In Search of Real and Meaningful Good Trends

Madame,

Disconnected, over-individualized societies feel more anxious and less safe, and are more prone to fear-mongering.

You may have figured out part of the reason that the French can be known for fattening food, yet aren’t generally fat.  You rarely need an excuse to travel (nor do I!), but you’ve given yourself an enticing one though! :)

Madame, and our readers, already know my position on excessive corporate dominance, and yes, it, along with plutocrat co-dominance and and a self-diverted, meagerly informed, and apathetic public, probably constitute our main problem that drives most others.

How timely you might find Hedges’ latest article on Truthdig, “The Revolutionaries in Our Midst.” (http://www.truthdig.com/report/page3/the_revolutionaries_in_our_midst_20131110) Here’s an excerpt, where a present prisoner of of conscience in America gives some thoughts:

“He insisted he did not see himself as different from prisoners, especially poor prisoners of color, who are in for common crimes, especially drug-related crimes. He said most inmates are political prisoners, caged unjustly by a system of totalitarian capitalism that has snuffed out basic opportunities for democratic dissent and economic survival.”

“’The majority of people in prison did what they had to do to survive,’” he said. ‘Most were poor. They got caught up in the war on drugs, which is how you make money if you are poor. The real reason they get locked in prison for so long is so corporations can continue to make big profits. It is not about justice. I do not draw distinctions between us.’”

Even historians with the long view and political comedians are having a hard time not being down.  On the November 11, 2013 Daily Show, both Doris Kearns Goodwin and Jon Stewart were visibly depressed and discouraged talking about the absence of investigative journalism, the uncaring, uninformed,and  diverted public, the absence of fierce crusading by public officials for what’s right, and how negative emotion is whipped into a voter turnout to punish those few who do do what’s right.

One may hope that this period we are living in is just a negative interlude to positive action, or at least to some resolution.  Doesn’t somebody want to prove Hedges wrong?

Okay, new topic:  Besides the mid-term elections, what do you think will dominate the headlines of 2014?  Or is that idea just quaint anymore, with our constant evolving news cycle and our inability to focus on anything for very long?

There ARE good trends and good news about significant things out there.  The question becomes, are they significant enough?  Perhaps Madame has the superior perspective!

And maybe I’ll find that I should have waited until morning to post. LOL