While Rick Perry, governor of Texas, is a nasty, ignorant piece of work, he certainly tells us something about the Republican cult, Texas politics and maybe the Southern political culture in general. His arrival as still another dismal presidential wannabe also shines a light on all of us at the present time. We have only ourselves to blame if we don't move way beyond this endless, increasingly harmful nonsense.
Building actual resiliency
In the United States and elsewhere there are a lot of reasons to take seriously the development of resilientcommunities. Certainly our collapsing political and economic system offers a couple of reasons, but global climate change and demographic pressure will also likely affect all of us in ways we can only begin to imagine right now.
Transitioning to functioning resilient communities means bringing people together to create community and connection. The resources and expertise however are growing rapidly. In America, as the various systems grind to a halt and the elites attempt to run for cover, we'll soon discover the importance of resiliency, be it in a rural village, a suburban enclave or within the central city. (See U.S. Scrambling to Ease Shortage of Vital Medicine.)
While the elites in the U.S. are increasingly devoid of original thought and are more often than not part of the problem, it pays to keep track of them sometimes. Apparently AIPAC, the influential Israel lobby, enjoys paying for congressional vacations. It seems that some 80 or so politicians headed to Israel for their August recess, perhaps to inspect the infrastructure for the Christian “End Times” festivities. Your Congress at work—and play.
The 12 member “super committee” of the U.S. Congress will, beginning in September, decide what gets cut over the next ten years, while the remaining members of Congress, as expected, can claim it wasn't their fault; their hands were of course tied behind their backs.
According to MapLight these 12 members of the super committee received some $65 million from various interest groups over the past ten years, which of course doesn't mean it was illegal. But it still remains worthwhile to know who gets what and from whom. In our political system it's always about following the money. Your Congress is always at work but not necessarily for you.
The science thing
The word “theory” is seemingly hard to grasp in the United States, especially when it comes to the natural sciences. Governor Rick Perry is not the only one that is confused and befuddled. A guy in a bar may have a “theory” about blond women, but it's not a scientific theory.
Yes, gravity and evolution are actual scientific theories, and it is a fact that the Earth is getting warmer and humans just might have something to do with it. But of course, as Governor Perry has suggested, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the National Science Teachers Association may be involved in a massive conspiracy to fool the people. We only have ourselves to blame if we tolerate this never ending buffoonery.
Sources and additional reading:
Resilient communities
Nuts and Bolts
Additional Reading
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