Thursday, December 30, 2021
Wednesday, December 29, 2021
Good News Number 2 The Pandemic
We have vaccines that can slow down civid. Slowly more and more people are getting vaccinated. Yes, you can still catch covid / delta / omicrion with the vaccine. But if you do, it will be much less severe and far less likely to kill you. Vaccination rates are slowly going up. Look, I'm not here to argue with anti-vaxers. Please feel free to believe what ever you want. It's not my life or people around me who will suffer. If you won't or cannot do the shot, avoid crowded places and mask up. It takes a collective effort to defeat a virus. Pandemics always end and this one will be no different but let's try to make it end faster.
Omicron is rapidly replacing delta. So far, it seems less severe. This should bring the death rate down. But we still have the rest of this winter to get through. It will be very difficult for our healthcare system but hopefully this will be the last big surge. Once it does start to wind down, will we learn anything from the last two or three years? What can we learn?
As much as I don't like Trump, I cannot blame it all on him. Yes, he fucked up royalty by any metric. Even with his failings, we were gonna do pretty bad anyway. "You can't tell me to mask up, not go out or get a shot! That's communism!" "Everyone's lying except those who agree with me!" 'No big deal!" Americans are gonna be Americans. There's no way around it. Too many are consumed with identity politics, too isolated, too proud to listen to others and untrusting of others. And let's be honest, those untrusting souls have reason to be untrusting. Uncle Sam has told us some whoppers over the last few decades!
A few highlights!
"'The North Vietnamese attacked us first!"
"Cutting taxes on the rich will create jobs!"
"NAFTA is going to create jobs here!"
"Iraq has WMD!"
"We don't do body counts!"
"Like a miracle, after the election it will be gone!"
The lesson here is Uncle Sam has some hard work to do to rebuild trust. Can it be done? I'm not sure but I know to never believe any wannabe leader who wants to take us back to a mythological past, tell me who "Real Americans" are or blame others for problems we have created ourselves. The world is too interdependent to build walls. Instead, let's improve international cooperation. Let's be more honest- looking at YOU, China! Let's all listen more to each other.
Sunday, December 26, 2021
Some Good News Going into 2022 Number 1
This is one of a series on good news going into 2022.
Are Trump and company fading as justice starts to catch up? Maybe... Trump only offers endless whining about the 2020 election. NEWS FLASH, Donnie, it's over. Here in the USA, we resolve disputes through the legal system. You were laughed out of court more than SIXTY times. No, repeating a lie over and over and over and over does not make it true. You are becoming a bore. To actually win over voters, you must give solutions to problems. "I won 2020," solves nothing. Got anything else? The legal walls are closing in.
Letitia James Is taking a close look at the Trump Organization. The Donald is about to find out Supreme Court appointments does not equal bought-off judges. The January 6th Commission is following the evidence all the way back to Trump. Let's not forget all the other legal problems the Donald is facing, shady business dealings, two state investigations relating back to 2020, The E. Jean Carroll defamation case and overseas woes. This is not exactly running from a position of strength. If Joe Biden does his job, The Donald will only fade faster in 2022.
Joe and the Democrats must insure voting rights are protected. Politicians picking voters, from either party, simply crushes the little democracy wee have left. Joe also need to get some form of Build Back Better through. The Democrats cannot let one guy scuttle the entire bill. Pulling the trigger on student loan forgiveness will also be a good step in the right direction. I'm all for student loan forgiveness but we also need to address college tuition costs for those in school now and the future. And do something about the goddamn guns! We cannot accept mass school shootings as normal.
Will Joe and the Democrats come through? Maybe... Stay tuned.
Thursday, December 23, 2021
Wednesday, December 22, 2021
Random Thoughts Christmas Week 2021
It looks like Covid is adapting. The latest flavor Omicron, seems to be a little less dangerous but able to spread more. We have passed 800,000 dead and still increasing the death toll every day. The pandemic is far from over. In the best case, we still have a year or more to go. It has already changed our economy, the great resignation, work from home and inflation. It will be interesting to watch how this evolves over the next few years. One thing is for sure, there is no going back. The economy will be permanently altered by the covid pandemic. So will our politics.
I think covid cost Trump the election. The usual trend of the opposition party retaking the house and senate may not happen this time. Trump's power over the Republicans seems to be slowly starting to crack. The January 6th fiasco is going to take down a lot of people and it looks like the Donald will spend his last years trying to stay out of jail and or not being sued into oblivion. And the Republicans in many states are literally killing their supporters in large numbers by ignoring health experts, opening everything early, getting rid of mask requirements and slowing vaccination rates (to say nothing of insane gun laws, deregulation of everything and right to work). In close elections, yes, it will matter. "I won the 2020 election!!!'" on repeat and culture wars that do nothing to improve people's lives should not be a path to victory. The Republicans only offer three things, deregulation, tax cuts for the wealthy and fear, mostly fear. It should be a walk over for the Democrats but they are inept, weak and un-unified. Still, I'm more optimistic for their chances than I was a few short months ago. It will take a solid defeat of Republicans in 2022 to finally break the Trump spell. They will still be assholes but maybe they will start to bring actual ideas to the table and not want to overthrow our democracy (what's left of it).
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I like guns, own some and enjoy an afternoon at the range as much as anyone. I've been around guns since childhood. I even helped a few friends learn basic gun safety stuff. I also remember when the NRA actually promoted guns, hunting and outdoors as a hobby, not a political fetish. They were big on promoting gun safety. Our enjoyment, respect and sunny afternoons at the range with firearms have morphed into an unrecognizable, dark monster.
