[Iowa-dx] Fwd: Guest Article for Women for Peace and Green Party

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 09:59:18 EST

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=20
Thanks for the suggestion Ronald.
=20
 I'll have my six year old granddaughter do the  cartoon so that it does not=
=20
go over the heads of the general  audience out there.
=20
Your mean the brain dead Repbublicrats?   That single party  system of=20
state/corporate kleptocracy?
For those few intellectuals still breathing out there, I'm sure that at =20
least you few know the dictionary definition of  fascism  (the merger of sta=
te and=20
corporate  interests).
=20
Critical thinking, intelligent analysis and thoughtful public  discourse are=
=20
now considered radical rather than simply rational.
=20
For some reason, I cannot stop thinking and questioning even though I'm =20
supposed to do just that to be a compliant resident in USA/2008.
=20
--Michael Richards
=20
=20
In a message dated 2/19/2008 7:27:41 P.M. Central Standard Time, =20
greenpartyron@activist.com writes:

This is FAR too intellectual for today's Democrats and Republicans
and listeners to National Propaganda Radio (NPR) and Iowa
Propaganda Radio.  Perhaps, could this be made into a cartoon?
   <blink> <blink>

Ronald Kinum a.k.a. Libris Fidelis
Iowa City, Iowa

-----  Original Message -----
From: iagp-cochair@usa.net
To: "Iowa Greens  Discussion List"=20
Subject: [Iowa-dx] Fwd: Guest  Article for Women for Peace and Green Party
Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2008  10:40:22 -0600

------ Original Message ------=20
Received: Sat,  16 Feb 2008 11:13:48 PM CST=20
From: Soyawax@aol.com=20
To:  peacenik@usa.net=20
Subject: Guest Article for Women for Peace  and Green Party=20

=20
=20
=20
=20
=20
A Guest Article to freely share and publish;=20
=20
=20
=20
=20
=20
Connecting the Dots;  The Pervasive Economic Infrastructure of War=20

I applaud the efforts of  individuals and organizations in our community tha=
t=20
are taking a courageous  stand against international war and the domestic=20
destruction of civil  liberties in our present political milieu. Marching,=20
candlelight vigils, and  public demonstrations to support our troops by remo=
ving=20
them from harm's way  can be a first step, but without also working on deep=20
systemic  change, such efforts will prove to be fruitless on their own. Afte=
r each =20
major war ends, most marchers go home and the economic infrastructure's =20
march to the very next war continues unabated. This will only change by  cha=
nging=20
the pervasive economic infrastructure of war and  militarism.=20

It is important for all of us  to do two things;=20

=20

1. to educate  ourselves and each other about the economic realities that=20
have fostered war  during all of recorded human history. Every war is a reso=
urce=20
war from a  drug turf war in a ghetto to an oil grabbing global Armageddon.=20=
=20

2. to "opt out" of the  pervasive economic structures of war and "Empire" .=20
We can start in our own  communities to create alternative sustainable life=20
support systems that we  will build in place of Empire and the=20
military-industrial/petro-chemical  complex.=20

We have the opportunity to be  the first generation of civilized human=20
beings. To claim that our present  society that's based on violence and war=20=
is=20
anything less than savage is a  mass denial of reality.=20

To make systemic change is not  easy. It took the human species ten thousand=
=20
years to get to our present  dead-end quagmire of endless war and Empire=20
building It will take one  generation to turn around and go in a new directi=
on. The=20
word revolution  simply means "turn around". We must realize that the presen=
t=20
structures of  Empire that operate the "military-industrial complex" have=20
been built up  progressively by Western Civilization over the last ten thous=
and=20
years. What  we now call "national defense" is actually making our world muc=
h=20
more  dangerous and unstable. As a result, our homeland is insecure.=20
Intelligent  methods of non-violent conflict resolution are a necessity to b=
uild a sane,=20
 stable and sustainable society. War must become obsolete for the human race=
 =20
to avoid becoming obsolete on this planet.=20

Our long march to our  present stage in Human History of climate chaos,=20
global war, resource  depletion and environmental degradation has literally=20=
been a=20
ten thousand  year journey. We are now at the crossroads; do you want your=20
children and  grandchildren to survive? If so, then you must commit to drama=
tic=20
systemic  change during our present generation. We have 20 years to activate=
 a=20
global  paradigm shift to a sustainable society. With global climate crisis=20=
on=20
 the horizon there are no second chances this time. This is the moment  of=20
truth in the human drama.=20

