REASON
As one who, like the majority of people went along to get along, the ego-busting reality of Climate Change was the catalyst to speak up regardless of consequences. When fracking came to town in Upstate NY and local bureaucrats and politicians bought and paid for by big-money interests began to run so-called news reports over local news channels that were more nearly sales seminars and said individuals shouted their battle cry of “drill baby drill”, the consequences seemed so dire as to eliminate reticence.
At this point, peace, equality and liberty need the same call to action. The action is most effective when non violent.
https://aeon.co/essays/why-virtue-signalling-is-not-just-a-vice-but-an-evolved-tool?utm_source=Aeon+Newsletter&utm_medium=email&&utm_campaign=launchnlbanner —
Loud and public signals are especially effective as establishing common knowledge of a moral norm making sure that everyone knows about the moral norm, that everyone else knows that everyone knows about the moral norm, that everyone knows that everyone knows that everyone knows (and so on). Psychology experiments have demonstrated that common knowledge is a powerful determinant of social behaviour: people are much more likely to coordinate on a joint action when everyone knows that everyone knows that working together will generate good outcomes.In addition to fostering coordination, common knowledge prevents people from hiding behind the veil of plausible deniability. –end of aeon info–
Benjamin Franklin was deeply involved in instituting ideals of our US Constitution. He has left masses of written insight into the genius of inspiration that gave us the possibility of a democratic (small d) Constitutional republic. C-Span has showcased these ideals for anyone interested in informing about the government that is possible when We The People are involved in self governance which is our right and responsibility.
https://www.c-span.org/video/?519103-1/qa-michael-meyer-benjamin-franklins-bet –MARCH 29, 2022
Q&A
Michael Meyer, Benjamin Franklin’s Last Bet
University of Pittsburgh Professor Michael Meyer talked about his book, “Benjamin Franklin’s Last Bet,” on Franklin’s will and his plan to leave 1,000 pounds of sterling each to Philadelphia and Boston to loan to tradesmen interested in starting businesses.–end of c-span info–
Words directly from a Founder of the caliber of Benjamin Franklin are ignored by modern-day politicians bought into positions of power by those who wish to twist ideas of democracy and liberty into capitalism. Capitalism and democracy do not coexist comfortably and in FACT are at odds with each other.
The unique quality of the trades person with the ability of self support seems to be the cornerstone of a democratic (small d) Constitutional republic. This opinion seemed to have been stated by none less than Benjamin Franklin. These qualities appear to be recognized by The Founders for the reason that such citizens are crucial to promotion of a government described in the US Constitution.
To understand the views as expressed by, for example, Benjamin Franklin, raises serious questions about the direction toward autocracy suggested by the hierarchy of the capitalism that has insinuated against democracy in the USA. Several thoughts—*The original system in the USA included Corporate Charter Revocation to provide safeguards for local communities*Over time hierarchy has undermined the power of the public by removing this safeguard*The US system of education seems to have been overrun by such pro-corporate hierarchy to provide training of US children into compliance to commercial interests rather than training into self sufficiency and self reliance*A government that works to support local community members and could provide services such as libraries, postal service, financial services, and a 1-payer comprehensive public health care program instead promotes a Pyramid-Scheme economy that exploits American environment and people for the interest of hierarchy
An argument can be made that this bait-and-switch away from ideals of a democratic (small d) Constitutional republicanism (small r) has been thrust upon the world in the form of imperialism in a way that seems an extension of the historical imperialism of the United Kingdom against which The Founders fought in order to establish a democratic (small d) Constitutional republic. The result is the same today as it was in the 1700’s, with endless war and subjugation of Indigenous People.
On the topic of Indigenous People, Benjamin Franklin seems to have borrowed ideals for self-governance from the Haudenosaunee. –https://www.pbs.org/native-america/blogs/native-voices/how-the-iroquois-great-law-of-peace-shaped-us-democracy/#:~:text=In%201988%2C%20the%20U.S.%20Senate,incorporated%20into%20the%20constitution%20itself.%22 –The Iroquois Confederacy, founded by the Great Peacemaker in 11421, is the oldest living participatory democracy on earth2. In 1988, the U.S. Senate paid tribute with a resolution3 that said, “The confederation of the original 13 colonies into one republic was influenced by the political system developed by the Iroquois Confederacy, as were many of the democratic principles which were incorporated into the constitution itself.”The peoples of the Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Six Nations, refer to themselves as the Haudenosaunee, (pronounced “hoo-dee-noh-SHAW-nee”). It means “peoples of the longhouse,” and refers to their lengthy bark-covered longhouses that housed many families. Theirs was a sophisticated and thriving society of well over 5,000 people when the first European explorers encountered them in the early seventeenth century.–end of pbs info–
The disrespect for these ideals by autocrats attempting to regain the pre-Revolutionary power they wielded is purely European, and too many people have been harmed by this aggression of hierarchy.http://ili.nativeweb.org/sdrm_art.html –When Christopher Columbus first set foot on the white sands of Guanahani island, he performed a ceremony to “take possession” of the land for the king and queen of Spain, acting under the international laws of Western Christendom. Although the story of Columbus’ “discovery” has taken on mythological proportions in most of the Western world, few people are aware that his act of “possession” was based on a religious doctrine now known in history as the Doctrine of Discovery. Even fewer people realize that today – five centuries later – the United States government still uses this archaic Judeo-Christian doctrine to deny the rights of Native American Indians.–end of nativeweb info–
A further reading for those interested in ideas that gave us the US Constitution is The Age Of Reason by Thomas Paine. So many views have been written by The Founders and those of the era of The Revolutionary War, it is difficult to mistake the current hierarchical Establishment whitewashing of these FACTS as anything but indoctrination for self-interest.
https://www.facebook.com/austinft/posts/4902772149777616 –This should be CIVICS 101. George Bellamy – the author of the original pledge was a Christian socialist who “championed ‘the rights of working people and the equal distribution of economic resources, which he believed was inherent in the teachings of Jesus.'” –end of facebook post—-
Not only has the notion of a democratic (small d) Constitutional republic been whitewashed, so seems to be genuine religious manifestation—–https://www.gutenberg.org/files/43302/43302-h/43302-h.htm — Russian author Leo Tolstoi is said to have inspired such people as Gandhi and MLK, Jr. . Tolstoi is said to have been inspired by American Quakers. The message of nonviolence permeates these thinkers and challenge the militarism that infiltrates the USA in 2022.
It’s probably not a coincident that The Founders warned against involvement by the USA in foreign conflicts. One would imagine the same would apply to USA stirring of pots in foreign nations into war.
We hear pro-war bureaucrats and politicians identifying war criminal from other nations as though there is a way to wage war without crime. The best defense is a good offense in this case.
From popularresistance — https://mailchi.mp/popularresistance/p8uuba4ck8?e=1b0a9c0541 —
NATO Sets Out Its Strategy For Even More Military Build-Up
Italian Students Are Rising Up Against Exploitation
Medicare For All Is Not Enough
Amid Rolling Blackouts, Energy Workers Fight For Clean Public Power
Tallahassee: A Betrayal Of Black People By Black Politicians
The Red Scare
–end of popularresistance info–
An honest beginning to adherence to ideals of The Founders would be to reinstate Corporate-Charter Revocation ability and to rescind Citizens United. Talk to your legislators.
Speech is still Free. We can use it.
———————–We can do better———-