Titanic Post

I am relieved that civil rights have been incorporated into our legal system, at least in regard to race. Women’s rights and gay rights also show promise of becoming a part of our legal system. Blacks, women, and gays have always been acutely aware of their status because the culture of elitism never let them forget their place, or lack of place, in society. Everyone assumes that we live in a (white) man’s world. Even poor white men believe they are a privileged part of that world.

If you are a working man or woman (or child) and if you are on the receiving end of work orders and have little or no say about your work, chances are you’re a member of the lower working class of humans. We are most commonly known by the middle and upper classes as rednecks, trailer trash, hillbilly, the great unwashed. We are who the middle-class liberals mean when they talk about violence and racism. They also have us in mind when on the rare occasions they talk about poverty. Of course, we are the source of our own poverty. It is our violent nature plus ignorance and laziness, not to mention our complete lack of morals, that has kept us from climbing the ladder to the exalted middle-class. (more…)

Dear Desert Person,
I have just learned that the new Democratic congress wants to reinstate the draft. I think this is a horrible idea. If this hair-brained scheme comes about, soldiers who want to serve will have to serve with soldiers who don’t want to serve. The draft would be unfair to some people and morale would drop, causing people to resent the government even more than they do now. We will never win in Iraq, if the draft is reinstated.
Worried in Dartmouth

Dear Worried in Dartmouth,
I have personally experienced the devastation and havoc caused by the draft. I had the honor of serving in the Army from 1961 to 1964 in Germany and I found that the most insidious aspect of the draft was in the mixing of classes and cultures. I can only shudder at my memories of being exposed to jazz musicians, country/blues singers, educated people, people who had traveled, atheist people, and people of other religions and political backgrounds. I was never the same after that experience and to this day, I have not recovered my old prejudices.

However, there is no need to worry now. Most members of Congress will vote against this radical idea. Many of them have, or soon will have, children of draftable age, as do many of the influential people who pay for their elections and own their allegiance. They also do not want their friends and neighbors to be subjected to activities that are beneath their social status, such as sweating, eating out of cans, sleeping in tents, or having to actually see the people they destroy.
Sincerely,
Desert Person

This should be taught in all our schools, but isn’t.

The advantages of having a democracy:

• Effective participation
• Equality in voting
• Gaining enlightened understanding
• Exercising final control over agenda
• Inclusion of all adults

What democracy provides:

• Avoiding tyranny
• Essential rights
• General freedom
• Self determination
• Moral autonomy
• Human development
• Protecting essential personal interests
• Political equality
• Peace-seeking
• Prosperity

Requirements of a large scale democracy:

• Elected Officials
• Free, fair, and frequent elections
• Freedom of expression
• Alternative sources of information (a free press)
• Associational autonomy
• Inclusive citizenship

Items lifted from Robert A. Dahl’s “On Democracy”

Sam Smith Progressive Review 

The Associated Press ran a story bemoaning the fact that Europe and Japan are on the cusp of population losses. You’ll read more of this in the future. But as you do, bear two facts in mind:

- Nothing contributes more to global climate change and related problems than population growth. Yet it is rarely mentioned even by the ecologically aware.

- The primary reason for the economic problems associated with population loss is the economic system widely used which depends on ever-growing markets. Conventional capitalism needs population growth and, as a consequence, more global pollution. Again, even progressive economists do not give this the attention it deserves.