Joe's Comments and Observations

Democracy and Ignorance Don't Mix

2012-02-03T17:57:00.001-08:00

Democracy is a term that represents a concept that the nation takes great and an almost all-consuming pride in. Yet it seems to be failing. I have come to this conclusion not in regards to the political institutions that remain more or less intact, but in terms of the electorate not being adequately equipped to make the kinds of decisions that ensure the continued vitality of the State.

In my estimation, a functioning democracy requires an educated and thoughtful population capable of reasoned judgment and intelligent choices regarding public policy. From this perspective, democracy cannot thrive within a nation when a significant proportion of its population is poorly educated and whose general state of mind is overwhelmed by fear, prejudice and unadulterated bigotry. That seems to be the current condition of our society in the second decade of the twenty-first century.

At this time, the nation is deeply polarized and the rift is substantial. Unfortunately, while these ideological differences consume a great deal of time, always a precious commodity, the ills that haunt the entire nation – poverty, hunger, unemployment, homelessness, a failing infrastructure and the foreboding prospects of climate change – continue on their disastrous courses eseentially unabated.

Frances Perkins

2012-02-01T18:06:00.001-08:00

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) became the 32nd President of the United States in the midst of the so-called Great Depression. He served for four terms – following his presidency the United States Constitution was amended to limit the Presidency to two consecutive terms. During the latter part of his time in office, FDR presided over a nation at war – World War II.

In response to the horrendous economic conditions that were a direct result of the economic collapse of the Great Depression, FDR implemented a satellite of policies collectively referred to as the New Deal. The New Deal had three goals – relief, recovery and reform. Relief represented the implementation of policies that would bring immediate relief to those who were suffering. The recovery was directed at assisting those facets of the economy that needed improvement, especially within the realm of economic production, and reform was directed at establishing regulatory controls that would help prevent a repeat of the conditions that caused the Depression in the first place.

The individual on FDR's staff that played a significant role in formulating and helping to implement many of these policies was Frances Perkins who was FDR's choice for Secretary of Labor – the first woman ever to serve on the Federal Cabinet. She was an extraordinary woman whose singular contribution to the nation at a time of serious crisis has been terribly under-reported.

Before we begin to explore the life of Frances Perkins, we will examine Great Depression in greater detail so as to arrive at a fuller understanding of the nature of the times in which Perkins lived.

The economic depression of 1929 catapulted the national economy into a devastating tailspin from the seeming prosperity of the 1920s. The rapid decline occurred as a direct result of many factors that were all interconnected. The so-called Great Depression lasted from 1929 through 1938.

The precipitous decline that so defined the Great Depression began on what is referred to as Black Tuesday – October 29 1929 - when 16 million shares were traded and the industrial stock index dropped 43 points negating all the gains made over the previous twelve months. By the middle of November of that year, the market had lost a third of its entire value or 40% of all the stock that was traded on the Exchange. The reasons for this sudden and calamitous event were multi-faceted.

The seeming prosperity that was a hallmark of the 1920s was, in fact, not representative of the majority of Americans. Following the hard times imposed by World War I, economic production markedly increased, especially in regards to automobiles, home appliances and construction. In addition, overseas investment doubled to 7.5 billion dollars by 1929. Although consumer spending increased markedly during this period, individuals were buying beyond their means, placing themselves in a precarious position regarding personal indebtedness.

In addition, the distribution of wealth was skewed markedly to the wealthy. In 1929, the top 0.1% of American households collectively had as much wealth as 42% of the population and possessed one-third of all the savings. As a matter of fact, it has been estimated that 80% of the population had no savings at all.

By 1929, investments in the stock market increased far more than any other indicator, and, more to the point, outstripped actual production or sales of manufactured goods. One aspect of this marked increase in transactions on the stock exchange was the practice of "buying on margin." Using this approach, an investor determined to purchase $1,000 worth of stock valued at $10 per share, was legally enabled to pay his broker as little as 10% of the actual worth of the stock or $100. This practice was common in the 1920s; because, the value of stock seemed to be always increasing. With this in mind, the investor could then wait until the value of the stock rose, sell it at a significant profit, pay his broker and pocket the difference. This kind of gambling persisted; until, the inevitable happened – the bubble burst. To some extent, the unraveling began in Great Britain when the country raised its interest rates to lure back domestic investors. Aware of the significance of this policy change, foreign and U.S. investors began dumping U.S. stocks.

Following Black Tuesday, the economic situation worsened as the nation inexorably slid into depression. Within three years, the so-called industrial index – a quantitative measure of the performance of shares in major industries such as automobiles – dropped from 452 in September of 1929 to 58 by July of 1932. At the height of the Depression, one-third of the work force was unemployed and those who were fortunate enough to be employed saw their wages plummeting, tens of thousands were homeless and millions faced foreclosure on their houses. It must be remembered that it has been estimated that only 2.5% of the entire population actually invested in the stock market; therefore the reason for the depression must have resided elsewhere. The underlying causes for the Depression itself can be explained by the following factors:

Decline in Industrial Production – Much of the economic growth during this era can be directly related to two major industries, the production of automobiles and construction. By the end of the 20s, both of these facets of the economy were in decline.

Poverty and Personal Indebtedness – Poverty was, in fact, widespread and personal debt was high as well. The wages of individual workers had only increased by 8%; whereas, the productivity of the individual worker increased by an estimated 32%. These data translated into the economic reality that individuals could not afford to purchase the products of industrial output. This convergence of factors inevitably led to mass unemployment.

Bank Failures - Since banks were heavily engaged in speculation on the stock market and since the banks were using the savings of their customers for these questionable investments, they were unable to effectively deal with rush on the banks when people wished to withdraw their savings en masse. As a result, thousands of banks failed and many individuals lost their life savings.

Adding to the economic deterioration as outlined above, the Dust Bowl of the 1930's had a devastating impact on farmers of the Great Plains. After years of farming without adequate rotation of crops, an unusual period of extreme drought together with harsh weather conditions resulted in the topsoil being literally blown away. Between 1933 and 1938, three to four inches of topsoil were lost to the winds and created what was referred to as "Black Blizzards." As a result, 500,000 residents of the Great Plains became homeless and 2.5 million moved out of the region by 1940.

The government's response to this deepening crisis was inadequate. Although President Herbert Hoover felt compassion for the millions who were suffering and although he attempted to use some of the government's resources to address the issue – he requested 2.25 billion dollars from the Congress for public works progress - his political philosophy constrained his efforts in this regard. He felt strongly that the government should not be involved in direct relief by providing resources to those or were poor, starving and unemployed. He felt that, "It is not the function of the government to relieve individuals of their responsibilities to their neighbors, or to relieve private institutions of their responsibilities to the public." In the general election of 1932, the people chose Franklin Delano Roosevelt as their next president, who promised a New Deal. The fundamental focus of the New Deal was threefold – the so-called 3 Rs – relief, recovery and reform, as mentioned earlier. In order to accomplish these ambitious goals, fifteen major pieces of legislation were submitted to Congress from spring to early summer.

In spite of all these efforts, it was the onset of World War II that effectively brought the country out of the Great Depression.

Fannie Coralie Perkins was born on April 10, 1880 in Beacon Hill in Boston, Massachusetts. As a young girl she had spend her summers in New Castle, Maine on one hundred acres that was the homestead established by her great-great grandfather in 1770; she had fond memories of that experience. The family once had a brick-making business called, "Perkins Bricks" that enjoyed the economic boom of the 1840s but failed a decade later.

Perkins parents, Frederick and Susan were farmers; the family moved to Boston when she was born. Frederick took a job as a retail clerk in Worcester and ultimately opened a stationary and office supply store. Perkins' ethnicity was Scotch-English. Her ancestors arrived in America in 1680 and were members of a Pilgrim settlement in Maine. One of her ancestors was James Otis, a revolutionary war patriot and another founded Harvard University. The family members were Congregationalist and philosophically were proponents of the concepts of self-reliance, tenacity and endurance. In terms of their politics, they were staunch believers in democratic principles.

Frederick lavished his attention on Perkins. He taught her to read Greek by the time she was eight years old and groomed her for college; this was an unusual choice since in that era the roles of women were quite limited and circumscribed. They were not encouraged to enter into public life.

Although the residents of Worchester were well-to-do, highly conservative in social outlook and Republican in terms of political affiliation, Perkins mother encouraged her to be mindful of the plight of the poor and befriend them. The era in which Perkins grew up was marked by social unrest and turmoil. The United States was in the midst of a destabilizing transition from an agricultural-based economy to one based on industry. On account of the need for workers in the new industries, the country attracted many from overseas. For example, in 1900 there were approximately 450,000 immigrants that came to America while in seven short years the number jumped to 1.3 million.

The working conditions for the vast majority of workers in the nation's cities were horrendously bad. Perkins was deeply influenced by the Jacob Riis' non-fiction work entitled, "How the Other Half Lives." Life in New York's Lower East Side was representative of these conditions. It was reported that there were 100,000 shabby dwellings, unsanitary living conditions, abysmal public health facilities and homeless children. These realities shocked Perkins' sensibilities. She recognized the growing gap between the rich and poor and vowed to expend her energies trying to make a difference. She was developing an acute sense of social responsibility.

Inspired by these revelations, Perkins enrolled in Holyoke College near her home town. Mary Lyons, the school's founder, had a deeply spiritual mission – the goal was to prepare women to accomplish great things in all aspects of social endeavor. Perkins majored at first in chemistry and physics. As part of curriculum, she took a course in economic history and, as a result, visited factories where she had a first-hand look at real working conditions. She was profoundly affected by what she witnessed. In addition, she was influenced by Florence Kelly – executive secretary of the National Consumers League. Kelly became a close friend. Kelly was divorced, raised three children on her own, was energetic, idealistic and pragmatic. Kelly was highly successful, yet totally unconventional. She was a Quaker and a Marxist in regards to her political persuasion. Perkins found an ally and mentor in Kelley, who was instrumental in spearheading municipal institutional reforms. Kelley focused her attention on long working hours, inadequate wages and child labor. Employers were urged to limit workdays to 12 hours. Many employers proved intransigent in this regard. One of Kelley's main goals was the elimination of child labor. At that time children were employed in factories, offices and even coal mines often working 12 hour days. Although Kelley was adamant in regards to these issues, she was also an avowed pacifist. She felt that the answer to these fundamental issues was unionization in order to give laborers the power of collective action. Kelly made a lasting impression upon Perkins, for she embodied the idea that as a woman she was certainly capable of fulfilling her own destiny.

Following her graduation from Holyoke and armed with a degree, Perkins moved to Chicago in the 1904. At that time, Chicago was the home base for Hull House founded by Jane Addams. Hull House was a focal point for social activism. Perkins evolved a strategy for social reform in which she operated successfully in two apparently disparate worlds. On account of her upbringing, she learned to be connected with the elite and, at the same time, was a staunch and relentless advocate for the poor. At that time in her life she changed her name from Fannie Coralie to Frances, her faith from Congregationalist to Episcopalian and her political affiliation. She secured a position as a science teacher at Fery Hall, a woman's college in Lake Forest Illinois for those with an affluent background. The code of conduct Perkins was required to follow was representative of the constrained role placed on women i.e. she was expected to live on campus, obey a strict curfew and attend prayer services.

Perkins became an occasional resident of Hull House. Hull House was a settlement house where the residents ate communally; they were, in fact, a large extended family connected to each other through a dedication to social reform. Hull House inspired a national movement. Her experiences there moved her inexorably towards her desire to make a difference; to help improve the lives of the least fortunate. There she was introduced to an entire galaxy of new ideas including the concept of trade unions and collective bargaining. It was then that she decided to dedicate herself entirely to social reform.

In 1907, Perkins was General Secretary of the Philadelphia Research and Protection Association. In this role she became aware of the plight of women in the inner city. At that time European immigrants and black women were lured to cities like Philadelphia where they were promised good jobs. Instead, they found themselves victimized by the slave trade. Perkins became convinced that the way out of these horrific predicaments was the availability of good paying jobs. She grew more convinced that social work was the kind of work for her.

In 1909, Perkins went to New York City, moved into a settlement house and studied at Columbia University focusing on the problems of the poor. There she received a degree in Political Science in June of 1910 and cultivated connections and friendships with the affluent including the Astors and the Vanderbilts. She became involved in the Greenwich Village community that she enjoyed and found intellectually stimulating. There she met John Reed, a journalist who became enamored of Communism and traveled to the Russia during the period of the Soviet Revolution. There she became involved in the family limitation movement and supported birth control - a revolutionary idea at the time. Perkins also established relationships with Robert Moses, who would later be a key player in the urban transformation of New York City, and Sinclair Lewis – the well renowned writer, who became so enamored of Perkins that he proposed marriage. He was rebuffed, but they remained close friends, nonetheless.

Perkins became involved in the women's right to vote movement and emerged as one of its leaders. According to Perkins, "Feminism means revolution, and I am a revolutionist. I believe in revolution as a principle. It does good to everybody."

A horrific event that galvanized the reform movement was the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire that occurred on March 25, 1911. As a result of the fire that occurred on that day, 146 workers at the factory, mostly young Jewish and Italian women, perished – many of them jumping to their death. This event helped focus attention on the horrific working conditions that many people endured; it was a galvanizing event.

Eventually, Perkins became involved in promoting the so-called 54 hour bill out of the New York State legislature that would mandate that the work week not exceed 54 hours. She became allied with John Adams Kingsbury, a progressive member of the Republican Party. In order to successfully pass this proposed legislation, Kingsbury enlisted the help of the former President Teddy Roosevelt – winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in ending the Russo-Japanese War. At that time Teddy Roosevelt became deeply concerned about the immense disparity of wealth in the United States – 2% of the population controlled 60% of the wealth. Eventually, Perkins was introduced to the former president. As a result, he became so impressed with her intelligence, perseverance, conviction and ability that he suggested that she be made director of the Committee on Safety that was focused on improving working conditions, the cleanup of unsanitary work places and the creation of new fire safety standards.

In regards to her personal life, over the next twenty years Perkins was married and became a mother. She assisted in Al Smith's campaign for governor of New York in 1918. Smith had developed a deep regard for Perkins. She briefly met FDR in 1910 when he was in his late 20s. At that time he was a New York State Senator; he was lukewarm in his support for the 54 hour bill. Later, FDR was chosen by President Wilson as Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Early in his career, FDR suffered a major setback – he contracted polio in 1921 that left him severely disabled. This did not dissuade him from his political career and in 1928 he became Governor of New York. After his victory, FDR invited Perkins to run the State's Labor Department.

The onslaught of the Great Depression – as described previously – led to FDR's political ascendency to the presidency. Once in office, FDR surprisingly chose a woman to be the Secretary of Labor – that woman was Frances Perkins. He chose her for this post; because, he was well aware of her concern for the plight of ordinary workers and her ability to institute meaningful reform. Perkins took the job provided that she was allowed to pursue the following labor- related policies:

· 40 hour work week

· Minimum wage

· Worker's compensation

· Unemployment compensation

· Federal law banning child labor

· Direct federal aid for unemployment relief

· Social security

· Revitalized public employment service

· Health insurance.

This list was revolutionary in scope. FDR was aware of the political risks involved in embarking on this course of action. He realized, however, the crisis that the country was enduring and agreed to her terms. The rest of course is history.

Perkins died on May 14, 1965 at the age of eighty-five. She has left a remarkable legacy that is in many regards has been unrecognized until relatively recently.

Listening to the Debates of Republican Contenders for the Presidential Nomination

2012-01-22T14:00:00.001-08:00

Ever since the first black man was elected to the highest political office in the country, he has been subjected to a remarkable degree of political hyperbole and vitriolic attacks designed to impugn not only his policies, but his character as well. These attacks originate not only from prejudiced and highly ignorant individuals and the right wing media, capitalizing on this kind of hatred, but also by his opponents in Congress. They have continually portrayed him as an enemy and essentially inimical to so-called "American values." Using this kind of language, they have attempted to thwart his efforts in every conceivable manner often using political blackmail. In this way, many of the endemic problems that face American society have been left to fester.

The real character of the opposition has been made abundantly clear by the nature of the debates now being aired as the aspirants to the Presidential office from the Republican Party challenge their adversaries for the nomination. The language of these debates have been mean-spirited, ugly, unflattering and filled with vilest of accusations and rhetoric designed to appeal to ignorance and bigotry. Those among the aspiring group who have chosen to use reasoned argument to make their respective cases have been effectively silenced as the front runners attempt to appeal to what has become the radical, right wing base of the Republican Party.

It is a troubling time in which many people live in fear and apprehension regarding their future as a direct result of the onslaught of the so-called "Great Recession." It is at such times that reasoned judgment and a cooperative effort to face and resolve acute national problems are the attributes most required.

I am not looking forward to many months of polemical language filled with hateful speech that is destined to fill the airways until the November elections. What we do not need as a people is the further polarization that will be the inevitable outcome of this kind of dialog. Furthermore, it would be most distressing if one of the underlying reasons for this intensely negative environment is, in reality, racial hatred and bigotry.

Doublespeak Lives

2012-01-11T16:21:00.001-08:00

Doublespeak does lives. It is vibrant and alive. It permeates every conceivable level of society. Much is spoken about the prosperity of our society. This is voiced against a backdrop of cities where thousands roam the asphalt and concrete landscape homeless and desperate and the hungry queue up at food banks for the basic commodities. Prosperity is alluded to with a deep and abiding reverence. The condominium and estate dwellers carry this notion with them like an all-embracing mantra. Yet, they are but a small minority, while the overwhelming majority struggle to either survive or maintain a level of economic well-being that is ever at the brink of bankruptcy and destitution.

The spokesman for superiority of this society refer to a nation with the greatest health care system in the world, while fifty million individuals lack basic health insurance a realtiy that translates into the fact that they are denied adequate access to health care of any kind. This reality is dutifully ignored though it is a very substantial fact. These numbers are simply subtracted from consideration or concern. Those whose health is exquisitely cared for are the affluent, exactly the ones who vociferously applaud the quality of the system as it exists. The rest stand to lose any financial stability they may enjoy if they should get seriously ill. For them the health care system is fine, if they remain healthy. Getting ill is another matter entirely. And yet, we hold up this marvelously inequitable system as a model for the entire world to emulate.

We are a people that love our children so well and so completely that one-quarter of all children in the country live in poverty. We claim to care for the well-being of our future generations, yet we ignore their plight, provide them with little if any relief from their misery and yet condone their free access to and use of all manner of deadly firearms. When those adolescents who happen to be disturbed (which is not terribly unusual for that stage of life) and use weapons that are so readily available, the society shows its concern about the welfare of children, by demanding retribution and, would, if allowed, place ten year olds on death row. No connection is made between the level of deadly violence in the society and the accessibility of firearms. Children who are raised deprived of those basic amenities we speak so highly about, and who live lives of desperation are, of course, expected to behave both wisely and well. If they, however, behave badly, then the wrath of society falls heavily upon them. The nation takes no responsibility for these outcomes. This is not merely hypocrisy, for hypocrisy is a disguise and obfuscation of truth. It is, in fact, a purposeful distortion of reality. Doublespeak is far more insidious for it proudly proclaims harmony when all around there is imbalance.

Racism is an area where Doublespeak truly shines. In a country that only one hundred and fifty years ago condoned the outright ownership of other human beings and total exploitation of their labor, and only forty years ago denied black people equal access to restaurants, restrooms, housing, employment, and every conceivable basic amenity, today speaks of itself as color blind. This is the very same culture that condoned the lynching of black men for the innocuous act of merely looking at white women. Somehow, we have magically cured ourselves of this barbarism. Yet strangely enough, most of the menial labor in the society, most of the unskilled menial jobs are performed by people of color. An inordinate proportion of the population of prisons is represented by black males. The inner cities are segregated and the schools and social services that serve minorities are abysmal. In spite of these obvious realities, affirmative action is ridiculed and blacks are expected to compete on an equal basis with the more privileged sectors of white society. It is a pretend game of such staggering proportions as to be almost comic, if the ramifications were not so horrific.

The War on Drugs continues. There is apparently no end to the police, weapons and prison resources available to interdict the flow of drugs and punish users, mostly represented by the poor. This strategy is carried out in spite of the obvious awareness that the problem lies with demand. These drugs essentially serve as an escape mechanism for those who live in conditions that are deplorable and seemingly hopeless. Yet the beat goes on.

Doublespeak lives. The media are intimately involved in the "art" of Doublespeak. They are its champions, admirers and ultimate practitioners. They report and emphasize sensational stories as so-called newsworthy events being sure to exaggerate their emotional content without making any reference to their context or historical perspective. They play the devious game of political distraction with consummate skill. The media, essentially owned and controlled by corporate conglomerates, for the most part parrot the views and interests of the powerful, for, that is the group, after all, that controls the direction and actions of the society at large. It is no surprise that this group would benefit immensely from molding the views and aspirations of the general population.

Doublespeak lives on in the area of armaments. It is quite interesting that the United States - the nation that holds the greatest nuclear arsenal and the only sovereignty that unleashed nuclear weapons on human beings - is the same country that always appears so appalled and outraged when less powerful states move to arm themselves in the same way. This nation also happens to be the greatest arms seller in the community of nations. For that reason, it profits materially from the violent conflicts that erupt in much of the impoverished world. It is the distinct quality of Doublespeak that remarkable contradictions between pronouncements and reality are never acknowledged and vociferously denied when referred to. It is the hallmark of Doublespeak that poverty becomes prosperity, empty becomes full and night becomes day.

The greatest masters of Doublespeak and all its exquisite nuances are not so much the politicians as the foreign policy experts, for they can make ignorance seem like enlightenment, can make a tyrant seem like a prince of democracy and most importantly make evil seem somehow magically good. There are many splendid examples of this. The State of Israel that has forces of occupation throughout its neighboring region and rules the "territories" by shear brute force and state terror calls itself a democracy and is even referred to as a democracy by other nations. Of course the question may come to mind, "Democracy for whom?" The Palestinian refugees whose squalid camps are surrounded by armed troops certainly do not live under a democratic umbrella.

Israel is a nation that uses the same tactics that apartheid South Africa once used to deny the basic civil rights and freedoms of the majority black population by herding them into so-called "homelands." This is a nation that blows up and demolishes homes of Arabs to make way for Jewish settlers and shoots young boys who have the audacity to throw rocks at the forces of occupation that constantly harass and contain them. This is a nation that uses fascist methods to maintain so-called order. Ironically, the Israelis emulate the strategies and policies of those whose demonic behavior they insist the world must never forget. Yet, somehow, miraculously Israel is a democracy to be admired and celebrated. Doublespeak lives.

There are many past examples of leaders of nations who have received lavish praise for their industry and labors in spite of their actual behavior towards the populations that were subjected to their rule. The Shah of Iran, Batista of Cuba, Samoza of Nicaragua, The French in Indochina, Suharto of Indonesia, Marcos of the Philippines are the names of just a few. These were the agents who served both themselves and Western Capitalists exceedingly well at the expense of their own people. Nonetheless, they were to be praised for their leadership and statecraft. Their evil propensities were forged into good works and farsighted and enlightened policies.

