Swat Me

The days just keep slipping by me one after another, and every day I say to myself, "What have I done today to help the world?" Each day I try to do a little, including a lot of volunteer work, but it's never enough.

Ten years ago, in October 1997 I was a young thirtysomething idealist who was foolish enough to try and save the world. I had this crazy notion that all you had to do was put ideas in people's minds and then the positive thoughts would spread like wildfire.

But at every turn, and at every attempt, I ran into a big, solid wall. For you see, the SYSTEM does not like change. HUMANS do not like change. HUMANS will NOT change unless their short term comfort and survival is at risk.

The environmental movement and volunteerism in general barely exists. Most people don't want to do anything except cater to themselves. As the world goes down in flames, people play complex denial games with themselves or else rationalize away everything that troubles them. Then, we humans continue on, really doing nothing, except popping lots of medication to extend our lives. None of this really makes sense.

We humans are the lost species of planet Earth. We are lost because we've never been able to find ourselves. We have no long-term goal. Our only goals are comfort, indulgence, self-gratification, and getting lazy and fat. This is the destiny of humankind.

I go through this life and nearly every day there is a new surprise, a new twist, or a new drama. Sometimes the events of the day are good, and other times they are bad.

My body surges with feelings and emotions -- powerful feelings about different things. The feelings are vivid and make me feel alive, but yet the feelings draw me into despair.

Species go extinct, yet the religious zealots don't care. The world is going to hell, much to the excitement of well-dressed Sunday worshipers, who fully expect to be whisked out of their shoes and taken to the land of golden streets, mansions, harps, and cuddly lions.

Humanity, my friend, is going insane, and we are killing the very world that supports us. Yet, each day, there is little that I do or can do. I am just another maggot wiggling around in the garbage of our society. Give me enough time and I'll turn into a fly and maybe I'll harass a few people until someone gets around to swatting me -- and then I'll be a flat, dead, nobody.

A More Perfect Constitution

Okay, this idea comes up a lot: Maybe the reason our country is so screwed up is because our government is BROKEN! I've been hearing this theory since the 1980s, and as you may know from reading my profile, I'm a big fan of the book Give Me Liberty by Gerry Spence, which also addresses this issue.

So, why can't our government do anything about energy independence, global warming, immigration, campaign finance, health care for the poor, reducing the federal debt, and eradicating the special interest influence over Congress? Well, in his book A More Perfect Constitution, author Larry J. Sabato says these things are happening because our government is broken. In his new book, he provides 23 tips for fixing it. These include new term limits, eliminating lifetime appointments for judges, reforming the electoral college, etc...

I do agree that our government is badly broken, but I'm not willing to blame it on the structure so quickly. Rather, I blame it on the soulless, money grubbing, power hungry, shallow, and worthless politicians that we elect. And I think these soulless and worthless do-nothings that make up the U.S. Congress are simply a reflection of the American people.

SMALL WONDER we can't get out of debt, save our environment, and become energy dependent. The bottom line is we don't do these things because we don't WANT TO! We Americans are a bunch of dumbed-down, obese, lazy, do-nothings. So, yeah it's not our government that's broken -- it's the general public. People would rather watch reality TV, read tabloids, and go to their escapist churches rather than deal with the serious issues of the 21st Century.

We are like Rome in the final days. We would rather drink wine, party, and suck toes instead of dealing with the world's problems. And we Americans put into office the same shallow and soulless opportunists that we are.

No, I don't think our government is broken at all. In fact, I think our government is a pretty brilliant piece of work -- our Founding Fathers did a great job. However, our nation's founders probably never anticipated what we would become. We are a disgrace to the flag. We are a disgrace to ourselves.

Look in the mirror, oh fat, lazy, spoiled, complacent American. The country that you so willingly send other people's children to die for is simply the rotted reflection of yourself.

How Do We Break Through?

This past week I've learned about two fascinating movies that follow my own personal themes about "saving the world."

Movie #1

I learned about this first film from a couple of forums I subscribe to:

What a Way To Go: Life at the End

I have not actually seen the flick yet, but I plan to purchase it. However, I did see the trailers and a fascinating interview. Here is a quick summary of the movie:

"What A Way To Go looks head on at our present global predicament, as oil depletion, climate change, species extinction and population overshoot converge in a 'perfect storm' of cataclysmic dimensions. Produced independently by Sally Erickson and Tim Bennett, this personal essay explores the cultural stories and assumptions that have brought us to this point, and provides a larger context for thinking about, and feeling our way through, our global situation."

I should also throw in that they interview many of the top environmental authors of our day, including one of my favorites — Daniel Quinn.

