The Demise of Western Democracy?

We've known the US is an oligarchy not a democratic republic from the Princeton Study..."analyses suggest that majorities of the American public actually have little influence over the policies our government adopts." That's old news. The issues today revolve around the blatant hypocrisy of so called democratic countries canceling elections that will see nationalists win office as in Romania where it was actually the opposition party NOT Russia which was interfering., The refusal to step down after defeat as was the case in Georgia and France. The rigging of elections by controlling who has access to the ballot box as was the case in Moldavia. The attempt to eliminate the AdF party in Germany. There was an attempted military coup in S. Korea, and this week the police attempt to arrest the impeached president was thwarted by his personal military guards. And of course all the usual Western tricks of coups and color revolutions as in Bangladesh. Not to mention the US/UK/Israeli support of HTS and other terrorist groups to conduct the coup in Syria on their behalf. I ask what democracy and rule of law does NATOstan support. Looks to me like authoritarian dictatorship rather than democracy.

The sun is slowly coming around again. Happy New Year!

Our neighbors had two white horses set out on their own today. No halters, but not afraid, they sauntered up our farm road. We were able to point out their direction and they were safely retrieved.

Revolutions, Resolutions, and Resilience

Another revolution around the sun. Time to take stock and plan for next year. Looking forward and back like the namesake of the upcoming month. We got in our seed order last week. I expect dwindling supplies, so you might want to put in your seed order as well. One of my resolutions for next year is to do a better job keeping seed from my heirloom plant varieties. I've ordered some more American Chestnuts to plant, and plan to get some elderberry and mulberry trees in this winter too. We're spending way too much time cooped up inside and it is reflected in our poor health. (h/t Magi). “There was a study of more than 7,300 [COVID] cases in China, and guess how many people caught the disease outdoors?” Leung asks. “Just two.” Being outside in nature is curative on many levels.

Will 2020 Bring Better Vision?

Here we go into the second decade of the third millennium (that is if you start counting time when they say we should). If I could define a clear yearly vision it would start with an end to the wars and coups the US perpetrates to enhance global corporate/capital power. Then with both the monies saved and return of our veterans, we rebuild and create a new paradigm. Imagine locally produced power, food, transportation, parks, ecosystem restoration, and water capture and purification. Imagine the end of the fracking industry, which has never been profitable except as a con. Use the last of current fossil fuel production to create a fossil fuel free world and then end it...no new wells nor coal mines. I can continue by dreaming of a new food production system not focused on grains and soy which are driving so much of our ill health, but focused on neighborhood market producers, and humane animal production using regenerative farming. Eating well (which would require an examination of current (mis)guidelines plus a re-education program) would reduce the chronic disease epidemic. We need universal health care for all, but first we need accurate health advice. The big problem of the future is said to be the loss of jobs to AI, but we will always need teachers, park rangers, librarians, ecologists, climatologists, hydrologists, solar specialists, electric car mechanics, restoration ecologists, farmers, herders, ranchers, welders, carpenters, plumbers, and on and on. There's plenty of work for all but we haven't developed a system of value for our ecosystem nor one another. It is time. It is past time.

Out with the Old, In with the New!

Like Janus, the name sake of next month, let's look back at what has happened and look forward to what we might do. There are many things I wish we would throw out as the year changes...perpetual war, massive inequality, our prison state, fossil fuel extraction and use, indebtedness for college, the greed of capitalism, and so on. Similarly I wish we would accept a new paradigm of greater good for the masses... a green energy revolution, worker owned business and coops, living with less and leaving a lighter footprint on our planet, excellent public education, green mass transit, and so on. As our environment spins out of control with massive extinction and climate disasters, we don't have time to deliberate. We must act or go extinct ourselves. This is the challenge of the future.