I was hoping for some kind of action on gun violence / school shootings from the Democrats. If there has been any, I missed it. I know this is a complicated, divisive and ingrained issue. Even after Sandy Hook and still nothing? Any other type of gunman, and we would have bombed, invaded and completely leveled three countries by now. But a white guy middle class lunatic, crickets... We get crickets from our politicians. What are some things that could be done?
Joey brings a gun to school, maybe mommy and daddy go to jail a year or two. There, they can brush up on firearms safety and storage. Sue the living shit out of a few manufacturers /sellers. Then, the might get onboard with a little sensible regulation. End "Gunshows." I loved them as a kid. They just creep me out now, a strange mix of guns, fear, doom and a death cult. Gone are the cool old rifles, revolvers, calvary sabers and cowboy stuff. Go now and you can see rows and rows of AR-15's-10's, AK-47's, semi-auto shot guns among limitless semi-auto pistols. Gone are the beautiful wood finishes, now replaced with a sea of polymer. Peppered in among all this are NRA propaganda booths, at least one or two yahoos selling Nazi stuff and a few others selling survival gear. Gunshow rant over. But to just do nothing?? Unacceptable.
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Tornados in December? Yeah, a rare one or two, gonna happen. A massive multi-state outbreak with this monster as the main attraction? And then this? Yeah, we can watch the usual circle-jerk of is this one event climate change related? Yes, no, maybe, not sure and so on and so on, around and around we go. Something is going on and it is not good. How many storm related events will be the magic number or tipping point where we finally decide, "Yeah, maybe we should so something?" Working on climate change could power a massive economic boom.
Everything from windmill production to planting trees to greener transportation systems to better food production all require work. How many millions of jobs could we create? I think we could revitalize dying towns all across the country! We could have a new golden age of prosperity! But let's not forget about changing attitudes about frivolous consumption. I still think that's the heart of the issue.
Sunday, December 19, 2021
And after the Nation State?
So what will come after the nation-states (countries) we know today? How we organize ourselves changes over time, with a tendency to further complexity. Global trade, communications, and alliances shift with time. I see three possibilities, given my limited view, knowledge and built in biasses.
1. A Strongman / Woman government married to conglomerate power, Neofascism.
2. We become more democratic via more political parties.
3. Local Local and Local depending on climate change severity or other calamities.
I'm in the US so I'm thinking mostly about here. Where are we now? The real power rests with unnamed and unelected CEO types wielding massive power behind the scenes. Already they are bankrolling our elections. This has reduced them to glitzy spectacle and third grade soundbites devoid of serious political thought or discussion. I hear the echos of WWE in a deluge of words like slammed, blasted and crushed. Maybe I'm missing out but I tend to skip over WWE-style headlines. Our politicians fall all over each other in a mad rush to get that undisclosed corporate cash. Those who don't are a tiny minority. Follow the money as the old saying goes. Sooner or later, it will lead to those who really run things. These are the people presidents and premiers address with sir as the first and last word. Large corporations already have armies of lawyers and lobbyists seeing to it things go their way. What is good for Wall Street and to hell with Main Street and any other street. And don't fuck with the Pentagon's money! We saw a rehearsal for a strongman style government under Trump. It reminded me of Russia's Putin.
DOOR NUMBER 1 A Strongman / Woman government married to conglomerate power, Neofascism.
The Mercer family came in at the eleventh hour to rescue The Donald's failing 2016 run. Along with an abysmal campaign by Hilary Clinton, they got him in. In return they got massive tax cuts and pro-business judges all the way to the Supreme Court. Roe V. Wade is all the rage in so-called mainstream media outlets. Remember follow the money? Business cares about business- making money. Culture war issues are only window dressing to gloss over the real goal of profit maximization no matter who suffers. The strong man will in time only be a figurehead with little real power. There are several problems with this model, even for business types. A strong legal system for contract enforcement is hurt by exploding cronyism to win the strongman's favor. Another big problem is instability brought on when a successor must be found. Business needs stability to thrive. The US has had a pretty good run so far using democracy as a less messy way to pass power on.
DOOR NUMBER 2. We become more democratic via more political parties.
We are watching the destruction of the Republican Party unfold in real time. Everything Trump touches dies. A few Republicans are learning this but too late. I can see the party splintering into several different groups, religious, straight up fascist, and business interests. The Democrats are already there in all but name only. You have environmentalists, socialists and also business interests to name a few. Now we have the finest democracy money can buy. Our "pretend democracy" has a system for acceptable leadership succession that isn't found in strongman ran states. Maybe we will keep compliant leaders (managers?) like Joe Biden in place. Joe puts a sane (and more or less competent) face on global capitalism. He's only temporary. I'm not sure how much longer the Democrats can hold together. I think more political parties would be better. It would be a better and more honest representation of 300+ million people. And the next door?
DOOR NUMBER 3. Local Local and Local depending on climate change severity or other calamities.
The technology based future depends on stability. What about a world increasingly destabilized by climate change (or even a limited nuclear exchange), what does that look like a few decades from now? I'm thinking local, local and local. There may no longer be an international system of trade. We'll revert back to something like medieval Europe, more or less independent fortified cities in which life is a day to day struggle for most people. Most of our fancy toys like cars, computers and tv's will be gone (along with most rights and freedoms). James Howard Kunstler gives a fascinating look into this world in his books. Picture 1850's technology building on the ruins of the former United States in small villages, towns and larger kingdoms (for lack of a better word). At least horses make a comeback!
A Door Number 4? Something unknown to us now. I hope it is closer to door number 2.
Thursday, December 16, 2021
Wednesday, December 15, 2021
Self-care
How to take care of YOU in our time of change.
