As The World Burns

 

Toasty 

Man, I feel like I could write for days and days about everything going wrong. Our slow graveyard spiral is transitioning rapidly into an unrecoverable flat spin. It is not too late to save ourselves but we are speeding past that point in short order (if we have not already). There's the covid pandemic which seems never ending. It is more complicated than anti-vexers, anti-maskers and shortsighted politicians. See also; for profit healthcare, crushing poverty and medical experiments on minorities. It is far more easy to blame the whole thing on right-wing nut jobs. Sure, they deserve some blame but like most serious problems, oversimplifications will not get us where we need to be. We continue to play under the table footsies with an American brand of Neo-fascism. Oh, more and more jobs are disappearing to technology and as of this writing no sure way to deal with the fallout. Will the unemployed unknowingly take the footsies game to first, second or third base? Will they go all the way with it? Not depressed yet? Allow me to share three larger issues. A quick look out the window tells me all is not well. 

View in New York City July 2021

Yeah, the sky is blue. Look closer. Notice the odd tint? Here in Greensboro, NC August 12th 2021 the sky looks similar to the picture above (maybe a little bluer but not a bright summer blue). That's ash from massive wildfires burning out of control all across the west. Wildfires are nothing new but what is new is the lengthening fire season and parade of record setting years of destruction. Yes friends, it is related to climate change. On the flip side are floods in Europe, China, USA and Australia. Floods are nothing new but what is, is each year setting more horrible records than the last.  And even the ocean currents cannot escape. Yup, looking grim indeed. The planet is doomed. Nope... it will keep on spinning around the sun which spins around the galactic center same as before. There will just be far fewer of us along for the ride. But wait! There's a faster way to kill off our civilization, much faster! 

BOOM!!

   

Then there is the quietly growing danger of nuclear war. The nuclear weapons club is growing slowly but steadily. We have come close to nuclear war but managed to inch back from the edge of doom. There has been countless near accidents and incidents of near Armageddon (LOW-- Launch On Warning). More and more countries are acquiring nuclear weapons technology. From there is is just simple math before something goes catastrophically wrong. Unlike climate change that unfolds over a few decades nuclear war can wipe out our entire civilization in a matter of days or even hours. If you happen to live through this, good luck. The Road is a powerful read but not a lifestyle you really want. Being Mad Max is no fun either. Good luck looking for safe food much less fuel five to ten years in. Just trying not to freeze to death will be a struggle. 

Income inequality plays a role in both disasters.

Follow the Money...

It may be a bit of a stretch but hear me out. A big driver of both the dire problems above come from growing income inequality. Resistance to understanding and dealing with climate change comes in large part from those who benefit from the status quo. It is short-term, civilization ending thinking. Change is our only constant. Those who fail to adapt, die. Fossil fuels and industrial farming will go. We still have a choice, the easier way or the hard way. The easier way is transitioning to cleaner energy (and yes kids, using a lot less energy, and food production that works with, not against nature. The hard way is to let Mother Nature take care of it.          

   

Readings 7-30-21

     

Global Climate Change- NASA

World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency 2021

Extreme weather renews focus on climate change as scientists update forecasts

Critical measures of global heating reaching tipping point, study finds

Carbon emissions, ocean acidification, Amazon clearing all hurtling toward new records

Western North American extreme heat virtually impossible without human-caused climate change

Yup, the results are in. Climate change has consequences. If it is not hitting you now, don't worry it soon will. Just how bad is it going to get?  

The Dangerous Ground of finding Common Ground

Krystal Ball

This got me thinking. 

Hey, wanna get in trouble with me? Stop hating on  your neighbor with the Trump flag, sticker and or tee shirt. Stop hating on the Bernie Bro, Biden voter or other despised lefty. Go talk to them or more importantly, listen. We just might find how absurd the "this nation is so divided" narrative is. Sure, sure, there are real differences. My agnostic self has many issues with people I know to be in the Christian Right. Could we still relate on too much money in politics? Poverty is a problem? or something else? 