Movie #2

Then, this morning Ray, a friend on my Atlanta Leavers discussion list, announced his new movie:

The Stumbling Block: Killing Creation for the Love of the Creator (Click on THE MOVIE)

This Internet movie tells of one person's escape from his mind-controlling religion. Once he began to do intense reading and research he learned some incredible things about Christianity and prophesy. At the end, he calls for a revolution against the Earth-destroying and soul-destroying Machine. It is a great movie that I wholeheartedly endorse.

Ray calls for everyone to be a "Rebel Monkey," which he defines as:

"Rebel Monkey: n. Any member of the species homo sapiens sapiens who is in full defiance of the stubborn religious stance against evolution, proudly accepting the fact s/he is merely a member of the animal kingdom and rejecting the notion that the human species was meant to own and rule the planet. Many desire to go back to primitive ways of life that worked well for the human species, rather than sticking with the status quo of complicated and over-controlling laws, rules, commandments and religions that have served as a cage for an increasingly hostile mankind, knowing that the ways before were ways that humans evolved and sustained for thousands upon thousands of generations, while the current lifestyle of man is managing to destroy the life on this planet in just ten short millenia."

Ray hits the nail on the head when he talks about the separation from nature and denial of evolution. This, I believe, is one of the root causes behind our civilization's general apathy and disregard for the planet.

A final note ...

I remain puzzled by the indifference or even disdain that most people have for the environment. I find that most people are either ignorant, selfish, or just apathetic about environmental issues. Some people are hoping that someone or something else will "fix it," such as God, technology, or government.

Some people are so busy just trying to "save" themselves and their family — just trying to survive — that they don't have the energy or time to help save the world.

Other people love the environment — the beach, sunsets, the mountains — but they simply don't know HOW or know WHAT to do to save it.

What I hate to hear from people is "that's too political." That is the biggest cop out ever.

Blowing Your Top

Just Who Is Evil?

So, matey, a liberal is ya, eh? An environmentalist too? Surely ye will burn for that!

To all the world, I would like to say that I am extremely proud to be called an "environmentalist" and "liberal." Liberal comes from the Latin word that means FREE, as in free-thinker. As we continually see, the vast majority of the GOP are NO THINKERS. Rupert Murdoch keeps these folks pump up on mindless TV entertainment and hand spun news, turning their brains into mush. Our American education system, a servant to industry, also works to keep the population "dumbed down."

These no-thinkers are a giant clone army, and the men behind the curtain know just how to activate them to get them to the polls to elect more GOP opportunists. The formula is simple: Scream "abortion" or "gay marriage" to get the clone masses worked up and to the voting booths. Talk about electing moral, Christian politicians, who are actually the lapdogs of industry. Sen. Saxby Chambliss and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle are perfect examples of politicians who have exploited this formula. "I AM MORAL" they scream, "ABORTION IS BAD" they shout. Then the mindless masses vote them in, and they, in turn, give the keys of government to the industrialists so that the workers and the environment can be screwed even more.

The puppet masters continually work the fear button to manipulate the masses. First it's the terrorist scare with talk of sleeper cells, then there is the fear-mongering with immigration -- "Run oh ye Right Wingers, for the brown man is going to steal your babies at night" is
their insinuation.

All the while they talk -- and mix -- the love of God and country as they send our young men and women to the killing fields of Iraq, and they secretly perpetuate the war because war is good for the defense industry and international banking cartels.

So call me a LIBERAL and I will feel proud. What a joy it was to run into a group of GOP party members after I had finished protesting against the war rhetoric in 2002. There I was with my sign in hand on the sky bridge at the Cobb Galleria, and there they were -- terrified. For they had never seen a liberal before up close. Their spinmasters had told them that we are evil three-eyed monsters and now, there they were all alone with me. The terror in their eyes was priceless.

Wake up, America, WAKE UP. If you want to see the real enemy, look in the mirror, oh ye Righteous Ones.

Zeitgeist - The Movie

Okay, last week I watched this movie several times. All I can say is "wow."

This is one of the most incredible movies I've ever seen. The flick basically sums up things that I've found on my own from years of research. While Zeitgeist is a complex and powerful video, the one theme that stands out is how our institutions -- religion, government, corporations -- all lie to us and manipulate us. The Big Three institutions also work together to screw us -- the little people, and the world we live in.

As far as religion goes, I can't help but think that everyone would be better off if they didn't turn unproven stories into stated facts. Humans might be less dysfunctional if they shot straight, instead of playing religious mind games with themselves.