Let's get one thing out of the way. I know I'm writing from a position of privilege. I have a roof, comfortable bed and food in the fridge. This is all true for now anyway. The future may or may not be very different. Some of you may think this blog is too dark and or down-right depressing. I agree. That's the point of this blog- giving out information you may or may not know already that can be deeply troubling at times. People living out their lives in massive garbage dumps is pretty damn horrific. I know a blog post or two is not going to change that. Hopefully, it can help reach that critical mass of unacceptable outrage where positive change has to occur. It is only a tiny ripple. Enough ripples can hopefully build into a storm of transformation. Here are four ways to help stay mentally healthy.
1. Find your purpose...
We need a reason(s) to get out of the bed in the morning. For now, mine are writing and art. I can create goals and work through them. Here's a cool thing; it is entirely possible to create goals that have nothing to do with money. I think it is true that to help others you first must help / take care of yourself. You don't have to start off finding a cure for all cancers. Start simple, exercising two days a week, reading some or learning a new skill. Don't reach all your goals? No worries, some days and weeks will be better than others. Sunday will roll around again soon. Just keep moving forward.
2. Turn off...
Turn off the damn news and take social media breaks! I think too much of both is harmful and addictive by design. There is a line between being informed and overwhelmed. Find the right balance for yourself. We are not responsible for every bad thing going on, nor can we fix them all by ourselves. Instead, turn on to talking AND LISTENING to people you disagree with. Social media and news silos make it easier to dehumanize those who may think differently. There is actually far more agreement than most of us realize.
3. It is okay to grow and change...
"You've changed," is usual said in a negative way. Guess what? We's supposed to change! Change is about the only certainty there is. We learn more and grow. Even our tastes in food and drinks evolves. So surely how we think and feel about the world will also. If a politician changes a position, cries of flip-flopper ring out. It should be acceptable for then to evolve as well. Along our journey of growth, people come and go as well. A few will remain for decades growing along with us. Some we know briefly can still have huge impacts. I think it is always good to meet new people and learn something from them. The more different, the better in my opinion. Embrace change, don't fear it.
And #4. Hang on to humor and humility...
Nobody like a humorless know it all. If you want to change the world, it helps to be someone people like to be around. Add a little humor, and others will be more likely to lend their ears. I don't know most things. I like to ask questions for hopefully the right reasons, getting others to question and learning more. The best thing we can do for each other is listen with intention to understand (not wait for a pause to jump in).
Sunday, December 12, 2021
Food and Fresh Water Insecurity (USA)
A few days ago I shared a few articles on food deserts here in the US. I learned a better word may be food apartheid. Deserts are natural and often still full of life. Where and how food gets distributed are choices made by people based on economics, ideology and all too human biases. There are entire communities that have little access to safe, affordable and healthy food. They do have plenty of access to cheap, sugary, salty, fatty glop that leads to poor health outcomes such as obesity, heart disease and strokes. Oh, and there is cheap alcohol aplenty! When it's only about the money, the poor lose out. What's the history here? How can we change course to a more food-secure future?
Food deserts have been with us for awhile. They started to take shape as far back as the 1930's as cities and towns organized along racial lines. Poor African Americans living in one area and more wealthy whites living in another. Viewed through a capitalist lens; simple business math- more poor the area, the less revenue (robberies as well?). This could cause grocery chains to consider opening elsewhere where there is more prosperity / money. Another element is plain old racism. Why are these areas poor in the first place? Redlining and yellowlining made investing and growth in these areas all but impossible. Fast forward a few decades and good manufacturing jobs started to flee the inner cities leaving large areas of black and brown blight, decay and drug epidemics. Dollar stores, liquor stores and junk food outlets moved in deepening poor health outcomes. Few, if any of these, were owned by people who actually lived there. They vacuumed out what little money was left and returned nothing to these communities but bad health. There are also water problems.
We know of Flint, Michigan feeding residents poisonous water for years. But Flint is far from alone. Let's not forget New Hampshire, New Jersey and Alabama. Crumbling infrastructure, contamination and inadequate water treatment plague cities and towns all across the USA. It's a form of slow violence against poor people and regions that kills slowly and is especially hard on children. Water poverty is a huge problem here in the US because it kills over time and mostly impacts the voiceless poor. How can this be in the "richest country" in the world? We stopped investing in our communities long ago while creating new poisons (lawn fertilizers, household and industrial chemicals, fracking cocktails to name a few). Almost no one gave a thought to where all these will go in time, hint-hint our drinking water! Slowly, the danger is starting to be addressed.
President Biden's Build Back Better Act at least makes a start. Time will tell how much help actually reaches those that need it and how much others simply grow their wallets. The real change that's needed is addressing the underlying injustices and not taking no for an answer. There is no justifiable reason for food deserts and fresh water insecurity here in the USA. If you agree, lean more about local politics. Find those in your area trying to make good, healthy food and safe, fresh water available to all. Like so many of the problems we talk about here, you can find the answer in the mirror. Federal, state and local governments are not going to solve the problem out of the goodness of their hearts. If we make enough noise, they will respond. Let's spend less money for war and more for safe water and infrastructure. Government cannot do it alone. We need to change attitudes towards the less fortunate among us.
Friday, December 10, 2021
Thought Flash 12.10.21
Unnamed Relatives
"I don't believe a word those motherfuckers say anymore," unnamed relative said in the aftermath of the invasion of Iraq.
"Don't mess with Uncle Sam's money," another unnamed relative explaining our foreign policy.
"Dammit, he was a human being," -a relative upon seeing a simple memorial to a single fallen marine.
