Suddenly, Buy Nothing Day makes sense to mainstream

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/23/BUBETG17L.DTL

KCBS had stories covering Buy Nothing Day

and a book about The Corruption of Consumerism
Benjamin Barber, author of "Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults, and Swallow Citizens Whole," on American capitalism.

More media coverage here:
http://adbusters.org/metas/eco/bnd/news.php

Suddenly, after An Inconvenient Truth etc., Buy Nothing Day makes sense to the mainstream.

In a weak economy, even questions about its impact, which was ridiculed in the past are less evident. I think it may be time to raise the issue of high market and retailers expectations and what would be a non-damaging and sustainable economy with some stability for average workers: more emphasis on simple, basic, durable goods made relatively locally, of a quality that lasted long enough that a higher price was accepted? Didn't we have at least a partial economy sort of like that 60 or so years ago? I remember when people began to decry "planned obsolescence" in the 1950s, particularly in connection with toys and automobiles.

Regret re lost opportunity to stand up

I was analyzing results for a health survey for an eastern North American regional government. My 2 co-workers and I complained vociferously to the survey manager about a standard procedure that was putting young and/or female survey respondents at risk. If the respondent was not at home or did not have time for the long survey, the questionnaire was left for them to be sealed in an envelope for later pickup by the survey field person. But the survey contained sensitive questions about sexual behavior for all respondents in the household over 15 as I recall. From comments of the field personnel, my co-workers found out some fathers had ripped open the envelopes and read their daughters' answers, leading to "dire" consequences for the girls. The manager brusquely cut off the discussion, citing cost and the need to maintain high levels of response. And none of us even escalated it as far as i know. So we do not know if anything was done (possibly other divisions of it were alerted) or what the impact was of the ill-advised procedure. I was sole support to my wife and 2 teen agers on contract in a tight market and felt the manager would fire me if I pursued it. I had been enthusiastic about the project early on, working through Christmas drafting the report outline, but I already felt disheartened re a conflict with the manager over ensuring that the report would have statistically strong useful content, a problem I had encountered in government before with managers who buried or altered my substantive reports because they wanted risk-free, bland results. None of those cases had direct risks of harm to people.

Because I am outspoken at work in government and corporate jobs, I generally have never, aside of this case, had a serious ethical dilemma because people doing questionable things know from the outset not to put me in the loop, And my career has likely underperformed, partly because of that.

The Aleuts - quiet Columbuses

I learned in U of British Columbia in the 60s from a very conventional anthropology professor whose actions and observations may be considered colonial these days , Wilson Duff, about a simple historical fact that really poses yet another devastating question about the myth that America was discovered by Europeans in the 15th century "AD". He was showing artifacts he had "collected" from an ancient site in the Queen Charlottes. There were small Japanese carvings. Wow, I thought, but he was nonchalant. He said there has always been trade of small goods along the entire Pacific rim via the Aleuts. Say what?

So if I am an enterprising ancient Siberian trader, say in 500 BCE, and i had the money and motivation, without sailing across uncharted waters I could easily accompany my bag of trade goods to Mexico. And who is to say it did not happen? Almost certainly, Japanese and other Asian art was influenced by Native American art and vice-verse.

Nobunaga, 3 strikes and why the Iraq war so deadly now?

A speculation as to why the Iraq war has become so deadly:

A Japanese TV drama(dorama) told the story of how Nobunaga, the brilliant, ruthless leader who broke down the Japanese code of chivalry which had prevented anyone from uniting Japan operated. A nobleman received the honorary title "jar breaker" for single handedly running into the courtyard of a castle under siege and breaking the water jar holding the only precious water for the castle. When his story was presented to Nobunaga, he was unimpressed, and humiliated the nobleman by asking the low born but fierce warrior Hideyoshi why breaking the water jar was a mistake. "The castle's eventual fall was assured . Breaking the water jar merely made the defenders fight with more reckless ferocity, causing unnecessary losses for our troops."

Three strikes laws attempt to make the streets safer at enormous human and financial cost, swelling the prison population. While many believe they protect the public, the laws may make police work more hazardous by increasing the number of suspected criminals desperate not to be caught.

The pervasive and accurate perception by Iraqi insurgents that they may be tortured or rendered to unknown, uncontrolled centres where powerful, effective techniques, developed over the last half century by US psychologists, will break them down, may make them fight far more desperately and increase the suicidal ferocity factor, even among fighters not technically suicide bombers. Wouldn't any insurgent rather die than be captured alive under the circumstances?

Now is the time to demonstrate and make waves

If you demonstrated in 2003, if you did not, the opportunity to have an impact now is greater than ever. Politicians and the media have stuck their necks out a bit. They need coaxing encouragement and continued committed visible passion against the direction of the Bush adminstration that they can point to so they can listen a bit less to the legions of pro-war lobbyists enticing them to do less, not to make waves to ensure steady donations to their campaigns and war related jobs for their constituents.

When Nixon resigned, war opposers, even though on the brink of citory on the military industrial complex, population control, the environment and a whole range of fronts instead heaved a sigh of relief, got jobs, got married let up. 4 years later the Reagan revolution was in full swing.

