The good ‘ole US of A. What a great country, everything revolves around the US. Nothing is more important than the wishes of the president and his people. American policy has made the world what it is and its about time the rest of us just said ‘Thank you’ very nicely and left them to it.

At least that’s what the American’s would like us to bel;ieve. Obama has been lecturing Europe on how to run it’s economy, in the best interests of America’s global domination policy. Now it seems the Pakistani’s have fallen foul of the US, … again.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/pakistan-officials-missiles-from-us-drone-kills-10-alleged-militants-in-countrys-northwest/2012/05/24/gJQAHMi7lU_story.html

Now, I don’t think the Pakistani government is the most transparant. But then I only see what the Western media (Murdoch and his cronies) want us to see. The added issue is that I do not view events in that region with local eyes. I have regular contact with people from the Indian sub continent, including Pakistan and Bangladesh. Sure, they are different to me in some ways, but there are more similarities than differences. If the government of any given country disagree’s with the US of A does it really mean they become the new ‘Dr Evil’. The US appear to be looking around for anyone who can fill the shoes of the evil Josef Stalin. Oh Dear.

If the US really cared about the world and the evil that men do, it could do much worse than to address the ill’s, the crimes against humanity that it has perpetrated. I am not talking about the odd murder, or even Slobodan Milosovic style genocide, these pale into insignificance when viewed against the crimes the US are responsible for. Agent Orange is one example. Rampant globalisation of brands leading to ever increasing destruction of our planet. Is there such a word as Planeticide? If not there should be and the US government and industry should be first in the dock rapidly followed by most Western governments, followed by the bit players like China India and Brazil.

Dear Uncle Sam, put your own house in order. If people of any nation choose to protest then all power to them. Just for clarity, I do not condone violent protest, Mahatma was more the man, with Dr King.

 

 

Happy days

I was recently watching Horizon here in the UK. A TV documentary programme. Being a cheerful soul I was drawn to the title,

The End of the World? A Horizon Guide to Armageddon

Fantastic stuff, some of the historical footage quite took me back to my youth. The soundtrack included Barry McGuire‘s Eve of Destruction. I had quite forgotten this song until I heard the opening bars. I was transported on one of those magical mystery tours that occur from time to time. A scent, a sound, a familiar place will all weave their magic.

The link to a version of this can be found here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntLsElbW9Xo

Of course, Bazza and the sentiment turned out to be less than prophetic, or did it? We may have survived the days of the Russian Bear, the fear of a Tupolov TU95 appearing overhead may have diminished to the point where it is not the first thing you would think of on hearing a flood siren but …

The nuclear red button has been replaced by the red ‘on’ switch at each and every coal fired power station, etc etc etc.

Before this post becomes too depressing by far (as you hopefully listen to Baz) I should like to draw your attention to the permaculture position of finding solutions not voicing problems. There is a man who epitomises this view, Mike Reynolds. Some may already have seen Garbage Warrior.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrMJwIedrWU

If you watch the film you can understand why people like Bill Mollison began their personal voyages by disappearing from society. Both Bill and Mike decided that rather than adopting such a shortsighted position they would challenge the establishment.

I have been to the Brighton earth ship, several years ago now. It is a wonderfully organic structure which is so tactile in nature that everyone on the tour found it hard to stop stroking the walls! I found that a company in Brighton had managed to obtain planning permission from Brighton and Hove council for 16 Earth Ships to be built near Brighton Marina. I have been tryng to find details as I would be interested in living mortgage and utility bill free for my remaining days. I can find no details. It would appear that the trials of obtaining consent and approval for the materials must have been too much for the company, or maybe they ran out of funding.

Re Clouds Consumerism (4) – all I need is a pound a day

I was reading a cloudy post this morning, Consumerism (4) – all I need is a pound a day.

It made me think, not the easiest job at 7 in the morning on a sunny day off. I agree with clouds. The more I thought about things the more I realised that action has to be taken now; but the very people who have the power to change the systems currently in place are the ones who benefit most from leaving things exactly as they are.

Back in the dark ages I attended a CND rally in London. At the time it was the biggest, the first attended by 100,000 + people. It was a grand day out, there were floats with well known bands of the day performing live music. A real carnival atmosphere. There were people like me, young, recently married, starting a new career, hopeful. I had a good understanding of the horror of nuclear war, I had been taught what to expect by the army. I had spent a couple of years chasing Russia’s SOXMIS cars waiting for the day when all hell broke loose. I was full of hope.

However, the carnival atmosphere was enhanced by others who attended to say they had been there. They had no real concern, had not the slightest idea of what it was all about. It was a chance to wander around London having a laugh and perhaps get their face on the telly.

Now, the young are less concerned about the nuclear threat, whatever happened to CND? They are still there campaigning but seem to be dropping from public perception. The environment is now seen as more of an issue. The trouble is, by the time the young and involved are of an age where they have power, it will be a) too late and b) they, like many others before them, will have been corrupted by the greed power encourages.

There are ample warnings about climate change, long term environmental damage by large scale industrial pollution and the effect of famine caused by soil degradation. Even if the nay sayers are right it is time for action without which my children and grandchildren will have a pretty shitty time.

There are answers but no political appetite to seize the nettle and act. Individuals can make a difference. If every individual did what they could by way of lowering consumption (Clouds lists some actions that she takes, most could learn lessons there) FOR LIFE not 5 days or whatever, a real difference could be made. Once those changes become a way of life, they can be enhanced by other activity reaching into all areas of life. Who supplies your electricity, don’t use gas (not petrol we shouldn’t use that anyway, no Gas to cook etc) support local ethical enterprise. Don’t support global companies. Avoid supermarket’s and look at natural alternatives to chemicals used in the home.

I still remain hopeful. I still wear my Atomkraft? Nein danke badge. It looks as old and battered as I feel at times, but then I realise there are people who still care. Those of us that do must continue to rail against the inequalities in the system, keep pressing for change. If we give up They have won.

Cold War

I have been watching company. It is strange being of a certain age where your life, or at least the times you lived through are presented as history AND I am not that old. The series depicts the CIA through the eyes of its operatives in Berlin just after the war (OK I didn’t live through that part but my dad was there) the Hungarian Uprising, the bay of pigs and the breaching of the Berlin wall.
Some of the makeup was a bit dodgy but on the whole the feel of the production was fairly true to life.
Methusalah rides again.