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 24, 2015

Obama to Hollande: Stay the course against Russia

Click here to access article by Michael Crowley from Politico
U.S. officials fear Putin is hoping more aggressive action against ISIL in Syria will forestall an extension of economic sanctions over Crimea. 
This raises a question in my mind: could the Turkish downing of the Russian jet have been coordinated with the US to ratchet up the tension in the Middle East to prevent further warming of relations between Russia and France, and maybe the rest of Europe?