Demonstrate this weekend in Washington, or in labour supported local demonstrations elsewhere write letters get active in your own way, don't get establishment jobs, don't have more kids yet and let the politicians and media and the powerful interests for war and against the planet pushing them not to rock the boat know we are not the pushovers we were back in the mid 70s and they are facing a determined opposition in for the long haul.

GPL 3, Stallman and Torvalds

Recent article asserts that the Novell deal will push some who opposed GPL 3 towards its adoption with its stronger restrictions which would have stymied the Novell Microsoft deal.

I am not really up to speed on all this, but at the 1997 or 98 LinuxWorld in San Jose I attended out of curiosity, both Richard Stallman and Linus Torvalds participated in the panels and at the time, Linus seemed so with it and in tune with the excitement, whereas Stallman seemed stodgy and foreboding, warning the community not to get carried away with corporate and user friendliness buzz.

The years since have borne out RS's warnings in spades, IMHO. What happened at VA Linux and other companies, to me, means that they might have avoided a whole ugly roller coaster and distraction and just slowly and modestly built their businesses in an organic gradual way if they had heeded his warnings.

Stallman's vision and criticisms are more comprehensive and skeptical about doing business and about globalcorporations than most, though not dogmatic; he gave an example in the '98 panel of IBM as a corporation that had taken a helpful approach to free software and Gnu Linux.

Paul Robeson Memorial Fair Trade Border Concerts and Festivals

A concert in memory of Paul Robeson's cross border concert in 1952 which attracted 40,000 to hear the famous Bass who was forbidden in the blacklist era from crossing the border was planned by the Canadian Auto Workers in 2002, though I cannot find an after the fact report.

Now seems an opportune time to plan peaceful cross border music festivals for summer of 2007 at Vancouver, Windsor, Buffalo, San Diego, Tucson, El Paso etc. aimed to push the newly elected more liberal US congress and Canadian Liberal and NDP politicians with a little more wind in their sails, to dismantle NAFTA, GATT and WTO as they exist in favor of a fair trade set of rules. It is one possible action to push the newly resurgent "liberals" in both countries to do something real and lasting in reponse to the expectations of their supporters, something that I think would also consolidate their transient success, as conservatives and Republicans I know have grave doubts about NAFTA etc.. For that reason my suggestion would be to focus solely on trade issues.

Such artists as Michael Franti, Kanye West, Neil Young, Bonnie Raitt, WIllie Nelson come to mind, but surely people willl think of many others. Sponsors could be Global Exchange, Council of Canadians, unions like CAW, etc.

Shouting and persuading

A couple of nice debates
:
Alice Walker at a Code Pink event just before Oct. 5 2006 rallies(paraphrase):

There will be shouting at the upcoming rally, and I can't bear shouting. I know Dennis (Bernstain) says this is a time for shouting. Well some of us are constitutionally built for shouting and some of for persuading. We have to have peace within to make peace outside.

Ghandi's grandson described conversation with Arafat some years ago:

ARUN GANDHI: I told Mr. Arafat, I said, suppose you were to go there and lead this half a million people, men, women and children, in a march to Palestine, and no armaments or anything, just say that we are coming back to live in peace and harmony in our homeland, can the Israelis kill so many people and live with their conscience? I said the whole world would wake up and stop this action.

Getting to test a new generation of weapons.

Many causes of the battle but one outcome is that sponsors of the proxy armies test their new weapons and tactics in a place where their own populace is not at risk, as the opponents did in Spain in the 30s. Thankfully this writer's work is free of charge for now.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/fisk/article1219457.ece

Beautiful, horrible Beirut elegy by Robert Fisk

Posted on Lebanese blogger site. Best of Robert Fisk, sometimes chilling and scary portrait of middle Eastern militants, as he did elsewhere with Arafat, Bin Laden and Dustum, with uncanny ability to describe what it is like for people on the other end of the gunsights, the beauty of the place and the horror of what is happening and has happened. Be sure to read last paragraph and listen to the song.

I like the comment of the (Lebanese?) person who posted it:

At Sunday, July 23, 2006 1:17:27 AM, Hilal Chouman said...

arch.
although i may oppose him in some political opinions, i liked the way he presented the scenes.. as if it is afilm..
i consider it a very nostalgic piece

The other bigger crisis? Amazon drying up fast

With all eyes on the Lebanon crisis, is this the other bigger crisis, like the opening scene in a disaster movie. A second article in The Independent echoes:

"And it comes hard on the heels of a warning by an international group of experts, led by the Eastern Orthodox " pope" Bartholomew, last week that the forest is rapidly approaching a " tipping point" that would lead to its total destruction."

"Studies by the blue-chip Woods Hole Research Centre, carried out in Amazonia, have concluded that the forest cannot withstand more than two consecutive years of drought without breaking down.

Scientists say that this would spread drought into the northern hemisphere, including Britain, and could massively accelerate global warming with incalculable consequences, spinning out of control, a process that might end in the world becoming uninhabitable."