Part of the masterful agenda of Doublespeak is the creation of an almost continual need for enemies. As both a distraction from societal ills and as a means of finding a cohesive focus for the entire culture, an enemy or enemies of the State seem to be required. If they do not truly exist, which is often the case, they can be readily fabricated thanks in large measure to the genius of the media. Whenever the true economic interests of the powerful corporate interests are threatened or the rise of a popular movement questions the supremacy of the capitalist philosophy, it is then that enemies are called upon . The propaganda machinery of government together with their cohorts in the media focus their attention on molding public opinion in the direction of that newest enemy or enemies of the State. The newest term in the formidable vocabulary of Doublespeak is the so-called "Terrorist State." At such times, the overweening priorities of national interest is invoked, although it is rather inconceivable to imagine how a third world power can pose a significant threat against the world's only superpower. Doublespeak lives.

Since Doublespeak calls upon and relies upon the immense resources of the State, it is an essential tool for the implementation of the agenda of the powerful. It is only through education and organized resistance that this practice can be exposed, undermined and defeated. Doublespeak lives because the people feed upon it. Doublespeak thrives on ignorance and apathy. Doublespeak lives because the truth is not demanded. Sick is not well, empty is not full, evil is not goodness.

The End of the Iraq War

2012-01-03T18:02:00.000-08:00

The Iraq War is officially at an end – the troops have come home. Is there any intention on the part of government and its people to seriously assess the significance of this prolonged conflict and to ascertain whether the enormous cost inflicted both on ourselves and our alleged enemies was worth it? I think not; similar to the aftermath of the Vietnam War, it will quickly be forgotten by those who did not directly participate in it. Political pundits and those running for office will, of course, distort the reality of this war in whatever way necessary to achieve personal satisfaction and gain.

In fact, nothing of lasting importance has been achieved in spite of the one trillion dollar drain on the national treasury; the more than four thousand American lives lost and the tens of thousands grievously injured Americans and the death of what well may be one million Iraqis. Quite to the contrary, sectarian rivalries have been greatly exacerbated and the physical infrastructure of the country has still not been restored to the state they were in prior to the First Gulf War – electricity and reliably clean drinking water are still not readily available to the Iraqi population, for example.

The Iraq War represents, in my mind, a reprehensible and failed attempt to establish economic hegemony in the region. It is true that the energy and weapons industries may have profited immensely from the conflict, but these are ephemeral gains. The depraved indifference to human life that this unprovoked and brutal war on the people of Iraq represents has not only diminished the financial and human resources of the United States, but also, has wrecked havoc on the moral character of the nation. It is another senseless war along with the wretched litany of past conflicts perpetrated against essentially defenseless peoples around the globe.

Is there no end to what the American people will tolerate in regards to the militaristic behavior of our nation towards other governments and their citizens? There is now about one and one-half million men and women who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. They have been badly used and exploited by those in power who remain remote from any possibility of harm. What kind of treatment should they expect to find on their return home? The evidence is clear in regards to the answer to this question – they can expect little help or understanding. They are, in fact, expected to suffer in silence.

If we, as a people, do not look honestly and with unflinching clarity at our own behavior, we are doomed to repeat it.

Regarding the Future of the Species

2011-12-18T09:36:00.001-08:00

In my mind, the greatest challenge that faces the species in the 21^st century is the issue of climate change. It will prove to be the essential test as to whether the species is intelligent enough to recognize its culpability in endangering the life of the planet with the detritus of what is referred to as human progress; assume the appropriate responsibility for the consequences of its collective behavior, begin to seriously address the issue with the appropriate remedies in a timely fashion with the future in mind, or continue along its destructive path and suffer the undeniable fate. If the past and present history of the species in regards to its capacity for stewardship of the planetary environment is any indicator than the real character of the future is sadly predictable. With the optimism of Desmond Tutu in mind, what we need is a transfiguration on a global scale. It is my fondest hope that such a monumental and unexpected change in human behavior occurs and radically alters human destiny.

The American Political Character

2011-12-12T16:03:00.001-08:00

I have witnessed many presidential campaigns as a young and now aging adult. I have seen my own idealism evolve into an optimism tempered by reality taking into account the essential frailty of the human spirit. What I have noted over the years in regards to the national political climate is an ever-increasing mean-spiritedness – a growing inability on the part of members of the political opposition to listen to each other; to truly engage in meaningful conversation and dialog. Politicians have become subservient to power and have almost completely abandoned their legitimate roles as servants of the people. Instead, they seem to pander to the raw emotions, negative feelings, prejudices and fears of their constituents rather than appeal to the intellect.

This is an alarming aspect of the American political life, for without meaningful discussion and reasoned arguments, the real problems that haunt American life will continue to haunt us. This uncharitable, rude, unintelligent and often hostile view of those with differing views both inside national borders and directed at entire countries that do not share our supposed values is highly destructive.

There is something strangely mesmerizing and perversely appealing about the unabashed ignorance that is endlessly flaunted by much of the national media. I believe it appeals to the aggressiveness that is often a characteristic of human behavior. Viewpoints that are based primarily upon fear and ignorance are, by their nature, destructive. In the long run, decisions derived from a true meeting of minds and having as their foundation a belief in human love, humility and compassion will have a real chance to succeed and endure.

Good and Evil

2011-12-02T00:43:00.000-08:00

Many religions and much religious thought would have us believe that good and evil have as their source attributes that resides outside the confines of the human brain. This viewpoint, by its nature, establishes a duality in nature. From this perspective, good has its origins in a benevolent creator and evil is often imputed to stem from the workings of a malevolent force or being such as the devil. If such a duality exists, this construct proposes an intrinsic dilemma – if the creator fashioned humans in his own image, why is there evil in the first place? To help assuage this apparent contradiction, theologians have posited the concept of free will. In other words, the individual is free to choose what course to pursue in life, and can, therefore, be held personally accountable for those choices – hence the concepts of heaven and hell.

Our system of jurisprudence bases the punishment of those who indulge in criminal behavior on the presumption of personal responsibility and the idea of free will. This is a fundamental aspect of the system and is used to justify all manner of retribution, including murder.

I believe that this thinking is essentially erroneous. The modern science of neurobiology, especially in regards to the neuronal structure of the human brain has clearly established the role of particular circuits that are involved in various aspects of human behavior. One area of the brain that has been studied in some detail is that involved in pleasure. In this regard, scientific studies of drug addiction and its effect on the brain have revealed the involvement of the pleasure and reward circuits – drug abuse seems to lead to changes in the structure of the brain in these areas.

It would not be unreasonable to speculate that brain activity is responsible for that set of behaviors that we attribute to goodness. In humanity's early history, benevolent and compassionate behavior of individuals towards fellow members of the local community – tribe – was essential for continued survival of the group and the successful living of individuals within that group. In other words, goodness is an intrinsic aspect of human behavior. If there is, in fact, a "goodness circuit" within the neuronal structure of the human brain, then the anomalous and destructive behavior that is attributed to evil may actually be explained by a disruption and change in this circuit. Traumatic experiences during childhood may, like the example given of drug addiction, disrupt, damage or interfere with this goodness circuit.

Studies of the brains of psychopaths and sociopaths suggest, in fact, discernable changes in brain function and chemistry. If human behavior ascribed to what is considered good and that related to what is regarded as evil is directly dependent upon brain activity and function, then the concepts of good and evil must, necessarily be re-evaluated along with the notion of free will.

Doctor Paul Farmer

2011-11-27T07:47:00.001-08:00

Doctor Paul Edward Farmer was born in 1959. He was the second of six children; he grew up in the mill town of North Adams, Massachusetts. In 1966, the family moved to Alabama and later relocated to Florida in 1971. They were so poor that they lived in a bus that his father had purchased in auction. There, as a young boy, he picked fruit with Haitian migrant workers and was probably influenced by that experience. The extent of the economic deprivation that he felt growing up helped him understand what it means to be without, and may have inspired him to devote his life's energy to those in need.

Farmer is widely known for his remarkable and unrelenting service to the people of Haiti, driven by his desire to provide good quality health care and assistance to the impoverished people of that country. In addition, he has been a strong advocate for Haiti in the international arena and has been particularly critical of what he sees as America's plan for fixing the nation's enfeebled economy.

In order to have a clearer understanding of the economic and political forces that have come to shape present-day Haiti, it is important to have an historic perspective of this beleaguered country. Hispaniola was colonized by Christopher Columbus' brother, Bartolomeo, for Spain in 1496. He established the capital at Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) on the eastern side of the island. In 1697, the Treaty of Ryswick ceded France dominion over the western half of the island – present day Haiti. During the eighteenth century, Haiti operated as a slave colony and a leading port of call for slave ships. By the latter part of that century, nearly one out of every three slaves, who arrived in Haiti, died within a few years of reaching the colony.

In 1791, a revolt began against French domination. This revolt was led by François-Dominique Toussaint L'Ouverture (May 20, 1743 – April 7, 1803). Toussaint led enslaved blacks in a long struggle for independence over the French colonizers; ultimately, his movement abolished slavery, and secured "native" control over the Haitian colony. In 1797, following his victory, L'Ouverture expelled the French commissioner Léger-Félicité Sonthonax, as well as the British army; freed the slaves in neighboring Santo Domingo, and wrote a Constitution naming himself governor-for-life.

Between the years 1800 and 1802, Toussaint L'Ouverture - translated from the French, his name literally means "all saints" or "all souls opening" - tried to rebuild the collapsed economy of Haiti and reestablish commercial contacts with the United States and Britain. His rule permitted the colony a taste of freedom which, after his death in exile, was gradually undermined during the successive reigns of a series of despots. His last words were to his son in France, "My boy, you will one day go back to St. Domingo; forget that France murdered your father."

In 1804, the independent state of Haiti was formed and it was declared as a safe haven for runaway slaves. It is important to note here that the United States government refused to recognize Haiti's independence. Sadly, the native population of Haiti is no longer extant; they were eliminated as a result of the Spanish domination that preceded the arrival of the French.

In 1825, King Charles X of France recognized the independence of the country only on condition that an indemnity of 150 million Francs - approximately one-half million dollars - be paid and that an agreement be reached regarding a reduction of import and export taxes placed on French goods; this arrangement was tantamount to extortion. These repayments continued until after World War II. The effect of this agreement was devastating to the Haitian economy in that it represented a mass transfer of wealth from the poor indigenous people of Haiti to wealthy foreigners.

From 1915 through 1934, Haiti was occupied by the U.S. military. The United States occupation of Haiti began on July 28, 1915, when 330 US Marines landed at Port-au-Prince as directed by President Woodrow Wilson. They were dispatched to the island with the express purpose of protecting U.S. corporate interests. It ended on August 1, 1934, during the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt.

Farmer first traveled to Haiti in 1983 while it was under the harsh dictatorship of the Duvalier family. At that time, it was considered to be the poorest country in the western world. Baby Doc Duvalier who was "President for Life" fled the country in 1986. The first attempt at democratic elections was undertaken the following year; the fragile nature of this movement towards democracy was made apparent by the fact that a massacre took place at one of the polling stations.

In 1990, Father Jean-Bertrand Aristide ran for President and on Dec 16, 1990 he won sixty-seven percent of the popular vote. He was a catholic priest who was an avid proponent of liberation theology and believed strongly in the, "preferential option for the poor," reminiscent of the work and mission of Father Romero of El Salvador. He voiced opposition to the policies of Pope John Paul II and Ronald Reagan, President of the United States. As a consequence, President Bush, who succeeded Reagan, funded Aristide's opposition and cut off aid. The paramilitary group Front for the Advancement and Progress of Haiti (FRAPH) rose to prominence and staged a coup on September, 1991 that left one thousand dead. Aristide ultimately returned to power in 1994.

Before the devastating effect of the recent earthquake, the Haitian economy was already in terrible shape. By the year 2000, the entire budget for Haiti, with a population of eight million people, was less than the budget of Cambridge, Massachusetts, a city of 100,000 individuals.

Farmer graduated from Harvard Medical School with an ancillary PhD degree in anthropology. He worked in Haiti for eight months out of every year without pay, serving peasants who had lost their land as a result of the construction of a hydroelectric dam. For the remaining four months of each year, he worked in Boston living in a church sanctuary. He was briefly expelled from Haiti during the reign of the military junta, but managed to sneak back into the country by bribing government officials. In 1994, Jimmy Carter was dispatched by President Bill Clinton to try to persuade the junta to abdicate their pernicious rule of the country.

The tireless energy of Farmer on behalf of the people of Haiti has earned him the affectionate title of the, "poor people's doctor." In 1999, he also worked at the Brigham and Women's hospital in Boston and was the Professor of Medicine and Medical Anthropology at Harvard Medical School.

Farmer's primary concern and professional interest lies in the realm of the relationship between economic inequality and infectious disease. In his mind, many of the premature deaths that occur throughout the world from uncontrolled infectious diseases are a direct result of the mal-distribution of medical technologies. He is never reluctant to fault the rich countries for their failure to address this issue on a global scale, especially his home country, the United States.

On account of his strong commitment to the service of those in need and his passion to do whatever he can to counter the dire effects of poverty, he has created a remarkable community referred to as Partners in Health (PIH) in Zammi Lasante. This complex includes a woman's clinic, a general hospital, an Anglican Church, a kitchen that prepares meals for 2,000 people daily and a treatment center for Tuberculosis (TB). This medical center possesses two laboratories and an ambulatory clinic that serves hundreds of people. One million peasant farmers - in a country of eight million -depend upon this facility. The per capita income of the average Haitian is about one dollar per day. Twenty-five percent of Haitians die before the age of 40. Farmer is so committed to the health and well-being of the people of Haiti that no one is turned away. In addition, PIH helps build schools, water systems and manages a vaccination program with the goals of vaccinating all children, reducing malnutrition and decreasing infant mortality.

In 1993, Farmer was awarded a MacArthur Genius Grant of $220,000 for his efforts. He donated the entire sum to PIH. The following is an excerpt of his acceptance speech on receiving this grant: "The individuals who are living in dire poverty throughout the world may well exceed one billion in number. The suffering, starvation and premature death that is a consequence of this poverty is unconscionable in a world where the wealthiest nations enjoy an abundance and have ready access to a multiplicity of resources that are denied to so many of their fellow humans. In many regards, the scale of this suffering is due to a lack of access to an adequate food supply, appropriate medical technology, education and basic information."

Dr. Paul Farmer has dedicated his life to demonstrate that these horrific conditions can be effectively ameliorated, if not entirely eliminated, by making available to everyone what is currently available only to some.

Homelessness in America

2011-11-15T10:04:00.001-08:00

A recent report indicated that there are currently 40,000homeless in New York City. This is astaggering statistic – this number is equivalent to the entire population of asmall town. Given the harsh winters in NewYork, this is a very disturbing reality. New York is by no means unique in this regard. The following table shows homelessnessstatistics for the entire nation as of 2009. Please keep in mind the fact that present economic situation hasworsened considerably and these numbers are more than likely elevated.

In addition, there are many millions of individuals at agreater risk for homelessness as the following table indicates

Note – These data aretaken from the National Report on Homelessness from the National Alliance toEnd Homelessness

The horrific state of homelessness impacts men, women, children,the old and the young, the mentally ill and even the handicapped. There are, in fact, whole families that arehomeless. It is not uncommon forfamilies to be homeless in which the head of the household is employed. In my mind, there is no justifiable reasonfor anyone to be homeless in America; the suffering that is endured by so manyis wholly unnecessary. Consider theextent of the waste evident in the federal budget especially in regards to militaryexpenditures and the ludicrous concessions made to corporations with the helpof the legions of lobbyists paid exorbitant sums to extricate concessions froman essentially apathetic Congress. Consider the vast transfer of public wealth to private hands that hastranspired within the last thirty years. Consider the corruption that is so evident within localgovernments. These are governments that oftenpander to wealth and find all manner of rationales to ignore the plight of somany of their citizens.

The state of homelessness is evidence of the seeminglypervasive cultural indifference to the living conditions of those lessfortunate. This is a troubling aspect ofAmerican life. It need not be the case,however. This nation is woefully out ofbalance. What is required is a sense ofurgency in meeting the needs of those who are in crisis. What is needed is a serious reevaluation ofwhat we, as a people, collectively regards as important and worthy of immediateattention. In my mind, to ignore thosewho suffer unnecessarily is to effectively undermine the future.

The Occupy Movement

2011-11-02T08:33:00.000-07:00

The unavoidable inference that needs to be drawn from the economic realities that have gripped the United States and the majority of its people is that the country is in an undeniable state of decline. In addition, the unsettling circumstances in the economies of the member-countries of the European Union (EU) strongly suggest that corporate-centered capitalism - driven by greed and the uncompromising desire for acquisition and profit - is essentially bankrupt.

The occupy movement is an expression of the degree of frustration and sense of powerlessness that the vast majority of individuals feel as a consequence of the erosion of what little economic stability that they once possessed. Many have had their houses, their livelihoods, their health care coverage and the future education of their children taken from them. Many look into the future and see a bleak and featureless terrain.

As this reality grips so many of our people, they recognize that those entrenched members of the corporate class – the one percent that is now in the public imagination – who have wrecked havoc upon the so-called "American Dream" have remained unscathed. Those who have done so well as a direct consequence of the mass transfer of public funds to private hands are now demanding that further cuts be made to the public services that provide some modicum of relief.

What history has repeatedly taught is that there is a limit to what individuals can endure before they begin to crack under the relentless strain. There is no reason for a "free" people to accept suffering that has been imposed upon them by those who refuse to bear responsibility, and by those who are unwilling to share the wealth they have accumulated – a wealth that was often acquired through outright thievery.

The occupy movement has managed to draw national attention to the profound inequities that now grip our society, and resonates among those who recognize the obvious realities that the movement addresses.

Mairead Corrigan and Betty Williams

2011-10-25T16:24:00.001-07:00

Mairead Corrigan and Betty Williams were both Irish Catholic women born and raised in Ulster County in Northern Ireland. Although they were of different temperaments and markedly distinct in their approaches to living, they both became instrumental in focusing attention upon the seeming endless cycle of violence and retribution that had come to dominate the lives of ordinary citizens in that region. They were instrumental in the formation of the Community of Peace People and ultimately won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976 for their efforts.

In regards to problems facing Northern Ireland at that time, it would be of interest to spend some time examining the history of Ireland. Ever since the landing of King Henry II's Norman host on the shores of Ireland in the twelfth century, the enmity between the Irish and the British had been incessant. Although Queen Elizabeth I, Oliver Cromwell and King William III all tried to control Ireland and its people, they were essentially unsuccessful. Numerous attempts were made to introduce colonies of Protestants from Scotland as a way to subdue the native population. Invariably, these transplants would be absorbed into the local culture with the exception of Ulster County. Only in this Northern Province did this strategy meet with any success.

Until 1972, the Constitution of Ulster was based on the Irish Government Act of 1920 that provided home rule for the South of Ireland comprised of majority Catholic, while the Protestant Northeast remained with Great Britain. This resulted in two separate parliaments – one in Dublin and the other in Belfast. Both had representation in the British Parliament. In 1922, Southern Ireland rejected this arrangement and formed the Irish Free State that remained with the British Commonwealth and in 1948 became the Republic of Ireland. In contrast to the situation in Southern Ireland, in June of 1921, the Parliament of Northern met for the first time. The forty-six Protestant and Unionist members were all present, but the twelve Catholic members of the Sinn Fein (the political wing of the Irish Republican Army – IRA) boycotted the ceremony. The goal of Sinn Fein was the unification of all of Ireland and the abrogation of all links with what came to be regarded as British imperialism. This boycott resulted in the formation a government with no political input from the Catholic population, since no Catholic representatives were present.

In response to the threat posed by the IRA, the Belfast government created the so-called B Special police reservists that came to be hated by the Catholic population. In addition, in 1922, a Special Powers Act was made into law; this legislation allowed for so-called "administrative internment" – permitting the imprisonment of suspected terrorists without due process. The Protestants were represented for the most part by the Unionist Party and its associated extremist group – the Orange Order. Unionists sought to maintain their relationship with Great Britain. They carried every election between 1921 and 1969.

For almost fifty years prior to 1969, the one million Protestants of Northern Ireland had exercised excessive authority over the one-half million Catholics of the region giving them only a de-facto voice in provincial government. This discrimination led to the formation of Catholic and Protestant ghettoes with the Catholics often denied their fair share of community resources.

Inspired by the civil rights movement of the 1960s in the United States, the Catholics of Northern Ireland sought a redress of their grievances. A commission set up by Lord Cameron from Great Britain ascertained that the Catholic population was, in fact, discriminated against by the Protestant majority resulting in excessive unemployment and a lack of adequate housing. There were demonstrations and marches sponsored by the North Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA) that demanded one vote per person in municipal elections and the abolishment of gerrymandering – the political realigning of electoral boundaries to shift election results - and discrimination. In October of 1968, the Belfast government prohibited NICRA from organizing and outlawed civil rights marches in Londonderry. A march took place in spite of the ban and violence erupted.

These events fueled antagonism and hatred between the two groups. This came to a head in 1969 when there were reports of Protestant incursions into the Catholic sectors with subsequent arsonist attacks. In response to this violence, the Provisional arm of the Irish Republican Army (Provos) began to recruit new members and to respond with violence. Any attempts to assuage this regional discord was found unacceptable to the extremists in both camps. On August 14, 1969, the British sent troops to Northern Ireland to help the local police restore public order in Londonderry and Belfast. An attempt was made to set up a regional government acceptable to both Catholics and Protestants. This attempt failed. For eight years, the region was overwhelmed by bombings, indiscriminate killings and targeted assassinations. This atmosphere left people terribly frightened and irrational as acts of terror invariably do.

When British forces came to Northern Ireland in an attempt to quell the unrest, they imposed a solution through the Temporary Provisions Act of 1972. This act abolished the Belfast Parliament, suspended the Belfast Parliament and transferred all executive power to the Secretary of State of Northern Ireland – a position that held a cabinet rank in the British government. This newly appointed Chief Executive was expected to accomplish the following:

· Reassure the Protestant majority – Northern Ireland would not to cease to be a part of the United Kingdom without consent of the regional parliament

· Support the Catholic minority by honoring their concerns and addressing their grievances

· Maintain a British military presence in Ulster until a resolution of the crisis.

Unfortunately, all attempts at power sharing failed.

This was the social and political environment that surrounded the lives of Corrigan and Williams. They were living separate lives and did not know of each other's existence; until, a fateful tragedy radically changed their futures and connected them irrevocably to the cause of peace.

On August 10, 1976, a woman, Mrs. Anne Maguire, happened to be walking with her three children next to a busy street. Suddenly, they were hit by a car carrying Provos that were being chased by British forces. The driver lost control of the car after he was shot and killed by the pursuing troops. Her children Andrew and Joanna died instantly and the mother was grievously wounded. Mrs. Pat O'Connor, the aunt of the Maguire children witnessed the event. Maguire's son John later died of his injuries. Mairead Corrigan was also an aunt to the three dead children, and Betty Williams had been near the scene of the accident and saw the tragedy in its entirety.

This singular incident so impacted Corrigan and Williams; they were so utterly outraged by this event that seemed to categorize the state of mind of the people of Northern Ireland that they helped organize a protest for the following day that involved fifty Catholic women pushing baby carriages. Although the IRA tried to shift the blame regarding the tragedy to the British occupation, it was not convincing. The residents of this troubled region, especially women, were tired of the violence and they wanted it to end.

In an interview by the British Broadcasting Company (BBC), Corrigan said, "It is not violence that people want." She went on to condemn all those who encouraged young people to join paramilitary organizations – "Only one percent of the people of this province want this slaughter."