Is there any way back for our government to regain people's faith and trust? Seems unlikely but all things are possible.
Thursday, December 9, 2021
Wednesday, December 8, 2021
Unpeople Among Us
Dying of despair (overdose, alcoholism, overeating and suicide) has grown at an alarming rate over the last several years. Anyone can die of despair but let's consider white men without college degrees. Why are they taking their lives in such numbers? Why are so many seeing life as not worth living? What does this say about our society? Most importantly, what can be done?
The world is changing, changing too fast for some to keep up. Gone are the days when a high school diploma was enough to secure stable, decent employment that one could use to start a family and buy a home. Good jobs that require little extra education have mostly been replaced by so-called "unskilled jobs." These are mostly low paying, unstable and part time positions. Getting by on this kind of work is a constant struggle of juggling schedules, maintaining transportation and putting up with the worst kind of bosses (and customers). It is a struggle pay check to pay check. I'd hardly call it living. Gone too are many of the things that create and enrich community life. Unions? Gone mostly. Neighborhood activities? Gone, replaced by the soul-crushing isolation of social media and twenty-four hour news cycles. Civic participation? Down. Engagement has been replaced by social media and twenty-four hour news cycle driven rage. People rarely talk with others who have different opinions / points of view. News and social media build silos of information that only further isolate us.
This is fertile ground for Trump and Trump-like demagogues who make vague promises of a return to some by-gone era of ill-defined greatness. When things don't turn out so great, the problems only deepen. Being crushed by despair, many see only two ways out- violence or suicide (sometimes both). Rising hate crimes and growing nationalist movements are becoming more and more of a threat to peace and even free and fair elections. Suicides among white middle aged men is up, way up. Our myth of progress is each generation will live better / longer, make more money and and be the beneficiaries of uninterrupted progress. When this fails to happen, some take it as their own failings. "I'm less healthy, make less money than my parents. This so-called progress is a nightmare of isolation and a country I no longer recognize." Add on to these dark feelings, it's never going to get better. Can it get better?
I don't know. We have to try. This course leads to a very bad place, just look over the blood-soaked hellscape of the last century. Now we have far deadlier weapons. We can have world war level destruction on a Wednesday afternoon. Let's try a different path... We can create a path that leads to a single payer healthcare system that our employers no longer have to pay for. We can add mental health to the yearly physical. Employers can pay better without the ever increasing health insurance premiums bleeding them dry. People can take home more money and do better even with "unskilled" work. We can create spaces for people to meet, work together and most importantly, connect with others. Neighborhood associations for helping each other, looking after kids, security and socials can be brought back. (Not HOA's that worry too much about how tall your grass is and other meaningless bullshit.) Unions can build connections and give people a voice in the work place. Clubs- car clubs, bridge clubs, sewing clubs, book clubs and more can also pull people away from the false connections of social media. Don't know of a club, start one! I'm not a religious type but churches, synagogues and mosques can be good for community as well. Take a pass on any that teach dehumanizing other groups.
Deaths of Despair are avoidable. We can and must do better. If this post got you interested in learning more check out Anne Case & Angus Deaton, "Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism."
Monday, December 6, 2021
Thought Flash 12.6.21
...To quote the late George Carlin, "That's why they call it the American Dream, because you have to be asleep to believe it."
Now, I love George Carlin as much as any fan. I even saw him live from the front row once, have never laughed so loud and long as I did that night. It was great. The thing to remember about this quote is it came from a man who rose from obscurity to the very top of his profession, gaining both fame and fortune. Simply put, he achieved the "American Dream." Does that mean everything's great? No.
The lower on the economic ladder you are, the harder it is to get ahead. Low enough down, George may be right. It might be impossible. So if you are working your way up, reach back and try to pull some people with you. Educate, inspire and lift.
Make your own American Dream.
Sunday, December 5, 2021
Solutions Anyone Dan Do
How about a break from pointing out problems? We get it- there are problems a plenty. What are some solutions putting aside all the barriers for a moment? What can be done by you and me?
Raise Awareness. A lack of knowledge, willful or otherwise, allows problems to not only linger but grow exponentially. That's what I hope I'm doing here. Few people are aware of all the things our two leading parties agree on; limitless spending on the military, keeping money IN politics, maintaining the American Empire and status quo. We need more political parties with different views, ideas and goals. Two similar parties is not enough for a country of 320+ million. None of us know as much as we think we know. There is so much more we don't know. That's the cool part, there is always so much more to learn! So be both a student and a teacher.
1. Climate change.
Plant stuff. Almost anyone can do this one. Plants / trees absorb co2. Make a garden in your yard. It's better than grass for the environment and you can get healthy food. People have created entire forests. I don't want to give a lecture on driving, consuming and throwing away less but yeah, these help as well. Don't vote for the batshit party of climate change denial. Vote for people who understand science. You also vote with your dollars! Pay close attention to what you buy and who you buy it from. This is the one thing that our corporate overlords understand- dollars. How you spend matters. It is not too late to start taking a more sustainable path. Just remember the longer we wait, the worse it will be.
2. Bug / ocean die off.
This one is related to number one. Buy less plastic crap that winds up in landfills and waterways. Grow a cool natural garden to reduce nasty chemicals in your life. By growing your own stuff, you can know more about what's in it. If you still have to have a yard, learn organic ways to make your grass and plants grow. Fertilizers find their way into waterways and kill bugs along the way. Further down, these chemicals wind up in streams, rivers and our oceans. Dead zones anyone?
Be proactive about how you vote both in elections and with your dollars.
