We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Saturday, August 6, 2011

A model for the world: Iceland's loud 'No'

Click here to access article by Silla Sigurgeirsdóttir and Robert H. Wade from Voltaire.

 Learn how a small group of people in Iceland gradually gained "ownership" over so much wealth, and gained control of Iceland by their collusion with neo-liberal forces in the world.
There is a direct line of descent from the quasi-feudal power structures of the 19th century to the modernised Icelandic capitalism of the later 20th century, when a bloc of 14 families, popularly known as The Octopus, were the economic and political ruling elite. The Octopus controlled imports, transport, banking, insurance, fishing and supplies to the Nato base and provided most top politicians.
But Icelanders are not fools, nor do they wish to become neo-liberal slaves--they are fighting back!