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WE CAN ONLY RECOVER BY UNITING THROUGH BOLD ACTION
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The two greatest obstacles to democracy in the United States are, first, the widespread delusion among the poor that we have a democracy, and second, the chronic terror among the rich, lest we get it : Edward Dowling
We are at a critical point in America where greed, selfishness and ego consciousness has eradicated the middle class leaving only the poor and near poor versus the super rich and near rich ~ who are determined to hold on to their status at any cost.
If it wasn't for social security ~ well over 50% of all seniors would be below the poverty level. Main Street is rightfully angry and inflating the same Wall Street credit bubble that just burst is not a viable solution.
In regards to the current financial meltdown ~ Bill Moyers asks the trillion dollar question to Former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), MIT Sloan School of Management professor and senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, Simon Johnson, as to whether Treasury Secretary Geithner is up to the task of taking on the arrogant banking interests:
Bill Moyers: " So here's the trillion dollar question that I take from your blog, that I read at the beginning, quote, "Can this person," your new economic strategist, in this case Geithner, "really break with the vested elite that got you into this much trouble?" Have you seen any evidence this week that he's going to be tough with these guys? "
Simon Johnson: " I'm trying to be positive. I'm trying to be supportive. I like the administration. I voted for the president. The answer to your question is, no, I haven't seen anything. But you know, perhaps next week I will. But right now, as we speak, I have a bad feeling in my stomach...... My intuition, from crises, from situations that have improved, the situations that got worse, my intuition is that this is going to get a lot worse. It's going to cost us a lot more money. And we are going down a long, dark, blind alley." http://www.truthout.org/021609J
Myself and millions of Americans have the same bad feeling in our stomachs and it's not going away.
John Cavanaugh, Huffington Post, reviewed Korten's book recently and here is an excerpt: " Neither Obama nor most progressives are seizing the moment with bold proposals to meet the growing anger across America. A notable exception is David Korten, who has just released a 196-page Agenda for a New Economy, building on a series of articles in YES! Magazine.
Korten's bold answer to the financial crisis: close down the Wall Street casino. Replace it with a revitalized Main Street by resetting economic priorities to support local economies and dignified work that best serve us all. Instead of "phantom wealth" that doesn't create anything of value, let's prioritize the real economy.
Korten also understands that we must use the economic meltdown to solve the other giant global crisis: climate chaos. His transformative agenda of vibrant local economies can deliver us a carbon-free economy within a few decades.
How do we do it? According to Korten, we have to redefine how success is measured. He has sharp ideas on how to get the market price of goods to reflect their full costs of production, including their adverse impact on workers, the environment, and communities.
In his real-wealth economy, government and citizen groups work to reallocate resources from the military to health care, from cars to public transportation, from mining to recycling, and from suburban sprawl to compact communities.
We close down the Wall Street casino through smart regulation, a transactions tax on the purchase and sale of financial instruments, and a fair tax system. We create a set of rules and incentives that favor human-scale businesses owned by local stakeholders. Korten is full of ideas on democratizing ownership and reclaiming corporate charters from footloose global firms. And, he is smart enough to know that these solutions work best if they are coordinated across countries." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-cavanagh/a-bold-proposal-for-a-new_b_166143.html Here is a short must see five minute video exploring the origin of the unfolding crisis of the world, and its solution which is the law and driving force of nature ~ the universal urge to unite and interrelate which is driven by social cooperation and altruism, not isolation, greed and separateness.
Click here to watch the five minute video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g94iWT2SIwI
Allen L Roland
Freelance Alternative Press Online columnist and psychotherapist Allen L Roland is available for comments, interviews, speaking engagements and private consultations ( allen@allenroland.com )
Allen L Roland is a practicing psychotherapist, author and lecturer who also shares a daily political and social commentary on his weblog and website allenroland.com He also guest hosts a monthly national radio show TRUTHTALK on www.conscioustalk.net
Cartoon courtesy of Tom Toles / Washington Post
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