At this stage, the USA sits at  the Pinnacle of Empire. More than 60% of our=
=20
public funds go to support the  economic war machine. We must realize how=20
pervasive the economic structures  of the military industrial complex have b=
ecome=20
in every city and state. Here  in my home town of Cedar Rapids, Iowa the=20
single largest employer, Rockwell  Collins is hard wired into the military=20
industrial complex. A huge portion,  if not the majority of Rockwell Collins=
 contract=20
work is for military  purposes. The other Rockwell contracts are for the=20
commercial airline  industry, an industry with one of the single largest car=
bon=20
footprints on  earth.=20

You cannot say that you are  against war and global climate chaos without=20
connecting the dots to see how  those dots trace a path right to our own fro=
nt=20
door in our own home towns.  This is in no way to point the finger at a comp=
any=20
such as Rockwell... they  are only one single participant in the 10,000 year=
=20
march of the history of  Empire that every one in Western Civilization has b=
een=20
engaged in. In the  USA where each one of us consumes 32 times the energy an=
d=20
resources as the  average citizens in the world, we are all equally=20
responsible for the  dead end we now face with global warming and resource d=
epletion. =20

I only cite the example of  Rockwell Collins, because as the largest employe=
r=20
in my home city, it  perfectly illustrates the pervasive economic=20
infrastructure of war,  militarism and empire building. During a paradigm sh=
ift, we must=20
all realize; "God forgive us, for we  no not what we do." In a time of=20
paradigm shift, what seemed right before  can be totally wrong now, as we mu=
st face=20
the need for radical  change. The stockholders, management and staff of=20
companies such as Rockwell  Collins want their children and grandchildren to=
 survive=20
just as much as the  rest of us. In fact, companies that have the intellectu=
al=20
and human capital  such as Rockwell Collins can retool to provide the=20
knowledge and capacity to  build the sustainable systems of a new "Post Empi=
re"=20
culture. We have one  generation to create a post-Empire, new sustainable ec=
onomy.=20

Even Iowa agriculture has  become one more appendage of the Mi
litary/Industrial Complex.=20
The  agricultural research legacy of Iowan Henry Wallace of Pioneer is now=20
owned  by Du Pont Corporation of Delaware that has the history of Vietnam na=
palm=20
 and a century of war profiteering to its credit. The  agricultural know how=
=20
and legacy of the Holden family of Williamsburg, Iowa  is now owned by=20
Monsanto of St. Louis that gave the world environmental  disasters such as A=
gent=20
Orange,  DDT, Bovine Growth Hormones, GMO=E2=80=99s and PCB=E2=80=99s. Cargi=
ll  started in Iowa,=20
but now controls a massive global reach from Minnesota.  ADM is a huge=20
Illinois company. Quaker Oats is  owned by Pepsi of New York. Iowans are tos=
sed a few=20
bones as  crop sales, salaries and local operating expenses, while the big=20
guys haul  the big bucks out of Iowa.=20

=20
Agriculture has become very consolidated. The majority  of economic control=20
of Iowa Ag is vested with a few multi-national Empire  builders that are=20
headquartered outside of Iowa. Profits are  deposited in East Coast banks, n=
ot in=20
locally owned Iowa institutions. This  seriously drains Iowa capital. Out of=
=20
state companies are subsidized with  your tax dollars. You are paying twice;=
 with=20
skyrocketing prices  for food and energy and with your hard earned tax=20
dollars. Each bioregion  must re-localize our economy. =20
We have one generation to  create a post-Empire, sustainable agriculture=20
before we destroy our own land  and water base. Not one single "empire" has=20
survived in human history. Many  collapse as they destroy their own ecosyste=
ms.=20
Iowans must evaluate the direction our agriculture is headed. Soil  and wate=
r is=20
damaged as we export the majority of agricultural value out of  state.=20
Economics is simply the exchange of energy. With a cost of 10  petro-chemica=
l calories=20
to net 1 calorie of food energy, Iowa agriculture is  totally unsustainable.=
=20
Since our  agriculture is controlled by out of state empire builders, as we=20
evaluate  the total structure of Iowa Agricultural Economics, as a collectiv=
e =20
citizenry, Iowans are now relegated to a powerless "tenant farmer" status in=
 =20
our own home state. A vital democracy only works when active citizens  contr=
ol=20
access to their own food, energy and resources. Iowa needs  intelligent=20
economic development way beyond petroleum, pigs,  prisons and poker! A reali=
ty=20
based economic science must include the long  term environmental and social=20=
costs=20
of any economic activity. Local farmers  can best protect our land as they n=
ow=20
wake up and reclaim control of Iowa  agriculture.  =20
The Leopold  Center at ISU, Practical Farmers of Iowa and Iowa Network for=20
Community  Agriculture are  bringing Iowa=E2=80=99s ag economy back home. A=20=
shift to =20
local food production will capture the $4 billion  dollars that Iowans spend=
 to=20
purchase food from out of state  each year. This economic shift should now b=
e=20
our #1 objective for  state economic development. An economy based on local=20=
=20
self-reliance can ride the waves of global change that are now hitting our =20
economy hard. Act now while you still  can. =20
The issues  of political self-determination, peace, social justice, global=20
warming and  the environment all connect within one whole system in a =20
sustainable economy. Our present linear/industrial economic  model is the ca=
usal root=20
of deep-seated systemic economic and environmental  problems. All ecological=
=20
systems become healthier with increasing diversity.  Iowa agriculture now=20
depletes diversity. Solutions will be provided  by working together as an=20
intelligent community to build reality based  ecological-economic structures=
. Ecology=20
and economy share the same root  word; Eco simply means "home". Ecology is =20=
the=20
study of our home environment. Economics, is about managing the  resources o=
f=20
our "home". Our shared home is planet Earth. There is only one  living=20
biosphere.  =20
=20
Author Kurt  Vonnegut suggested that we all "improve out own small corner of=
=20
the  universe." In our small neighborhood; Oakhill/New Bohemia in Cedar Rapi=
ds=20
we  are taking steps to build an urban sustainable village. Obesity and=20
diabetes  from commodity based, processed food results in billions of dollar=
s of =20
disease care costs that hit low income people hardest. Instead  of handing o=
ut=20
USDA commodity foods to low income families,  were distributing fresh produc=
e=20
and seeds and teaching families how to grow  real food in the our neighborho=
od=20
in the central core/lowest income area of  Cedar Rapids. This type of effort=
=20
can take place in any community. I invite  you to join in with this timely=20
work. Building the paradigm of a sustainable global  society begins in each=20=
of=20
our own  backyards. =20