3. On-going Mass Extinction Event.
It is never too late to start making better decisions about protecting habitats, pollution control and how we impact the climate. However, the longer we wait, the worse it will be. We are losing species at an astonishing rate. The causes are similar to 1 and 2. Overconsumption, the fiction of limitless growth and trashing the environment all play roles. We can all buy and use less, not take more than we need and pay closer attention to where and how we "throw stuff away." The hard part is changing attitudes.
They're no magic techno bullets or benevolent billionaires coming to save us. We need to change ourselves. This means consuming less, much less, reconnecting with the natural world (take your kids walking into the woods and camping) and a rediscovery of what's truly sacred- life's interdependence and interconnections.
Wednesday, December 1, 2021
So who are "Unpeople" anyway?
Unpeople is a term I got from Noam Chomsky (don't know if he created it). Unpeople are those generally hidden from view in popular culture. People with physical and mental disabilities can be unpeople (even more likely if they also happen to be minorities). Our poorest of the poor, homeless with mental health barriers, are seldom seen as little more than a public nuisance. That's if they are seen at all. There are our elderly stashed all across this country warehoused in for profit "rest-homes" wasting away from loneliness, depression and countless other ailments who rarely, if ever, get to feel sunshine. "Unpeople" reminds me of all the small towns in every state painfully dying of neoliberalism. They are slowly being reclaimed by Mother Earth. I'm sure you can think of a number of others. Who are some of the Unpeople beyond our borders?
There are stateless people such as the Palestinians and Kurds. Being stateless often means being deprived of basic rights, decent healthcare or even steady employment. These people are caught in a more or less permanent refugee status. They are often restricted on where they can go and too many get labeled as "terrorists." Opportunities for improvement are few and far between. Arbitrary borders and national governments that leave out entire segments of local populations set up by outsiders help create stateless peoples. These groups often find themselves in dangerous high conflict zones deprived of safety and security. They have few legal protections or representation (voice). There is another group with an opposite problem or situation.
Uncontacted indigenous peoples sometimes belong to states they are unaware of. The Sentinelese people live on an island in the Indian Ocean. They kill anyone who shows up on their island's shore. The world has thankfully taken a hands off / leave them alone approach. Unknown to the Sentinelese, the Indian Government is charged with their protection from outsiders. Every now and then someone slips through and meets with a predictable fate. The Sentinelese have lived on their island for thousands of years. It would be fascinating to know their origin stories, myths and how they maintain continuity over centuries. I think it is best to leave them alone. I also have no doubt they will still be there long after this thing called the United States is long gone. There are also uncontacted tribes still in South America. Many are under threat from deforestation, environmental changes and expanding clear-cut farming. Contact with outsiders could have dire consequences in the form of pathogens they've never encountered before. Entire cultures, customs and languages could be lost forever. Unpeople can be those rejected by society.
Around fifteen million people around the world live in garbage dump communities. That's fifteen million too many. They are exposed daily to a multitude of dangers; dangerous pathogens, possible serious injuries, gang violence, being buried alive in garbage and suffocating to death and even more additional dangers. They find food (often unsafe), things to recycle and often live in less than $2.00 a day. Fifteen million is a large number but let's look at one more much larger group.
The Bottom Billion is a book by Paul Collier. Some of the poorest nations on Earth get caught in four traps; conflict, poor natural resource management, landlocked with bad neighbors and bad governance. Most of the suffering falls on the poorest of the poor. They are at the mercy of rich countries and take the brunt of climate change's consequences (for now). I believe there is nothing natural about this. It is a result of choices made by the most powerful for their own benefit. There are enough resources to go around, the problem is how they are distributed. We can do better. It is also in our own best interest to reduce extreme poverty, conflict and suffering.
Monday, November 29, 2021
Sunday, November 28, 2021
A Hard Look Forward
This is not a happy, feel-good post full of hope or possible answers. Here, we will take a peak into the coming dark age we are all facing. It is not just global warming we are facing. There's more trouble ahead, a lot more. We know about human caused climate change already. There are at least three more threats we need to add to the list. Our dying oceans. The insect die off. The current mass extinction event.
The oceans face several big problems; acidification, warming that leads to current changes, over fishing and pollution. A more acidic ocean means more dying coral and shell based sea life which affects food chains the world over. Yes, it is related to a warming earth. The ocean currents are changing as well, they are slowing. This will change weather patterns, location of fish populations and sea level rise. And then you can add overfishing and pollution. We know about the huge problem of plastic waste but let's not forget oil seepage, farm chemical runoff, industrial waste and even noise pollution. Sound travels far underwater and plays havoc with animals that use sonar. Oh, and let's give a special shout-out to those fun looking cruise ships! But wait, there's more!
The insects are dying off. We kind of need them. They pollinate plants, enrich the soil and are the basis of countless food chains. It's difficult ti imagine a world without bugs or a very few dominant species who cannot replicate the roles diverse insect populations now play. There are a number of human-made causes for this. Farm fertilizers, industrial chemicals, pollution and ongoing habitat destruction all play roles in declining bug populations. We easily forget sitting in from the elements comfortably in our homes, we are still a part on a much larger natural system on which we completely depend. Without pollinating insects, the food chain on which we depend disappears. Good luck with that! Oh, and one more thing (for this post anyway).
We are in a mass extinction event. It is not a natural cycle. It is us. We are rapidly destroying the natural world with overpopulation, habitat destruction, pollution, human caused climate change and my favorite- overconsumption. Our lives of privilege, security and ease hide the real dangers right in front of us. Few have ever been to a place where they are not the highest on the food chain. We separate ourselves from the natural world. Our idea of a food chain is a drive thru, the grocery store and now even the internet. Completely cut off from nature in our homes, work places and cars rapidly shrinking biodiversity seems far away from our day to day lives. The impacts are here and now depending on where you live in the world. Trapped in our twin illusions of limitless growth and continuous progress, we cannot see the rapidly approaching cliffs ahead. So...?
