Chamber of Commerce horrors

SUBHEAD: The gang that couldn't lobby straight or get anything right.By Bill McKibbon on 20 March 2011 for Huffington Post -(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-mckibben/the-gang-that-couldnt-lob_b_839047.html)Image above: Logo of the US Chamber of Commerce with "Wrong Way" sign. By Juan Wilson.What if I told you I'd found a political group that for a 100 years had managed to be absolutely right

The happiest guy in America

SUBHEAD: Meet Alvin Wong, a oriental, senior, self-employed, jewish, Hawaiian.By Kim Corollo on 8 March 2011 for ABC News - (http://abcnews.go.com/Health/happiest-person-america-hawaiian-alvin-wong-fits-gallup/story?id=13087258)Image above: Alvin Wong and his wife Trudy Schandler-Wong at East-West Center in Honolulu. From (http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2011/03/06/HAPPY.html). Alvin Wong

Miserable Means - Miserable Ends

SUBHEAD: Our remaining intellectual horsepower will be exhausted trying to revive the 'Kar Kulture'.By Steve Ludlum on 6 March 2011 in Economic Undertow - (http://economic-undertow.blogspot.com/2011/03/miserable-ends-justify-miserable-means.html)Image above: Before and After. Scene from movie "Cars". From (http://www.bloggerdad.com/how-cars-almost-ruined-the-super-bowl).I mean, who really cares

Mid East & Mid West

SUBHEAD: What we witness across the Arab World and our own middle America is part of the same phenomena - adjustment to poverty.By Juan Wilson on 27 February 2011 for Island Breath - (http://islandbreath.blogspot.com/2011/02/mid-east-mid-west.html)Image above: We are all brothers. From (http://riadzany.blogspot.com/2010/06/death-of-interfaith-leader-sheikh.html).Mid EastLike it or not, the world

Pox Americana

SUBHEAD: Our unilateralists drove blithely through “The gates of hell”, imagining that they were the gates to paradise.By Tom Engelhardt on 7 February 2011 in TomDispatch -(http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175351/tomgram:_engelhardt,_goodbye_to_all_that)Image above: Poster promoting movie "Team America". From (http://www.allmoviephoto.com/photo/2004_team_america_wallpaper_001.html).As we've

Overcoming Systems Stupidity

SUBHEAD: Systems thinking would make it impossible to continue pretending that Americans can go on living their current lifestyles much longer.By John Michael Greer on 2 February 2011 in The Archdruid Report - (http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.com/2011/02/overcoming-systems-stupidity.html)Image above: Night traffic in Las Vegas, Nevada. From (http://www.flickr.com/photos/pbo31/2191506873/).

Six Predictions for 2011

SUBHEAD: How will the economy affect average Americans this year? No so kindly.Ryan McCarthy & Amy Lee on 3 January 2011 in HuffPo - (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/03/economic-predictions-2011_n_803413.html?page=1)Image above: Harvey Lesser, 58, about to pass his possessions laid in the snow after he is evicted from his home. From (http://www.theblackurbantimes.com/2009/12/

Time of the US Demagogues

SUBHEAD: Demagogues profess an answer for the restoration of the prosperity that is the American birthright.By Tom Whipple on 22 December 2010 in Fall Church News-Press - (http://www.fcnp.com/commentary/national/8087-the-peak-oil-crisis-the-time-of-the-demagogues.html)Image above: Sarah Palin delivers lecture at Glnn Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally. From (http://www.upi.com/News_Photos/gallery/

I Have No Choice

SUBHEAD: Am I going to fight the system that enslaves my brothers and sisters and, ultimately, me? I have no choice.By Peaceful Life on 19 December 2010 in Nature Bats Last -(http://guymcpherson.com/2010/12/i-have-no-choice)Image above: "Couch Potato" sculpture by Guillermo Forchino. From (http://kaynegallery.com/forchino.html).Whether it’s systematic dinosaur bureaucracy fueled by greed and

America, y ur peeps so dum?

SUBHEAD: America's cultural ignorance and the need for courage in the age of Lady Gaga.Image above: Ignorant and proud of it. The gang from MTV's "Jersey Shore". From (http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Jersey-Shore-Season-1/13628).By Joe Bageant on 7 December 2010 in Joe Bageant.com -(http://www.joebageant.com/joe/2010/12/america-y-ur-peeps-b-so-dum.html#more)If you hang out much with thinking

Nothing but Flowers

SUBHEAD: As things fell apart, nobody paid much attention. This was a Pizza Hut. Now it’s all covered with daisies.Image above: Ruins on the site of the Kushi Institute in Massachusetts. From (http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2506227930011281402bDZwaB).By Administrator on 19 November 2010 in The Burning Platform - (http://www.theburningplatform.com/?p=7614)Here we standLike an Adam and an

Techno-optimism Meets its Match

SUBHEAD: The American Dream, which is based on never-ending economic growth, is over.Image above: Ruined city illustration. From (http://worldofweirdthings.com/2009/08/09/the-culture-that-forgot-about-science/).By Guy McPherson on 15 November 2010 in Nature Bats Last -(http://guymcpherson.com/2010/11/techno-optimism-meets-its-match)According to the extremely conservative International Energy

A Survey of Unlikely Voters

SUBHEAD: All American politicians find it in their interest to both expand government and to privatize its functions.Image above: Elderly Teabagger carries sign reading "We don't need your stinkin' Public Option". From (http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/07/09/18606597.php).By Dmitry Orlov on 2 November 2010 in ClubOrlov - (http://cluborlov.blogspot.com/2010/11/survey-of-unlikely-voters.html)

The Election is Over

SUBHEAD: Now what do we do with all the fear?Image above: Tea Party supporter instructs Greenpeace, ACLU supporter. From (http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/07/09/18606597.php).By Sharon Astyk on 3 November 2010 in Casaubon's Book - (http://scienceblogs.com/casaubonsbook/2010/11/it_is_over_-_now_what_do_we_do.php)The election is over and the results are depressing, much as expected - it was