It seems a lot of us agree the country is going in the wrong direction which is vague but at least a starting point. What direction should we be going instead? Where's the agreement? Too many jobs going over seas leaving huge swaths of the population behind condemned to poverty and despair. Our infrastructure is in decay and falling apart from neglect. Our healthcare system provides good care but navigating it and paying for it are twin nightmares. I think there can even be agreement on protecting the environment. No one likes shitty, smelly and flammable rivers! Just shouting, "The climate is changing you dumb asses!" might make you feel better for a moment but does nothing to address the problem. Here's another one- forever wars. People all across the political spectrum mostly recognize these for what they are, money making ventures for war profiteers. I think you would have to dig pretty deep to find people who buy the WMD argument for invading Iraq. Who among us can explain why we are still in Afghanistan almost 20 years after 9/11/2001? Bin Laden was killed a long time ago and the Taliban were crushed (but refuse to be killed off completely). I'd add we can all agree on how bad our veterans are neglected upon their return.

If we could solve the problem of massive income inequality, I think many other problems would melt away. Remember friends, the dominant discourse (America is so divided), always serves those at the top. There are more. "Work hard to get ahead," serves those we work for. "Keep a good credit score," serves the bankers. "Guns don't kill people, people kill people," is good for gun makers and the NRA. Remember when the NRA used to be sane? I'm a gun owner who will have nothing to do with them now. That reminds me...

Few of us are deep red or dark blue. Most of us are a mix making us nearer to the middle of the political spectrum. Do some Trump voters have legitimate gripes? Yes. So do Bernie voters. Both groups have been forgotten by cookie cutter Democrats and Republicans.

Whatever you do, don't give in to despair and apathy! That only benefits the powerful.  

            

The Strangest of Times

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair." -Charles Dickens.

Funny how that still applies today. But let me add one more for this time (2021) - "It was the strangest of times." Where to even begin? U.S. Politics for $100 Alex. Sure, why not? 

 

2020 saw a lot of firsts. It saw the splitting of our two political parties not into Liberal Vs. Conservative but one living on the edge of reality and another who dove off into the land of make-believe. 45 claimed FRAUD, STOLEN ELECTION, RIGGED! So he sent his lawyers into courthouses all over the United States. In this country this is how we resolve disputes and get relief. But to get relief you need evidence there was indeed a wrong. He lost dozens and dozens of cases. A little reading?  Yet, despite this he was the first President in history not to accept his loss. He cried fraud, stolen and so on to any who would listen which led to January 6, 2021. Despite the court losses, lack of evidence and many of his former lawyers being sued into oblivion, too many still believe him! This cannot lead anywhere we want to be. Adapt or die. Maybe change your ideas Republicans? What's next? UFO's / UAP's? Not yet. How about the death of privacy? Okay. 

 

"Smile, you're on candid camera!" morphed over the last few decades to, "you're on camera." Even if there is no visible camera in the area, there's always somebody close by with a smartphone, an unseen security camera or a license plate reader.  We are being watched. There is no opting out. Alone in your car, minding your own business digging a massive bugger out of your nose; yup that's going on Youtube! Cops seem to have been the slowest to adapt. Often when they harass, beat or murder some hapless black or brown person a video surfaces. My guess is this has always been going on. We just now get to see it. Yes, this is a good thing. Google, Apple, Microsoft and Facebook (among others) data mining operations, not so much. Somebody else (not you) has access to everything you have ever done on line. It's all good until somebody uses this collected information to harm you directly- identity theft, blackmail or public embarrassment. Then there are whole new levels when we get into governments, corporations and who knows what else deciding what you can and cannot see. Black sedans showing up at your house at 3AM? Hope you ordered pizza. Want to get away from it all? Better bring cash or leave a data trail along the way. Don't let the cops find your cash, they may just keep it! The death of privacy, just a bit more strangeness in 2021.  Now the good stuff- UFO's and UAP's (UFO re-branding).

 

It seems the US Navy has been playing hide and seek with UFO's and documenting it for awhile now. tic-tacs, pyramids, weird lights remain unidentified. And are the flying saucers of old still around?  I'd say 60 Minutes is about as mainstream as you can get. If they are reporting something it is at least worth a second look. A little understanding of astronomical distances tells me it's unlikely we are being visited from other worlds. But... there is something going on and no one knows what it is. In any other time, this would dominate the news shows, cycles and infotainment sphere. But we are in 2021, where reality is subjective. Now some bad stuff. 