Williams, for her part, helped sponsor a news event in her neighborhood in order to draw attention to public sentiment against violence. Similar events quickly spread throughout Belfast leading to what was described as a disorganized uprising. Forty-eight hours following the children's deaths, Williams called for a petition against violence over the local television station; this petition yielded over 6,000 signatures. This petition demanded that the IRA halt its military campaign. In addition, a march was announced for the following day and Protestant women were invited to attend. The group was to march to Hilltown Cemetery where all the Maguire children were to be buried. Williams received telegrams of support from, labor unions, private organizations and individuals. On Saturday, the day of the march, 10,000 women came to Andersontown – a Catholic ghetto as a huge demonstration of support. Although the women were attacked by Republicans during the march, the event was overwhelmingly successful. Out of this demonstration, the Community of Peace People was born.

Betty Williams was thirty-six years old at the time to the tragedy that struck the Maguire children. She was living quietly in a two bedroom house. She was a working housewife and mother. Williams possesses a forceful personality and is extremely outgoing. She was born in 1941 and was married in 1963. She has two children. Her husband was a maritime engineer and spent as much as eleven months out of the year away from home; therefore, the day-to-day responsibilities for the family fell upoon her. They lived in Finaghy, a Catholic sector in the Southwest part of Belfast. When Williams was thirteen, her mother had an incapacitating stroke, and, as a consequence, she took on the role of raising her younger sister. William's mother was Catholic, her father was Protestant and her maternal grandmother was Jewish; this reality probably influenced her tendency towards open-mindedness as an adult. Although she was admittedly apathetic before the tragedy that she witnessed, Williams ultimately devoted herself entirely to the peace movement.

Corrigan was 33 three years of age and was still living with her parents at the time. She was living in one of the so-called "hot" Catholic sectors in West Belfast. In spite of the fear that gripped her neighborhood regarding the ever present possibility of acts of terror, Corrigan was active in her community. She worked as a secretary for Guinness - the well known Irish brewery, and in the evenings worked for the Legion of Mary that helped provide services for those in need.

Corrigan was born on January 27, 1944 in the Catholic ghetto of Falls in West Belfast. She was born into a large family – five girls and two boys. Since the Ulster state schools required the teaching of the Protestant religion, she was sent to a Catholic school. Corrigan quit school at the age of 14 for economic reasons. At a point in her life she moved to Andersontown and worked with disadvantaged adolescents. Andersontown was a bleak Catholic community; the city was built quickly after World War II for Catholics and offered little in the way of amenities; there were no playgrounds, community centers, movie theatres and especially nothing for the children. In spite of all the violence that erupted from 1969, as discussed earlier, Corrigan remained calm and refused to give in to fear. She remained an avowed pacifist. She was quoted as saying, "…for violence to cease, must discover the cause and change things."

As a consequence of their efforts, Corrigan and Williams were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976 for their extraordinary efforts.

The following is an excerpt from Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech delivered by Williams – "…But unlocking the desire for peace would never have been enough. All the energy, all the determination to express an overwhelming demand for an end to the sickening cycle of useless violence would have reverberated briefly and despairingly among the people, as had happened so many times before ... if we had not organized ourselves to use that energy and that determination positively, once and for all.

So in that first week Mairead Corrigan, Ciaran McKeown and I founded the Movement of the Peace People, in order to give real leadership and direction to the desire which we were certain was there, deep within the hearts of the vast majority of the people,... and even deep within the hearts of those who felt, perhaps still do, feel obliged, to oppose us in public.

That first week will always be remembered of course for something else besides the birth of the Peace People. For those most closely involved, the most powerful memory of that week was the death of a young republican and the deaths of three children struck by the dead man's car. A deep sense of frustration at the mindless stupidity of the continuing violence was already evident before the tragic events of that sunny afternoon of August 10, 1976. But the deaths of those four young people in one terrible moment of violence caused that frustration to explode, and create the possibility of a real peace movement. Perhaps the fact that one of those children was a baby of six weeks in a pram pushed by his mother made that tragedy especially unbearable. Maybe it was because three children from one family, baby Andrew, little John and eight-year-old Joanne Maguire died in one event which also seriously injured their mother, Anne, Mairead's sister, that the grief was so powerful. Perhaps it was the sheer needlessness of this awful loss of life that motivated people to turn out in protesting thousands that week. And we do not forget the young republican, Danny Lennon who lost his life that day. He may have been involved in trying to shoot soldiers that day and was himself shot dead, and some may argue that he got what he deserved. As far as we are concerned, this was another young life needlessly lost. As far as we are concerned, every single death in the last eight years, and every death in every war that was ever fought represents life needlessly wasted, a mother's labor spurned…"

These two women thrust together by forces out of their immediate control, created a peace movement that was so effective that it has served as a model for social non-violent action to address issues of peace and social justice.

Humans - A Reliably Barbaric Species

2011-10-21T04:55:00.001-07:00

Moammar Gadhafi is dead, and many people in this country and Libya rejoice over his violent end. President Obama and the majority of people in the United States seem to take pride in our contribution to his end. The nation lauds the allegedly marvelous technology that has produced unmanned killer drones that have so precisely targeted our enemies and whatever "collateral damage" is deemed acceptable.

As a people, we project the delusional concept that individuals like Gadhafi are not, in fact, human beings; that such personalities represent resident evil; that all the slaughter, mayhem and death perpetrated by ourselves from great distances and apparently immune from retaliation are perfectly justified.

We presume that the violent end to such individuals as Gadhafi will curtail evil and somehow exonerate our own barbaric behavior. Gadhafi died the way he lived, and such an end was not unexpected. Yet, this nation is not immune to the damage done to our collective psyche by our continued indifference to the horrendous suffering we have and do inflict on the many of the world's people, especially the most vulnerable, so that we may continue to live in the manner we are accustomed.

Barbarism is still very much alive in the human spirit. The unassailable truth of this is readily apparent in the depth and scope of the willingness of peoples throughout the world to inflict great harm, needless suffering and avoidable death on those who are collectively viewed as enemy. What transformation is required to release us from this insidious darkness?

From Cradle to Grave

2011-10-18T08:03:00.000-07:00

From Cradle to Grave

The following is a different perspective on what our culture considers to be the prosecution of justice –

I'm sitting in the

corner of my cell,

one dim bulb

barely enough light to see

these scrathings on paper.

It's called death row,

they've just turned down my

latest appeal,

my attorney tells me it's

the last.

It could be anytime,

they'll lay me out

strapped down on that insidious gurney

expecting me to resist

as if i don't know that

there is no escape,

as if i don't have a mind of

my own,

as if i can't see the steady, relentless

drumbeat of naked reality,

as if i don't know death,

as if i can't feel his icy presence,

my cellmate for all these years.

There never has been any

escape,

seventeen years now

in a cage,

gnawing confinement,

relentless and unforgiving boredom,

the endless hours,

the frightening moments.

It's like living

inside out,

viscera exposed,

bones and sinew

raw and beaten,

thoroughly beaten.

That's the way it was

for years,

living with an open wound,

festering.

I could have wasted them all,

but i put my mind to use,

it was woefully neglected in the streets

where i was taught,

where we were instructed

in our own self demolition,

where the lessons we learned,

that our lives would come to naught,

that we were not deserving of the effort,

where we were prepared for the grave

and the prison.

I've put my brain to use,

I studied,

I've learned to love knowledge,

to embrace it,

to caress my thoughts,

to nourish them,

even within this insufferable

darkness.

It is forever cold here

where justice has been thoroughly

abandoned,

where the only illumination comes from

within.

I am not ready, yet

I am ready.

Don't misunderstand

I don't expect to recover,

to be greeted by angels,

to be enlisted in the

devil's army,

once the needle is thrust into my

rebelious arm,

once the poison is forced into my

mortal body

whose only goal is survival,

once the light inside my head is

turned off,

I will make that leap

into the abyss of darkness and

return to that place where only

molecules reside.

I didn't kill that storekeeper, but

he had a reputation,

ruthless, brutal and unforgiving,

he hated us for our color

for our swagger,

for our determination to live.

It doesn't matter what i say,

truth is of no consequence

when justice must be served,

for he was white and I am not,

for it is assumed that i am of

little value,

that was the lesson that

I was expected to learn,

I didn't learn it well.

My guilt or innocence is of

no import,

somebody must be held

accountable,

they chose me.

I am not bitter,

I gave that up long ago,

far too corrosive.

I have forgiven

all of them although

I can't forget.

This corner of my cell

feels damp and cold,

yet i am comforted by

my thoughts,

I take pleasure in these words

that i scribble with this pen i'm

not supposed to have

lest i take my own life and

deny justice its grand opportunity.

I cradle my days,

savor them,

improve my mind,

nurture it,

I have an insatiable hunger for

truth,

even though it has not

served me well.

Soon they will come for me

expecting the worst,

they do not understand that

I am a man,

that I am ready.

Eleanor Roosevelt

2011-10-17T22:26:00.000-07:00

Eleanor Roosevelt is, of course, famous for her role as the wife of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) – 32^nd president of the United States. We have seen from our previous discussions that FDR was instrumental in leading the country through two enormous crisis's – one being the Great Depression of 1929-1938 and the other World War II that claimed over fifty million lives worldwide. Roosevelt made significant contributions to the country in her own rite as we shall see.

Roosevelt spent twelve years in the white house. She was often a seminal figure for her time. She was an activist and often took political stands independent of FDR. She was, in many ways, an idealist and a feminist and she often inspired controversy regarding her public positions.

Roosevelt's parents, Elliott and Anna were married in 1883. She was born on October 11, 1884 into a well-place family; her uncle was Teddy Roosevelt who assumed the presidency in 1901 following the assassination of President McKinley and remained in that office until 1909. He was the elder brother of her deceased father, Elliot Roosevelt. The members of the Roosevelt family were originally Democrats, but they switched over to the Republican Party on account of their support for the abolitionist movement that was staunchly opposed to slavery. It was not until FDR that the family realigned itself with the Democratic Party. Although Teddy Roosevelt was a member of the Republican Party, later in his political career he became liberal in his philosophy particularly concerned about the natural environment and the living conditions of those who were in need.

Roosevelt lost both her parents before she was ten years old. Her father, Elliott, committed suicide and she lost her mother soon after that. She was subsequently raised by her maternal grandmother. As a consequence of the turmoil surrounding her early life, her grandmother chose to raise Eleanor strictly. As a consequence, she was sent to an English boarding school, Allenswood, outside of London, for her education. She was there between the ages of 15 and 18 years old. There is some suspicion that she may have been sent abroad because of sexual advances made by her uncles. The school was run by Marie Souvestre, who took an interest in the young Roosevelt. She helped the young woman gain self-confidence. Souvestre was an avowed and unabashed atheist who may have opened Roosevelt's mind to unconventional thinking. Her mentor also helped her become socially conscious.

Upon graduation, Roosevelt became involved in the settlement house movement, as described previously. She also gravitated towards teaching and taught dancing to immigrant girls at the Irvington Street Settlement in New York's lower East Side. On one particular occasion, she invited FDR there and introduced him to the slum conditions in New York. He was so astonished that he was reported to have said, "My God, I didn't know anyone lived like that." This kind of exposure of the future president to the actual living conditions of the poor probably helped to influence his desire for social reform.

Roosevelt became involved in social causes such as the National Consumers League, an association that greatly influenced Frances Perkins (see above), the League of Women Voters and the Women's Trade Union League. As she was involved with the National' Consumer's League and its programs, she became acutely aware of the sweatshop conditions that many workers endured.

Roosevelt and FDR were married in March of 1905. Between the years of 1906-1916, Roosevelt gave birth to six children; one died. Her married life was not the most congenial, for the family lived with FDR's mother, Sara an imperious and uncompromising woman. Their living arrangements were such that her mother-in-law could appear unannounced any time she chose and felt free to discipline her grandchildren. This was very unnerving for Roosevelt, who was, even according to her children, a somewhat erratic parent.

FDR's political ambitions steadily grew as the years went on. He got his first real break when he was elected to the New York State Senator in 1910. These were somewhat momentous years for the country and especially for women. Roosevelt actively supported the women suffrage movement from 1911 and in 1920 a woman's right to vote was added as Amendment nineteen to the U.S. Constitution. In 1913, FDR was chosen as the Secretary of the Navy under President Woodrow Wilson. The family moved to Washington D.C. Roosevelt was somewhat relieved, for she could finally get out of the shadow of her domineering mother-in-law. On account of his growing work load, FDR hired a personal secretary, Lucy Page Mercer – a choice that would prove to be extremely momentous. In 1918, Roosevelt accidentally came across a packet of love letters from Mercer that spanned two years. This momentous finding permanently changed Roosevelt's relationship with her husband and inadvertently freed her to pursue her own destiny. They remained married but from that moment on lived separate lives. In spite of this Roosevelt's help in regards to FDR's political ambitions remained strong and decisive.

During World War I, Roosevelt became involved in the Red Cross. Increasingly, she became an advocate for those in need. She became a strong spokesperson for the mentally ill and was shocked by the conditions she witnessed at St. Elizabeth's hospital for the mentally ill. After the war, she contracted Tuberculosis and did not take the disease as seriously as she should have; it was partly responsible for the death some forty-three years later.

In 1921, Roosevelt joined the League of Women Voters and ultimately became Vice Chairman. Her main interests were in world peace, a woman's right to serve on juries and equal prosecution for both men and women in prostitution cases. Roosevelt was an unflinching advocate in the areas of peace and social justice and especially that of women's rights in all areas of social and political life. She was such an avowed and outspoken proponent of peace that the Federal Bureau of Investigation under J. Edgar Hoover kept a file on her. Hoover was a rabid anti-communist and feared that Roosevelt might be linked with their efforts.

In that same year, FDR was stricken by polio. He had such a severe case that he was never able to walk again without assistance. Although this reality drove him into a state of depression in which he thought of relinquishing his political ambitions; it was the support of Roosevelt and his good friend and adviser, Louis Howe, that encouraged him to persevere.

The Roosevelts, in many ways, led parallel lives. She thrust herself into women's issues and allied herself with like-minded women, including Jane Adams, who, as discussed previously founded the Hull House – the famous settlement house in Chicago – and the first president of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and Carrie Chapman Catt of the League of Women Voters. There were two women, in particular, that she became deeply involved with – Marion Dickerman and Nancy Cook. So strong was this bond that FDR built a stone cottage in Hyde Park, the family estate, called Val-Kill for these three women as their retreat. In 1927, Cook purchased the Todhunter School who purpose was to wage political warfare against what was perceived to be reactionary forces. These women joined in a concerted effort to encourage social reform in the areas of a minimum wage, an end to child labor and the right of workers to unionize.

In 1928, FDR was elected as governor of New York State a definitive stepping stone to his ultimate aspiration – the presidency of the United States. During their stay in Albany, Roosevelt divided her time between Albany and the Todhunter School where she functioned as an Associate Principal and a teacher. In this same period, she became involved in a New York State Joint Legislative Conference that pushed for unemployment compensation, minimum wage and pensions. Roosevelt and her husband did not always agree. As governor he was not willing to sponsor child labor legislation and abandoned support for Prohibition as well as the League of Nations and the World Court – causes that Roosevelt adamantly supported. As a matter of fact, FDR's brain trust considered his wife to be too idealistic and too assertive.

On account of all of her involvements, Roosevelt limited her engagement with FDR's presidential campaign of 1932. During his presidency, Roosevelt became more deeply involved in her own causes. Although she discontinued her involvement with the Todhunter School, she pursued writing and public speaking. As a matter of fact, she earned a considerable amount of money following these interests – a reality that created quite a stir of criticism.

It was during this period that she met Lorena Hickok – Hick. They became so involved with each other that they exchanged daily letters. There has been some suggestion that their relationship was erotic in nature – a suggestion that has never been confirmed.

Eleanor became quite famous for her syndicated column called "My Day." Although it was dismissed by her critics as being shallow and banal, it helped introduce a common touch in regards to the often mundane reality surrounding the presidency and was widely read. This column was also a vehicle through which Roosevelt could express her political philosophy and often referred to New Deal policies and programs.

In regards to matters of race and race relations, Roosevelt made her position clear and unambiguous on numerous occasions. As a profound example of her staunch belief in equal rights for all citizens, she withdrew her membership from the Daughters of the American Revolution (FDR) when they denied the renowned African-American contralto, Marion Anderson, from singing in Constitution Hall on account of the color of her skin. To put a spotlight on this injustice, Anderson sang outside the Lincoln Memorial to a crowd estimated to be 75,000. Roosevelt also refused to observe segregated seating at the founding convention of the Southern Conference on Human Welfare held in Birmingham Alabama.

Roosevelt endured the horrendous and destabilizing years during World War II and with infinite grace helped assuage the nation's anxieties as that conflict negatively impacted so many Americans. Roosevelt's passionate concerns, interests and boundless activism for the causes of peace and social justice placed into the spotlight the liberal approach to public policy that she personified. She passed away on November 7, 1962.

The following is taken from a speech Roosevelt made entitled, The Struggle for Human Rights on September 28, 1948 in Paris.

"I have come this evening to talk with you on one of the greatest issues of our time -- that is the preservation of human freedom. I have chosen to discuss it here in France, at the Sorbonne, because here in this soil the roots of human freedom have long ago struck deep and here they have been richly nourished. It was here the Declaration of the Rights of Man was proclaimed, and the great slogans of the French Revolution -- liberty, equality, fraternity -- fired the imagination of men. I have chosen to discuss this issue in Europe because this has been the scene of the greatest historic battles between freedom and tyranny. I have chosen to discuss it in the early days of the General Assembly because the issue of human liberty is decisive for the settlement of outstanding political differences and for the future of the United Nations.

The decisive importance of this issue was fully recognized by the founders of the United Nations at San Francisco. Concern for the preservation and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms stands at the heart of the United Nations. Its Charter is distinguished by its preoccupation with the rights and welfare of individual men and women. The United Nations has made it clear that it intends to uphold human rights and to protect the dignity of the human personality. In the preamble to the Charter the keynote is set when it declares: "We the people of the United Nations determined...to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom." This reflects the basic premise of the Charter that the peace and security of mankind are dependent on mutual respect for the rights and freedoms of all."

There are Many Battlegrounds Present

2011-10-06T07:43:00.000-07:00

Many mornings, I wake up early. My brain becomes saturated with thoughts both idle and refined. They demand attention. To maintain my own rather tenuous grip on sanity, I attempt to assuage them by doing what I'm doing now – write.

The political atmosphere in this country (circa 2011) has become quite unsettling. The kettle is definitely on the boil. Humans are frightened. They are restless. They are angry. They are confused. There seems to be no middle ground - no arena for reasoned discourse. Voices are shrill and unforgiving on both sides. Thoughts seemed to have become collectivized into slogans that can be creative and imaginative but are often banal and without sufficient depth to be accorded serious consideration.

Social unrest is certainly on the agenda. Mobile devices are everywhere and those that hold them are always on the ready to trivialize experience and plummet into the unforgiving depths of their own collective ignorance. Ignorance is dangerous, for unfinished thoughts devoid of either truth or content can yield enormous destructive power - evidence blind racism and crazed jingoistic patriotism that relies on the blind indifference of reckless violence. Needless suffering abounds and there are forces present that exacerbate that which should be healed.

What is clear and what is unmistakable is that the system is thoroughly broken. The commons is being dismantled. The social contract that each of assumes to be in place; that each of expects to be in place, is dissolving. The reasonable expectation that society can and should embrace all of its members, especially those with the greatest need seems to be no longer viable.

There are many battlegrounds present - the haves versus the have-nots, the left versus the right, the educated versus the unschooled, north versus south, urban versus rural, color versus color, business versus labor and on and on. The guns are locked and loaded. Emotions have become fully engaged and there is little room left for reason. Herein resides the great and boundless frailty of humanity and human institutions.

Are we destined once again to go around the same endless wheel of violence and retribution - returning hurt with hurt and injury with injury? It is a tiresome and dangerous legacy we seem so willing to embrace.

I don't have any meaningful answer to this question. The reality that the culture is collectively moving through is dangerous and, in many ways, perverse. It leaves me deeply anxious.

A Question of Existence

2011-09-30T07:31:00.001-07:00

I seem to be on a rather philosophic bend at the current moment. I have been playing around with the idea of trying to discover an essential ingredient that is the hallmark of reality. I am well aware that this is a rather preposterous idea and can be filled with the unsightly evidence of hubris. Nonetheless, I will proceed.

I attempted to strip away those "qualities" that are often associated with reality, but that I feel are essentially delusional. There include:

· The relegation of the creation, running and maintenance of the universe to some supernatural deity or deities if you prefer – a convenient device to evade further discourse entirely

· The supposition that all events are somehow predetermined, or that things happen as, "their supposed to"

· The belief in the absolute existence of good and evil and the inevitable conflict that occasionally erupts between these polar opposites. So much of human literature both ancient and modern is driven by this underlying supposition.

· The idea that biological evolution is somehow directed and that human beings are being "perfected." I think that reality speaks an entirely different language.

Once I discarded these notions, I was left with what I believe is the essential ingredient of existence – the irrepressible unfolding of time. All that we know and understand operates within this context whether it be the life and death of stars, the rise and fall of mountains, the collision of galaxies, the ephemeral existence of a may fly or the duration of a single human lifetime. This seems obvious enough; precisely, for that is my point.

The Economic Depression of 1929

2011-09-19T16:48:00.001-07:00

While we are in the midst of this horrendous recession, it would be of value to compare the causes of our current economic doldrums with the convergence of factors that brought on the Great Depression of 1929. Although the specific conditions and circumstances may vary, the similarities are striking.

Following Black Tuesday, the economic situation worsened as the nation inexorably slid into depression. Within three years, the so-called industrial index – a quantitative measure of the performance of shares in major industries such as automobiles – dropped from 452 in September of 1929 to 58 by July of 1932. It must be remembered that it has been estimated that only 2.5% of the entire population actually invested in the stock market; therefore the reason for the depression must have resided elsewhere. The causes for the depression itself can be explained by the following factors:

· Decline in Industrial Production – Much of the economic growth during this era can be directly related to two major industries, the production of automobiles and construction. By the end of the 20s, both of these facets of the economy were in decline.

· Poverty and Personal Indebtedness – Poverty was, in fact, widespread and personal debt was high as well. The wages of individual workers had only increased by 8%; whereas, the productivity of the individual worker increased by an estimated 32%. These data translated into the economic reality that individuals could not afford to purchase the products of industrial output. This convergence of factors inevitably led to mass unemployment.

· Bank Failures - Since banks were heavily engaged in speculation on the stock market and since the banks were using the savings of their customers for these questionable investments, they were unable to effectively deal with rush on the banks when people wished to withdraw their savings en masse. As a result, thousands of banks failed and many lost their life savings.

The government's response to this deepening crisis was inadequate. Although President Herbert Hoover felt compassion for the millions who were suffering and although he attempted to use some of the government's resources to address the issue – he requested 2.25 billion dollars from the Congress for public works progress - his political philosophy constrained his efforts in this regard. He felt strongly that the government should not be involved in direct relief by providing resources to those or were poor, starving and unemployed. He felt that, "It is not the function of the government to relieve individuals of their responsibilities to their neighbors, or to relieve private institutions of their responsibilities to the public." In the general election of 1932, the people chose Franklin Delano Roosevelt as their next president, who promised a New Deal. The fundamental focus of the New Deal was threefold – the so-called 3 Rs – relief, recovery and reform. In order to accomplish these ambitious goals, fifteen major pieces of legislation were submitted to Congress from spring to early summer.

