Category Archives: Economy

A Scary Monster Ruling the World!

Economy, Planet,

This is a strange topic for this holiday season, I know. Well, maybe not. I’m grateful and happy in my solitude on this day. However, it brings me to deep thinking;  world at peace and happy and compasionate humans. We, after all, are the ‘intellegent’ species. We’re in control of not only our destiny, but apparently the world as we know it. If you were to give our species a grade, what would it be?
 
What’s Citizens United got to do with this? Why does it always seem to be bubbling around my mind? Would you happen to know what Citizens United is for? It is a limitation to our choices. It makes it possible for a few to control the masses! Oh, you already know this right? What the heck can we do about it? If you think this is fine and I’ve already turned you off for bringing the topic up on this day, don’t read any further.
 
Bringing up this topic has caused some to pay the ultimate price.  Guess something could go wrong with my Social Security, Medicare, little things like that. Why would they bother? Me, I’m just a tiny fish in the pond. 
 
This is HUGE! In 2010 a Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United vs. FEC case effectively blocked the ability to enact limits on campaign spending and opened the floodgates to the billions of dollars pouring into the election system. Enabling those with access to concentrated wealth to have vastly more influence over our political system than the average American.
Personally, I don’t consider myself to be an ‘average’ American; extraordinary, brilliant, and strong, come to mind. How about you?
 
My thought, those qualifying for government roles should have equal access to platforms; media. Currently, as most of you know, only those with massive amounts of money can be seen and heard. You do see how that might set limitations? How about this, setting legislation providing a sensible answer that levels the field.
 
I’m not the only human who thinks that every qualified individual seeking a government office (not sure if qualifications need to be amended) has equal funding and exposure. How does this work? Well, the money for this would come from the people of the United States and corporate tax (taxed according to levels of income) dollars.
 
Everyone has an equal state in this kind of policy. The media would be required to donate a certain amount of air time to each candidate, with tax dollars paying a portion.
 
We’re all in this together…not just the corporations filling the pockets of politicians!
We can not have a just society as long as the floodgates are open to billions of dollars enabling those with access to concentrated wealth to have vastly more influence over our political system than the rest of us.
 
Americans already bow to consumerism over our air, water, land and wildlife. In the 21st Century, how much more can we sacrifice? Find candidates that support getting rid of Citizens United. A scary monster ruling the world! 
 
Leaving on a positive note.  I ​Pledge allegiance to Earth. Promising to educate others so they may become caretakers of our water, air, land, wildlife, and the unseen life all around and beneath our feet. 

Intrepidly Daring: The Adventure Awaits

Economy, Home, Humans, , , , , , ,

It’s alright to be audacious…as I’ve said before, and, I’ll say it again. Much of what we love has to go! Sad and true. Even with my knowledge, letting go is the hardest thing I’ve ever attempted.

In my heart, I know the class system is unjust and immoral. We’ve been living in a age of imitation for much too long. Humans are as a big baby crawling around the planet with no consciousness or care for what we do.

Words like ‘poor’, ‘poverty’, ‘hunger’, ‘homeless’ must be eliminated from our language. Along with contaminated, poison, adulterated.

I like the word flourish. Let’s face it. We can’t flourish as long as those words exist! Those words define an existence of suffering and strife. Suffering and strife can not be our norm. It totally rubs me the wrong way…thank goodness I’m not alone in this thinking.

Throughout history there have always been those who have said ‘no’ to suffering and strife. I join those ranks. I say no more to the inequality running rampant. I join the long line of woman who fought and died for the right for women to vote and the rank of those who fought and died for civil rights.

Someone has always championed morality and justice for all. This too is the norm. There will always be people who protest injustice! TRump will always ‘protest’ our right to ‘protest’ injustice! Stupid. The rebellion is here! It will never go away!

We’ve always had audacious leaders like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. History is full of those who want to make the lines between the top, middle and bottom go away, or at least blur. Their ideas are not new, they’re just and need to be integrated into our government. We need Foundational Pillars that begin to blur the lines of inequality. We need Well-Being legislation, and less focus on Economic Growth as our only measuring stick for prosperity!

Wild Horses of the Calico Mountains

Animals, Economy, Home, Planet, , , , , , ,

Wild horses of Nevada’s Calico Mountains

The  Calico Mountain Wild Horses. Beautiful. Perfect. Look more closely.  Can you see the terror in their eyes?  Can you see the frozen sweat on their bodies? The hot breath bursting from their lungs? They have been running to stay free and wild. They can not escape the helicopters which track them down and corral them. I can almost hear them say, Where do I go? Why is this thing chasing me? Terrified, screaming and running as fast as they can; their families scattered like the wind.

One hundred years ago an estimated two million mustangs roamed the Western range. Now there are under 35,000. Most ranchers want our Public Lands for their Livestock and want the Government to Stick It to Wild Horses and Taxpayers. Ranchers who graze their cows on federal lands are hellbent on taking wildlife and the public along with them for the ride. The Livestock Industry require more food, water, land, and energy than plants to raise and transport livestock. Cornell University ecologist says the U.S. could feed 800 million people with the grain that livestock eat. Never mind that a single cow, on average, releases 70 to 120 kgs of methane per year. Now, it is important to remember that we’re talking about a single cow. Worldwide, there are approximately 1.5 billion cows and bulls, each emitting that much methane. Where does the methane go? Into our Planetary home’s atmosphere!

“Every time you or I take a bite of beef we are saying, ‘it’s okay to run off these once free wild horses off there land and separate you from your family’.  You don’t matter! It’s okay for us to terrorize you and run you from your home…think about this the next time you order up a Quarter Pounder!”

Doughnut Economics: Planing for Planetary Well-Being!

Earth Talk, Economy, Home, Planet, Wild World, , , , , , , , , , ,

Women (and some enlightened men) are rising up everywhere. The broom is in hand by Wild Women: we’re cleaning up men’s mess! Women are becoming more engaged than ever before in their communities, city, state and national governments!

Now what? What course do we women take? How do we make a sustainable home? And, as Kate Raworth asks, what language do we need to speak to make the changes in the world we want to see? She believes its ‘Economics’. I agree. Kate went to college to become an economist. However, she soon discovered our economy was not rooted in anything she cared about.

How do we create an economy which supports well-being for all? She has an answer: the theory of ‘Doughnut Economics’. Guess what, it turns our current economic system on its head! Which is a very good thing as far as I can see. Good for our Planetary home and all life! Remember the theory of ‘what’s good for the goose is good for the gander’! Same principal.

Looking back to where we come from and how we got here helps us to understand how to plot a more sustainable course. Our centuries of imitation reveal men at the helm. They have knowingly and unknowingly plotted a short-term course, without thought to the repercussions of their plotting.

Women can do better! The roundtable of ‘Doughnut Economics’ offers a plan for well-being for all! And as Kate asks, What if economics were based on human well-being? Let’s each take a journey to the ingenuity of creating well-being for all!

Happy Trails!