 

People are able to create and live in their own reality bubbles. We cannot agree on what facts are indeed facts! I don't know how to approach this, what the answer(s) could be. What can I say to a stop the steal yahoo who insists the Donald won despite losing 60 cases in state, federal and even the Supreme Court. Our own FBI, DOJ and even international observers said there was no evidence of massive fraud. What can I say to a climate change denier who lives in their own insulated bubble of climate change denial? Here are a few things I could point out- this, this and this. No matter, it is still not real to them. Evolution vs creationism? This guy can explain it better than me. Good on him for trying. I have an answer for what facts are for me personally, but not the bigger problem. 

 

I know, I too, create my own bubble. So I check several credible sources. I ask why am I being told this and who is doing the telling. I read a lot. And of course, I always try to follow the money. So one answer could be teaching critical thinking skills early and often. I think, most importantly, don't get down and discouraged. Yes, things are getting batshit crazy! Take heart in how far we have come and how awesome a world we can have if reason, science and critical thinking win out. Conspiratorial thinking, longings for mythological pasts, demagoguery and so-called alternative facts have NEVER LED anywhere good.

                        

A few Lessons from 2020

 

 So 2020 is behind us and before we congratulate each other, let's remember a hell of a lot of people didn't make it. 2021 is getting off to a grim start. Covid it totally out of control, one of our political parties wants to shred what's left of the Constitution and fear is winning. All's not lost. The Constitution will hold. Vaccines are on the way. The racists, xenophobes and conspiracy nuts will soon crawl back under their rocks and into their caves. At least, that's my hope. But this is about the year that just passed. Let's look at a few lessons. 

1. There is no going back to normal.

The old normal sucked anyway. We bullshitted ourselves into thinking the economy was wonderful. Sure it was for some. However, for too many the struggle was paycheck to paycheck, massive debit (credit cards, student loans,cars, housing etc etc...). How many people you know who loved their jobs? Too many companies pay lip service to a safe, happy and fair workplace while fighting tooth and nail against anything to improve living conditions for workers, like a livable minimum wage or job security. 

The wheels were going to come off sooner or later, what Wall Street types call a "Correction." And come off they did! Covid-19 beat the market to the punch and derailed the economy (with a lot of help from our government's totally inept response). The notion of paying people through state unemployment systems was a disaster. None of those state systems were remotely ready for a tsunami of new claims all filed within a few short weeks. Some, to this day never got anything. The expansion of who's eligible and $600 extra were good but then they let it lapse while the pandemic was / is still raging. Our fearless leaders them played hot potato with more economic aid until January costing 45 four more years. Soon it will all be on you, Joe.

I think Joe will at least take Covid more seriously and maybe have it more under control by this spring or summer (2021). The carnage of small businesses lost will not last forever as some seem to think. They will come back but it is going to take a long time. We will not all settle for jobs as soulless, mindless drones for Amazon, Walmart and Uber. People who can work from home will continue to do so. We can only hope our society has learned the value of cashiers, stockers, drivers and other service workers who essentially take care of us. 

 

2. Global Pandemics are equal opportunity killers.  

Yeah, if you have a bigger bank account, you have a better chance to live. Big bank accounts cannot always fix stupid. Going around maskless, putting off treatment / testing with the virus multiplying away inside you will not end well even with the best medical treatments. Too many were too self-important to let a little thing like a global pandemic put a crimp in their day, still insisting on eating out, church services, beach parties and mass biker rallies. Fine, if you want to risk yourself but you have NO right to risk my health, your neighbor's health or your grandma's health. We learned being self centered can be a killer. Why not politicize a common threat as well? That's gotta help, right?   

I think the biggest mistake we made was politicizing Covid-19. If all states don't lock down and we still allow interstate travel no one is locked down. Some where I read it is akin to having a peeing area inside a swimming pool. This was not hard. Stay home for just two to three months, pay everyone three K a month until it is over and Covid-19 is a small footnote in a medical text book twenty years from now. Oversimplified you say? Not all that much. When viruses cannot spread they die out. Instead, we made it political. You cannot tell me what to do! I need to work! This is understandable with no help from Uncle Sam. I want my nails done! I want to shop! Let's invite everyone for Christmas and Thanksgiving! How's that worked out? Let's see... Over 300K dead. The economy is in shambles. Education is struggling and our entire healthcare system is at risk of collapse. USA number one, right?

