Lookout's picture

@QMS

Thanks for reading!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

information and food for thought.

Gabbard served in a field medical unit of the Hawaii Army National Guard in a combat zone in Iraq from 2004 to 2005 and was later deployed to Kuwait.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsi_Gabbard

So, Scarborough, who never served in the military, objects to the view of Gabbard about war. Should I care?

Something that troubles me more and more: (A) I don't know whom or what to believe any more. (B) mainstream media is portraying doubt of the mainstream media as un-American; and many Americans swallow information from the msm; and (C) at the same, attacks on freedom of the press proliferate, and from the same people who tell us doubting the msm is un-American.

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Lookout's picture

@HenryAWallace

Tulsi's email from yesterday ....

Today, our freedoms and democracy are being threatened by media giants ruled by corporate interests who are in the pocket of the establishment war machine. When journalism is deployed as a weapon against those who call for peace, it threatens our democracy as it seeks to silence debate and dissent, creates an atmosphere of fear and paranoia, and stokes the rhetoric that could lead to nuclear war. This danger is not new – we saw it take hold of our nation during the last Cold War, as McCarthyite hysteria.

Russia-baiting propaganda is being deployed against our campaign along with anyone else, on the left or the right, who speaks out against regime change war or the new Cold War. The corporate media is doing everything they can to stop our campaign before it gets started - including using fraudulent journalism and discredited sources to launch their biased attacks. 


The warmongers in Washington are trying to bury our campaign before it even gets off the ground - but they don’t know who we are and what they’re up against. I’m a soldier, not a politician. I’m not afraid of their attacks because I’m not worried about a “political career.” My mission is to serve the interests of the American people and our country. Our campaign is made up of people from all walks of life, from all parts of the country, who are called to a higher purpose - putting service above self. We are patriots, not political operatives, and we are here to serve.

Our interest is national security and peace. It is not the interest of the American people to sacrifice the lives of our men and women in uniform and waste trillions of our taxpayer dollars on counterproductive regime change wars, on a new Cold War and nuclear arms race.

This is why I'm offering to serve. As Commander-in-Chief, I will work to bring an end to regime change wars. I will work to end the new Cold War and move us toward a world free from the dark shadow of nuclear war.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I find that I rely on info from individuals whom I trust. However I find much of value from people with whom I largely disagree... Ron Paul comes to mind - horrid domestic policy, but good non-interventionist foreign policy.

josephstalin1-2x.jpg

All the best!

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mimi's picture

@HenryAWallace
in Iraq in the very beginning and it was that what stuck with me about her, that was when nobody talked about her yet. I think the lady is so to speak 'in the personal know' about wars' terror.

Someone said here last week or so, that she was 'running for the brass, being major etc'. I think she was staying for the blood she saw shed in front of her eyes close-up and helped to heal the wounded. She didn't run away from that. So much for being 'brass addicted'. ((Reminds me of my father having lost his arm in wwII bombardments in Romania and his life been saved by a courageous doctor in the field Lazrett. He later searched for the doctor for over 20 years ... and found him! - to thank him.)

Gabbard has courage. I like her email response Lookout posted and her straight forward answers. Glad she is doing the good fight and doesn't get herself bamboozled or confused by ignoramus journalists' questions. I don't see that she was 'staged up' by any powerful, rich supporters in the background.

She should run, as well as AOC and Sanders. These are needed efforts by good and well intentioned people. I was a little bit more sceptical about AOC, but I liked the way she 'played the game' in the video Winddancer13 posted in his essay "On Removing splinters". That made me a bit more trusting of her 'to play a good game'.

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Raggedy Ann's picture

@mimi
to play the game better than them.

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"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

mimi's picture

@Raggedy Ann
no better words to express my ambivalence about AOC and am not sure if I have been influenced by some writers here more than I should have.

Have now to do some serious meditations about the usefulness to sleep it over. Smile

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Raggedy Ann's picture

@mimi
I'm not a game player - I've been told I'm too direct for my own good. However, it IS a game and they are ALL playing, so she better play it better or get her toys handed to her and told to go home.

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"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

Azazello's picture

I got some stuff.
Here are a couple of longish reads:
NYRB: Imperial Exceptionalism
The Atlantic: Russian-Style Kleptocracy Is Infiltrating America
This is comedy gold, if you like to watch right-wing loons foaming at the mouth: CrossTalk: Bolton Unplugged, YouTube, 25 min.
And finally, thanks Hillary, for bringing freedom and democracy to Libya.
The Guardian: Conflict erupts for control of Libya's largest oil field
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K96eUTNhIZw width:400 height:240]

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We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.

Lookout's picture

@Azazello

As to Libya, I suggested earlier this week that Italy didn't support the Venezuelan coup because they suffered the effect of migrants escaping to their country after France bombed the hell out of them.

I appreciate the info!

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mimi's picture

@Azazello
Imperial Exceptionalism - Jackson Lears
I am half through it and it's really good and detailed. Thanks for the link.

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mimi's picture

... that's amazing and leads to all sorts of imaginative dreams ...

I wished there were a way to come back to this essay in a week or so and discuss what we learned from the links. I almways regret it passes by without getting a chance to dig into the material and then later to ask questions and talk about it again.

