Insight and inspiration in turbulent times.
Industrial civilization and its fossil fuels have allowed for a lacksadaisy modern way of life that places an overwhelmingly stronger inclination on the various guises of narcissism than on genuine civic participation, leading to a crisis of democracy.
Whatever failings Syriza has had in its “negotiations” with the EU, and whatever the particularities of the Greek history and situation, it has shown clearly that the EU as constituted is not willing to entertain any form of oppositional view that does not accept the broad principles of both austerity and neoliberalism/neomercantilism, even when this is both bad politics and bad economics.
Why some teams are smarter / Local food pioneer Joan Gussow / Bitcoins / Deep democracy
John Michael Greer returns in Extraenvironmentalist #81. Then,Chris Martenson joins us to discuss his work in communicating difficult information to people who don’t want to believe it.
The United States is not really a democracy. That’s the (simplified) conclusion of a recent study from Princeton University.
It’s not every day that an academic article in the arcane world of American political science makes headlines around the world, but then again, these aren’t normal days either.
When small farmers in rural Pennsylvania wanted to say “no” to a corporate factory farm coming into their community, they learned they couldn’t, because it would violate the corporation’s “rights” and state pre-emption laws.
The thirst for real democracy is a thirst to be free. It is the spirit that drives us to find our true aspirations within.
Understanding social movements, what causes them and makes them succeed, are the elusive questions that David Graeber’s latest book, The Democracy Project. A History. A Crisis. A Movement, confronts in response to the contemporary Occupy movement.
Is the U.S. system a democracy, and if so, does it belong to us?
Should there be a link between capitalism and democracy?
As the amount of net energy available to the society shrinks, it becomes less and less able to both maintain its infrastructure and actually do things.
