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

Thursday, October 18, 2012

NATO packs it in; Turkey on the verge of a nervous breakdown

Click here to access article by Thierry Meyssan from Voltaire Network
...the signs of Western retreat from Syria are multiplying. The influx of Western arms and combatants is drying up except for the ongoing transfers funded by Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
The author describes the cynical use of various terrorist groups by agents of the Empire, mostly Turkey and the Gulf monarchies, to destabilize Syria; and argues that they are all headed for defeat. It is a bit much to hope for, but he assembles some very cogent arguments. 

Meanwhile, what is to become of Syrian and other Mid-East activists who genuinely wanted more democratic reforms? These latest Empire adventures into Libya and Syria may represent a real tipping point from which we will see a decline in imperialism. But, what is really needed is a powerful new ideology that supports the formation of bottom-up, inclusive democratic societies.