In regards to the suggestion that 9/11 was a conspiracy, I don't believe that. Although I'll say that our leaders may have "allowed" it to happen, and once it did happen, they certainly exploited it to the max. They used 9/11 to get us into two wars, and maybe more wars to come.

For me, perhaps the most poignant part of the movie is the last six minutes, where they talk about how we Americans are detached from the environment and how we are intentionally distracted with pop entertainment and "dumbed down" by a U.S. education system that is designed to keep us all ignorant. People like me, who have broken out of the shell and are looking around and going "What the f$*#," well, we will be the first ones to be rounded up and shot.

I do encourage everyone to watch Zeitgeist. If you think it is BS, please share with me the facts to dispute it. I'm checking some of the facts as well.

Global Warming Thoughts

At first I thought the recent column by Robert J. Samuelson was your standard issue tree-hugger bashing article. But the July 25 article, which appeared in The Washington Post, actually has some good points.

Firstly and most importantly, it's almost vain to talk about reducing greenhouse emissions when our human population is skyrocketing. As Samuelson says,

"Even if California achieved its 2020 goal (dubious) and the United States followed (more dubious), population and economic growth elsewhere would overwhelm any emission cuts."

You tell'em, tiger. It's amazing that all these global warming groups talk about compact fluorescent light bulbs and other ways to reduce energy use, but they RARELY mention population. You can get a Prius, insulate your house, give up meat, and install a wind turbine in your front yard, but if you have a bunch of children your savings will be offset -- especially in America where little children are super consumers.

So, I don't want to bore anyone so I'll get right to the chase. Here are three things that Mr. Samuelson says that Congress can do to REALLY help:

• Gradually increase fuel economy standards for new vehicles by at least 15 miles per gallon.
• Raise the gasoline tax over the same period by $1 to $2 a gallon to strengthen the demand for fuel-efficient vehicles and curb driving.
• Eliminate tax subsidies (mainly the mortgage interest rate deduction) for housing, which push Americans toward ever-bigger homes. (Note: If you move to a home 25 percent larger and then increase energy efficiency by 25 percent, you don't save energy).

I especially like the third point, and it's something I hadn't thought about before. Each day, all over America, air conditions are cooling millions of square feet of excess space. Americans have to have their trophy house, "bonus room" and an extra thousand square feet. What an incredible waste of energy. I'll take my modest 1,500-square-foot home any day. I have a few friends and relatives that have huge open spaces over their living rooms. What is the point? Why heat and cool a bunch of space that serves no purpose? That's just nuts.

Okay, you have to read the entire article to understand the last post. You can read it here, at least until they take it down. Now, for the grand hoorah:

"Prius politics is a delusional exercise in public relations that, while not helping the environment, might hurt the economy."

Well said, Robert. You are an all right guy.

The Love of Gun Violence

The strange thing is that I didn't feel much during the recent murders at Virginia Polytechnic. This is the society that everyone wanted — full of handguns and emotionally disturbed people. When you mix those elements together, you get horrible violence.

But I suppose that's what Americans want. So many people say, "Take away our handguns and only criminals will have guns." Well, many criminals STEAL their guns from legitimate owners. And many people get blown away by accidents, domestic rage, etc... So, when you add it all up, I wonder just how many lives are SAVED by making handguns easily accessible to the public.

So, according to today's newspaper, 16,400 people were murdered in the U.S. in 2005. The U.S. fatalities in Iraq are about to hit 4,000 deaths in nearly five years. But in the U.S., that's about how many people are murdered every four months -- most by guns.

Now, I'm not an extremist. I only want to outlaw all handguns, and not hunting or target rifles. And I want to make it harder for people to purchase a rifle.

I am amazed at the obsession people have with "gun rights." In addition to protecting themselves from criminals, folks also say handguns are necessary to protect themselves from their own government.

The funny thing is that the individuals who are the loudest gun rights advocates are typically conservative religious types. How people can reconcile guns and violence with Christianity is beyond me. Jesus said "turn the other cheek" not "reload your weapon." I suppose someone is going to say that Christians have a right to protect themselves. Whatever happened to the humble act of serving as lion food, like in the days of Ancient Rome? How about those Roman soldiers who accepted Christianity, denounced violence, and were executed for their beliefs? Don't believe me, read "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" by Edward Gibbons.

The bottom line is that the United States is a violent nation, and, obviously, many citizens and political leaders like it that way. We live in a country full of rage and hate and mentally sick people, and handguns are everywhere. This is the perfect formula for, well, lots of violence. Yeah, it's weird.

Fog, Smog, Blog

So, really. As I write this Atlanta, GA is in the worst heat wave that I can remember. Temperatures are hitting 100 degrees and a giant dome of smog is sitting over the city. Day or night, the heat is stifling -- it's terrible!

