Evil Is Never Radical - Wisdom from Hannah Arendt

"The essence of totalitarian government, and perhaps the nature of every bureaucracy, is to make functionaries and mere cogs in the administrative machinery out of men, and thus to dehumanize them."

"evil is never “radical,” that it is only extreme, and that it possesses neither depth nor any demonic dimension. It can overgrow and lay waste the whole world precisely because it spreads like a fungus on the surface. It is “thought-defying,” as I said, because thought tries to reach some depth, to go to the roots, and the moment it concerns itself with evil, it is frustrated because there is nothing. That is its “banality.” Hannah Arendt - The Banality of Evil

Message from 350.0rg - on Climate Change

"This morning, I learned that some of Canada’s biggest lobby groups have spent upwards of $100K in the past two months alone promoting oil and gas expansion ahead of this falls Federal election. 

It’s an upsetting reality, but what they have in money we are making up for in straight-up people power. And we need you in this movement with us. 

Join us this Monday at 3:00 pm PT / 6:00 pm ET for an Our Time Bootcamp ― an hour-long online training to learn about our plan to win a Federal Leaders' debate on climate and a Green New Deal. We will talk about the next steps to ensure that climate is centered in this election and our plans to mobilize the largest ever voting bloc of youth and millennials this country has ever seen behind a Green New Deal for Canada.

You won’t want to miss it. Conversations like this one are how we build the power we need to combat Big Oil’s deep pockets. Click here to register for the webinar. 

Fossil fuel billionaires are throwing money into ad campaigns because they are desperate. That’s because young people are escalating the pressure on power brokers around the world to keep fossil fuels in the ground and transition to 100% renewables fast. 

This is our time. Let’s get to it. 

Katie

PS – Just yesterday, we learned that young people in the US won a debate on climate change between Democratic Nominees through CNN. If the CNN can host a climate debate, surely the CBC – our national broadcaster – can too. Tomorrow, Cross Country Checkup, the CBC’s flagship weekly call-in show, is going to talk about climate change… sort of. We'd love for you to be one of hundreds of listeners to call into the Cross Country Checkup and demand a climate debate. RSVP for this facebook event and we will make sure you have all the call in details. "

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Chomsky on Anarchism

Noam Chomsky: Well, anarchism is, in my view, basically a kind of tendency in human thought which shows up in different forms in different circumstances, and has some leading characteristics.  Primarily it is a tendency that is suspicious and skeptical of domination, authority, and hierarchy.  It seeks structures of hierarchy and domination in human life over the whole range, extending from, say, patriarchal families to, say, imperial systems, and it asks whether those systems are justified.  It assumes that the burden of proof for anyone in a position of power and authority lies on them.  Their authority is not self-justifying.  They have to give a reason for it, a justification.  And if they can’t justify that authority and power and control, which is the usual case, then the authority ought to be dismantled and replaced by something more free and just.  And, as I understand it, anarchy is just that tendency.  It takes different forms at different times. www.alternet.org. Michael S. Wilson and Noam Chomsky Kind of Anarchism I Believe and What's Wrong

Drowning in the Swamp

From the Broadbent Institute:
On the recent passage of Bill 21 in Quebec: "Put simply, expressions of Muslim identity are portrayed as a threat to security in Western societies, including Canada. Such Islamophobic overtures have been catapulted into the public discourse in recent years with the mainstreaming of right-wing political ideas that rest on the demonization of Muslims. As political leaders verbalize (unfounded) anxiety around cultural and political assertions by Canadian Muslims, the community continues to experience elevated levels of anti-Muslim hate and violence. The Quebec City mosque shooting is among the deadliest incidences of domestic terrorism in Canada. Hate crime statistics between 2016 and 2017 indicate a 151% increase in hate crimes targeting Muslims. 

What can normal ordinary people do who are concerned about the degradation in our society - the trickle-down of contempt for life, expressed by an elite who would do anything to interrupt the democratic process of progress, and shut down the voice of common decency, empathy and compassion for our fellow beings.

The only sign that there is any hope is expressed by kindness. Our own mental health is dependant on this.

From Science and Nonduality newsletter:
"I know that a new and kinder day will come," Etty wrote, "And I would so much like to live on, if only to express all the love I carry within me. And there is only one way of preparing the new age, by living it even now in our hearts." Her unusual conviction to not only embrace the suffering given her, and stand in solidarity with the suffering of her people, but to continuously praise life and express the love flooding her being to become “the thinking heart of the concentration camp,” offers us too a model of shaping our own age as the thinking hearts of our time, no matter the crisis we face.