Yup, most deaths, super high infection rates and an obliterated economy. So how did these small female lead counties do so much better? Well, they took Covid-19 seriously, shut down while paying their citizens and had no time or tolerance for bullshit conspiracy theories. Check this out... 

3. American Racism and Ignorance

We spent the last four years learning just how racist we are. Non-whites already knew. I, as a white dude, had no idea how many of my fellow Americans are just straight up racists. I had this illusion that it was mostly a southern backwoods redneck thing. Nope, it is nation wide. Northern cities, eastern cities and even out west they all came out to bask in the new light of the Glorious Leader, Donald Trump. In a twisted way, it's one of his biggest accomplishments, shinning a bright shinning light on how far we still have to go. In what universe is anti-fascist considered a bad thing? This one! In what universe do we have to remind people Black Lives Matter? This one! Why? The American Oligarchs like it this way. Let me see if I can explain it. 

It is better to have poor people pointing the finger at each other than towards the top. Here are a few narratives they use on poor whites; "Blacks and illegals get a free ride from the government, advantages in hiring (Affirmative Action) and they are inherently violent." Poor low information whites buy it while the elites send their jobs overseas, suppress wages, defund schools, take their pensions, and literally kill them with unsafe working conditions and opioids. Meanwhile, they run off to the bank with all the money. And keeping people stupid also helps.                     

     

Now What?

 

 Wow, what a strange election! Biden did get in but we have 70 or so million who voted for Trump. The Blue Wave turned into the Blue Mirage with little meaningful change in the legislature. I think it was good to ditch the Donald before he politicized the entire Federal workforce, replacing professionals with political stooges. I don't know about you guys but I kind of scientists working for the CDC, NASA and NOAA. These are no places for political for YES men. I passed on the Greens this time. The Donald just had to go. Why? Ask Noam Chomsky Sadly, he still barely won my state. We will have a few months of 45 whining the election was stolen, mad dashes to various courts arguing baseless claims (only to be shot down) and yes even a few acts of political terrorism from his fellow dead enders. Then, like a miracle, he will gone from the White House. I have low expectations of Joe Biden. 

Unless he (and the Democrats) suddenly grow some balls, we will stumble on (slower) to environmental, economic and artificial intelligent catastrophes that will render our current civilization a fond memory of old people. Casino Capitalism and a clean environment are mutually exclusive. Our government (Yes, both parties) is incapable of understanding much less dealing with this fact. Income inequality (a big part of the Trump phenomenon) will continue to worsen (more slowly hopefully) and the next Neo Fascist will prove to be more competent and dangerous than Trump. Artificial Intelligence at the very least will be disruptive bring on changes (dangers?) we cannot even now imagine. Rumsfeld would say unknown unknowns. By going more slowly toward these challenges (there are many more), we buy a little time to figure out what to do about them. So what CAN we do? 

Protests, boycotts, sit ins (Occupy) and general strikes need to become a part of the American landscape. We cannot think our guy won (hint- he's not our guy. He, like Trump, belongs to the oligarchs) and all will be well. Biden will do the master's bidding defending the elite at the expense of the rest of us. If we sit back and accept that, shame on us. Enough hell raising can bring about positive change..

PEOPLE TRUST NOT IN POLITICIANS BUT YOUR OWN POWER. 

I'm hopeful Biden will be more responsive to civil unrest than almost any Republican. 

Caution: violence plays into the narrative of the bad guys. Nobody on Earth does violence better than Uncle Sam. That's his game. Challenge him and you will loose... badly. 

Note: anyone in your group protesting for positive change who calls for violence or terrorism most likely works for Uncle Sam.                          

And for the love of God: stop insulting, demeaning and looking down on those who voted different than you. Rather, reach out, listen, acknowledge our common humanity to gain ground. No minds have been changed or hearts won by petty social media insults or dehumanization of mass swaths of any population.  

What is Neoliberalism? Readings.

 

Neoliberalism – the ideology at the root of all our problems

 

What exactly is neoliberalism?

 

 

The Consequences of Neoliberalism in the Current Pandemic

 

 

The neoliberal era is ending. What comes next?

 

A Brief History of Neoliberalism
A book.