In spite of all these efforts, it was the onset of World War II that effectively brought the country out of the Great Depression.

The Current State of the Economy

2011-09-15T08:01:00.001-07:00

The newly-released economic statistics are quite sobering. They do not bode well for the majority of Americans – those who are members of the middle and lower classes. Here is a summary of the data:

· The average middle class wages are currently at a level that they were at in the 1970s

· The average wages of the those in the bottom 10% have substantially declined

· One out of every six Americans are below the federal poverty line that at approximately $22,000 for a family of four and 11,000 for an individual have been set absurdly low

· One out of every four children is living in poverty

· There are some fifty million Americans without health insurance. This is not taking into account the many millions who are inadequately insured

· Those who receive health insurance through their employers have dropped to about 55%

· Unemployment remains dangerously high.

The plethora of candidates aspiring for office of the presidency in the Republican Party are focusing their attention and directing their hyperbolic rhetoric on the current administration as the cause of this malaise. This, of course, is heightened nonsense. In addition, their supposed remedies focus on further limiting the role of government and eroding the already fragile social safety net that is currently in place for the tens of millions who are suffering.

Those in public office, regardless of political affiliation, have ignored and at times exacerbated economic conditions for many years by catering to those at the very top of the economic ladder. It is to them that their attention is directed, for this is the source of the largesse that keeps them in power. They have collectively chosen to ignore the essential needs of the many in favor of the seemingly unquenchable avarice of the few. The system is undemocratic and essentially corrupt.

Over some thirty years, the government has essentially collaborated with corporate power to effectively move public monies to private hands thus devastating the commons. The end result has been to drain public coffers of the necessary resources to maintain and improve national infrastructure, provide for adequate health care and help maintain access of all Americans to sufficient nutrition and shelter. In addition, there are now proposals to constrain those federal regulations that insure the quality of air and water.

The system is thoroughly broken. It cannot be repaired by one person's vision. It is bankrupt, for the vitality of the structure is based upon the primacy of the individual above the public good and the expectation of making profit from every avenue of modern life. For example, to base a health care delivery system on the unfettered accumulation of profit is to guarantee that good health ultimately falls within the providence of those with wealth and power. Longevity statistics support this contention.

In spite of this reality, transformation is possible. The path out of this darkness resides in the determination by the many to exercise their power by effectively seeking to elect those candidates for public office who truly reflect their needs. The current strangle hold that the powerful exert on the economic destiny of the majority of Americans can only be effectively broken by the collective will to sever the connection between private money and public policy. Passivity in light of this reality will only insure that the nation continues its decline.

Ode to a Nation in Purposeful Decline

2011-09-05T20:56:00.001-07:00

We are currently within the second decade of the twentieth century, yet this nation is poised to enter into the abyss created in large part by greed and an unfettered belief in the advancement of the individual regardless of its impact on the greater good. Any functioning and sane society recognizes the absolute need for the existence of a viable commons – public institutions that collectively ensure universal access to adequate health care, affordable shelter, appropriate nutrition, reasonable security from outside threat and unforeseen disasters, well-cared for children and the elderly and a sustainable natural environment with clean air, water and an essential diversity of living things.

Without such basic guarantees, the current stratification of society that is skewed towards wealth and power will only worsen. It seems that as a nation, we are incapable of taking care of our own. It seems that as a nation, we oppose the sensible application of science and distrust the scientific method to the extent that even the most rudimentary actions required to maintain a sustainable natural environment for the species in the near future are summarily rejected.

As a nation, we seem unwilling and unable to incorporate progressive values within the national politick. Instead, there seems to be a tendency to rush headlong into the mistaken policies of the past that will accelerate the decline of the well being and economic status of an overwhelming majority of Americans. Such a direction the nation cannot afford.

The Consequences of Unfettered Greed

2011-08-19T08:28:00.001-07:00

There is currently much anxiety regarding the apparent instability of the financial markets. It is of interest that the obvious and understandable fear regarding the future of the global economy is not accompanied by an analysis of the underlying cause of this phenomenon. No one seems to be questioning the systemic flaw in the financial system that we have come to rely upon.

The apparent health or malaise of the financial markets has come to depend upon speculation. The wild activity that is reflected in the crazed up and down swings of the stock market is based on a simple and highly destructive paradigm – the goal of the individual speculator is to make lots of money solely through the manipulation of the flow of capital. Success in this regard is based on the idea of accumulating wealth not through productive endeavor but rather through the skillful playing of the markets.

Within this model, there is no concern for the financial well being of the community. Quite to the contrary, as we have seen, "ordinary" citizens have suffered greatly as a direct result of this cold and unforgiving logic based on the primacy of the individual. There is no morality in evidence within this bankrupt system; there is no self respect involved, and there is certainty no interest in the very future of this world of humans.

The end result of this kind of failed logic is a sad testimonial to the state of human progress. Greed, by its very nature, has produced this kind of volatility and an extraordinary amount of human suffering. It is exceedingly disturbing that the uncontrolled accumulation of inordinate wealth continues to be held up as the preferred way to do our nation's business.

Notes on Human Freedom

2011-08-05T11:45:00.001-07:00

Regarding the great recession of 2007, it's 2011 and this economic downturn shows no sign of abating. The politicians are getting crazier and crazier. They're being pushed and pulled by divergent forces. Their first impulse is to protect wealth and the wealthy – they are compelled to do so, for that is their bread and butter. That puts them at opposite poles in regards to the majority of their constituents, who elect them; for it is the overwhelming majority that is dining off the diminishing crumbs inadvertently dropped from the table of the ever-feasting ruling class. Members of the Congress, therefore, have to make preposterous statements and ludicrous rationalizations as they ever so indelicately whittle away at the middle class.

All the pandering, all the gesticulating, all the discordant voices, all the feeble pronouncements of pretend optimism has gotten me thinking about freedom. That is the commodity we as Americans are supposed to be so proud of having. We may eventually be living in the detritus of our own making, but we are repeatedly told that we have our freedom to be thankful for. This is what I call one of the big lies we are constantly fed. The claim is that we are guaranteed our freedom as an essential feature of our political system. I believe this to be patent nonsense. Our brains are being filled with the empty contents of the modern age. We are given marvelous electronic devices to entertain us and essentially distract us. The communal discourse is filtered, contrived and controlled. The vast majority of the population is comprised of individuals who are essentially wage slaves constantly afraid of losing their ever-diminishing access to bread, shelter, meaningful education and good health. We are now told that they we expect to never retire from our jobs, if there are jobs, for retirement may mean instant destitution.

The kind of freedom that is available is of little value especially when one's preoccupation is with survival. True freedom, in fact, cannot be granted or for that matter taken away. True freedom lies within the life of the mind. I have the capacity anytime I choose to rise above the fray and free myself from the ludicrous. Nothing can take this away – not abject poverty, not disease, not government fiat, not personal adversity. Let the voices from all corners of the political spectrum drone on with their tiresome and repetitive messages trying to tell me whom to hate and what to fear. The entire substance of our culture may very well collapse from the ineluctable force of gravity as it devours its structure from within. I have no control over such an historic destiny. Humans have the remarkable capacity to undo themselves and be totally surprised as to how it happened. Societies, cultures, civilizations come and go like individuals. All choices have consequences. Even the most well structured and benevolent decision can lead to disaster. Making choices in which the outcomes are known to be ruinous is a particularly well-developed trait as far as humanity is concerned.

In essence, true human freedom comes when we take the responsibility to free our minds of the constraints placed upon us from without. Only then will we be able to undo the yolk of greed and relentless acquisition that has been imposed on the collective imagination.

On the Fragility of Human Consciousness

2011-07-25T13:41:00.001-07:00

Human consciousness is such a fragile and unfinished aspect of human life – it can so easily run out of control, directed by unruly and irrational emotions. In my own particular instance, it has taken a good portion of my lifetime to recognize this significant piece of reality regarding the human condition. I suspect that it will take the remainder of my existence to learn how to more completely utilize my full potential for reasoned judgment based upon a true love and compassion for all living things that embrace this most wondrous planet.

Within the arena of politics and social and foreign policies, it is far too easy to adorn oneself with the mantle of righteousness and jump to often erroneous conclusions concerning the moral and ethical character of the political opposition. At the core of the most strident and powerful emotions, the ego is a very important player. In my estimation, it is essential to recognize the significance of those inner forces shaped by personality, experience and genetic predisposition that often shape an individual's worldview, judgment and ultimate behavior.

An important first step in controlling volatile emotions is to understand their origins – in other words, it is a matter of the first priority to "know thyself." Whenever aggression becomes a tool for social action, the possibility of implementing meaningful change diminishes; furthermore, this approach often proves counterproductive.

Whether or not the human species has the wherewithal to thoroughly recognize its own imperfections, actively work toward overcoming them and effectively move towards a truly just and peaceful world is an open question.

Collateral Damage

2011-07-13T08:14:00.001-07:00

Collateral damage,

what exactly is it?

Is it a rock band,

perhaps heavy metal,

some obscure

auto insurance term

itemizing what's not covered

in case of an accident

written in miniscule print,

a mistake a surgeon might make

in the midst of a delicate operation,

those individuals

indirectly injured from the

side effects of a nasty divorce,

debris left over from an

overzealous football game?

Collateral damage,

what exactly is it?

The stupefying carnage,

the chaos and mayhem that

accompanies ferocious and brutal violence,

the torrential flow of blood spewing from

shattered and broken bodies

separated from the yolk of the living,

the pungent odor released from

myriad corpses strewn upon fields of

overwhelming death,

the instantaneous incineration of entire families,

the horrific and bountiful products of murder

cannot be expunged by the simple application of

innocuous words in a vain attempt to

circumvent the reality of

such depravity.

Reading from the Introduction of "Voices for Peace and Social Justice"

2011-07-07T08:18:00.000-07:00

Fannie Lou Hamer

2011-06-23T09:38:00.001-07:00

Fannie Lou Hamer was born on October 6 1917; she was the daughter of Jim and Ella Townsend. She was one of twenty children – 14 boys and 6 girls. In growing up in Montgomery County, Mississippi, the young Hamer suffered from the twin insults of poverty and racism. One has to keep in mind the daunting cultural, economic and political realities that a black person faced in Mississippi at that time; Mississippi had the most repressive racist policies of that era.

Throughout the American South, African-Americans were subjected to the satellite of laws and customs that were instituted to actively repress blacks and enforce their inferior status. Collectively, these restrictive policies were referred to as Jim Crow. Some examples of Jim Crow included –

· Separate and unequal education

· Separate hotel, bathroom, restaurant and sports accommodations which even included drinking fountains

· Poll taxes and voter qualification tests specifically designed to exclude blacks from voting

· Laws outlawing mixed-race marriages.

In regards to the origin of the word Jim Crow, it seems to have first appeared around 1930. A white minstrel show actor, Thomas "Daddy" Rice, darkened his features using charcoal and danced a ridiculous dance to the lyrics of a song entitled, "Jump Jim Crow." Some believe that Jim Crow was the name of a slave holder who "owned" the slave that Rice mimicked in his routine.

These were the conditions of life Hamer experienced as a girl and young woman. Her father was a Baptist preacher and a bootlegger, and her mother was a domestic servant. Jim and Ella Townsend were sharecroppers. The life of a sharecropper was one of hard work, poverty, exploitation and violence. Sharecropping was, in fact, an ante-bellum system designed to replace slavery with cheap labor. Although the institution of slavery had been abolished, the extreme economic disparity between the races was maintained. The landlord provided tenants with housing, food, seed and farm equipment from the owner's plantation store at typically exorbitant interest rates and half of the crop. This system was designed to make it exceedingly difficult for the sharecropper to break free from this onerous system and get ahead. As a matter of fact, Hamer related a story that testifies to this system. There was a time when the Townsends were actually getting ahead when a white neighbor intentionally poisoned their animals when they were away. This singular event proved to be a major economic setback and undermined all the progress they had made.

Hamer started picking cotton when she was six - working twelve to fourteen hours per day. By the time she was thirteen, she was picking 200-400 pounds of cotton per day and receiving one dollar for her efforts. She had a markedly inferior education. The school year for black sharecroppers lasted for four months and was three months shorter than for their white counterparts living in rural Mississippi. The average expenditure for black children in the state of Mississippi was about twenty percent of what it was for whites. Hamer left school when she was twelve and joined the Strangers Home Baptist Church where she continued her education.

Her mother exerted the most powerful influence in her life. According to Hamer, "My mother was a great woman. She went through a lot of suffering to bring the twenty of us up, but she still taught us to be decent and to respect ourselves, and that is one of the things that has kept me going." In her own admission, her faith contributed to her strength. One of the important lessons that Hamer learned from her mother was that hating made one weak, and that she should honor and appreciate her heritage. It was from her mother that Hamer learned the horrors of slavery. Her maternal grandmother, Liza Bramlett, was a slave and had twenty-three children; twenty of these children were the products of rape on the part of powerful white men.

Hamer ultimately became a remarkably influential civil rights leader. In appearance, Hamer seemed unassuming – she was short, stocky and walked with a limp. This limp resulted from an attack of polio she had as a child. She was desperately poor and lived in a house without hot water and no indoor toilet. The work on the plantation was arduous and exhausting. In striking contrast, the plantation owner's dog had his own bathroom. Hamer was also known for her sense of humor – a quality that probably helped maintain her sanity under exceedingly trying conditions. As a married woman, she and her husband, Pap, often took upon themselves the care of other people's children.

There was another dramatic event in her life that helped shape her thinking and her resolve to actively work towards a better world for her people. When she was in her early forties (1961), she went to the hospital to have a small uterine tumor removed. Following the operation, she discovered that she was sterilized involuntarily - her uterus had been removed. This was an outrage of major proportions to her, yet it was not a totally uncommon practice in regards to black women's healthcare in that region of the country.

In 1962, the civil rights movement was well underway; Hamer was 44 years old and still was unable to vote. In Mississippi at that time, blacks were required to take a "literacy test" before being legally allowed to vote. The test was purposefully designed to exclude blacks from voting. As a result, she joined the struggle to gain the right to vote. At that time, blacks were relegated to being servants, working in the cotton fields, teaching in all-black schools, preaching or working as funeral directors. All aspects of social and economic life was under the iron-fisted control of whites. Those who attempted to defy the numerous prohibitions imposed on their lives were treated harshly and extra-legal and summary executions were quite common. The reality of lynching parties, a common phenomenon in the American South at that time, has been recently brought under public scrutiny. It was not unusual for black males to not only be lynched but also tortured and physically mutilated. It should be noted here that when the horrible fate of the young black Emmett Till came to light in the national press, the conditions of blacks in the American South became widely known.

On August 28, 1955, Emmett Till, a fourteen years old African-American boy from Chicago who was visiting relatives in the Mississippi Delta, was brutally murdered after allegedly flirting with a white woman. He was physically removed from his relative's home and transported to a barn, where he was brutally beaten, mutilated and shot through the head. His body was subsequently disposed of in the Tallahatchie River, weighted with a 70-pound (32 kg) cotton gin fan tied around his neck with barbed wire. His body was discovered three days later. This event outraged the entire nation and helped to propel and energize the civil rights movement.

As a result of the extremely repressive conditions that plagued the black population, many fled to East St. Louis, the South side of Chicago, Gary Indiana or Detroit Michigan. It is the cumulative effect of these experiences that awakened Hamer to the horrific conditions of her people and made her determined to work tirelessly for change. She exclaimed that, "All of those things, when they would happen, would make me sick in the pit of my stomach and year after year, every time something would happen it would make me more and more aware of what would have to happen in the state of Mississippi."

Young civil rights workers arrived in Rubeville in 1962. Mass meetings were organized. It was there that Hamer joined the drive to register black voters. The support of organizations such as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) helped to mobilize the effort to improve the political and economic plight of the blacks by helping to shatter the feelings of isolation and powerlessness that individuals had come to accept as the inescapable reality of their existence. With a group of seventeen others, she traveled to Indianola, 26 miles from Ruleville, to register to vote. They were met with open hostility; as a matter of fact, a white crowd had congregated with some carrying guns in full view. Indianola was the birthplace of the White Citizens Council – an extremist group believing in white supremacy that was formed in response to the famous Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling that deemed segregated schools to be unconstitutional. It was a humiliating process. She and her colleagues were ordered to enter the registration office in pairs. Hamer was required to answer questions containing personal information that she understood could be used against her and her family, since this information would be made freely available to the White Citizens Council. This procedure was designed to intimidate. In fact, violence was subsequently perpetrated against members of her Rubeville community. Following this questioning, she and the others were required to take a so-called "literacy test" to qualify for voting. She was quizzed on section sixteen of the Mississippi state constitution. She, of course, failed in this first attempt. When she returned to the plantation, she was accosted by the owner, who demanded that she withdraw her registration for voting or face severe economic consequences. Refusing to be intimidated, she ultimately left the plantation and her family, at least for a time. She subsequently returned to Indianlola at a later date and passed the literacy test.

This marked a definitive turning point in her life. From this point on, she became very involved with SNCC and traveled with them. Hamer attended leadership training and voter registration workshops. She traveled with SNCC and became a fiery and eloquent spokesperson for the movement for black equality, especially in regards to voter registration. She also became an effective fundraiser. Hamer did this with remarkable courage, especially living in Mississippi in the midst of the horrors of Jim Crow as alluded to above. Her tenacity and courage were inspired by her moral convictions and to some extent by the bitterness she felt towards her oppressors. Her courage was undoubtedly accentuated by the hard life she led that helped make her extremely resilient.

The extent of the horror that Hamer had to endure in her struggle was made clear in the spring of 1963. Hamer, along with a group of other civil rights activists, boarded a bus that would take them across the state border to Georgia. Their purpose was to test the Interstate Commerce Commission ban on segregated bus terminals. Facing extreme and unbridled hostility, they ultimately decided to abandon their efforts and returned to Columbus, Mississippi. While awaiting their transfer to another bus that would take them home, they were physically accosted by the driver and forced to sit in the back of the bus. The next destination was Winona, Mississippi where some of the blacks got off the bus as a rest stop. When they attempted to eat at the lunch counter alongside whites, they met with overt and violent opposition and were eventually arrested by the local authorities and taken to jail. At the jailhouse they were separated into separate cells and horribly beaten. As a result of the injuries Hamer sustained, she was blinded in one eye and her kidneys were permanently damaged. Among those savagely beaten was a sixteen year old girl, June Johnson. They were then taken to court where they were charged and convicted of "disorderly conduct" and "resisting arrest."

With the help of Julian Bond and the United States Justice Department, charges were brought against the offending officers, but they were tried in Mississippi with an all-white jury and the guilty police officers were deemed innocent of all charges – a verdict that was not unexpected. This was undoubtedly Hamer's worst experience in her activist life. It did not deter her, however, from continuing in the struggle.

Hamer ultimately became nationally prominent. She launched a nationwide speaking tour that enhanced her national exposure and highlighted the plight of blacks in Mississippi. On April 26, 1964, some three hundred black citizens of Mississippi arrived in Jackson to form the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP). Hamer took on a prominent leadership role. The party formed a delegation that went to the 1964 Democratic Convention held in Atlantic City, New Jersey for the sole purpose of challenging the all-white Mississippi delegation. Ironically, the delegation ended up with wretched accommodations in a segregated hotel; Jim Crow existed in the North as well.

Hamer had numerous opportunities to emphasize the plight of the blacks in her home state; she was often on national television. These appearances did much to heighten the awareness of Americans to the evils of Jim Crow. The MFDP challenge made the likely Presidential nominee, President Lyndon Johnson, exceedingly nervous. Ultimately, through a series of political machinations, the MFDP lost their bid. Hamer left upset and embittered. By the 1968 Democratic National Convention, however, the Credentials Committee made a momentous policy decision – no delegation would be seated if blacks were excluded from electoral participation in their state.

Hamer continued working for the MFDP and appeared as a delegate to the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago as a member of the Loyalist Democrats that was a coalition of various black-affiliated groups including the NAACP and the MFDP. She spoke before one of the hearings at the Platform Committee and outlined her proposals for inclusion in the party platform - among these were land grants and low interest loans for cooperatives, a guaranteed minimum income, extended day care, comprehensive medical care, increased federal provisions for food programs and free higher education. In regards to foreign policy, she called for an end to the Vietnam War and the draft, renewed diplomatic ties to Cuba and China and an arms embargo imposed on the Apartheid regime of South Africa.

Hamer remained politically active, engaged and involved even when she was plagued by ill health and dying from breast cancer. She suffered considerably in her final days and was exceedingly poor. She had suffered both remarkable successes and serious political setbacks during her life, but she remained deeply involved in causes that touched the heart of her humanity and her generosity of nature. Hamer passed away in March of 1977; she left us a remarkable legacy. She served, unwittingly, as the moral conscience of the nation during her time, and continues to be an inspiration to those who actively work towards a better world.

Change – Who Needs It?

2011-06-15T08:29:00.001-07:00

I would like to pose the following question – How bad do things have to get before we collectively embrace the necessity for change? Whether we examine the human condition locally or broaden our view to encompass a more global view, we are, undoubtedly, a troubled species.

Within the boundaries of the United States, we are faced with some very daunting realities. I will attempt to enumerate some of them –

One out of every four children currently lives in poverty
1.4 million Residents of New York City depend on food banks and soup-kitchens (some 1200 exist in the city) for their nutritional sustenance. Thirty-seven thousand New Yorkers live in homeless shelters
Over eighty thousand are reported homeless in the city of Los Angeles
46.3 million Americans (15.4%) as of 2009 do not have health insurance as reported by the Center for Disease Control (CDC)
There are 13.9 million (9.1%) individuals unemployed as of 2010. This number does not include those who are under-employed or have stopped looking for work
The data regarding the severity of summer temperatures, violent storms and unusual weather conditions continue to show strong correlations with the unabated increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

This list is a relatively small one with a somewhat narrow focus. All these conditions continue to worsen while public monies flow unabated from those with little resources to the wealthy; the income gap continues to worsen. In spite of these data, many politicians are calling for simultaneous cuts in taxes - benefiting those who already have nearly everything - and a further degradation in public services including widely-used services such as Medicare. These same voices would like to unravel the remaining remnants of public programs that benefit the many, including Social Security.

How bad do things have to get before we collectively embrace the necessity for change? How much needless suffering is required before we begin to more equitably utilize all the resources available to us as a very wealthy nation?

What lies at the Core of Human Conflict

2011-05-30T06:06:00.001-07:00

If the overarching concepts of good and evil were to be stripped away from examples of unimaginable acts of violence of the recent past such as the use of commercial airliners filled with passengers as incendiary devices to destroy the World Trade Center in New York, or the attempt by the leaders of Fascist Germany to exterminate an entire race of human beings, or the use of the atomic bomb – essentially the most awesome and powerful weapon ever devised by human beings – on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the underlying reality would remain the same. In all these examples, large numbers of human being lost their lives under horrific and violent circumstances.

