One very interesting thing about humans is our ability to self-evolve. There may be other species capable of improving themselves through cognition, I don't know, but in humans it's a hallmark. People are clever beasts with a vast potential for self-transformation. We transform not only ourselves but also our environment, in ways both good and bad. For better or worse, we are profoundly transformative creatures.
A friend of mine once told me that he believed in the gaia concept and that the earth was so much greater than we are, it would sneer at our petty insults. He was convinced that it was impossible for humans to degrade the ecosphere to any appreciable degree no matter what we did. He believed that the earth's capacity to heal itself is infinite. I found his logic flawed and his perspective antiquated by at least a century. He sounded to me like someone at the dawn of the industrial age scoffing at the notion that humanity had the capacity to overrun the earth and lay waste her resources.
The difference is that the industrial age fellow could be forgiven for his failure to understand. For people in the modern age, that level of ignorance is less of a condition and more of a choice. But it's hard for people trying to understand complicated matters such as politics, foreign policy, economics or environmental/climate science. Especially in light of the existential angst most of us live with day by day, the struggle to make ends meet and keep it all together with everyone and everything seemingly working against you. How can anyone be expected to figure it all out for themselves?
Ignorance may be a choice or a not so surprising consequence of the daily struggle to make it, but the confusion is premeditated, imposed, orchestrated. The distractions are intentional. Monied interests go to great lengths to make it impossible for anyone not in on the heist to know what the hell is going on. Billions if not trillions are spent annually to deliberately confuse, divide and baffle the populace. Many people in our benighted society make a fabulous living off of their capacity for high caliber bullshit. Lies are concocted in corporate board rooms and sent out over the air waves and the backbone via the massively dominant mainstream media and associated propaganda organs. They execute coordinated programs of the vilest sorts of lies parading as news and commentary, fiendishly manipulating the public mind, pushing us all into a corner and usurping our power. Ordinary people are drowning in a sea of manufactured bullshit. The average citizen can perhaps be forgiven for not knowing up from down. Or at least they could be if the consequences were not so dire for all of us.
Truth is hard to come by in an environment such as this. Most truth-tellers work cheap or for free while the mega-liars are handsomely rewarded. Truth telling is just an embarrassment anymore while lying is big business. All those talking heads on TV? Liars. Paid liars. Virtually all of them. It's who they are, it's what they do. The very same thing can be said about politicians. The exceptions are too few to mention. Dishonesty, corruption and hidden agendas are now the norm.
By keeping people frightened, distracted and misinformed, the powers that be serve the precious few with impunity while, increasingly, the rest of us can rot...or bake, as it were. For honest and clear-eyed observers, nothing could be more obvious. We've all been had.
Disinformation, obfuscation and denial are no substitute for responsible action.
It is way past time to get serious about climate change.
It's time to act. Please join us in NYC on September 21st, and let your voice be heard.
Marchons! 48 Hour People's Climate March Recruitment Storm:
Thursday August 21st at 12 Noon through Saturday the 23rd at 12 Noon
We are one month out from the historic People's Climate March. The September 21 March is being held two days before the UN Climate Summit, where government and corporate leaders will convene to discuss taking action to address climate change.
Tens of thousands are expected to march in New York City.
Join in the 48 hour Recruitment Storm by registering and inviting friends to participate. Our goal is to add 10,000 new marchers by the end of the day Friday. Let's make September a game-changer for the climate movement.
Sign up here!!! --> People's Climate March