Little humans all around me are hiding in their houses and putting their air conditions in overdrive. The coal burning power plants that surround the city are breaking new megawatt records as they belch more soot into the sky to keep us comfortable. But the pollution only helps to trap the heat -- it's bad for our lungs, and it really only makes us more miserable.

Highway signs are flashing, "Red Air Quality Alert - Carpool, Stay At Home, Fuel Your Car After 6 p.m." Yet, no one really pays attention. I'm just amazed that no one really "gets it" or really cares.

People are still wanting to buy their big dream cars, apparently not realizing or caring that they are making the problem worse. Preachers still drone on about the Second Coming, yet they make no effort to encourage their flock to drive less.

Folks still buy their trophy houses way out in the countryside and make their 40-50 mile commutes to work, not realizing or caring that that they are part of the problem. Individuals still fuel their cars in the middle of the day. The politicians still do nothing about mass transit as the asphalt lobbyists slip another roll of bills into their hands.

All is normal in our overheated, polluted, dying world. No one really knows what time it is, and no one really cares.

What have I learned from this? I have learned that human behavior is very hard to change. We are locked into our habits and WILL NOT modify them for the common good, or our own good. Folks will still get their big car, trophy house, fuel in the daytime, and resist mass transit. And they won't buy low sulfur gas, carpool, or avoid driving.

So, I have a simple message: Those of you who ARE doing things to help combat global warming and air pollution, I respect you. Those who do nothing are simply part of the problem, and I do NOT respect you. Yes, I know your religion says that this is all part of the last days, but YOU created this problem, not God. YOU trashed God's Creation and now you expect God to come make a rescue mission. Well, let me tell you something buster -- your shoes are mine!

Back On Course

After reading the book "Blessed Unrest" for a while I thought I would try to address all social causes. But the euphoria of the book has wore off and I've decided to return to my two life callings: peace and the environment.

In regards to peace, it is an irony that my daughter has announced plans to join the Marines. As a citizen it is my duty to ensure that U.S. political leaders only use the military for defense, and that the current global adventurism won't be continued.

How Big Can You Get?

Yesterday I attended a family reunion at my cousin's house. He and his wife have just purchased a 6,500-square-foot home deep in the countryside. Outside their trophy house was a Ford Expedition. As I left the reunion, I turned back to the massive house and gas-guzzling vehicle, and I said, "The end is near."

Of interest is that my cousin is very religious. It totally amazes me how people can reconcile their worship of Christianity with their worship of Consumerism. To me, the two religions are in vast conflict, but I have found that people simply modify their beliefs to make them fit and feel themselves comfortable. Churches need to come down hard on America's addiction to materialism, yet they don't. Instead, the preachers rant and rave about the cozy "push button" issues like abortion and gay marriage.

So, what's wrong with having a big house and big car? Well, for one it's being wasteful of the Earth's limited energy supplies. Before long, Uncle Sam will be sending my daughter to fight in some oil war. Yes, I know, women don't go into combat, at least not yet.

Okay, my cousin has two children (I applaud him for having a small family). But, really, do four people need an eight bedroom house?

And it is a sprawl house -- building it tore up beautiful countryside to look at and enjoy. And it is a trophy house -- all about power and narcissism. So, where does the Christianity part come in? I mean, doesn't everyone get a mansion in heaven anyway for trillions of years? Can't folks just wait 30-40 years for their mansion, and in the meantime, give their excess money to the poor?

So, I know you will say that I live in a development too. My response to that is:

• I believe there should be People areas and Nature areas. I have no problem with development and construction in settled, urban areas.
• There must be a balance between humans and nature. Why is it necessary to dot the entire countryside with trophy houses?
• Yes, I live in a development too, but it's not in the boonies where I have to drive miles and miles to get anywhere.
  

Not that I'm being self righteous, I just think people should live in smaller, more efficient homes in areas that provide transportation options.

Okay, that is my rant for tonight. The humble, lowly, Goose has spoken.

On Turning 44 ....

Eeeeks! My birthday is in two days. I can't say that I'm "early 40s" anymore. But so what.

As I reflect on my 44 years of existence, the most DRAMATIC thing that strikes me is how little I've changed since I was 15.

What I'm beginning to see is that humans develop their personalities at a young age and really don't change at all. You can say, "Well I can think of people who CHANGED," but what has really happened is those people have discovered who they are.

One of the greatest challenges of life, I have discovered, is that from the moment you are born your family and community try to mold you. As soon as you come into the world, your religion, value system, and even goals are already picked out for you.