The haunting question is what characteristics of the human brain drive such events. In my thinking, it would be efficacious to examine the behavior of a much simpler organism. The social insect represents a highly successful biological machine, beautiful in its exquisite simplicity. For the purpose of discussion, we will focus on the leaf cutter ant – a species prevalent in the tropics. In relation to the survival of the species, the life and death of the individual leaf cutter ant is of no significance. Each ant is designed to fulfill a particular and essential function. The continued life of the colony is paramount to any other consideration; all behavior is directed towards this goal. In addition, the members of colony fit into distinct groups with particular and precise roles. These roles are exquisitely and genetically programmed and every member does not deviate from its function. This societal architecture precludes violence within the colony. Conflict arises only when the colony must defend itself from attack originating from outside the colony. This particular design is so efficient and successful that the species will endure well into the future as long as planetary conditions are capable of supporting life.

Over the hundreds of millions of years that spanned evolutionary time, the complexity of life increased exponentially, and eventually led to the appearance of Homo sapiens. From the enhanced interconnections of hundreds of billions of neurons within the human brain, sprang self consciousness, and existence suddenly took on meaning beyond considerations of the survival of the species. Within the human brain, the idea of person arose and humans acquired the quality of self awareness. Consciousness brought with it the reality of choice; as individuals we became capable of making choices between alternative paths of behavior. In essence, we suddenly had the capacity for self-direction. We became responsible for our own actions – an aspect of being that was entirely new for life on the planet.

Armed with this new capability, humans inevitably found themselves competing with one another for sustenance. Whether or not the propensity for violence became hard-wired within the human brain as a consequence of the environment of early humans is, of course, a matter of conjecture. In a relatively brief interval of cosmic time – some six million years since our ancestors branched off from the line that yielded the chimpanzee – humans fashioned societies, established diverse cultures, erected cities, contrived advanced technologies and killed each other at an alarming rate.

Collectively, we have assumed the staggering responsibility for the stewardship of the planet. There is sufficient reason to doubt whether humans are competent enough to function effectively at this level. Yet, the choices we can make are clear as well as their respective outcomes. There is reason for hope and equal justification for despair. Nonetheless, the future is ours to shape as our actions dictate.

Kathy Kelly

2011-05-27T00:29:00.001-07:00

Kathy Kelly has challenged the use of U.S military power on numerous occasions; she has sought to uplift the dignity and humanity of the victims of that power. According to Milan Rai - a British peace advocate who was arrested in 2005 for refusing to stop reading the names of Iraqi civilians killed during the Second Gulf War - she is, "…someone who has made nonviolence into a passionate confrontation, an active living force."

Kelly grew up on the Southside of Chicago; she was the third of six children. Her parents met in London during the Blitz – the sustained aerialbombardment of Britain by Nazi Germany during the early part of World War II between September 1940 and May 1941 . Her Dad was a G.I. who had left the Christian brothers and was serving in London. Her mother studied nursing and, as a student, cared for children with disabilities. Prior to that, she was an indentured servant in Ireland and subsequently in England. Ultimately they moved to the United States and settled in Chicago. Her mother had three children in the space of one year.

Kelly grew up in Chicago in the 1950s and 60s. Her family struggled economically; she lived in relatively cramped quarters with her siblings and ended up sleeping on the living couch. It was an epic period in the nation's history – a time of social upheaval marked by the turmoil generated by involvement of the U.S. government in Vietnam and the strongly polarizing influence of the civil rights movement. It was a time in which the evidence of racism, sexism, militarism and classicism was quite evident.

She attended St. Paul-Kennedy high school and found inspirational teachers there. It was a shared-time experimental school in which she went to the local public school for part of the day. Kelly experienced firsthand the virulent effects of racism that often put Chicago in the national news. Commenting on her own experience at school, Kelly said that it "broke the code of fatalism that was part of my upbringing." She was particularly impressed with Martin Luther King Jr. and Daniel Berrigan, whose exceedingly controversial anti-war activities were well known at the time and whose life we have examined earlier in this book. There was a particular comment that Berrigan made that remained with Kelly – he said that, "One of the reasons we don't have peace is that the peacemakers aren't prepared to make the same sacrifice demanded of the soldiers." It was during this period in her life that she decided to work actively towards peace.

During the Vietnam War, Kelly was mostly involved from an intellectual perspective – she wrote articles against the war but took no direct action. During her graduate studies at Chicago Theological Seminary, she made the decision to get directly involved in issues of peace and social justice. In the spring of 1977, she moved to an uptown neighborhood of Chicago to work with the Francis Assisi Catholic Worker House. The St. Francis Assisi House of Hospitality is still extant.

Within these houses, such as this one, Catholic Workers live simply within the community, serve the poor, and resist war and social injustice. The Catholic Worker movement, founded by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin, began in 1933,. Its reason for being is based on the principle that every human being has dignity and is deserving of respect and support. This movement continues to thrive with over two hundred active communities.

It was there that she met Roy Bourgeois. He was imprisoned for six months for flinging blood on a poster of his friend, Rutilio Grande, who was assassinated by a member of a death squad in Central America. His story moved Kelly to become involved in more direct action against injustice. At the Catholic Worker House, she also met Karl Meyer, who she was later to marry. He convinced her to join him in an action to protest draft registration; this led to her first arrest and the beginning of her long career of non-violent direct action against injustice. They were married for twelve years.

Kelly ultimately received a Masters degree in religious education and taught at St. Ignatius College Preparatory School. In 1985, she received a professional development grant that took her to Nicaragua. There she met with Miguel D'Escoto, the Foreign Minister who was also part of the Marynoll religious order. He organized a plan to fast for peace in, "defense of life and against contra violence. The Contras were a group of fighters that was financed by the United States and whose goal was to subvert, undermine and eventually overthrow the democratically-elected government led by the Sandinistas, who had an active socialist political agenda. President Ronald Reagan's administration was eventually implicated in the covert and illegal funding of the Contras, using monies obtained through the illicit sale of military hardware to the government of Iran – the so-called "Iran-Contra" scandal. Kelly was deeply impressed and inspired by D'Escoto's commitment to peace. As a consequence she quit her position in 1986 at St. Ignatius following her return. In her letter of resignation she said, "I am quitting my job to devote full time to opposing contra aid."

Kelly became totally dedicated to not only speaking out about that which she felt was detrimental to the causes of peace and social justice but also acting on her beliefs. She became involved in non-violent opposition to U.S. aid to the Contras, nuclear weapons, Israeli government policies regarding the Palestinians, militarism, sanctions against Iraq and its disastrous impact on Iraqi children, U.S. policies in Central America and the Second Gulf War.

In April of 2003, Kelly was instrumental in forming the Voices in the Wilderness group based in Baghdad for the purpose of providing witness to the devastation wrought by U.S. policy in Iraq. Kelly has devoted much of her energy towards exposing the disastrous impact the First and Second Gulf Wars have had on the people of Iraq.

Anticipating the likelihood of the Second Gulf War, Kelly took up residence in Baghdad during the first phase of the American military invasion in March 20, 2003 during so-called "Shock and Awe," - the expression coined by Donald Rumsfeld, the U.S. Secretary of Defense at that time. The individual lives that she reported on are testimonials to the horror of warfare that is so often aimed at civilian populations.

As a gauge of Kelly's own feelings regarding the attack, she stated that, "Yes, we are angry, very angry, and yet we feel deep responsibility to further the nonviolent antiwar efforts that burgeon in cities and towns throughout the world. We can direct our anger toward clear confrontation, controlling it so that we won't explode in reactionary rage, but rather draw the sympathies of people toward the plight of innocent people here who never wanted to attack the U.S., who wonder, even as the bombs terrify them, why they can't live as brothers and sisters with people in America." This statement illustrates the difficult task of remaining non-violent and clear-headed under horrendous circumstances.

On Aril 15, 2003, Kelly reported the following, "Nurses are digging graves in front of the Al Mansour Hospital. Plumes of smoke are rising from the campus of Baghdad University. Other disasters loom, as the Red Cross warns that Baghdad's medical system is in complete collapse." Kelly visited the gravely injured and dying who were flooding Iraq's understaffed and poorly equipped hospitals.

In her testimony before Judge Crocker on October 26, 2003, she attempted to explain her involvement in Iraq during the Shock and Awe campaign. She went on to clarify the role of the Tomorrow House that she had set up in Baghdad. These explanations fell on deaf ears; she was sentenced to spend a month in Federal prison. She subsequently returned to Iraq in August of 2003 to serve as a witness to the horrific consequences of that war.

In April 2004, Kelly was sent to the Pekin Illinois Federal Maximum Security Prison for nine months. She was accused of violations of law pertaining to the delivering of medicines and relief supplies to Iraq. She was previously imprisoned in 2003, as previously mentioned, and in 1989 for a protest against the US Army's military combat training school in Fort Benning, Georgia.

With equal vigor, Kelly has been active and relentless in defense of the plight of the Palestinians as well. She has been an ardent opponent of war and social injustice wherever it may appear. She has shown remarkable courage, persistence and a relentless tenacity in pursuing what she has felt is right in the face of grievous injustice. On three separate occasions, she has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts. Kathy Kelly has been and continues to be an effective voice for the powerless throughout the world.

On the Death of Osama Bin Laden

2011-05-04T08:23:00.001-07:00

Osama Bin Laden was discovered and killed in Pakistan on May 1, 2011 by U.S. CIA-led forces. The taste of revenge and retribution may prove to be temporarily satisfying to a hurt and troubled nation, but the real resolution to the endemic problem of global terrorism may prove illusory. What it does affirm is the reality of blood lust that remains very much a part of the human psyche.

It may be comforting to embody the image of Osama Bin Laden with all the aspects and characteristics that we define as evil. It may lead some to conclude that evil has been vanquished much like the fiery dragon of a bygone era. This event may distract the population from considering the unmistakable reality that the possibility of evil is within all of us and that the nation that so proudly claims to have defeated a devil has a history resplendent with evil deeds and their horrific consequences. We seem unable to acknowledge all the needless death and destruction throughout the world that have been a direct consequence of the unabashed use of American military power.

Osama Bin Laden was, without doubt, a crazed yet charismatic psychopath obsessed with a radical and extremist agenda. He is a man responsible for extraordinary suffering and death throughout the world. His death by violent means was inevitable, but in the final analysis, he is but one man. The institution he helped construct cannot endure for long; because, the belief system that sustains it is untenable. Eventually it will collapse and be replaced by other groups driven by hatred and vengeance. Unfortunately, the cycle remains unbroken.

As a people, we would be better served if we could collectively become more self-aware and look critically and honestly at our own behavior as a nation. When all the elation and self-praise begins to dissipate as it must, we are still left with the institutions, infrastructure and weaponry that are conducive to death and destruction that we have dutifully fashioned over the many years of our national history.

What Kind of Future Do We Want?

2011-04-28T08:29:00.000-07:00

There have been many calamitous events, both natural and man-made, that have occurred in the brief interval between my birth and the present time – some sixty-six years - including the nuclear annihilation of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the bloodbath that ensued during the partition of the Indian subcontinent into India and Pakistan in 1948, the horrific famine of 1974 in Bangladesh, genocide in Rwanda, the ravaging of Tibet by the Chinese government, the savagery and lunacy of the rulers of Burma. This is, of course, not taking into account the most extraordinary slaughter of the human kind in all of human history that took place during World War II – fifty million lives were consumed in this seemingly endless onslaught. Each of these exemplifies the apparently limitless stupidity of the human kind.

In my mind, there is another aspect of modern human behavior that overshadows all else and that is the insidious and mindless destruction of the natural environment that sustains all life on this planet. Due to a horrific accident in the spring of 2010, millions of gallons of oil poured out of a broken pipe 5000 feet below the water’s surface off of the coast of Louisiana as a result of an off-shore drilling rig that exploded. This disastrous event took place on May 11, 2010 and continued for months before the leak was finally stopped. It may ultimately result in a large “dead zone” in the ocean – a place where most life has been extinguished. This is an ecological catastrophe of enormous proportions. In our collective quest for endless progress in a technological culture where all aspects of human behavior are subsumed by the thirst for profit, we are knowingly killing the future of not only our species but many others as well.

All of these instances of human depravity and sheer and utter stupidity have left me extremely skeptical of the prospects for humanity, yet I believe that the human promise has not been extinguished. There still exists much good in the word; humans have retained their ability to reason and the hunger for a better and saner world remains vital. I have the privilege of knowing many individuals who strive towards a better and more harmonious way of living. Good abounds, but it is consistently overshadowed by the self-serving behavior of the powerful, who see the world in the narrowest of terms. They see themselves as belonging to a special class of human beings breathing from a rarefied atmosphere. They see the world as being there for their own personal aggrandizement. They really believe that they are not subject to the same ethical standards and constraints as the rest of humanity. They prosper from humanity’s collective pain, suffering and death. They promote war; they proffer anything that will return profit, for profit is their chief sustenance and power their significant other.

The future of contemporary human civilization remains suspended between pathways that lead to alternative futures. To continue forward on the present track will necessarily lead to a planet whose environment will prove to be inhospitable to the benign continuation of the human species. It would ultimately be a bleak and desolate place for humanity. Choosing an alternative destiny involves risk, of course, but there is really no sane and reasonable alternative. Collectively, we need to revitalize the commons and include all humans into what we consider to be our “family.”

What Price Comfort

2011-04-20T08:27:00.001-07:00

In contemporary civilization, individual success is often measured by such parameters as social and economic status and the level of wealth one has achieved. Those who are looked up to as models to be emulated have accrued a remarkable degree of luxury and live enshrouded by all manner of conveniences. They are propelled forward in life with the goal of satisfying essentially selfish desires. They are often driven by a ferocious ambition, and, to their credit, exhibit a remarkable level of creativity, ingenuity and motivation.

The world of humans and the natural world that we are an integral part of cannot be sustained if the focus of individual existence is rooted in acquisition. The price that humanity collectively pays for comfort, convenience and an utterly false sense of personal security is enormous.

There are over one billion individuals on planet earth that subsist of one dollar a day. Tens of millions of people have already died from AIDS because they do not have access to the drugs that could sustain them. This same disease has produced millions of orphans. Millions of men, women and children die annually from the gruesome process of starvation not because there is no food available, but because they do not have access to the food that could give them life – they cannot afford to live. The economies of many of the nations of the so-called undeveloped world have been encouraged and coerced to produce commodities for export to the developed world at the expense of their own indigenous people. Vast armies of individuals throughout the world work endlessly performing mindless tasks in frightful factories so that those more affluent can fill their lives and homes with stuff purchased at megastores filled with this seeming cornucopia.

Our addiction to the "good life" not only imperils the human world, but is having disastrous consequences in regards to the natural world. The accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is already having a marked impact on the global environment – profound ignorance will not change this indisputable fact or its inevitable results. The diversity of life on planet earth is inexorably diminishing as a direct result of human activity.

What price are we willing to pay for the lifestyles we have chosen? This to me is a central question of the age. We are all the children of history and the future will unfold as a direct result of the choices we make. We can have a world where we honor and uplift the lives of all rather than accept a world where the lives of the many are sacrificed for those of the few.

Collateral Damage

2011-04-14T15:43:00.001-07:00

Collateral damage,

what exactly is it?

Is it a rock band,

perhaps heavy metal,

some obscure

auto insurance term

itemizing what's not covered

in case of an accident

written in miniscule print,

a mistake a surgeon might make

in the midst of a delicate operation,

those individuals

indirectly injured from the

side effects of a nasty divorce,

debris left over from an

overzealous football game?

Collateral damage,

what exactly is it?

The stupefying carnage,

the chaos and mayhem that

accompanies ferocious and brutal violence,

the torrential flow of blood spewing from

shattered and broken bodies

separated from the yolk of the living,

the pungent odor released from

myriad corpses strewn upon fields of

overwhelming death,

the instantaneous incineration of entire families,

the horrific and bountiful products of murder

cannot be expunged by the simple application of

innocuous words in a vain attempt to

circumvent the reality of

such depravity.

The Power of Humility

2011-04-09T09:06:00.001-07:00

In the course of societal development, many countries throughout the world have ascribed to an economic model where acquisition is the measure of personal success and happiness and the immediate gratification of the individual has come to have greater value than the long term survival of the species. This set of intrinsic beliefs is irrational. From a biological perspective, our collective purpose is the continuation of the species and the maintenance of life requires a stable, long lasting and healthy biosphere. Individually, we are transient creatures; the material makeup of our bodies along with our memories, accumulated knowledge and intellect is effectively broken down into its essential elements upon our demise. Our legacy lies in the genes we may have contributed to progeny, all that we may have inspired in others and memories others may hold regarding those who have departed. This is the essence of what I regard as the reality principle. Many who find the intrinsic limitations of this reality unacceptable often find solace in religions that embrace the idea of the perpetuation of the individual after death. Although this is conceivable if one posits the existence of a mysterious, invisible and supernatural world, it is exceedingly unlikely.

The individual cannot trump reality no matter how zealous the beliefs might be. In my mind, the belief in the self above all other considerations is the essence of human arrogance. Arrogance, by its nature, runs counter to human progress, for it attempts to negate the reality principle – an essentially useless, vain and counter-productive endeavor. It is from an arrogant worldview that humans devolve into greed, hatred and ultimately violence and war.

On the other hand, the acceptance of our personal limitations and the recognition of the greater role of nature and the wondrous natural world that we are intrinsically a part of is the basis of humility. Humility fosters self awareness – an essential ingredient for the acceptance of the limitations of others. Humility is a powerful force, for it can reshape thinking and, as a natural consequence of its recognition, modify individual behavior for the greater good.

Thich Nhat Hanh

2011-03-31T08:21:00.001-07:00

Thich Nhat Hanh was born in Central Vietnam in 1926. He became a Buddhist monk in 1942 at the age of sixteen years. In 1950, he co-founded the Quang Buddhist Institute. In 1961, he studied comparative religions at Columbia University and returned to Vietnam in 1963. At that time the Vietnam War was in its beginning prior to the major escalation of the United States involvement following the Gulf of Tonkin incident as discussed earlier. After returning to Vietnam, Hanh joined in an effort to stop the war campaign following the fall of the Diem Regime. He helped encourage and inspire non-violent resistance based upon Gandhian principles.

In 1964, he founded the School of Youth for Social Service and created the La Boi Press that continues to publish books about Buddhism and mindful living. Hanh used his influential position to call for reconciliation between the warring parties. In 1966, he accepted an invitation to return to the United States; he was asked to participate in the Fellowship of Reconciliation and to come to Cornell University. His advocacy of peace through non-violent means was so moving that Martin Luther King Jr. nominated Hanh for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967. It was, in large part, due to Hahn's eloquence and commitment to peace that King came out publicly against the war at a press conference where Hanh was present. Thomas Merton, the well known monk and Catholic theologian, was also one of Hanh's admirers.

Hanh went on to meet with influential US senators including J. William Fulbright and Ted Kennedy and the Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara in order to argue his case. He also met with Pope Paul IV in an effort to bring Catholics and Buddhists together to work towards peace in Vietnam. In 1969, Hanh agreed to set up a Buddhist Peace Delegation at the Paris Peace Talks. After the Peace Accords were finally signed in 1973, Hanh was denied re-entry into Vietnam. Undaunted, he established a peace community in Paris called, "Sweet Potato." There he remained for five years involved in meditation, writing, reading, etc. He lived a quiet and solitary life there accepting visitors only occasionally.

He went on to establish Plum Village a retreat center near the town of Bordeaux, France. He has made repeated pilgrimages to North America to give lectures on behalf of peace. In the words of the Dalai Lama written in the forward of Hanh's book entitled, Peace is Every Step – The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life, "Although attempting to bring about peace through the internal transformation of individuals is difficult, it is the only way. Wherever I go, I express this, and I am encouraged that people from many different walks of life receive it well. Peace must first be developed with the individual. And I believe that love, compassion, and altruism are the fundamental basis for peace. Once these qualities are developed within the individual, he or she is then able to create an atmosphere of peace and harmony. This atmosphere can be expanded and extended from the individual to his family, from the family to the community and eventually to the whole world." The Dalai Lama stated that Hanh offers guidance for such a journey. This journey towards peaceful inner transformation represents, in my judgment, the core of Hanh's beliefs.

According to Hanh, peace is always present, is always possible to the individual. It is achievable through self awareness attained by a thoughtful practice of mindfulness in our daily lives. He advises being aware of every moment; of understanding our own personal emotions and feelings. For example, according to Hanh, "Anger is rooted in our lack of understanding of ourselves and of the causes, deep-seated as well as immediate, that brought about the unpleasant state of affairs. Anger is also rooted in desire, pride agitation and suspicion." In essence the source of anger lies within the self rather than in the external object, person or event that is the focus of such an extreme emotion.

Hanh comes from a strong Buddhist tradition. Much of Buddhist practice is centered on being aware of the present moment. His way of teaching, therefore, focuses upon techniques to enhance that awareness. He strongly advocates conscious breathing and mindfulness of every aspect of human activity. An integral part of his psychology is the concept of what he refers to as, "internal formation." According to his thinking, sensory input may leave "fetters," or "knots" depending upon the individual's particular receptivity. These knots can be impediments to successful living, if they are not understood. Hanh believes that self awareness would make one immediately aware of knots as they are being formed.

Hanh sees the reality of the state of human affairs in the following way: "If the Earth were your body, you would be able to feel the many areas where it is suffering. War, political and economic oppression, famine and pollution wreak havoc in so many places. Every day, children are becoming blind from malnutrition, their hands search hopelessly through mounds of trash for a few ounces of food. Adults are dying slowly in prisons for trying to oppose violence. Rivers are dying, and the air is becoming and more difficult to breath.

"Many people are aware of the world's suffering; their hearts are filled with compassion. They know what needs to be done, and they engage in political, social, and environmental work to try to change things. But after a period of intense involvement, they may become discouraged if they lack the strength needed to sustain a life of action. Real strength is not in power, money, or weapons, but in deep, inner peace."

This is a central concept in Hanh's world view. Practicing mindfulness is, to him, the way to cultivate inner peace. Hanh proposes that mindfulness is, "the energy of attention." It is, "the miracle that allows us to be fully alive in each moment." In terms of his philosophy, mindfulness represents the foundation for living in the world. In a broader context, mindfulness is defined as one of the five spiritual powers; the others being faith, diligence, concentration and insight.

Experiencing the Vietnam War helped awaken him to the reality that the very roots of war emanate from within – from the way we live our daily lives. Accordingly, the way a society is organized socially, culturally and economically predisposes it to the use of violence to resolve conflict. Resolving conflict nonviolently requires insights into the suffering endured by both sides. To practice nonviolence is to become nonviolent. It is only then that when confronted by a difficult situation, individuals, communities or nations will react nonviolently.

Thich Nhat Hanh has become a very influential voice in regards to peace. He is not an activist, per se, but functions more like a wise and compassionate mentor, helping individuals understand their own internal motivations and providing them with the tools to achieve greater self awareness. Hanh is convinced that this awareness, once achieved, will necessarily lead to peace from within and ultimately a more peaceful world. He has made significant contributions to human affairs especially in regard to forging a better and more peaceful world.

Violence against Libya

2011-03-24T08:56:00.001-07:00

Following the horrific destruction of the World Trade Towers in New York City on September 11, 2001 that led to thousands of deaths, a war was authorized against the government and people of Afghanistan in retaliation for this attack. This war was begun with use of staggering air power against which the enemy had no possible defense. Of course, the claim was made that only the perpetrators of this act were being targeted. The First Gulf War began with a blistering and relentless attack from the air on the sovereignty of Iraq including its capital city of Baghdad. In the beginning of the Second Gulf War this assault was referred to "Shock and Awe" by the Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, with a barely contained sense of pride and arrogance. During that conflict, President George W. Bush rationalized this violent incursion upon the premise of preventing the use of so-called Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) by Saddam Hussein with the use of WMD of our own making.