Now what?

While they did not stop the war before it started, the unprecedented demonstrations, protests and criticism laid the groundwork for current skeptical public opinion, even in the US. This is a huge outcome, a major reversal for the conservative tide of the last decades. While shallow, the skepticism is broad and persistent. So, now what? In 1974, when Nixon resigned, the rapid fall of a seemingly unstoppable conservative juggernaut from enormous stupidity and arrogance shocked his critics and left them somewhat flat footed.

More in next post.

Bono edits the Independent for product RED

Strange bedfellows as Bono edits, Condaleeza Rice and Armani contribute to a special edition of Britain's venerable daily The Independent, in support of product RED, a big, slick, largely corporate campaign to donate product profits to fight AIDS in Africa.

First economical fair trade I have seen

Click on above title for World Centric Fair Trade & Eco Store, first aggregation I have seen of credible fair trade organic cotton clothing and biodegradable, compostable utensils and picnic ware at excellent competitive real world prices that I for one can afford. I ordered 4 organic natural unbleached undyed cotton t shirts for about $47 shipped. They arrived in 2 days, The organization threw in a 5th shirt and a note with hand written thanks. The shirts are attractive natural cotton colour, heavy tightly knit high quality; a little too high quality as I prefer lower quality thin loosely knit that breathe a little more, but they will be great after 5 or 10 washings. I have not checked out their chocolate or other recommendations.

So why can't currently active politicians say this

Common sense no currently active American politicians will say: Jimmy Carter on Israel and Palestine. As a Jew, I think a small, vociferous coterie of extremists has usurped the voice of the large number of moderate, liberal or progressive Jews, and politicians currently active in the US have taken the easy cowardly route of not opening up the debate. And double that charge for the mainstream media. There are real issues that need to be thrashed out, like whether Israel can survive if it is anything but aggressive as hell, which is the question most hardliners pose when challenged. I think it can because reduction in the excess retaliatory violence provoked by the aggressive stance could counterbalance risks in carefully considered peace overtures, but what constitutes a credible, effective,just, measured approach to survival?. Or, how can the history of literal and economic colonization by Europe and the West in the Middle East be addressed - a truth commission?

Nature Study: Wikipedia vs. Britannica

KInda been waiting for this study.

4 inaccuracies vs 3 - and we know less breadth in Britannica, though one hopes the study includes science items not in Brittanica. On the other hand the likelihood of out and out hoaxes or rants low in Britannica. But most non-controversial topics very unlikely to attract such abuses, and wikipedia shines on obscure topics where both academics and enthusiasts are happy to have a platform, for example:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotland_in_the_High_Middle_Ages

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Hurling

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitesurfing

Ruining high payout lotteries

A study in the late 80s or early 90s in Ontario said that large payout lotteries had a significant impact in concentrating wealth even further than misguided neo-liberal economic already have. And the Ontario Lotto 649 at that time even limited jackpots to 20 or 30 million. When people win a million dollars the money likely recirculates; when they win 100 million,if they heed professional advice will be setting up offshore accounts etc. so less recirculation. Maybe all the people who make bad investments and throw big parties are more beneficial than "responsible" lottery winners.

Maybe church groups and others opposed to the proliferation of gambling could ruin publicity surrounding high payout lotteries by encouraging large lottery pools which would buy and split lotteries limiting payouts to a million or 100 thousand, donate half the winnings to anti-gambling lobbying, and appoint a spokesperson to speak at the acceptance of the cheques who would point out the problems with gambling.

I am a Jealous G-d

I was thinking about a documentary about Akhenaton and Nefertiti and all the trouble caused by the intolerant strain in the 3 great related monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Akhenaton's reputation in my mind had been as a man ahead of his time. Information that was new to me in the documentary made me think that the greatest argument that Akhenaton and Moses and ultimately the intolerant theme in the 3 great montheistic religions are historically related in their theology was that Akhenaton was an intolerant, fanatical true believer who felt impelled by his theology to force others to believe as he did and close the temples of those who disagreed. The traditional polytheistic priests attempted to erase any evidence of him after his death, because, as well as introducing a new religion which reduced their power, he had fomented a lot of destruction in his god's name.

So I googled "akhenaton intolerance judaism" and wham, I was not alone - Jonathan Kirsch, a book columnist for the LA TImes who writes and lectures widely on biblical topics in 2004 wrote "God against the Gods: the History of the war between Monotheism and Polytheism"


Fascinating discussion and reviews, very relevant to the enormous global problems we face today. Would we all be better off if Akhenaten or Abraham had kept their monotheistic ideas to themselves? Does monotheism hold the seeds of religious intolerance and violence, or is tolerance and kindness also an outgrowth, and if so, why so frequently war and persecution in its name?

Racial undercurrent of much in US editorial

In the Boston Globe, a rare discussion of the catastrophic conflict and the incomplete resolution of it that ended to a large extent when Lincoln was assassinated. Found on Tom Paine.

Hamas election analysis Posted on American branch of Israeli peace group

Leonard Fein discusses Hamas electoral victory.