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

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Yes, They Really Are Proposing Trashing the Motherland For 50 Jobs

Click here to access article by Abby Zimet from Common Dreams.
...it's remarkable most media missed Sunday's stunning admission by TransCanada CEO Russ Girling that, yes, in fact, just like all those greenish naysayers have charged, Keystone will create just 50 permanent jobs. Of course he hastened to add there will be 9,000 temporary construction jobs and "42,000 'indirect' jobs (waitresses et al) for companies that will thrive during the two years of construction and then quietly, painfully die off, as will the surrounding landscape after the accompanying devastation followed by the inevitable leaks and spills and disasters. But still: 50 whole jobs, or as the GOP talking points would have it, "Jobs, jobs, jobs!" Call your senators. 
Yes, whenever our masters want to push some plan that will result in disasters for us but huge profits for them, they trot out the "jobs" deception. This reminds me of the BP ad that is now shown constantly on TV to counter BP's very tarnished reputation.