Now we have an air assault on the country of Libya. President Obama authorized this attack ostensibly to curtail the assault led by Col. Muammar Gaddafi on those within his own country who seek his ouster. Here we go again around a very familiar wheel. Let us assume, for arguments sake, that the ostensible reasons for this warlike behavior are true. These sophisticated weapons are incredible devices, the products of an advanced technology, constructed for one purpose – destruction. Cruise missiles and bombs have no moral imperative, exhibit no remorse, and demonstrate no reluctance; they merely follow the laws of physics and carry out, meticulously, their programmed instructions. If they should collide with a bus filled with school children, or a school, or a train filled with passengers, or a wedding party, or a market place filled with shoppers and deliver their deadly munitions, so be it. Fighter pilots, likewise have been trained to follow their precise orders. Those who have shown any reluctance have, of course, been culled from the ranks. Should their ordinance go astray and incinerate innocent people, this is not construed as killing, but simply as regrettable mistakes. In military parlance, such outcomes are referred to as collateral damage.

The questions I pose are simple ones – why do we allow ourselves to accept this violence as appropriate; why is any collateral damage acceptable? Furthermore, why is the death of a soldier in the field, obeying his own commander's instructions, from devices that he has no defense against and from an enemy he cannot see, acceptable? These horrendous acts are deemed acceptable; because the stated goal seems to conform to what we believe is right and moral. It is, in essence, a defense of morality using methods employing acts of deadly force. War has become permissible, for we have become a warlike people. We cherish and pay homage to our arsenal of weaponry; we spend a lion-share of our national resources on the military while our people suffer from neglect and from unnecessary hardships. Our history is replete with the use of violence to resolve conflict, to oppress an entire people within our own borders, to decimate the native population to propel our own material interests, to control the destinies of other nations by forceful means. It is what we have become.

This reality exists; because, we permit it. This is our history; because, we implicitly accept this definition of our country and, more importantly, ourselves. If the idea of violence as a viable method to resolve conflict is to be uprooted, we need to change the paradigm.

Johan Galtung and the Study of Peace

2011-03-23T10:15:00.001-07:00

Johan Galtung was born on October 24, 1930 in Oslo, Norway. He is a Norwegian mathematician and sociologist and a principal founder of the discipline of peace and conflict studies. He earned his degree in Mathematics at the University of Oslo in 1956, and a Master of Arts Degree in Sociology a year later at the same university. In addition, Galtung received the first of seven honorary doctorates in 1975.

Both of his parents are from Norway and his father and paternal grandfather were physicians. His mother's maiden name was Helga Homboe. Galtung has been married twice, and has two children by his first wife Ingrid Eide, and two by his second wife Fumiko Nishimura.

Galtung lived through the German occupation of Norway during World War II as a young and impressionable boy. When he was only twelve years old, he was present when the Nazi's arrested his father. His direct experience with the horrors associated with war, convinced him to devote his professional energies to the cause of peace. As a matter of fact, in 1951 he chose to do 18 months of social service instead of the mandatory military service. After twelve months of such service, he insisted that the remainder of his obligation be spent working directly for peace. He was sent to prison, and spent the remaining six months in confinement.

Upon receiving his Master of Arts degree, Galtung moved to Columbia University, in New York City, where he was an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology. Determined to work for peace, he returned to Oslo in 1959 where he founded the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO). Under his guidance as the Institute's Director, it grew into an independent research institute and became eligible for government funding. In addition, the Journal of Peace Research was established as a result of his efforts.

Once the institute was well under way, he accepted a position as professor of peace and conflict research at the University of Oslo. He then served as the director general of the International University Centre in Dubrovnik, and also was the president of the World Future Studies Federation. He subsequently was invited to other universities located in such diverse places as Santiago, Chile, the United Nations University in Geneva, Columbia and Princeton universities in the United States and the University of Hawaii. In 1993, he co-founded "Transcend - A Peace, Development and Environment Network," an organization dedicated to resolve conflicts through peaceful means. This organization was created for the purpose of directly applying the principles he developed; some of which will be described below.

Galtung has persisted over the years in his pursuit of understanding the nature of human conflict and ways to peace. He learned to apply his academic knowledge in the fields of mathematics and sociology to this pursuit. He has become a renowned theoretician in regards to conflict resolution through peaceful means. He has attempted to deconstruct the origins of human conflict and conflict resolution in order to devise painstaking and orderly techniques to meet the challenges that methodologies focused on peace invariably face.

Galtung has applied logical analysis to formulate pathways to achieve peaceful non-violent solutions to conflict. He has developed a series of paradigms to describe the process. He compares the path to peace to the path taken in medicine to understand the disease process and regain health. He refers to this as a process involving three stages – diagnosis, prognosis and therapy. He likens disease to violence, and proposes that creating peace involves two possible approaches – reducing violence regarded as a cure and avoiding violence regarded as prevention. Within this model, violence can be regarded as:

· Direct Violence

· Structural Violence – indirect, emanating from social structures such racism or sexism

· Cultural Violence – represented by repression and exploitation.

The motivating force behind such violence is, of course, power. Power can take many forms – cultural, economic, military and political. Peace policies can, likewise, take different routes. These dimensions echo the kinds of power enumerated – political, military, economic and cultural. Galtung also makes distinctions between what he refers to as Negative Peace versus Positive Peace. For example, negative peace in the economic realm would involve self-reliance, the use of local resources, etc.; whereas, positive peace would involve sharing externalities, horizontal exchange and South-South cooperation. Positive peace would be more inclusive and extend beyond the borders of local communities or state and would be global in dimension.

According to this approach, in order to successfully develop paths to peace it is important to understand what sustains war and what prompts people to kill. It is evident from recent human history that the political system of a country does not prevent it from using violence towards other sovereignties. For example, democratic countries have not inhibited their governments from being involved in slavery, colonialism and other belligerent activities. According to Galtung, an answer might be to, "democratize the inter-state system." This would also apply to the arena of human rights.

Galtung is convinced that many of the factors that uphold war encompass patriarchy – rule by the male gender. In his view, males have a propensity towards violence to a much greater degree than females. To counter this tendency is exceedingly difficult since it has strong cultural dimensions as well as biological factors. He suggests that, "The struggle against the tendency of states to seek recourse to military power goes by way of alternatives that are more compelling."

As to the issue of why people kill, he maintains that culture is a potent legitimizer of violence, but also has the potential to support the concept of peace rather than war. Religions or ideologies can either be the purveyors of violence or peace. Galtung delineates what he refers to as, "hard and soft" aspects of ideologies. The hard variety would tend to be more abstract and aloof from human experience; it would tend to invoke the concept of a chosen people. According to Galtung, this idea is particularly dangerous and essentially inimical to peace. The softer variety is more cognizant of the plight of humanity and more closely connected to the tangible nature of human existence and, therefore, more empathic. The major religions – Islam, Christianity and Judaism – are not monolithic in this regard, but have mixtures of both. Galtung is strongly convinced that we are all carriers of peace strategies.

In his pursuit of the study of peace, Galtung has come up with two overlapping definitions of peace:

· Peace is the absence and/or reduction of violence of all kinds

· Peace is the by its nature nonviolent and the result of "creative conflict transformation."

The first definition is oriented towards violence; whereas, the second is directed towards conflict. From this starting point, peace work is involved in reducing violence through peaceful means, and peace studies delineate the conditions required for peace work. In addition, these definitions relate to social conditions; the study of peace is, therefore, a social science. It is apparent that Galtung used his professional grounding in mathematics and sociology to construct his approach towards the study of peace.

According to his paradigm, the study of peace involves three tiers – Data, Theories, Values. Data is collected from what is known and what can be measured. It is this data that are used to formulate theory. Values determine what is desired and what is rejected. The inclusion of values sets peace studies apart from other social sciences, for peace always is the desired outcome.

In regards to the diagnosis, prognosis and therapy approach to wellness as described earlier, the goal of intervention is to achieve a range of possible outcomes that can be exemplified by the following:

· Best outcome – cured but also left with a health benefit and therefore can lead to a very favorable prognosis

· Second Best - symptom free but not necessarily protected from recurrence

· Third Best – chronic, long-lasting but acceptable illness

· Fourth Best – Unacceptable illness but alive.

There are obvious limitations in applying this approach to implementing peace, but according to Galtung it can be used as a reliable model in the study of peace in the following way:

· Diagnosis – refers to states of violence

· Prognosis – refers to the progression of violence through time i.e. increase, decrease or stays the same

· Therapy – equivalent to peace work.

Within this model, violence can be categorized in the following ways:

· Nature violence- originating in nature

· Direct violence – perpetrated by human beings either individually or within the broader context of society

· Structural violence – indirect violence built into social structures and essentially unintended

· Cultural violence – legitimizes structural violence

· Time violence – violence having negative impact of future generations.

In addition, therapy can take two distinct forms – violence reduction or negative peace and life enhancement or positive peace. Although this kind of study of peace may seem cumbersome and appear to be merely an academic exercise, it affords a reliable and predictable approach to the overall understanding of human conflict and its resolution through peaceful means.

Galtung used his approach to analyze the methodologies of Mahatma Gandhi who he described as, "the leading theoretician and practitioner of nonviolence. He also described him as a puritan in his approaches to conflict resolution. According to Gandhi, nonviolence is a struggle against both direct and structural violence and, by its nature, avoids such violence in the struggle itself. Gandhi relied on satyagraha – a term that can be defined as truth force – and, accordingly, there is no way to peace; rather, peace is the way.

Furthermore, Galtung determined that Gandhi's process involves disintegration so that non-cooperation becomes essential; integration or all-inclusiveness so that there are no boundaries such as gender, race, class etc.; compromise for the purpose of affecting a remedy over a shorter period of time; transcendence so that what previously seemed incompatible becomes viewed as compatible. Gandhi was also an optimist who saw the potential of the ultimate integration of all of humankind into the fabric of peace.

In Galtung's mind, the search for peace is a road to transcendence where the usual path of social disintegration – Conflict, Polarization and ultimately Violence and War – can be upended by preventive therapy. The goal would be to transform violent culture to peace culture and violent structure to peace structure. The peace narrative involves the transformation to peace through depolarization of attitudes, culture and ultimately behavior. Johan Galtung has taken a theoretical approach to achieving peace and social justice and has made a significant contribution to our understanding of the roots of conflict and pathways to viable peace and social justice.

Daniel and Philip Berrigan and the Peace Movement

2011-03-16T07:03:00.001-07:00

Philip and Daniel Berrigan were ushered into the national attention by their radical demonstrations against the Vietnam War. They were Catholic priests with a powerful affinity to the issues of peace and social justice. In response to a question as to the motivation for their actions, the answer was, "How could one live under "sane" leaders threatening violence on a grotesque and epic scale do otherwise." They also stated that, "We resist because we believe and we believe because we resist." For a time, the Berrigan brothers were listed as one of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives.

In the 1890s Freda Fromhart grew up in the forests north of Lake Superior. It was a harsh and hostile environment. The forty acres of land that she and her parents lived on were secured under the Homestead Act. Her family had emigrated from the Black Forest of Germany. Freda met Tom Berrigan at a local dance. They were married on June 21, 1911. They were Catholics who were influenced by a Catholic priest who was an uncompromising advocate of tolerance. The Berrigans emigrated from Ireland during the potato famine. Between 1845 and 1849, some three million Irish came to the United States to flee horrific conditions in their homeland. The Berrigans settled in South Onondaga, New York. In 1879, Tom's father suffered a horrible death. This experience took its toll on the son.

Daniel and Philip Berrigan, the sons of Tom and Freda, were born on May 9, 1921 and October 5, 1923, respectively, in Two Harbors, Minnesota. Their father was given to fits of horrible rages, self-pity and confusing bursts of affection.

The family lived in the humblest of circumstances. They lived in a tar-paper shack in a desolately cold and hostile climate. Their father drove steam engines across Northern Minnesota; a job that took him away from home for weeks at a time. The Berrigan brothers were two of six boys, of which Daniel, the fifth born, was the least robust; a reality that did not please his father, but gained his mother's protection.

Daniel entered Catholic seminary at age 18. The Church offered a kind of solace and order to his existence. He entered St. Andrew's on the Hudson Seminary in Poughkeepsie, New York. The seminary was run by the Society of Jesus – Jesuits. Daniel had always demonstrated a love of books and poetry. This proclivity was probably instrumental in his choice of the Jesuits on account of their reputation for serious achievement and academic excellence. Daniel grew up in a working class environment and his professional choices were few; the priesthood, therefore, offered him away to pursue his academic interests.

His mother, Freda was torn by son's leaving. For the next fifteen years he was involved in what was referred to as "training." He compared this experience to birth. It was an austere and demanding life – profoundly satisfying to him. It provided a strong sense of belonging. While Daniel was in the seminary, his brother, Philip, was finishing high school.

When Fascism had begun to overwhelm Europe under the crazed leadership of German Chancellor Adolf Hitler, The Berrigans were your men. Philip served in World War II as an artillery man during the Battle of the Bulge (1945). He was profoundly influenced by the violence that he witnessed firsthand. Daniel, for his part, was deeply concerned by the fact that the Church had not responded adequately to the challenge of fascism; it was docile and self-serving during Hitler's reign. This further convinced him that he needed to become more directly involved in social issues. His brother, Philip, was also deeply impacted by the racism that he experience directly from Army boot camps located in the American South.

In 1954, Daniel was called to serve in France. This experience exposed him to priests who were very active in their local communities and attracted him to the idea of the "worker-priest." Philip went onto college; he enrolled in the small Catholic college of St. Michael's in Toronto. He was drafted into the army in 1943 as was described previously. On his return from the war, Philip came back as a changed man determined to address what he felt was the twin horrors of war and racism. He was scarred by the war and profoundly influenced by plight of black Americans in the American South, who were forced to live under the oppressive conditions imposed by Jim Crow. Using the benefits of the GI Bill that was enacted to offer assistance to those veterans returning from war, Philip entered Holy Cross College. It was here that he began to consider moral action based on conscience. He graduated in 1950 and joined the Josephite Seminary. A Josephite is a member of the St. Joseph's Society of the Sacred Heart formed in 1871 in Baltimore, Maryland devoted to missionary work among black Americans. In this role, he became intimately involved in the Civil Rights Movement. In this capacity, he felt he could make a difference.

Philip was an exciting, admired and a stimulating teacher at Loyola University in New Orleans, a Catholic university. He was regarded as a charismatic leader determined to work for the common good. He also had an outgoing and contagious personality. In 1957, Archbishop Romell mandated the integration of the Catholic institutions of Archdiocese of New Orleans. Philip's students asked how they could help. In response, Philip suggested that they should go to the nearest Catholic Church to serve as a witness. They attended an all-white church where they were cursed and threatened. Sometime later some of the contingent were jumped and beaten by enraged whites with tire irons.

Daniel was teaching at Brooklyn Prep where he felt terribly stifled. He was later hired as Assistant Professor of Dogmatic Theology. There he encouraged his students to investigate the slum housing conditions that existed in Syracuse. As a consequence, his students uncovered an uncomfortable relationship between the college and local landlords. As a consequence, some called for his resignation. Daniel got into further trouble for supporting a vocal pacifist and war resister. He founded the International House off campus with the purpose of serving as a gathering place for students whose interests coincided with moral discussions, inner-city activism, social work and possible tours of duty in developing nations.

Eventually, the passions and activism of the Berrigan brothers come together. Between the years of 1960 through 1963, Daniel dispatched his students to his brother Philip to assist the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) in its civil rights campaigns. In 1963, the brothers were invited to join with other clergy in an attempt to integrate the facilities at the Jackson, Mississippi airport. There they were to meet with James Farmer of CORE to plan a strategy. They realized that their involvement might result in physical beatings and jail time. Bishop Jackson, who was Daniel's superior, fearing retaliation against the local churches, prohibited Daniel from going. Daniel sought guidance from his mentor Thomas Merton, author of the famous theological and philosophical work, Seven Story Mountain. Merton advised him to follow his superior's wishes, but to persist in his wider mission. Daniel ultimately obeyed his superior. His brother, Philip, as a Josephite, continued to confront Jim Crow in the South and got involved in the distribution of food and clothing. Philip's continued activist and confrontational involvement both in the civil rights movement and as an outspoken critic in the 1960s resulted in his forced transfer from his community. He was also told to maintain public silence regarding the Vietnam War. He did not maintain this silence for long. He continued to draw parallels between war and racism. He joined with SANE and CORE to speak out against the U.S. military intervention in Southeast Asia.

It was the Gulf of Tonkin affair that was the turning point in the U.S. involvement in Vietnam; President Lyndon Johnson used this spurious incident to justify the continuation and acceleration of the war. This new reality solidified the Berrigan brothers' opposition to the conflict. In addition, the attitude of African-Americans towards their continued oppression shifted to greater militancy as exemplified by the rise in influence of Malcolm X. The Watts riots of 1965 further added to national uncertainty. Catholic Workers, who represented the progressive wing of the Catholic Church founded in 1933 by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin, became more involved in the anti-war activities with a number of their members burning themselves alive in protest much like their Buddhist counterparts in Vietnam. One of these was Roger LaPorte. Daniel did know LaPorte; as a consequence, Bishop Cardinal Spellman attempted to have Daniel expelled from the Archdiocese of New York. As a compromise he was sent to Chile. There, he did some significant soul searching.

The following are some of the well-known involvements of the Berrigans in the anti-war effort.

On October 27,1967, the Baltimore Four (Philip Berrigan, artist Tom Lewis, poet, teacher and writer David Eberhardt and United Church of Christ (UCC) pastor Rev. James L Mengel) poured blood on the selective service records in the Baltimore Customs House. In their defense they stated that, "This sacrificial and constructive act is meant to protest the pitiful waste of American and Vietnamese blood in Indochina." They were subsequently sentenced to six years in prison.

On May 17, 1968 nine Catholic men and women including the Berrigan brothers entered the Selective Services offices in Catonsville, Maryland. They proceeded to remove hundreds of draft records and ceremonially burned them with homemade napalm in protest of the war. In defense of their actions, they released the following statement, "We confront the Roman Catholic Church, other Christian bodies, and the synagogues of America with their silence and cowardice in the face of our country's crimes. We are convinced that the religious bureaucracy in this country is racist, is an accomplice in this war, and is hostile to the poor."

On September 9, 1980, Berrigan, his brother Daniel, and six others (the "Plowshares Eight") began the Plowshares Movement when they entered the General Electric Nuclear Missile Re-entry Division in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania where nose cones for the Mark 12A warheads were made. They hammered on two nose cones, poured blood on documents and offered prayers for peace. They were arrested and initially charged with over ten different felony and misdemeanor counts. On April 10, 1990, after nearly ten years of trials and appeals, the Plowshares Eight were re-sentenced and paroled for up to 23 and 1/2 months in consideration of time already served in prison. A documentary was made about this action called "In the King of Prussia" by Emile D'Antonio. Since this action over seventy Plowshares actions have taken place around the world against weapons of war, several involving Philip Berrigan himself.

Philip left the priesthood in 1973 and went on to marry Elizabeth McAlister. Together they founded the Jonah House in Baltimore to support war resistors. Their three children, Frida, Jerry and Kate all grew up to be anti-war activists. He died on December 6, 2002. His brother Daniel remains an ardent advocate of peace and social justice. Daniel now resides in New York City, teaches at Fordham University and is its poet in residence. These brothers have left behind a rich and often controversial legacy in regards to non-violent social action. They certainly drew attention to the horrors of the Vietnam War in particular and the dangers inherent in the stockpiling of weapons of mass destruction.

Shirin Ebadi - Another Voice for Peace and Social Justice

2011-03-11T08:01:00.000-08:00

Shirin Ebadi was born on June 21, 1947 in Hamedan in central-western Iran approximately 180 miles from Tehran. Her father, Mohammad Ali Khan was born into a wealthy land-owning family and his father had been a colonel in the military during the last days of the Qajar Dynasty - the Qajars were a Turkmen tribe. She has two sisters and one brother.

In terms of an historic perspective, Agha Mohammad Khan, the leader of the Qajars, unified present day Iran in 1794 by eliminating all of his enemies. Ebadi’s father, Mohammad Ali Ebadi, was the head of Hamedan’s Registry Office at the time of Ebadi’s birth. He had written several books in his field and was a known lecturer. He was chosen to be the Deputy Minister of Agriculture under the Shah; as a consequence of this promotion, the family moved to Tehran. Ebadi was one years old at the time. Ebadi’s parents were married in 1941 in a traditional Iranian ceremony. Her mother, Minu was a devoted wife and mother; she was beset however, with mental and medical problems – she showed the symptoms of paranoia and suffered from asthma. Her father passed away in 1993.

Ebadi was educated at the Firuzhkuhi primary school and went on to Anoshiravn Dadgar and Reza Shah Kabir secondary schools. Ultimately she received her law degree from the University of Tehran in 1968. In March of 1969 she began her career as a trial judge. In addition, she held a number of positions in the Justice Department, and in 1975 became the President of Bench 24 in Tehran City Court. It is interesting to note that she was the first woman in Iranian history to have served as a judge.

Ebadi and her family lived through the Islamic Revolution that culminated in 1979 in the formation of a state governed by Sharia Law. The transition to this revolutionary leadership had a profound effect upon her, her family and her career. As a consequence of the changes invoked by the new authority, she was ultimately dismissed from her judgeship and offered a position as a clerk on account of the fact that she is a woman. She refused to countenance this change and applied for early retirement and was granted this option. Not to be easily dissuaded, she submitted an application to practice law; she was initially turned down until 1992 when she finally succeeded in obtaining a law license.

Recognizing the harsh injustices that became apparent following the Islamic Revolution, Ebadi refused to be quiet. Since her personal life in particular and the role of women in Iran in general had been so seriously impacted by the imposition of Sharia Law, it would, therefore, be germane to examine the events that led up to this profound political and cultural revolution.

In the early twentieth century, the government of Iran was experiencing the onslaught of modernization that was exerting its effects throughout the world. Britain and Russia had considerable influence; although, they did not colonize the country. In 1905, violent student protests led to the formation of the first Majlis – National Assembly - and in 1906 this body met to create a Constitution. The Shah died and the new king promulgated the Supplementary Fundamental Law. This law and the document that was the product of deliberations of the Majlis became the essence of the Iranian Constitution. Fearful that the newly constituted Majlis would accrue too much power, the Russians invaded the country, and dissolved the Majlis. Although the constitution and parliament survived, their powers were significantly curtailed.

At the beginning of World War I, the Iranian economy was in disastrous condition. As a result, by 1921 Reza Khan entered Tehran with troops, took control of the military, and by 1923 he became its Prime Minister. As a consequence, the Shah from the Qajar Dynasty abdicated and Reza Khan named himself Shah and created the Pahlavi Dynasty. During his reign, many progressive reforms were instituted and he even banned the veil worn by traditionalist women. These changes were welcomed by what constituted the middle and upper classes. To many, however, these changes were met with severe disapproval; they were viewed as incompatible with the teachings of the Koran.