They Should Party

by Epiphany Fellowes

I propose a new federal and provincial political party called "They Should".  This would bring a lot of Canadians together.  

We love to say what "they" should do and will participate in politics as long as all we have to do is talk about what others should do.  

"They" are the ones who cause the problems in our world. We notice everything that "they" do and we are not happy about it.

We, on the other hand, are struggling to get through the day's "shoulds" to help the friends we like and the family we would love if "they" did what we think "they" should do.

As Party supporters we make sure we are well groomed before we leave our house. We get our news from network television so that we can make "responsible" choices. We join groups that are just like us because we don't want to be part of a group who cause problems by being different or expressing disturbing points of view.  And mostly we don't want to tell them what is wrong because that would make us feel we are not nice.

The more we participate in our like-minded groups the more we are convinced we are on the right track. We can focus on becoming better people by becoming better at the things we think we can do.

We become more convinced of our goodness as we age - as long as we are not surrounded by news of problems we might have caused  - such as climate change, injustice, lack of compassion, apathy, greed. How can we be responsible for things we don't understand?

Because there is so much news now about the risks to our future we really need to come together. Clearly, the answer is to focus on what we already know others should do. These things are easy to agree upon.

They should:

• engage in sex only if and when "they" can afford to raise a child, 
• work hard so "they" don't lose their jobs, 
• abstain from drugs and drink when "they" drive, 
• discipline their children, 
• discipline themselves, 
• wash every day, dress well in clean clothes, clean their teeth twice a day, even if "they" are homeless,
• say please and thank you at all times, smile at neighbours and retail staff, and be polite to public servants such as police officers and politicians.

It is vital to understand it is "they" who should do the things that we have learned, through intelligence, wisdom and education - how to be better citizens for a better world. However we should not be told what to do because that would be undemocratic, authoritarian and socialist.

(Posted with permission from Epiphany Fellowes)

Deepening our Knowledge

“[T]he great force of history comes from the fact that we carry it within us, are unconsciously controlled by it in many ways, and history is literally present in all that we do. It could scarcely be otherwise, since it is to history that we owe our frames of reference, our identities, and our aspirations.” —James Baldwin, quoted in History Holds the Antidote to Trump's Fascist Politics by Henry Giroux, Truthdig.

Giroux lists the many symptoms of this "state of crisis that touches every aspect of public life" --  economics, massive inequality,  crisis of ideas, agency, memory and politics. 

"Within this new nexus of power, anti-democratic principles have become normalized, weakening society’s democratic defenses" Giroux warns.  Exploitation, unchecked militarism, matched by a politics of disposability and terminal exclusion.   

How this was achieved was mostly vast wealth within the hands of an organized oligarchy.  For many centuries innocent working people have been corrupted, raped and pillaged, then brainwashed, above and beyond their own capacities to see or understand what is happening to them.

People like Arendt, Klein, Angelou, Atwood, Solnit, Giroux, Orwell, Hedges and Chomsky -- have managed to send warnings to us who are struggling to survive and who are vulnerable to a rage we are not supposed to express.  Now democracy is a bat for blaming whoever is at the bottom. 

The love of conquering, killing and controlling others, is the drive, not the economic benefit or civilizing claims.  If capitalism and technology is about making life easier -- it has to accompany a method of social justice, otherwise its just another device to clear the commons for the hidden bank accounts where money sits, achieving nothing. 

Giroux's article is long and his premise is disturbing, but if our survival is worth anything, its worth the "eternal vigilance" of society. 

Psychopathic Invasion of Political Leadership

In George Monbiot's post on outer turmoil he lists and analyzes the biggest problem of our age: the corruption of leadership.

"A few years ago, the psychologist Michelle Roya Rad listed the characteristics of good leadership. Among them were fairness and objectivity, a desire to serve society rather than yourself, a lack of interest in fame and attention, and resistance to the temptation to hide the truth or make impossible promises."

The Journal of Public Management & Social Policy list the characteristics of leaders with psychopathic, narcissistic or Machiavellian personalities which is something I have observed even in non-profit societies and has deeply disturbed me. Manipulation and a talent for deceit without remorse which has turned the world from one where we struggle for social fairness to one that reveals a complete contempt for life.

We must be vigilant to the ways that politics (with the support and help from media) misrepresents trends in human values. The display of hate towards women in Congress in the US during a Trump rally is a captured moment "showing support" for his racist ideas.

If we are willing to believe that this president has majority support in the US he can keep behaving like a pop star instead of the leader he is supposed to be, while the masses accept the degradation of the nation, under the pretence that this is what greatness means.