=E2=80=9Cguest  column=E2=80=9D submitted  by; Michael Richards, 1029 Third=20=
St.S.E. Cedar=20
Rapids  52401 =20
Richards  is the founder of Sustainable Ecological Economic Development=20
(S.E.E.D.) He  serves as the President of the Oakhill Jackson Neigborhood AS=
SN.=20
Richards is  the inventor of soy wax replacements for petroleum wax and is=20
President of  Soyawax International. His book, SUSTAINABLE OPERATING SYSTEMS=
/The =20
Post Petrol Paradigm, published in 2007 is available at Amazon.  Contact=20
#319-213-2051, or e mail at: Postpetrol @ aol.com  =20

=20
____________________________________
 Delicious ideas to please the pickiest eaters. _Watch the video on AOL=20
Living._=20
(http://living.aol.com/video/how-to-please-your-picky-eater/rachel-campos-du=
ffy/2050827?NCID=3Daolcmp00300000002598) =20

_______________________________________________=20
Iowa-dx mailing list Iowa-dx@lists.gp-us.org=20
_http://lists.gp-us.org/mailman/listinfo/iowa-dx_ (http://lists.gp-us.org/ma=
ilman/listinfo/iowa-dx) =20
Iowa Green Party=20

-- =20
Want an e-mail address like mine?=20

Get a free e-mail  account today at _www.mail.com_=20
(http://www.mail.com/Product.aspx) !=20

=20
In a message dated 2/19/2008 7:27:41 P.M. Central Standard Time, =20
greenpartyron@activist.com writes:

This is FAR too intellectual for today's Democrats and Republicans
and listeners to National Propaganda Radio (NPR) and Iowa
Propaganda Radio.  Perhaps, could this be made into a cartoon?
   <blink> <blink>

Ronald Kinum a.k.a. Libris Fidelis
Iowa City, Iowa

-----  Original Message -----
From: iagp-cochair@usa.net
To: "Iowa Greens  Discussion List"=20
Subject: [Iowa-dx] Fwd: Guest  Article for Women for Peace and Green Party
Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2008  10:40:22 -0600

------ Original Message ------=20
Received: Sat,  16 Feb 2008 11:13:48 PM CST=20
From: Soyawax@aol.com=20
To:  peacenik@usa.net=20
Subject: Guest Article for Women for Peace  and Green Party=20

=20
=20
=20
=20
=20
A Guest Article to freely share and publish;=20
=20
=20
=20
=20
=20
Connecting the Dots;  The Pervasive Economic Infrastructure of War=20

I applaud the efforts of  individuals and organizations in our community tha=
t=20
are taking a courageous  stand against international war and the domestic=20
destruction of civil  liberties in our present political milieu. Marching,=20
candlelight vigils, and  public demonstrations to support our troops by remo=
ving=20
them from harm's way  can be a first step, but without also working on deep=20
systemic  change, such efforts will prove to be fruitless on their own. Afte=
r each =20
major war ends, most marchers go home and the economic infrastructure's =20
march to the very next war continues unabated. This will only change by  cha=
nging=20
the pervasive economic infrastructure of war and  militarism.=20

It is important for all of us  to do two things;=20

=20