We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Is the Gulf of Mexico safe?

by Dahr Jamail from Al Jazeera
Experts, fishermen and residents disagree with federal agencies' claims that the Gulf and its seafood are safe.
I expect that ten years from now mainstream media will be quietly reporting a high incidence of cancers, birth defects, and other strange diseases in the Gulf region. Following these reports you will see experts saying that more research is needed to find the causes.