People who support movements of hate either want power at the cost of social justice and freedom for their community kin, or they don't know what they want and are happy to follow whatever trends are presented to them. People who believe that celebrity is leadership and those who rise to the top must be worthy of the adulation promoted by their publicity teams are dangerously naive.

It's past time for us to evolve beyond the circus trickery of politics and understand that the easy way out is never out but down. This means taking responsibility for our part in the drama.

The Universal Nature of Love

"When scientists looked for a unified theory of the universe they forgot the most powerful unseen force. Love is Light, that enlightens those who give and receive it. Love is gravity, because it makes some people feel attracted to others. Love is power, because it multiplies the best we have, and allows humanity not to be extinguished in their blind selfishness. Love unfolds and reveals. For love we live and die. Love is God and God is Love." Albert Einstein. Monoset.com.

"It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get." Confucius. Brainy Quotes

"Nobody can predict the future. You just have to give your all to the relationship you're in and do your best to take care of your partner, communicate and give them every last drop of love you have. I think one of the most important things in a relationship is caring for your significant other through good times and bad." Nick Cannon Brainy Quotes.

"Love yourself for who you are, and trust me, if you are happy from within, you are the most beautiful person, and your smile is your best asset." Ileana D'Cruz. Brainy Quotes

"I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word." Martin Luther King, Jr. Brainy Quotes

"I think people who are creative are the luckiest people on earth. I know that there are no shortcuts, but you must keep your faith in something Greater than You, and keep doing what you love. Do what you love, and you will find the way to get it out to the world." Judy Collins. Brainy Quotes

Chris Hedges on the useful propaganda of war

"Military studies have determined that after 60 days of continuous combat, 98 percent of those who survive will have become psychiatric casualties. The common trait among the 2 percent who were able to endure sustained combat was a predisposition toward “aggressive psychopathic personalities." 

Chris Hedges, Peter Jackson's Cartoon War, Truthdig. 


An excellent piece, as always from Hedges. Worth reading and re-reading.

This is how capitalism managed to turn humanity away from its sensitive intelligence, toward the shallow workforce for profit - the man-made god.

July 4th

What happened to this continent

that began with a few tribes

co-existing or going to war

with bows, arrows and hatchets

who endured the price of freedom

when Europeans came in big boats

their flesh bleached inside and out

flogging every nerve to submission

to begin again in love—

the constitution of faith

from bully pulpits

replacing the heart and vein

with litanies of fear

just like the continent they left behind

—its blood creating new rivers

its kings building new walls

while musicians scribbled melodies

with words to stir up pride 

for what they had not created

and as long as life is indentured

to the designs of men while women

merely host the fertilized seed

the waves of change will continue

to lock up children in metal cages

and presidents will be accompanied

by tanks and armoured vehicles

for here, god is the gun.

Doctrine of Beauty

Because there is so much news of cruelty and violence in our world and because the spirit of us all can be diminished by hearing and reading about this, I have decided to document beauty wherever I find it.

You may not agree with my point of view and that is fine. To read this and even argue with it, is at least a crack in the wall of darkness that dominates social and corporate funded media, and our public conversations are influenced by that.

Below are values I cling to as I ponder how to bring conversations back to the community and family level. Beauty, in my opinion, is whatever has not been corrupted by greed or hate.  It  inspires and feeds my spirit.

1. Self Esteem.  What is self esteem and where does it come from? Is it winning races, contests, being top of the class or is it a recognition that you are capable, lovable and you belong here.

2. Reverence for Life. Is it gratitude for nature's diversity? Is it putting the well being of our community before our own self-interest or that your self-interest is bound by a reverence for life?

3. Wealth.  What is wealth? I think it is a collection of things which allow me the comfort and security to live without fear for myself and my loved ones. A home, access to water, a bathroom, a bed, a kitchen to prepare my own meals, a pension plan, medical coverage, access to medication, a basic income, respect from my employer, hope for the future, and time in nature.

4. Mental Health.  Confidence in getting through the day, coping with challenges, admitting I'm wrong when I've made a mistake, crying when I need to cry, and laughing when I need to laugh.  Being able to focus on a task, not allowing negative messaging to undermine my contributions, having reasonable expectations and compassion for myself and others.

5. Social Health. When I feel safe to be myself and know we will not be publicly humiliated, a place that values creativity not cruelty.

6. Doctrine of Beauty.  So this is not about the manufactured beauty shown in magazines and advertising, this is the beauty of moments, of a lived life breathing within and around us. To notice what is unique and what is familiar. It is the legacy of a planet that is cherished. We are responsible for maintaining its health and to heal what is broken and sick.  This is about the power of nurture rather than control.