You are told to go to college, get married, have kids, drive a nice car, live in the suburbs, be a good Christian, be a loyal Republican, brush your teeth, and wear yuppie clothes from the mall.

Some people conform because it never occurs to them to question the lifestyle of their parents or community. For other people, maybe they really are yuppie robots, so they fit in perfectly. But other humans are trapped in a strange world and try to live a life that gains the acceptance of our parents, church leaders, and community. But we are never truly happy because we don't get to be ourselves.

Some famous lines:

• "Go to college, be successful, make lots of money, and you will be happy."
• "Climb the corporate ladder and you will find contentment."
• "Get married and have lots of kids."
• "Confess your sin and become heterosexual."
• "Be a good Christian, be a good American!"

Already, the mold is made for us, and if we refuse to accept it we are called, a "rebel," "back-slidden," "problem child," "odd ball," and whatever other name people can tag us with.

In America, we are programmed to become materialistic consumption machines. We are told to give our kids a nice Christmas to show our love, and if we don't have the money, we are told to "charge it." At the same time we are told to follow "traditional Christian values," and no one questions if Materialism and Christianity conflict.

"Go to church, get a gun, kill the terrorists, buy lots of stuff at Wal-mart," are all uttered in the same sentence, and we are suppose to say, "Yeah, great idea."

Little Jehovah's Witness kids come knocking at my door dressed in cute suits and dresses, with nicely dressed adults standing behind them. I just want to whisper in their ears, "YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS IF YOU DON'T WANT TO." It is not sowing seeds of rebellion, it's planting seeds of FREEDOM.

It took me much of my life to realize that I just wanted to be me, the little guy I was at age 15. So, seven years ago I just decided to start being me again, and I have loved it. No more ties, no more obsession with materialism, no more trying to impress people, no more faking how righteous or conservative I am, no more phoniness. Just me.

I guess you could say I "came out of the closet" in 1997. The person I found was a pitiful, pathetic wretch. The person had little money, a small house, and an old car. He believed passionately in God, but caught on to the clever, manipulating game of religion. He believed passionately in his country, but started to understand that democracy in America is a farce. He never believed in the corporate institutions, yet he found himself following their mantra of "BUY, CHARGE, SPEND."

The person I found buried under 22 years of social programming wasn't so bad. I'm sure there is something good about him, at least I think so. But what I do know is that this person is relatively happy.

To everyone reading this, I wish to say, "BE WHO YOU ARE." Question the institutions that try to force you into a mold and make you into someone you are not. And most importantly, LEARN TO ACCEPT OTHERS FOR WHO THEY ARE.

A good book to read:



Give Me Liberty, By Gerry Spence

Blessed Unrest

"Blessed Unrest" by Paul Hawken is a book I will probably be blogging about for a long time because it has given me so much clarity. I'm almost finished reading it, but what I can say now is that it is a direct hit on what is currently on my mind and soul.

How can we save the world?

Well, Hawkens says that what we really need to do is reinvent our civilization. The main challenge is how can we modify human behavior to stop screwing the Planet and the millions of underprivileged people who live on it?

He says we actually are taking action, in a million different ways around the world. He points out to the thousands of social justice and environmental organizations that ARE making a difference. He compares them to the body's immune system -- responding to a hostile pathogen.

Now, these are the most profound words that I will ever say:

We humans need to reinvent our relationship with the environment and to one another. That is the secret of our survival and sustainability.

In short, we need to live in such a way that we are not harming people, places, and other creatures. This is hard to do because we are so entrenched in our lifestyles, and we may not realize that each day, in a thousand little ways, we are hurting fellow humans and the Earth. This really hits the nail on the head of what my life's mission is all about. I thank author Paul Hawken so much for giving me this clarity.

Now, to begin the work -- at all levels. We need to continually pressure our institutions from the bottom up. Tomorrow I am going 90 miles away to another town to campaign for a green politician, going door-to-door. I really don't want to do it, but I've been lacking a little courage lately and need to face my fears. Most people, even highly involved activists, don't have the balls to do this. But I think of the people around the world who are risking their lives for their environmental or social cause, and I figure this is the least I can do.

I have to keep in mind that INSTITUTIONS THAT BENEFIT FROM THE STATUS QUO WILL RESIST CHANGE. Of course, the three big institutions in this world are government, religion, and corporations. All three are in urgent need of reform, and, once again, the pressure needs to be applied from below.

As for me, I am just a mass collection of cells. I am no better than my dog, any other living thing, or any other person. Maybe that's what Jesus was trying to tell us, but no one listened. Yeah, right.