World War II brought into play new political forces. The British and Russians occupied Iran, for they needed oil to sustain the war effort. As a consequence, Reza Shah was forced to abdicate in 1941, and he was replaced by his son, Mohammad Reza, who was found to be more maleable in the eyes of the occupiers. The British needed access to the vast oil reserves of the Persian Gulf and needed a local ruler that they could more effectively control. Although the young Shah had the support of the rich landowners and clerics, he proved to be a weak ruler.

In 1949, Mohammed Mosadegh formed the National Front Party (NFP) with the intended objective of living up to the 1906 constitution. He became involved in the ambitious and controversial goal of nationalizing the oil industry. At that time the British company, the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company was making more money from oil than the Iranian government. Under popular pressure, the Shah appointed Mosadegh as Prime Minister. In response, the British removed its technicians and attempted to impose a worldwide embargo on Iranian oil. The British also attempted to take its position to the International Court of Justice at the Hague. The court, however, found in favor of Iran. Mosadegh’s power and influence continued to grow. He reduced the term of the National Assembly to two years and ultimately removed the legislative body. These events made the government of the United States, under the leadership of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, very uneasy, especially in the midst of the Cold War.

In 1953 Mosadegh was overthrown and replaced by the Shah, whose former power was reinstated. It was later discovered that The CIA was deeply involved in the plot to unseat Mosadegh in an operation referred to as Ajax. Mosadegh was deemed to be a threat on account of his leftist political leanings. The Anglo-Iranian oil company had been expelled from the country some nine months earlier. According to Kermit Roosevelt in his book entitled, Countercoup: the Struggle for the Control of Iran (this book was deemed so “dangerous” that McGraw Hill was persuaded by British Petroleum to recall all the books from the book stores), Anglo-Iranian oil proposed the overthrow of the Iranian Premier. Initially, Mosadegh fled the country and was later put under house arrest until his death. Ebadi was a young girl attending grade school when these momentous events unfolded.

In 1963, the Shah announced the so-called “White Revolution.” His intention was to speed the transition of an essentially agrarian society to an industrial base. The changes that he imposed deeply disturbed the conservative clerics. Among these changes, women were given the right to vote. The minimal age for legal marriage for women rose to 18 and the divorce laws were liberalized. Many women from upper and middle-class backgrounds subsequently entered the workforce.

Ruhollah Khomeini, a conservative cleric, was so distraught and angered by these changes that he organized an uprising against the White Revolution. The Shah, responding to this threat, had Khomeini expelled from the country and sent to Najaf, Iraq. This happened on the same year as Mosadegh’s death. At that time Mosadegh was beloved by his countrymen and anti-American sentiment was deeply entrenched in the hearts and minds of the population.

The Shah continued to pursue a policy of accelerated development and growth; in cities such as Tehran; development proceeded at a fevered pace. Traditionalists were deeply troubled by these changes, fearing that Western values were being imposed upon them. The clerics were angered by these events, for they felt that their power and influence were being eroded.

In January, 1978 President Jimmy Carter visited Iran, and was shown on television drinking champagne with the Shah. This seemingly innocuous event, sent shockwaves throughout the nation, for it was the first time a Muslim leader was seen drinking alcohol on television; the drinking of alcohol is forbidden under Islam. In response, angry protestors marched on the shrine in the holy city of Qom; the government sent in the military and protestors were killed. As a consequence, the pent-up frustrations of many Iranians were released and an open struggle between the clerics and the Shah began. All of this came to a bloody climax when the government sent tanks to quell the demonstrations at Zhaleh Square in Tehran; as a result, 600 protestors were killed. This day became known as Black Friday. At the behest of the Shah, Saddam Hussein expelled Khomeini from Iraq; he took refuge in France. From there, he directed the opposition. Facing overwhelming opposition from the people of Iran, the Shah finally fled Iran on January 16, 1979. And on February 1, 1979, Khomeini left his wife behind and flew to Tehran. When he touched down on Iranian soil, he was greeted by millions of supporters. He immediately appointed Mehdi Bazargan as prime minister of the provisional government, and on March 1979, the Islamic Republic of Iran came to fruition. After 2500 years, the Iranian monarchy had been abolished – a remarkable and historic event. Khomeini went on to create the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution, and its members began the process of the setup a new government. When the newly created constitution was presented to the Council of Experts – dominated by Shia clergy – they were not happy with the essentially secular nature of the document and proceeded to make it more Islamic. Ultimately, under Khomeini’s guiding hand, a new doctrine was formulated, Velayat-e-Faqih – rule by jurisprudence. This essentially gave Khomeini more power than the Shah ever had.

As an Iranian lawyer, human rights activist and founder of Centre for the Defense of Human Rights in Iran, Ebadi wrote several books and had many articles published in Iranian journals. She became involved in many troubling cases as the defense attorney. Among them, she represented the families Dariush and Parvaneh Foruhar) and Ezzat Ebrahiminejad, who were killed during the attack on the university dormitory by a serial killer. She also took on a large number of child abuse cases. As a result of these experiences, she helped to found a children’s rights organization.

She also represented the mother of Mrs. Zahra Kazemi, a photojournalist killed in Iran. According to Ebadi, involvement in such high-profile cases radically changed her perspective and she became actively engaged in the human rights movement. She wrote an article for Iran-e Farda in which she decried the way Iranian law treats women. This article became wildly popular and the authorities found her to be a threat and wanted to silence her. In the defense of one case in particular, she was sent off to prison. She was eventually released.

On October 10, 2003, Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize In 2009, Ebadi's award was allegedly confiscated by the Iranian authorities; this allegation was later denied by the Iranian government. If true, she would be the first person in the history of the Nobel Prize whose award has been forcibly seized by state authorities.

The following is an excerpt from her Nobel Prize Acceptance speech; it provides some insight into her character and unwavering support of peace and social justice.

“Today coincides with the 55th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; a declaration which begins with the recognition of the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family, as the guarantor of freedom, justice and peace. And it promises a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of expression and opinion, and be safeguarded and protected against fear and poverty.

“Unfortunately, however, this year's report by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), as in the previous years, spells out the rise of a disaster which distances mankind from the idealistic world of the authors of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In 2002, almost 1.2 billion human beings lived in glaring poverty, earning less than one dollar a day. Over 50 countries were caught up in war or natural disasters. AIDS has so far claimed the lives of 22 million individuals, and turned 13 million children into orphans.

“At the same time, in the past two years, some states have violated the universal principles and laws of human rights by using the events of 11 September and the war on international terrorism as a pretext. The United Nations General Assembly Resolution 57/219, of 18 December 2002, the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1456, of 20 January 2003, and the United Nations Commission on Human Rights Resolution 2003/68, of 25 April 2003, set out to underline that all states must ensure that any measures taken to combat terrorism must comply with all their obligations under international law, in particular international human rights and humanitarian law. However, regulations restricting human rights and basic freedoms, special bodies and extraordinary courts, which make fair adjudication difficult and at times impossible, have been justified and given legitimacy under the cloak of the war on terrorism.”

Ebadi has lived in exile in Canada since June 2009 due to the disturbing increase in persecution of Iranian citizens who are critical of the current regime. The story of the life of Sharin Ebadi to date is an extraordinary one; she exemplifies the influence an individual can exert when driven to shed light on injustice and demand meaningful change.

A Thought Dream

2011-03-09T09:37:00.000-08:00

There is so much needless suffering in this pathetic world that humans have created for themselves. There is a boundless wealth of imagination, ingenuity, intelligence, generosity and potential that is bound up in the lives of billions of humans whose lives are unnecessarily cut short or bastardized by poverty, disease, conflict, war and scarcity – all of which are wholly preventable. In response to this madness, this is my wish list -

If that cumulative potential were only released; if war was only made obsolete; if the untold wealth diverted to weapons and instruments of death was only redirected to human progress, what a different world we would have. If those who have been taught to look upwards for salvation to some essentially unreachable deity would only look around themselves for answers, what a different world we would have. If only all of us would find peace within ourselves and reflect on the well spring of our own behavior, what a different world we would have. If only humanity would speak the word love and truly mean it and accept the implications of this kind of surrender, what a different world we would have. If only the wealthy among us would understand the emptiness of greed, prejudice and mindless acquisition, what a different world we would have. If only true-believers would remove the blinders that obstruct their minds and see the beauty inherent in diversity, the universality and interdependence of all of life, what a different world we would have. This is my fondest desire.

The Role of Government

2011-02-27T10:09:00.001-08:00

The nation is currently politically polarized. The essence of this schism is the perceived role of government. The Democrats have as their central thesis the idea that government needs to be directly involved in meeting the material needs of all of its citizens; while, the Republicans take the position that government's primary function is the security of its people and should not be involved in any other aspect of the lives of its people.

The theoretical divide between the parties is immense; however, in practical terms there is not much difference between them in that the leadership of both parties is wholly dependent upon the financial largesse provided by special interests that, for the most part, represent the wealthy, i.e. the corporate class.

The current ideas regarding the role of government are for this reason terribly flawed. They do not work, for neither viewpoint is grounded upon the unerring commitment to ethical and moral principles. This is the core of the dilemma not only within the borders of the United States, but also in human societies in general. It is the mindless pursuit of national self interest, geopolitical-inspired policies, empire building and a blind and a myopic view of national sovereignty that has led to exorbitant military budgets, the stockpiling of weapons of mass destruction and ultimately war. It is militarism that thwarts and often negates human progress; it is the unbounded use of violence to achieve selfish ends that undermines our collective humanity.

I propose a radically different reason d'être for government. In my mind, the motivating force in government needs to be the global eradication of all the inequities that thwart human progress. Billions of the world's people are suffering needlessly from abject poverty, preventable diseases, avoidable hunger, environmental degradation and political oppression. It is completely unacceptable that the fate of so many human beings is dependent upon their place of origin. These inequities are especially aggravated by the siphoning off of so much of the global wealth towards military expenditures, corporate welfare and by the apparent insensitivity of the affluent class to the plight of the world's people including those who live within their own countries.

There is no real reason why humans cannot collectively create a better world for their own species and, likewise, accommodate and sustain the wondrous diversity of life on the planet. We are in desperate need of a new paradigm to frame human existence. Currently, so much of public policy throughout the world is driven by crazed and, often times, delusional thinking. There is, however, a definite path towards collective sanity.

The primary incentive for change is the unavoidable reality that if the global status quo remains intact, the future for humanity is particularly grim. Short term thinking and analysis especially from the sole perspective of profit and loss has already shown itself to be inadequate and disastrous. At this juncture, it seems quite obvious that beneficial change will be in the hands of future generations. There are numerous signs that a significant proportion of the younger generation has become acutely aware of the fragility of the environment and the severe plight of those less fortunate. They have many tools available to them in terms of information about the world they live in provided by the Internet and they are highly connected with each other globally through the wonder of what is referred to as "social networking." Significant and lasting change is, by its nature, cumbersome and slow, for it must work its way through the hearts and minds of the population. As we have seen on numerous occasions, reform imposed from above is not necessarily the best approach.

There is a deep-seated and persistent hunger that manifests itself globally; this hunger is for a more equitable, just, peaceful and saner world. There are many communities throughout the planet that are working towards this goal in innumerable ways. These organizations are clearly growing in size and number and they are becoming more and more interconnected. If this trend continues, it offers significant hope for meaningful change, for it may ultimately expand the idea of family beyond the rigid boundaries of genetic affiliation to encompass all of humanity.

Regarding the Notion of American Exceptionalism

2011-02-18T08:07:00.000-08:00

American Exceptionalism is an idea that has at its core the notion that the United States is qualitatively different; the implication being that it is inherently superior to all other forms of government and social organization on the planet.

Conservative ideology clearly and unambiguously supports this dogma. Furthermore, it is this idea that has been used by many Presidents over the nation's past to rationalize the unilateral use of force against other nation states even when such action has been condemned by the international community, and in spite of the fact that such behavior represented a flagrant violation of international laws and treaties.

Like all ideas that spring from dogmatic principles, this belief ignores all those aspects of reality that argue against its veracity. American Exceptionalism is not an innocuous idea, for it inspires irrational and destructive behavior and tends to isolate the United States from the community of nations. We are, in fact, a nation among nations, and we would better serve ourselves and our future by accepting this obvious truth.

For these reasons, I was quite distressed to learn that the current American, Barrack Obama, has embraced this idea like his predecessors.

Regarding the Republican-led House Proposed Budget Cuts

2011-02-14T08:57:00.001-08:00

The outline of the cuts to the national budget proposed by the Republican-led House of Representatives was recently posted. The proposed changes include the elimination of AmeriCorps, High-speed Rail, Family Planning and the Corporation of Public Broadcasting as well as significant reductions in Food Aid for Pregnant Women and Children, the Environmental Protection Agency, Centers for Disease Control, Legal Aid for the Poor, the Food and Drug Administration, the Community Development Fund and Community Health Centers.

It should be noted that The Defense Budget would remain untouched as well as the many subsidies afforded large corporate business interests. The House members who are responsible for these proposals were also adamant in their support for continued tax breaks for the wealthiest in the nation.

The overwhelming majority of these proposals adversely impact that segment of the population that represents the neediest among us. These proposals also seek to undermine the role of science, the need for regulation in the face of accelerating environmental degradation and the essential role of the commons in regards to the welfare of all our citizens. This is especially distressing given the current state of the national economy. It reflects a mean-spirited worldview that is fueled by an extremist interpretation of the Constitution and an exceedingly narrow view of the role of government. It is, in essence, class warfare of the most pernicious kind, for it sustains and adds to the exorbitant wealth of the few at the expense of the many.

If the national constituency behind this Republican majority continues to support their chosen leadership, given the real nature of their policies, then they will inevitably witness an accelerated decline in the well being of a vast number of individuals and the continued evisceration of the middle class.

This political reality is especially disheartening, for the human suffering that will result from these policies, should they be implemented, is completely avoidable if there were but a modicum of true compassion and generosity among those who hold real political and economic power in this country.

The Current turmoil in Egypt and the West

2011-02-06T23:14:00.000-08:00

It has become patently obvious that the revolt against the dictatorial regime of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt represents a culmination of thirty years of pent up frustrations. The Egyptian people have endured the corruption, the lack of civil liberties, the oppressive control of opposition groups and profound economic hardship under Mubarak’s leadership for too long. They have lately become of one voice due in no small part to the meteoric rise in social networks. It is of interest to note that one of the first acts of the beleaguered regime was to close down the Internet and Cellular phone communications, for they understand the source of the instability.

Secretary of State Hilary Rodman Clinton speaking at a Munich security conference and commenting on the seemingly inevitable change of government said, “That takes time. There are certain things that have to be done in order to prepare.”

One might enquire as to why this is the business of the United States and the European Union; is this not an internal State issue? The people of Egypt are calling for significant reform. In that case, why is the West engaging in “conversations” with the government currently in power and attempting to forestall what appears to be inevitable? Isn’t Egypt a sovereign State among the community of nations and capable of taking care of its own political and social evolution without interference from outside interests?

These questions can only be answered, if the real underlying relationship between the West and those who have ruled Egypt is examined.

Omar Suleiman, the newly appointed Vice President - January 29, 2011 - previously was Minister without Portfolio and Director of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate (EGID), the national intelligence agency, from 1993 to 2011. In this role he was responsible for the systematic implementation of torture of male and female detainees, many of whom were never found guilty of any crimes within the judicial system. It is believed that he often acted in the interests of western intelligence agencies and has been linked to the CIA’s notorious rendition program. It seems that Suleiman will be Mubarak’s most likely successor.

In response to the growing unrest, Mr. Suleiman accused the demonstrators in Tahrir Square of implementing foreign agendas." and claimed that, "certain friendly nations who have television channels, they're not friendly at all, who have intensified the youth against the nation and the state". This does not sound like a leader who holds the interests of the Egyptian people foremost in his thinking. Quite to the contrary, he will more than likely continue the policies of his predecessor if he should come to power.

With these realities in mind, it then becomes clear as to why the United States and the European powers are engaged in discussions with Suleiman and others in the Mubarak government, for they see the implementation of the kinds of significant reforms that the Egyptian people are demanding as a possible threat to Western interests and influence in the region. Old style colonialism is not dead; it has merely taken on a new face.

Jody Williams - Another Voice for Peace and Social Justice

2011-01-31T20:23:00.000-08:00

Jody Williams was born on October 9, 1950 in Brattleboro, Vermont. Her brother was deaf and suffered from schizophrenia. On account of his disabilities, he was incessantly tormented by his classmates. Williams was deeply touched by her brother’s plight. An indication of Williams’ concern about world issues was the that that as a teenager she was aware of the consequences of American military involvement in Southeast Asia and became involved in the anti-war effort during the Vietnam War.

Williams is the founding coordinator of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), an organization that began in October of 1992. She has overseen the growth of the ICBL to more than 1,000 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in more than sixty countries. She has served as the chief strategist and public representative for this campaign. Working extensively with many non-governmental organization (NGOs) and receptive governments, the ICBL ultimately achieved its goal of an international treaty banning antipersonnel landmines during the diplomatic conference held in Oslo in September 1997. For this monumental effort Williams was awarded the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize along with the campaign she worked for. It should be noted that governments of the United States, Russia and China refused to be signatories to this treaty.

The life that she lived that led up to this monumental achievement was a life dedicated to service. Williams first trained as a teacher of English as a Second Language (ESL), receiving a BA from the University of Vermont in 1972 and a Master's degree in teaching Spanish and ESL from the School for International Training (also in Vermont) in 1974. She taught ESL in Mexico, the United Kingdom, and finally Washington, D.C.. During her stay in Mexico, she had her first real experience of what constitutes grinding poverty. In 1984, she received a second M.A. in International Relations from the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University.

On learning about the U.S. involvement in the civil war in El Salvador, she began to devote her attentions to this situation. For two years she led delegations to Central America as coordinator of the Nicaragua-Honduras Education Project where she was an aid worker from 1984 to 1986. She also served as the deputy director of the organization Medical Aid for El Salvador where she developed and directed humanitarian relief projects. She was particularly concerned about the deleterious impact of U.S. policy in Central America; Williams held this position until she took up her role within the newly formed ICBL.

In late 1991, Bobby Muller, president of the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, called Williams to see if she was interested in coordinating a new effort to ban landmines worldwide. She proceeded to mobilize non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to press this worthwhile cause. Millions of these explosive devices remain buried in the ground in war-torn countries around the world long after the initial conflicts had ended.

In October 1992, the ICBL was formally launched. The ICBL called for an end to the “use, production, trade, and stockpiling of mines.” As the ICBL’s chief strategist, Williams took every opportunity to speak and write about this issue and was insistent on calling for a total ban.

Their efforts got another boost in 1996, when a meeting hosted by the Canadian government agreed to draw up an international treaty banning landmines. In December 1997, the treaty was signed , with the support of 122 countries. In little more than five years, Jody Williams and the ICBL had achieved their goal of raising public awareness about landmines and affecting a landmine ban.

Together with Shawn Roberts, she co-authored After the Guns Fall Silent: The Enduring Legacy of Landmines (VVAF, 1995). Their book detailed the more hidden costs of landmine use, such as the long-term effects of land mines. Williams expressed her concerns in the following way, “Besides the costs of treating landmine victims, the mines mean that people cannot travel or work safely. Land goes unused, causing unemployment and poverty.”

"People have this idea that land-mined fields are set off with barbed wire like they are in World War II movies, but that is not how it is," Williams once told a reporter. "They put them where people go. They put them next to watering holes, along the banks of the river, in the fields. It is not realistic for people to stay out of those areas."

To achieve her monumental goal, Williams developed an approach that capitalized on the power of numbers, for her cause struck a strong and sympathetic chord in many individuals throughout the world, who were horrified to hear of the impact of landmines on innocent people. In her own words, Williams said, “Imagine trying to get hundreds of organizations – each one independent and working on many, many issues – to feel that each is a critical element of the development of a new movement. I wanted each to feel that what they had to say about campaign planning, thinking, programs, actions was important. So, instead of sending letters, I’d send everyone faxes. People got in the habit of faxing back. This served two purposes – people would really have to think about what they were committing to doing before writing it down, and we have a permanent, written record of almost everything in the development of the campaign from day one.”
Williams continues to serve the ICBL as a campaign ambassador and editor of the organization's landmine report, and, since 2003, has held a faculty position as a distinguished professor of social work and global justice at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. Her publications include:

•After the Guns Fall Silent: The Enduring Legacy of Landmines, Shawn Roberts and Jody Williams, Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, Washington, D.C., 1995.
•"Landmines and measures to eliminate them," International Review of the Red Cross, July-August 1995. No. 307.
•"Landmines: Dealing with the Environmental Impact," Environment Security, 1997, Vol. 1. No. 2.
•"Social Consequences of Widespread Use of Landmines," Landmine Symposium, International Committee of the Red Cross, Montreux, Switzerland, April 1993.
•"The Protection of Children Against Landmines and Unexploded Ordinance," Impact of Armed Conflict on Children: Report of the Expert Group of the Secretary-General, Ms. Graca Machel, A/51/306, 26 August 1996.

In 2006, Williams was one of the founders of The Nobel Women's Initiative along with sister Nobel Peace Laureates Rigoberta Menchu, Shirin Ebadi, Wangari Maathai, Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan Maguire. Six women representing North America and South America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa decided to bring together their experiences in a united effort for peace with justice and equality. It is the goal of the Nobel Women's Initiative to help strengthen work being done in support of women's rights around the world.

She was the Head of the High-Level Mission dispatched by the Human Rights Council to report on the situation of human rights in Darfur and the needs of Sudan. The Mission issued its report on 7 March 2007. In addition, Williams was invited to participate in the UN’s Study on the Impact of Armed Conflict of Children that was led by Graca Machel former first lady of Mozambique.

In conferring the Nobel Peace Prize to Williams and the ICBL, Francis Sejersted, chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said, "There are those among us who are unswerving in their faith that things can be done to make our world a better, safer, and more humane place and who also, even when the tasks appear overwhelming, have the courage to tackle them... You have helped to rouse public opinion all over the world against the use of an arms technology that strikes quite randomly at the most innocent and most defenseless."

To date, more than 156 countries have signed the landmine ban treaty. The following is an excerpt taken from her acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize, “The desire to ban land mines is not new. In the late 1970s, the International Committee of the Red Cross, along with a handful of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) pressed the world to look at weapons that were particularly injurious and/or indiscriminate. One of the weapons of special concern was landmines. People often ask why the focus on this one weapon. How is the landmine different from any other conventional weapon?

“Landmines distinguish themselves because once they have been sown, once the soldier walks away from the weapon, the landmine cannot tell the difference between a soldier or a civilian -- a woman, a child, a grandmother going out to collect firewood to make the family meal. The crux of the problem is that while the use of the weapon might be militarily justifiable during the day of the battle, or even the two weeks of the battle, or maybe even the two months of the battle, once peace is declared the landmine does not recognize that peace. The landmine is eternally prepared to take victims. In common parlance, it is the perfect soldier, the "eternal sentry." The war ends, the landmine goes on killing.

“Since World War II most of the conflicts in the world have been internal conflicts. The weapon of choice in those wars has all too often been landmines -- to such a degree that what we find today are tens of millions of landmines contaminating approximately 70 countries around the world. The overwhelming majority of those countries are found in the developing world, primarily in those countries that do not have the resources to clean up the mess, to care for the tens of thousands of landmine victims. The end result is an international community now faced with a global humanitarian crisis.”

