(in the voice of Harry Caray): Hey! What about this?!

Get rid of the centralized government (for most things). It is fat, bloated, and so inefficient that it's leading the charge to our graves. Distribute power so that communities/regions/cities are the masters of their own domain.

Let local governments tax their own people, and have that tax money go right back into the community. The way the world is connected now, it is so easy to move people, share information, and trade goods and services. We don't need a big bureaucracy making decisions, and there are so many benefits to having local government make the decisions. First of all, transparency - you can actually see the lifestyle of your local leaders, have a say in their decisions, and see the effects of decisions. Second, if people know that the money they give the government is the same money that is going back into the community, they will have goodwill towards the government. They will pay taxes (maybe even on under the table transactions) because they know that it's paying for their hospital bills, kid's education, roads being paved and plowed, etc. Third, culture - people get to live the way they want to. Sure, there would be a minimum standard of laws for everyone that protects property and against crime, but other than the important laws, people could determine how they want to live.

This country's infrastructure has been built, and now the centralized government is unnecessary because it is just ripping us off while living the high life and skim the fat for their corporate "real" constituents.

I guess a centralized government is necessary for regulatory bodies - stock market, media, etc. But then again, these bodies aren't doing jack shit. Centralized ownership of the media gives us the same news wherever you go, dissenting points of view are hard to find in the mainstream.

So let's move to what all the right-wing pinheads say they want - a free market (unless they REALLY screw up, then please bail us out). But instead of bailing people out when they make mistakes, let the market dictate where money flow. All the government should be doing is creating the playing field - make the rules and enforce them, but stay out of the game.

There are obviously questions with this, economically is it feasible for example. Well shit, look at the waste. We pay 18 billion for the war in Afghanistan, for what? So we can stop the Taliban? Bullshit. Sure, there is progress, but it's not lasting. Stop the Taliban by cutting off their money - I just heard we need the opium produced there for morphine in our hospitals, so why don't we just pay the farmers directly? But that's getting beside the point.

The point is, we are wasting so much money that we are powerless to stop the flow of, other than in freaking elections to elect leaders who probably aren't going to make enough change. Not only that, but a big chunk of the population is uneducated and gets their political views from 30 second sound bites and marketing style commercials. Either that or they base who they want to lead the country, on what their local leader will do for them. So we end up with impotent minority governments and waste another 1-4 years of country's life. We need to break this system apart.

Chomsky

Good interview with Chomsky about the current state of affairs (neoliberal globalization, the current financial crisis, Latin America, etc.

Link to Chomsky's Z Space page. Articles, interviews, audio, video, blog posts.

Grade 2 Science

What the grade 2s learned today: The water on earth has always been here. The dinosaurs drank it, and all future generations of humans will drink the same water.

This reminds me how human actions run counter to knowledge. I know that if I pollute the water it is harder for the earth to clean it and that I eventually I will have less water to drink and over time this may put the future of mankind in jeopardy. But...... I can't see any instant effects of my actions, so what the heck.

What we are seeing is knowledge superseded by short term gain. Sure, the knowledge is not conscious -I'm not thinking about the fact that polluted water means it becomes more scarce and is not an easily replenished resource- but even if I was thinking about that, I wouldn't care. I wouldn't care because my actions don't matter. It's the classic water and wine story. The problem is, this trait in humans is killing us.

If everyone realized that their actions were everything (which they are, since you can't have a sum without the parts) things could be very different. I've written before about the power of one person changing their choices, but it's worth repeating.

If you can change yourself, you create a standard against which others are forced to compare themselves. Without an example of a better way, it is easy to rest in complacency.

Human actions running counter to knowledge can be found in many areas of life. Health and nutrition; the environment; the kid who knows he'll get in trouble but does it anyway; the educated smoker; the list goes on...

What this amounts to is this: Longevity is not top priority.People say they are afraid of dying, but apparently only of a quick or accidental death. They do not always act in their long-term, overall health's best interests.

Hmmmmm..... what the?

Graham this is who you are fighting re: Palin

Dick Morris on Fox News

Also, a must read review of Newt Ginrich's book.... this guy talks about how Norway runs its country, sounds like there is some good stuff there.

Al Gore on Climate Change (TED talk)

The point he makes about the cap and trade system is excellent, where if the whole world was united in this effort to minimize pollution, corporations would have a legal obligation to maximize profit by decreasing pollution. Thus, the market would be the force of change - seemingly the only way to get bipartisan support for an idea in the U.S.

1. How to Fix the U.S. Economy... Letter from Michael Moore to American citizens

2. (Apparently) Good Documentaries

Canadian Debate

October 2, 2008 - Canadian debate