In any case just the video about mycelium was worth a little gold nugget.

Thank You.

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Lookout's picture

@mimi

Discussion is encouraged. It is how we learn!

Glad you enjoyed the clip.

Here's another interesting fungal application...
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X7PwNY8H_4]

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

as usual, all,lo.
Lots of snow here this weekend and last, that’s what I get for laughing at the polar vortex the Other week. Difficult to hold onto positivity while I watch the world, our nation, and local situation deteriorate on an almost daily basis.
Especially taxing when life throws(or maybe I did) curve balls at ones self.

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Ya got to be a Spirit, cain't be no Ghost. . .

Explain Bldg #7. . . still waiting. . .

If you’ve ever wondered whether you would have complied in 1930’s Germany,
Now you know. . .
sign at protest march

Lookout's picture

@Tall Bald and Ugly

....you got to walk it by yourself.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcbqCssiBUc]

The system seems so broken, we are left to act on our own. Hope your valley thaws soon!

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magiamma's picture

and all...

the What Plants Talk About video has beautiful imagery even if nothing was said. but the research he did is riveting. reminds me a bit of Wohlleben's book The Hidden Life of Trees. plants communicate. what a surprise. not. thanks and have a great one...

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Stop Climate Change Silence - Start the Conversation

Hot Air Website, Twitter, Facebook

Lookout's picture

@magiamma

communicates. All we need to do is learn to listen, read the landscape, use and direct the energy of the system instead of obstruct it.

Glad you came by, and have a good day. It a cool day with drizzle here.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

in the USA, Stephen Marche of the Guardian meanders his way to the really important point, which goes way beyond guns:

A constitution exists to bind a country together. At this point in history, 240 years after its composition, much of the US constitution is sheer nonsense. Democrats and Republicans alike worship the document as a sacred text, indulging a delirious sentimentality which was the precise opposite of what the framers envisioned as the necessary basis for responsible government ... The reverence is insane. The document says right on the first page that every African American is three-fifth of a person.

Guns just point out an obvious reality. The entire practice of constitutional law in the US is an absurdity. It gives absolute significance to meanings that have long since vanished into history. Jefferson himself believed it was the “solemn opportunity” of every generation to update the constitution “every 19 or 20 years”. Before Trump, and anything he may or may not have done, there was already a constitutional crisis. There is no way to govern effectively when your foundational document is nonsensical and you worship it anyway. Look at what happens when you base your gun policy on the writings of a bunch of guys who had never seen an integrated cartridge, never mind an automatic weapon. You get mass murder nine days out of 10.

... There are 57 times as many school shootings in the US as there are in the rest of the industrialized world combined. The reason for the difference is simple. When other countries faced mass shootings, their systems of government had the ability to take measures in response. The US doesn’t.

The rash of mass murders points to a broader crisis: American politics is reaching a post-policy phase. It is a battleground over identities rather than over strategies for public management. These identities are in conflict, and growing more conflicted, while there is no functioning mechanism for reconciliation. America is splitting at the heart.

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The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.

Lookout's picture

@UntimelyRippd

you can wipe your ass with the constitution. He used to clarify by saying "when it comes to drugs", but has expanded his view. Recently he was ranting abut the lack of constitutionality calling for a national emergency
https://www.npr.org/2019/01/09/683501440/congress-aims-to-control-presid...

Here's a discussion...

I don't imagine. That the president or his lawyers will make an argument that's grounded entirely on the Constitution. They'll make references to the president's role as commander in chief, they'll make references to national Security. But I don't imagine that they'll say that the constitution independently grants the president authority to take money from the treasury and build a wall instead. They'll be relying primarily on statutory arguments. And so whether the president has authority to build a wall will be primarily a question I think of statutory law. There'll just be some references to national Security that are designed to try to get listeners to support the president's actions.

https://constitutioncenter.org/podcast-can-the-president-declare-a-natio...

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

janis b's picture

@UntimelyRippd

Wow is also this, from the article you reference …

There are two gun cultures in America now, not just one. The first is a celebration of weapons and of the freedom weapons promise, a culture of resistance to government, of revolutionary individualism, a culture as old as the country itself, and the other, much newer, a perpetual caravan of mourning for senseless death. These cultures coexist but do not coincide. The political divisions in Washington, as vicious and irreconcilable as they may be, are not accidents of process. They are only signs of the far more profound divisions that lie beneath ... America is splitting at the heart

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Caitlin Johnstone has published an essay that directly addresses the problem of, "who can we trust?" Link:

https://caitlinjohnstone.com/2019/02/11/how-to-tell-if-someone-is-contro...

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janis b's picture

@out of left field

There’s no reason to worry about what journalists, activists and politicians are coming from a place of authenticity if you know yourself to be coming from a place of authenticity … Call the bullshit what it is and use the truth for what it is.

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janis b's picture

I will spend some time over the next few days reading and listening. Becoming sane, and the mushroom guy sound especially interesting. Great hands photo.

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Lookout's picture

@janis b

Hope your summer season is fruitful, and your beautiful corner of the world is well protected.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

janis b's picture

@Lookout

for those wishes.

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