Schooling the World
Modern (Western) education promulgates practices crafted by the ruling elites to destroy Nature, commit cultural genocide, and brainwash people into becoming materialistic consumers living in controlled urban settings…all to concentrate their power and wealth. This film lays out these truths beautifully.
Luis Lopezllera Mendes Presente!
My dear friend and mentor Luis Lopezllera passed from this life the end of October. Luis was the kindest, gentlest, most positive person I believe I have ever met. We met in Mexico City in 1986 in the aftermath of the Mexico City earthquake through the Partners of the Americas when San Francisco was ‘partnered’ with Mexico City. On that first trip to Mexico, Luis introduced me to the urban slums where masses of poor people were living in makeshift housing on dirt floors. We then worked together on and off over the next few years focusing on my bringing microcomputers and internet access to the NGO community in Mexico and throughout the region.
Luis was a great man, a true realist, a stellar human being. There are very few people you meet in life who are truly humble, largely behind the scenes, doing transformative work. Luis was one of them. Luis had a vision of a better world and he worked tirelessly to achieve it. Through his organization, Promocion del Desarrollo Popular, he had great effect upon many people and movements. If you search on his name, you will get an idea of the scope and reach of his life and work. Example.
Luis you are already now and for a long time to come will be sorely missed. You are present in our hearts and minds.
Fulbright Specialist Award to South Africa
I received a Fulbright Specialist Program grant back in 2017. Under the three year grant I was eligible for up to two assignments during the grant period. My first assignment was to Bolivia. South Africa was scheduled to be my second then COVID-19 struck. I was pleased to hear from Fulbright that the opportunity to go had reopened. #southafrica #pretoria #fulbright #teaching #university
Localization is the Appropriate Response to Climate Chaos
Touring Bolivia giving lectures about localization expressed as ‘ecopueblos’ as a response to climate chaos in an effort to cease migration to the cities. Working with UNDP, the private sector, government, academia and civil society groups. We all need to be on the same page in this effort! #climatechange #environment #climate #climateemergency #globalwarming #climatechaosmitigation #climatechaosadaptation #climatechaosresilience
REVEALED: The “Dark Money” Playbook for Rigging US Elections
Democracy is being destroyed by economism, multilateral treaties, globalization and other forces by omission or commission. Here is an example of blatant willful undermining of democracy. Shameful! #Politics #DarkMoney #HeritageAction
Ending the Greenwashing
On this Earth Day I am posting a link to an online event that was recorded on April 17th as in my opinion it speaks to what this day is supposed to be all about. While some people may have differences with the event sponsoring organization, when it comes to the other than human natural world, I admire their truth telling, as disturbing as it is, and that is why I am sharing it here.
These Self-Decapitating Sea Slugs Can Grow an Entire New Body on The Old Head
Nature is miraculous. The more we learn about our kin, what seems almost supernatural to us, causes wonder and amazement, and gives us pause. In that pause we must consider how little we know about life…really. The tragedy is that we are extincting species that could teach us the greatest lessons of life. If only we could adapt, cease harm, listen, and then emulate. #life #biomimicry #biology #regeneration
COINTELPRO Exposed Golden Anniversary
Today marks the 50th anniversary of when some brave activists broke into FBI offices and shared documents they obtained that described the FBI surveillance program known as COINTELPRO.
Completing the Collapse
We’re living in a perfect storm today when it comes to misinformation, disinformation, and downright ignorance, all of which is accelerating societal collapse. Put the internet together with the effects of neoliberalism upon our educational system, and you have today’s civilization, which is rushing to the precipice.
I recently read an article in the New Yorker about nuclear power, energy supply and use. About how nuclear power is being embraced by so-called environmentalists as a non-polluting energy source. One problem I recognized immediately was the article completely omitted any mention of conservation or efficiency, both of which can offset energy supply. Worse yet, the author made only cursory mention of the nuclear waste storage problem, i.e. failing to talk about the persistence of human-caused radiation and its impacts upon the biological world, much less the ethics around dumping toxic contamination on a future world whose inhabitants have no say. The author, armed with information she no doubt gathered on the internet, decided she knew enough to pen an article on nuclear power. This is frighteningly naive. Actually its worse than that, its downright reckless and irresponsible.
The internet is both a wonderful and horrible resource. I can type in a search term and bring up a breathtaking amount of information. In our fast food, instant gratification society, people are under the impression that by using the internet, you can learn all you need to know in order to make informed decisions. This is a dangerous fallacy. People don’t know what they don’t know. This is especially true when it comes to technology, the pace of which requires ever deepening expertise to grasp and keep up with.
Now more than ever people must question sources of information. Does the author or speaker know what they’re talking about? What are their credentials? Do their arguments make sense? Are they on the payroll of industry or government?
Can ignorance be innocent? Yes. But that is no excuse to not challenge it.