To the Love

Still, few understand it is they who must change; it is the American Life-style that is the culprit and it is the American individual that is the promise and hope, but only through individual actions. I don't mean we are each one, alone and must isolate ourselves, to the contrary. We must take individual action and do so in the thick of our culture with encouragement and a clear message: This system is rotten, completely, and we must grow a new one from the roots.

Recycling

There was a time when the call for conservation was a three-part harmony: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. This is a hierarchy,based on effective conservation. The options to rearrange, or drop a step are not available; anything less is waste.

Today, after 30 years, recycling is common even if not practiced by everyone. what happened to step one? Why did we single out recycling? One might think it to be the most effective step of the "Three R's" but in fact it is the least. To recycle a bag, bottle, or other disposable product requires lots of transportation and processing, which is, despite the reason to recycle in the first place, highly consumptive in nature. And before we can boast the energy savings and reduction in pollution associated with making grocery bags, aluminum cans and plastic bottles out of recycled materials we must face the fact that these products are designed to be used once and sent back through the recycling process. This is not conservation but a clearly capitalistically motivated process.

Nothing is wrong with capitalism just as nothing is wrong with Communism or any other social system, they are tools for organizing and carrying out society. As tools, it is the manor in which they are wielded that can be scrutinized and deemed workable or otherwise. This form of capitalism is beneficial only to the rich, the rest of us are forced to work the majority of our lives for reasons presented under false pretences. IF there was truth to this system, why would a football player make more money that a school teacher/college professor/doctor? Why would parents be forced to leave their children at very early ages to people, who among other things, do not love the child? Yes, all arguments are ended when we look at education and the dwindling investment our country makes to the future of our children.

You can't send your taxes to the same people that buy bombs to solve problems and expect them to take education seriously. You must not take my word for it, you must look for yourself. Try calling your local government office and ask questions about important issues. Follow that up with your own research, like when you were in college, that's to say work for knowledge. I would be interested to know if you received that same prefabricated, highly calculated response that sheds no new light on already grossly neglected issues.

All arguments stop when we look at the treatment of information. From the media (yes, even NPR and John Stewart) to the EPA, and all other official channels of information there is a lack of factual information. Spin has become the focus and the quality of information has become sacrificial in the name of continuity; keep'em working. The product of all of this is apathy, and the result of that is continued increase in the severity of issues. The house is on fire, and your in the kitchen trying to get the dishes done before the fire department comes over. Don't forget to vacuum the living room.

Peace and Love are actions; Be the change