I love our mythological, space exploring future as much as anyone. Hell, I even write science-fiction! It could happen but understand the future we get may be very, very different from the one we want. Hope for the best but plan for the worst. Once capitalism recognizes the depth of danger, it will be far too late. With all the well known dangers above, the best we get are international conferences full of half measures and lots of blah, blah, blah. In other words, the people running this shit show haven't even began to see the slow motion armageddon unfolding in real time, much less starting to do anything of substance about it.
I don't mean to screw up your day, just help create awareness of the massive challenges ahead. It is too easy for us here in the USA to see those being affected by climate change and these three unfolding disasters today as a problem far removed from our pay check to pay check existence and daily routines. Any hope of solving these problems depends on open and honest understanding and moving well beyond the blame game. Keep your humanity moving forward friends... There will be no easy / pain free fixes.
Friday, November 26, 2021
Thought Flash...
So I was listening to Van Jones and Andrew Yang on Forward with Andrew Yang. Van said something like Democrats now find themselves having to defend our government institutions from Republican attack. Only problem most government institutions are despised. I'm paraphrasing here not taking a direct quote. I think I'd generally agree. That does not bode well for the Democrats in 2022, 2024 and beyond.
Will the spending bill kick in in time? Will inflation slow a little next year? Where will we be as a country in a year? Covid? A black-swan event? There are too many variables / moving parts to write off the Democrats at this time. All the polls, talking TV heads and so-called experts are doing little more than trying to generate views and clicks at this point. Van and Andrew talked about a bunch of other stuff as well. I'm not trying to poo poo the podcast. I think it's good over all.
I will say this, if the Democrats fail to protect voting rights we will become a true one party state. That will not end well for anyone. One party states don't play well together, mix in some nukes and you get the idea.
Wednesday, November 24, 2021
A Few Notes on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving may be the best holiday on the US calendar; no gifting expectations, no need to add to your debit level and for many a few days off work. I have never participated in the Black Friday madness and I would urge you to pass as well. We give thanks for what we have and then turn right around and buy more, only in the USA! Don't let others define Thanksgiving for you. Instead make it your own. No or little family around, find a few friends in a similar situation and cook out or go for Chinese food! Alone? Cook something tasty watch some football or a movie and make it a relaxing day. The huge meals with lots of family and friends are cool most of the time (just don't let it stress you out). Take a day to set aside differences, heal old hurts and reconnect when possible. Some of my most memorable Thanksgivings were the unusual ones. You?
Many years ago brother Dave ran in a marathon in Atlanta on Thanksgiving Day. We went down the day before and spent the night in a hotel. He ran the race in the morning, came back to the hotel, took a short nap and then drove most of the five hours home. There were no restaurants open for a proper meal. It was even a challenge to just find gas but we did. A soft drink, nabs and a candy bar morphed into the Thanksgiving meal. I was just glad to be on the road with Dave and Dad. It was a good trip. Then, there was the more recent year my wife, Thu, got a great deal on three (or was it four??) turkeys. Chest freezers are a good thing indeed! She baked the first one with a little help from YouTube. The others she baked over time as needed. We ate turkey off and on until the following spring. So... what is there to be thankful for in these times?
Well, to start with, the sun came up today. And we are here to greet it! Appreciation of the small things is a good place to start. If you're reading this, there is a good chance you hav a roof over your head. I appreciate you taking a few minutes to read this! Be thankful you have made it this far in life. Getting older does not suck, it's a privilege that not everyone gets. Nobody said it was going to be easy. Along with the sunrise, we have another opportunity to try and make the world just a little better. Those are a few general things. Here are a few things I'm thankful for in no particular order.
I'm thankful for family and friends of course. I'm personally thankful for the ADA; ramps up curbs, wide enough isles in stores, elevators most everywhere I need one and travel. I've always found help getting around airports when I've needed it, even internationally. I'm glad knowing help is a 911 call away. Thank you EMS, Fire and Police Departments. I think they should all be paid better! I'm happy I have access to and know how to use technology; safer cars, computers and a more comfortable home. Those are a few things, there are more. It's nice to have a holiday built around a meal with family and or friends.
** Covid is still lurking out there, be smart!! **
Sunday, November 21, 2021
Religious Freedom
Now. here's a topic that can make everyone mad! That's not the goal.
In recent times, religious freedom has come to mean "I have the religious freedom to impose my religion on my employees and or customers." No birth control coverage for people working in Catholic charities, remember? "I'm not gonna make a wedding cake for a gay couple." Now, for a select few, it means I don't have to get a vaccine to protect myself or community because vaccines are against my religion. These are the same people crying religious persecution as synagogs are defaced with nazi symbols, mosques are vandalized and African-American churches are burned to the ground. The freedom to hate seems to be a longe running theme also. Hatred of other religions, other nationalities / races, nonbelievers and anyone in the LGBQ community are common among nationalistic, conservative christians. It is a form of dehumanization. It is very dangerous and not what our country is about.