Jody Williams has worked tirelessly for the causes of peace and social justice. She is now assisting the ICBL in its efforts to promote a new Cluster Munitions Treaty. Her actions and those who have participated in these efforts with her have undoubtedly saved countless lives and helped craft a safer world for many of the world’s children.

An Offering of Hope

2010-12-27T18:16:00.000-08:00

In the human world so
desperately out of balance,
where so much suffering is
needless and avoidable.

In the human world where
war and conflict based on
past injustice and needless prejudice
wrecks havoc on the present and
endagers the future.

In the human world where
the poor are so often abandoned,
mindless abuse is common and
greed holds sway.

In this world crafted by human hands,
may peace and the love of justice
that lies in the hearts of all humanity
finally lead us out of the darkness.

Greg Mortenson

2010-12-19T05:29:00.000-08:00

Greg Mortenson was a veteran mountain climber. It was a singular event on one of his climbing expeditions that completely changed the direction his life would take. He attempted to reach the summit of K2, the second tallest peak in the world, in Pakistan’s Karakoram, located in the Himalayas; this attempt failed. During his descent on the afternoon of September 2, 1993, he accidently was separated from his group and got lost. As a result of his missteps, he no longer was in possession of all of his vital equipment, for it was being carried by his porter, Mouzafer. Fortunately, he was ultimately rescued by Mouzafer who went on to become his close friend and ally.

On the seventh day of their descent, they finally came upon trees and arrived at the village of Korphe. He was greeted by a village elder, Haji Ali, who welcomed them with memorable hospitality. The village of Korphe was perched on a rocky shelf some eight hundred feet above the Braldu River. The stone houses of the village seemed to blend into the steep canyon walls. Something drew Mortenson to Korphe; he was impressed by the rugged perseverance and toughness of its people. Any romantic notion he held of these people was dispelled, however, when he learned that many of the children suffered from Kwashiorkor, an extreme form of malnutrition that often leads to death. Mortenson used his experience as a trauma nurse to lend his assistance.

The defining moment for Mortenson came when he asked to see Korphe’s school. What he saw shocked him – eighty-two children, consisting of seventy-eight boys and four girls, doing their lessons outside with no teacher in sight. They did not have a school. Mortenson reacted to this situation by stating, “I felt like my heart was being torn out. There was a fierceness in their desire to learn, despite how mightily everything was stacked against them. I knew I had to do something.” He finally told Haji Ali, “I’m going to build you a school.”

Mortenson had an uncanny ability to adapt to unusual situations. This quality can be readily explained by his unusual upbringing. Greg’s parents were adventuresome and his father convinced his wife to respond to an acute need for teachers in Africa. As a consequence, Mortenson grew up in Tanganyika (now called Tanzania). He was a student in an international school founded by his mother. He was surrounded by children from twenty-eight different nations. He grew up happily oblivious to race and ultimately mastered Swahili. He also had a sister, Christa, who was grievously ill and who ultimately died. His sister’s death had a devastating effect upon him. It was these experiences growing up that probably helped him have empathy for the suffering of others and contributed to his sense of being a citizen of the world.

Following his initial stay at Korphe he returned to the United States. He was so determined to fulfill his promise to build a school that he sent out 580 appeals for funds; all of his grant applications were rejected. He eventually received 12,000 dollars from Jean Hoerni, one of the co-founders of Intel. They would establish a friendship that would last until Hoerni’s death. With this money, he immediately returned to Pakistan to build the school that he promised.

As luck would have it, when he returned to Korphe with the building materials, he found, to his dismay that they were in desperate need of a bridge instead. Although he initially felt dismayed and defeated, he did end up building the bridge, especially when it became clear that construction of the bridge was an urgent matter of survival. It was Jean Hoerni who financed the bridge that spanned the Upper Braldu River.

Eventually the school at Korphe was built. Mortenson received assistance from George McCown, a climbing buddy, who offered some 20,000 dollars for his own expenses while building the school and Edmund Hidlay also became involved in this project. Hidlay was involved in building schools and clinics in Nepal during the 1960s and 70’s.

Mortenson discovered that building the school was no easy matter, for he had to successfully navigate through the convoluted and complex politics of the region. He managed to develop the friendship and loyalty of influential locals to expedite the process. One of the central aspects of Mortenson’s goal was to open up education for females. This produced no end of difficulty for him, but he was passionate about his project, and was blessed with boundless determination.

Hoerni was so impressed with Mortenson’s resolve and success that he suggested that Mortenson establish a foundation, with Mortenson as its director. The goal of this foundation would be to build one school per year within the Muslim communities of Pakistan. With Hoerni’s help this foundation was, in fact, created – Central Asia Institute. The Institute exists to this day.

A recurrent theme in Mortenson’s descriptions of his challenging experiences attempting to oversee his school-building projects was the cultural divide he had to overcome, for he had a restless energy and impatience that are characteristics endemic to the West. In one particular instance, while noticeably discouraged about the progress of the construction of a school, Haji Ali reassured him in the following way, “I thank all-merciful Allah for all you have done. But the people of Korphe have been here without a school for six hundred years.” This was a very sobering lesson for Mortenson; it put his sense of frustration in proper perspective.
As stated earlier, much of his success can be attributed to his ability to adapt to changing surroundings. In his own words, Mortenson describes the following experience, “I was torn between trying quickly to learn to pray like a Shia and making the most of my opportunity to study the ancient Buddhist woodcarvings on the walls.” Mortenson concluded that he had learned enough about the people to conclude that they were probably sufficiently tolerant to accept an infidel, such as himself, praying in their midst.

The Central Asia Institute offered permanence and stability to Mortenson’s mission. He extended the reach of his organization to the Peshawar – the capital of Pakistan’s wild west. The students of Peshawar’s madrasses – Islamic theological schools – were the Taliban. On account of Mortenson’s emphasis on educating young girls, a fatwa, a religious ruling, was issued against him. This was an attempt to abort the construction of any more schools in Pakistan. In mountain villages, the local mullahs possessed more real power than the Pakistani government. In spite of this impediment, the building of schools accelerated. This was due in part to the fact that Mortenson had the support of Pakistan’s supreme Shia cleric.

On January 12, 1997 his dear friend and benefactor, Jean Hoerni died. This was a severe blow to Mortenson, for he had lost the one man who had given him unerring support and treated him like the son he never had.

The achievements to date of this one man with a vision are impressive. As of 2009, 8 and 1/2 million children attend school, girls representing 40% of the overall enrollment as a direct results of his efforts. Mortenson has founded 131 schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan with a population of 58,000 students. The underlying conviction that propels him forward is that true and lasting peace cannot be won by guns, but rather through books, notebooks and pencils. His ambition is to promote educational opportunities for women throughout Pakistan and Afghanistan. His stunning accomplishments are a testimonial to the impact an individual with a vision can have.

A Not Terribly Flattering Look into the Future

2010-12-16T21:47:00.000-08:00

The current state of the nation is not terribly propitious in regards to the future. In my estimation this is no time for stagnation, or moving backwards. The country seems to be in an advanced state of disrepair with the commons on which we all depend, crumbling and the middle class – once the bulwark of economic vitality – disintegrating. The apparent wish to pull back from reform as expressed by the voters in the mid-term elections is going on while the affluent class is being further enriched.

The underlying core of our difficulties lies in the extraordinary imbalance in the distribution of the nation’s wealth as eloquently expressed by Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont during his filibuster in regards to the tax bill now on its ineluctable path towards passage and the President’s signature. The vanishingly few hold an enormous percentage of the nation’s wealth. As a result, these same individuals possess a degree of power and influence exceedingly disproportionate to their numbers.

It seems that any discussion of this underlying truth is being held hostage by those that liken reform in regards to the economic infrastructure as synonymous with un-American attitudes and, thereby, considered treasonous. This is unfortunate, for without addressing this essential aspect of the economy, democracy is enfeebled and the plight of the vast majority of Americans will only get worse.

If the general population does not awaken to this massive injustice, the nation will devolve into a state of ordinary existence where social services will be essentially unavailable; where the infrastructure will continue its inexorable decline; where advanced education will be available only to the well-to-do; where climate change will proceed unabated with its unavoidable consequences and where wealth will continue to accumulate in the hands of those who already possess nearly everything.

If we, as a people, choose stagnation, the future will be grim and the ability to correct this massive injustice without enormous social dislocation will be less and less likely.

Concern for the Future

2010-12-04T07:50:00.000-08:00

Politics seems to have devolved into a game played only by and essentially for the benefit of those with wealth and power. Theoretically, politics is the medium through which all of the people’s business is conducted in a reasoned, orderly and respectful fashion. Theoretically, politics is the medium through which civil societies progress. This is the way it is supposed to be in a democracy. But democracies cannot function if governments are corrupted by wealth and its influences and the population remains pathetically uneducated, for an ignorant people can be readily duped into believing that which is patently not true. Such a population is primed for the fearsome manipulation that is the hallmark of demagoguery.

The fact that this nation is rapidly sinking should be no great surprise. America was founded on blood, on slavery, on forced labor. The vast majority of Americans live on stolen land. We have built an economy based on the endless exploitation of foreign labor while allowing the domestic work force to fester. We have allowed our infrastructure to undergo a steady and inexorable collapse from persistent neglect. We have turned over many of the essential aspects of the Commons, such as healthcare, over to the practices of those who live for profit. As a result tens of millions of human beings have been knowingly deprived of access to health care so that a certain few can make hundreds of millions of dollars. These dollars have been built upon needless suffering and unnecessary death. We have placed profit above all else allowing for the sanctioned production of such toxic products as tobacco, Agent Orange, depleted uranium weaponry and napalm. This is a kind of brutality and butchery that is not essentially different than the practices of so-called “organized crime.”

We have failed at educating our people so abysmally that superstition and crazed religious beliefs have trumped science. As a result, the plundering of the planet continues since the threat of climate change is seen as a nasty little hoax perpetrated by godless scientists. We have become a people that are essentially asleep and numb to our own supreme foolishness.

America has been conducting a foreign policy based upon the bankrupt concept of exceptionalism i.e. that we, as a nation, are somehow inherently allowed to behave in regards to other nations anyway we choose regardless of how criminal that behavior might be. As a result, tens of millions of human beings, mostly of different color, have been literally crushed under the weight of massive and brutal military power.

The cumulative weight of our past has left its indelible imprint on character of the nation. We should fear for the future. This fear is misplaced, however, if we focus on the national debt or the supposed threat of socialism or unemployment, for example. We should be concerned, instead, for the people that we have become. If we wish to change the future, we must change ourselves.

Vandana Shiva

2010-11-27T04:36:00.000-08:00

Vandana Shiva was born on November 5, 1952 in Dehra Dun, Uttarakhand, India in the valley of Dehradun. Her parents were intimately involved with the natural world; her father was involved in forest conservation and her mother was a farmer. Their love of nature must have played a significant role in shaping her commitment and her devotion to conservation and preservation of those natural resources so essential to life.

Shiva received her early education at St. Mary’s school in Nainital and at the convent of Jesus and Mary. She went on to receive her B.S. in Physics. She was awarded a PhD in philosophy from the University of Western Ontario, Canada in 1978. Her academic training was in the area of nuclear physics; the title of her thesis was, Hidden Variables and Locality in Quantum Theory. She is a renowned scientist who has published over 3000 papers in peer-reviewed journals.
She is well known, moreover, for her activism regarding ecological, environmental and economic issues, especially in relation to healthy food and clean water accessibility and safety. She is a staunch opponent of agribusiness. As we shall see, she is an unrelenting critic in regards to the role of globalization in destabilizing local societies, local economies and what she often refers to as the commons.

The commons represents the resources that are collectively owned or shared by a particular society or between societies. These resources can include amenities such as clean water, public land, accessibility to healthy food, essential services such as fire and police protection, emergency medical care, etc. In some societies the commons is more expansive than others. For example, access to medical care is seen by many countries as an integral part of the commons, while others do not.

Through a good portion of her adult life, Shiva has participated in activist movements especially in regards to the deleterious effects of so-called “Globalization.” We will examine her views in some detail.

Shiva participated in the nonviolent Chipko movement during the 1970s in the Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand. The Chipko movement practiced non-violent resistance or satyagraha as developed by Gandhi (see the section on Mahatma Gandhi for more detail). The movement, some of whose main participants were women, adopted the approach of forming human circles around trees to prevent their felling. The noteworthy event in this struggle took place on March 26, 1974, when a group of female peasants in Reni village, Hemwalghati, in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, India, mobilized to stop the cutting of trees; they were threatened by the contractor working for the state Forest Department. In spite of these threats, hundreds of such grassroots level actions blossomed throughout the region and eventually throughout India. This movement was significantly successful in its original mission.

Shiva is one of the leaders of the International Forum on Globalization, (along with Jerry Mander, Edward Goldsmith, Ralph Nader, Jeremy Rifkin, et al.), and a key figure in the global solidarity movement known as the Alter Globalization Movement. She has long been a staunch and vocal opponent of globalization as epitomized in the policies of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). What follows is a brief history of these organizations.
It all began in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire in 1944. Economic leaders from the Allied powers met to plan for the aftermath of the Second World War. The institutions that were created are with us to this day exerting enormous influence over the economies of the nations of the world. The IMF and the World Bank had their beginnings here. The IMF is a specialized agency whose stated purpose is to stabilize exchange rates and facilitate international trade. Each member contributes to the fund in gold and currency. The World Bank is otherwise known as the International bank for Reconstruction and Development. The Bretton Woods Conference set up the World Bank, GATT and the IMF so that the US dollar would take the place of gold as the medium of international exchange once the war was over and provide long-term loans to countries devastated by the war. The essential ingredient of the Bretton Woods policies was the dollar, which would replace gold and which the US government could print as much as needed. In October, 1947 GATT was created to ensure the dismantling of trade barriers.

The World Bank lends money to the so-called third world so that they can use that money towards development. The nations that agree to the terms of these loans often find themselves so deeply in debt that they find it difficult to repay. The usual response of the lending institution is to insist that the debtor nation cut back on its social programs. A Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) is often proposed which basically calls upon the debtor nation to make cuts in programs that benefit the poor and often to privatize industries and services if they expect to receive additional loans to stay afloat. Shiva and outspoken opponents of these institutions claim that the net effect of this relationship is that money is loaned to build the appropriate infrastructure to allow access to natural resources and ultimately export these resources to the wealthy countries that have financed the loans. Nations caught up in this relationship find that they have lost much of their economic base especially in agriculture that had previously afforded them a modicum of self-sufficiency.

Shiva’s particular concerns revolve around industrial farming especially as practiced by agribusiness and the role of global institutions in subverting local agriculture. She has spoken out strongly in opposition to industrial agriculture when applied to shrimp farming and its impact on India and what she sees as the rising threat of the use of genetically modified seeds. In response to the application of this new technology to seed production, Shiva started an organization called Navdanya created to stress the importance of biodiversity, practice chemical-free agriculture and free agriculture from monopoly control. According to Shiva, “As farmers are transformed from producers into consumers of corporate patented agriculture products, as markets are destroyed locally and nationally and expanded globally, the myth of “free trade” and the global economy becomes a means for the rich to rob the poor of their right to food and even their right to life.”

To exemplify the deleterious impact of the foreign domination of trade, Shiva sites the horrendous Bengal famine of 1943 (see the section on Muhammad Yunus for further details) that devastated what is now Bangladesh. Three and one-half million Bengalis starved to death as previously described. At the time the region was dominated by the British who engineered the forceful exportation of 80,000 tons of food grain prior to the famine.

In regards to the global economy and agribusiness, Shiva has fundamental and over-lapping concerns. One is the increased use of genetically modified crops worldwide as previously cited. The fact that companies like Monsanto have actually patented genetically modified life forms like soybeans and that the farmers who use these crops cannot legally save seeds creates a serious impediment to small independent farms and the assurance of food safety. An additional concern, from Shiva’s perspective, is the displacement of varieties of agricultural products that have developed over thousands of years of human agriculture by the use of fragile and vulnerable monocultures that may jeopardize food production in the future.

There is the additional pressure of international financial institutions like the World Bank that encourages the shift in the production of food products for the local economy to products intended solely for export. An example of this, and there are many, is the production of cotton for export in the south of India. In addition, there has been an analogous shift in Central and South America towards the production of crops destined for export to be used in so-called “biofuels.”

Vandana Shiva continues to be an outspoken critic of agricultural policies that have been dictated by international financial institutions in the name of globalization. The preservation of the commons is of fundamental importance to her and she has been a strong and powerful advocate for the powerless worldwide.

Ship of State - circa 2010

2010-11-09T06:02:00.000-08:00

The captain was once a young man
filled with pride and great ambition,
he is black and the descendent of slaves,
who were once chained in the cargo hold of
this very same ship,
who were drowning in the
sea of their own despair.

The captain still stands proud,
though his hair has grayed and is now
less assured of the
future of this expedition.

He sees before him a tempestuous
and unforgiving ocean,
he has assessed the condition of the ship
that is no longer so nimble,
that is bereft of the repairs necessary to
maintain its course and keep it
from disaster.

The captain has taken great pains
to warn his passengers of the dangers of neglect and
the need for concerted action and
caring resolve.

On many a morning,
when the seas were particularly treacherous,
he has called out,
“Beware, we are need of repairs,
we can not sustain this level of decay much longer.”

Some did listen and rallied to his efforts, but
the owners of this great and failing enterprise
were made restive by his impassioned efforts and
feared that they might have to relinquish
even some small portion of their wealth and power.

With their money in hand,
they resovled to intervene and
planted fear in the hearts of many
who were made uneasy by the
color of the captain’s skin and his
intelligence that was far more
formidable than their own.

And so it came to pass that a
rebellion ensued,
not only were the rotted timbers left
to fester on the beleaguered ship of state,
but the ship itself was plundered
and the suffering increased in unequal measure
while the owners not only experienced
little change in status or degree of comfort,
but actually added to their illicit fortune.

The captain is not alone in his endeavor,
but wealth and greed have triumphed.

This is no victory to be admired,
for it will hasten the steady decomposition of
this unsteady and neglected Ship of State.

The Politics of the Absurd

2010-11-06T09:01:00.001-07:00

I would like to preface this discussion with the idea that we, as a nation, live in exceedingly dangerous times. The most compelling evidence for me is the results of the recent mid-term elections. So many of the candidates, chosen for office by their electorate, have taken positions on critical issues that are rife with anti-intellectual and anti-science rhetoric. Their sense of implacable self-righteousness seems to dominate their thinking. They are apparently devoid of even the barest hint of humility. In my thinking, humility is the capacity to acknowledge that one can be mistaken, and it is an absolutely essential characteristic for those who assume positions of leadership. Without humility, we position ourselves, as a people, to a frightful future, for there can be no collective sanity without embracing our failings and our mistakes. To be devoid of humility is to welcome disaster.

Demagogues are often appealing during frightening times, for their madness entices those who are desperate for clarity, purpose and straightforward solutions no matter how absurd the answers might be in the light of critical thinking. Self righteousness can brook no compromise, for ideology is sustained and propelled by myopic vision. It proclaims clarity where there is none; it takes ownership of moral certitude where uncertainty abounds; it takes on the guise of salvation in spite of the evidence to the contrary.

If the nation is determined to choose leaders that cloak themselves in the guise of such righteousness at the ultimate expense of the common good, then we are a nation in serious trouble. This is the politics of the absurd and the dangerous.

If we are a nation in crisis, as all the evidence suggests, the answer does not lie in absurd and extreme notions, but rather through the use of reason and rational judgment in the true spirit of peace and humility.

Mother Hale

2010-10-31T08:29:00.000-07:00

Clara McBride Hale was born on April 1, 1905 in Philadelphia. Hale’s mother had four children and welcomed the children from the neighborhood. She was mulatto and according to her daughter, could have “passed” for white. Hale’s grandmother was a slave and she conceived a child fathered by her master; that child was Hale’s mother.

Hale remembers her mother advising her children, “I want you to hold your head up and be proud of yourself. We were brought over and we were enslaved all this time, but it’s over now. You’re supposed to be free, but you aren’t free. Remember that.” Her mother’s love, generosity and understanding of the African American experience had a profound influence on Hale and the direction her life would eventually take. Her father had died when she was a baby.

Hale had three children, Nathan, Lorraine and Kenneth, who were very young when their father died. As an African American widow her employment options were strictly limited to domestic service; she chose to become a foster parent and to take in other people’s children. Although the arrangement with the parents was to care for the children five days out of the week, many of the children didn’t want to go home. She came to an understanding with the parents of these children; they gave her an additional dollar each week and she kept them with her all the time. She raised forty children in this way. All of these children went on to college and graduated. They all ended up with meaningful careers and led successful lives. Hale was always supportive. As a result, some became singers, dancers, preachers and “…things like that.”

By 1969, at the age of 64, she decided to retire from foster care no longer love and nurture children. That determination would soon change when her daughter sent her the baby of an addict; her name was Amanda. Although she was reluctant, at first, to assume this new responsibility, within two months she had twenty-two babies living in a five room apartment. Hale’s viewpoint can best be described in her own words, “Angels must have him – the baby’s name was Tiny Ty – the night his mother pitched him in the dumpster. It was filled with broken wine bottles and splintered furniture. Yet he fell on the one soft thing in it; a piece of discarded carpet that smelled of wine. Fortunately, only a few mosquitoes and roaches had bothered him…

“It was truly a miracle that he had beaten the odds of dying from exposure those critical first hours of his young life.

“And now he needed us to help him beat a more determined foe: heroin, his birth companion, the monkey on his back.”

It is important to remember that 1969 was a terrible and ominous time in the nation’s history – Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy had been recently assassinated. To the people of Harlem it was a desperate time in which nascent hope were shattered and that at its nadir resulted in horrific riots that devastated the region.

In 1973, Mother Hale opened the Hale House and started the Center for the Promotion of Human Potential; it was a brownstone in Harlem with the purpose of providing a safe and nurturing environment for the babies of young drug-addicted mothers. The success of this operation has been spectacular – hundreds of babies have returned to health as a result of their stay in Hale House which is now administered by her daughter, Dr. Lorraine Hale.

According to Mother Hale, “It’s been over six hundred addicted babies. We hold them and rock them. They love you to tell them how great they are, how good they are. Somehow even at a young age, they understand that. They’re happy and they turn out well.”

Her philosophy may best be summarized in her own words, “Being black does not stop you. You can sit out in the world and say, ‘Well, white people kept me back, and I can’t do this.’ Not so. You can have anything you want if you make up your mind and you want it. You don’t have to crack nobody across the head, don’t have to steal or anything. Don’t have to be smart like the men up high stealing all the money. We’re good people and we try.”

She decided to open up a place for children with AIDS in the 1980s when she was in her mid seventies, knowing that these children were destined for an early death. AIDS had a crippling in Harlem, leaving many AIDS-infected children without parents. She hoped that, “… one day there will be no Hale House, that we won’t need anybody to look after these children, that the drugs will be gone. I’m not an American hero. I’m a person that loves children.”

She remained active and involved until her death. Clare McBride Hale died on December 18, 1992 – a remarkable woman. She lived a truly exemplary life filled with an abundance of love for the human kind. She exhibited an extraordinary kind of courage and a generosity of spirit that is difficult to fathom. He Hale House Center is still extant and continues to serve children as it has done for over forty years.