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

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Western oil firms remain as US exits Iraq

Click here to access article by Dahr Jamail from Al Jazeera. 
The end of the US military occupation does not mean Iraqis have full control of their oil.
Surprise, surprise! Okay, so you are not surprised, but this piece provides a good reference to document an example of when more conventional neo-liberal policies do not succeed, the savage dog of imperialism will be unleashed. 

Meanwhile, how are the Iraqis doing? Read "Iraq: A country in shambles" also by Jamail.