The people who started this circus known as the United States of America knew the perils of mixing government and religion. They decided that the government here should stay out of the religion business all together. It's there in the Bill of Rights for all to see. Here's a little from the ACLU. The church / state wall held strong until Nixon's Southern Strategy. We have been on a path towards a one party ruled state dominated by huge corporate interests along with Christian Nationalist types ever since. Trump came close but proved too inept to pull it off. Don't worry, he will not be the last to try. I think this is our biggest threat after climate change induced collapse. A dictator type here will have the power to destroy the entire world many times over. All that stands between us and this disturbing view of the future is a weak Joe Biden, a Democratic Party ran by so-called centrists and you and me. Forgive me, but I have little faith in the first two. That leaves us. Let me give you my take on religious freedom. Try not to let the fact that I'm a practicing agnostic fuck you up. Hear me out.
The government should not be involved in promoting one religion over another, much less establishing some kind of official state religion. I don't know about you but countries that do have an official state religion are not too high on my places to visit list. Cutting off limbs, heads and female genital mutilation have no place in a modern free state, nor does witch burning, executing gays or Atheists. Living here, I've been fortunate to welcome and learn from Moslems, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians and other lesser known religious people here in my own home. None had to worry about a police (or other force) knocking on the door. It is one of the most magical things about living here in the USA. We can take our own path to the spiritual life or not.
Saturday, November 20, 2021
Wednesday, November 17, 2021
Answers?
We recently talked about capitalism vs. climate change and income inequality. I think these two issues are related at least as far as justice is concerned. It is poor people who always take the brunt of the suffering. Well off people are in a better position to move, build and secure safe housing. They also have better food security. Thinking this will always be the case is being short-sighted on their part. It depends on just how warm we get and how fast. Time is not on humanity's side. Today we are experiencing the effects of a warming planet, not in ten or twenty years. It is here. There are solutions. People like short-term and black and white answers, good vs. evil, Democrat vs. Republican and right vs. wrong. If you have lived past ten years, you learn that life is rarely so clear. Huge problems are often decades in the making and solutions take time. We are going to need patience, hard work and a willingness to change.
We have two tools we can use for positive change, the ballet and our wallets. Here in the USA, where the so called choice is between center right and far right voting our way out of this mess will be a long difficult slog. I'm often tempted to throw in the towel bitching about both parties are more or less the same. I think in many ways they are. But then January 6th, 2021 happened. The Republicans ceased being a political party and morphed into a doomsday cult headed by the former president. They are utterly devoid of ideas on how to better the country, much less the world. They are blind to income inequality and climate change mynacilly repeating the same old tired, disproven and irrational ideas of tax cuts for the rich, deregulation, the power of the mythical free market and guns for everyone. Recently they've added phobias of everyone non-white, the words communism and socialism (anything that could possibly help average people) and a cult leader. The Democrats at least pretend to be reasonable, listen to science and throw a few scraps here and there for working people. I can vote for Democrats but am under no illusion they are going to save us from the ravages of casino capitalism. They might just buy us a little more time. A more effective tool is our wallets, how we spend our money.
Money is the only language our corporate overlords understand. We've seen a slight gain in worker power here in 2021. Enough people are finally saying we are not going to just accept slave wages, hence wages are rising (note the slick amazon ads about rising pay). I'm not impressed with your small business making money by paying minimum wage. A viable business should pay living wages. This notion needs to carry over into climate related areas. DISCLAIMER: I don't do enough of these either. But here are a few ideas. I should avoid meat all together (clear cut farming). I should never go to Walmart or use Amazon (landfills). I drive / use my car rarely (I can). I have my own garden, chickens and a greenhouse (my wife's but hey!). None of us should fly. It may be too late already but we can still try. I don't know a way to organize enough people to spend their money in an environmentally friendly way. If you do, I'm all ears! This leads me to the hard part.
Adapting to a rapidly changing environment will require us to fundamentally change the way we live. Not only that, it will require an entire paradigm shift on how we view the world. We can no longer live humankind vs nature. We need to get back to humankind is a part of nature. I think this is impossible for most people living in a luxurious western world. We are simply too deeply and hopelessly attached to houses, yards, cars, year around HVAC and an undying belief in eternal growth and "progress." Yes, I too, want the shiny Star Trek future, flying cars and to break the mind machine barrier. Alas, not going to happen. We are going to have to learn to live in a shrinking economy, with more crazy weather and more and more conflict. Can we do it? I'd guess no but we may as well try.
Sunday, November 14, 2021
Income Inequality
Who likes math? The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 per hour since July 2009. Basic math tells us 7.25 X 40 (week) = 290, 290 X 4 (month) = 1,160 and 1,160 X 12 = 13,920 (year) and 290 (week) X 52 weeks = 15,080. I don't know of any minimum wage jobs that are going to work a full forty week every week. Do you? Those are some god-awful depressing numbers here in 2021 (especially given rising inflation). Wages higher than minimum have been flatlined from the 1970's. The economy has grown quite a lot but not so for wages. So where's all that money going? It is going to those at the top of course. We would be wise to remember corporations are legally bound to do everything possible to maximize profits for shareholders. It is their job to keep wages as low as possible. By doing so, they just pass the bills onto the taxpayers.
People not making a living wage turn to Uncle Sam (and the state) for essentials like food, housing help and healthcare. That's great for retail giants, large fast food outlets and other so-called low skill employers.In addition to low pay, many of these jobs are part time with no benefits, seasonal (Christmas season?) and or unstable. Once again, we can clearly see where some of capitalism''s blind spots are; cars, housing and healthcare.
Cars are almost a necessity here in the US. Far too many cities have inadequate public transportation and most rural area have none at all. You got to get to work somehow. Average new car prices have skyrocketed. Fewer and fewer people can afford that nice new F-150, Mustang GT or spacious SUV. Now, cars costing in the mid twenty thousand dollar range are considered cheap! Banks are doing their part by offering longer and longer term auto loans. Low wages coupled with job insecurity means this to sooner or later will blow up (along with student loans). More debit, just what Americans need! Even sad beater cars are expensive. Need a place to stay?
Housing? Getting further and further out of reach by the day. As of this writing in late 2021, we find ourselves in an expanding housing bubble (or the cost rising forever and ever). That leaves renting which is also getting more expensive by the day. What happens when too many people cannot afford a place to live? Gated communities will sit in vast swaths of urban or rural wasteland. Food deserts will swallow entire states. And what becomes of the millions and millions of guns laying around? You do not have to be professional sociologist to know this (if left unchecked) ends in a really big violent mess. Might need some healthcare.
Healthcare? Leaving wage earners behind choking on bad air, low quality food and addicted to opioids (dying in the thousands). Making money is the main purpose of US healthcare and if someone gets better, that's nice. Our sad response to Covid-19 exposed the weaknesses within our "for profit" system. The anti-science is a whole other problem someone could base an entire blog on. Health insurance is mostly through employment and good luck with that if you are low wage and or part time. Gig worker, better get on healthcare.gov. Healthcare CEO pay is not a problem! These people are NOT worth tens of millions of dollars but they get it.
These are just three areas where our economy is on a suicidal path and I'm sure you can rattle off three or four more. Our economy is not on a path for long term sustainability or even growth, rather it is braking down. Creative destruction can be good (just how much destruction will it take?). It is never too late to start moving in a different direction. What can that look like? That's for next time.
Wednesday, November 10, 2021
Unlikely Ally?
Businesses, big and small, need freedom to flourish. Hold on, I'm not making a Republican talking point here. They need to be transparent for investors to make good decisions about how to invest. Opaque books should be a big red flag. They need to be free to adjust to changing markets, create better products and know everyone is playing by the same rules. There also must be transparent and fair contract enforcement. This will be impossible under Republican/ Neo-facist rule.
A Trump or Trump protégé will be the one to pick winners and losers. Competition will no longer be the driving force in the business world. It will devolve into who can brown-nose the ruling party the best. What little powers the SEC has now will be stripped away and replaced by favor of the one ruling party. Without openness, the whole game falls apart. We wind up looking like Putin's Russia or worse yet, Kim's North Korea.
Yes, I'm sure Amazon, Apple, Blackrock and Tesla would do just fine in such a world. They could ride it out bowing to the will of the big man or woman. These would melt into one with the new government and keep chugging right along. But all things end. The end of this marriage would be horrific for humanity. So my question is do enough business types know this? Will they join with the Democratic Party long enough for the sweet, seductive high of Neo-facist / christian nationalist feelings wear off in today's Republican Party? We don't want one party rule via the Democrats either. One party rule is still one party rule.
Sunday, November 7, 2021
The Coming Climate Catastrophes- Capitalism's Greatest Failure
We have known for at least forty or fifty years humans are causing the Earth to warm and the effects will be catastrophic. Well, here we are; climate change war, crazy weather / fires and islands already disappearing. The poles are melting. The Earth is warming more now than in tens of millions of years. We know this is happening but cannot seem to do much more than sound alarm bells in deaf ears, listen to politicians say they want to do something (with no follow through) and make half-assed agreements. Why? Global Capitalism.
The Earth says there are limits. Capitalism says no, only unlimited growth. I don't see how these two things can coexist. One way or another, capitalism is going to lose. There are indeed limits and we will have to learn how to live within our means. Different economic systems(s) will develop as we run headlong into reality. No, this does not necessarily mean socialism or communism. I think it will be something new. Capitalism (as we practice it) is blind to anything beyond this quarter's bottom line. There is little to no short-term profit in long term planning or thinking. To placate people, a whole new industry has popped up- pretend environmentalism, Greenwashing. It is the business version of politicians pretending they are actually doing something. In reality they are only trying to preserve the status quo. Your actions, Joe Biden, speak louder than your words. But please tell me again, Boomer Democrats, how your party really cares about climate change! The Republicans don't even pretend to listen to climate science, never have (with one notable exception). There are people thinking the world will be the same, just warmer. The melting icecaps will open new shipping lanes and new paths to profits! The reality will be more messy, a lot more messy. Care for a look?
Depending on how bad things get, there may no longer be a global system, think local, local and local. One thing is clear. The main issue is the people who run things have most of the wealth and power based on the current system. They have no short term reason to change it. For the short term, they can buy their way out of the consequences of a warming Earth. Longer term, not so much. Who really wants to take a Porsche 911 turbo S across a scorched Mad Max hellscape? Being trapped in a fortified McMansion looks all cool in the movies. A few years in when life is little more than subsistence farming (even if you can farm) one would realize they live in a prison of their own making serving a life sentence. Things like large nation states and multinational conglomerations will disappear as the rule of law becomes a distant memory. I can see a medieval flavor setting in, a strange mix of lords, ladies peasant-types and a dash of high tech. Every part of the globe will be affected as terrible weather, wars and instability become normal. Oh, and let's not forget about all those nuclear tipped missiles. How long will it take for a climate related war to go nuclear? That would be bad, real bad. Let's try not to find out.
This is usually the part where I say it's up to you and me. No, you and I did not cause climate change. Downsizing your carbon foot print is just a way to let the big polluters off the hook. Still, I'm all about less stuff, driving less and reusing things. No, it's not going to save the planet, just make me feel better. The message I took away from "Planet of The Humans" was not green tech's failures but rather our own failure to question our fossil fuel based lives. I'm not giving up my car, heat in the winter. cold A/C in the summer or eating fruits from South America. There are very few people willing and able to completely change their lifestyles. This is going to be bad. The only question is how bad?
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