Debt, Empires, Oligarchs and a More Perfect State — Michael Hudson

 Michael Hudson on Debt, Empires, Oligarchs and a More Perfect State”, July 23, 2023, Michael Hudson delivers some opening remarks and is then engaged in some dialogue with Anastasia Bendebury and Michael Shilo DeLay, Demystifysci, total duration 2hrs 52 minutes at < https://demystifysci.com/blog/2023/7/22/michael-hudson-on-debt-empires-oligarchs-and-a-more-perfect-state >.

~~ recommended by dmorista ~~

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Water, Heat, Storms, Drought and Climate Change. When will Reality begin to Affect the SunBelt

 

In Era of Drought, Phoenix Prepares for a Future Without Colorado River Water”, “Part 4 of 5”, February 7, 2019, Jim Robbins, Yale Environment 360, at < https://e360.yale.edu/features/how-phoenix-is-preparing-for-a-future-without-colorado-river-water >.


The West’s Great River Hits Its Limits: Will the Colorado Run Dry?”, “Part 1 of 5”, January 14, 2019, Jim Robbins, Yale Environment 360, at < https://e360.yale.edu/features/the-wests-great-river-hits-its-limits-will-the-colorado-run-dry >.

~~recommended by dmorista ~~

Monday, August 28, 2023

Disturbing Information About the Environment ~~ dmorista

 Disturbing Information About the Environment

~~ written by dmorista ~~

PHILOSOPHICAL GROUNDINGS - Part I ~~ Collectivist Action

                                             PHILOSOPHICAL GROUNDINGS   

                                                  Part 1

                                      By Collectivist Action



https://youtu.be/ABvhXl0U0Bk?si=L3IAaGPzIXAe2Szg



Imho, We  presently face a world crisis rooted in a contradiction in which the insatiable quest to maximize corporate profits, and the political power that comes with that, are  slowly, and not-so-slowly,  making Planet Earth INHOSPITABLE to life as-we-know-it.


Clearly our entire relationship to the natural world has been distorted and/or breached.


For  conscious and conscientious people this crisis undergirds most of the critical, seemingly intractable social and natural dilemmas we face as a species and should not be taken lightly. If  survival and prosperity, in the short or long term, are important to us, along with maintaining a sustainable environment for future generations, we must harness all of our collective energies to mitigate, if not eliminate,  this existential crisis.


Of course, it may be too late.

However, to refuse to try to resolve this principal planetary contradiction, will certainly doom us to a 6th planetary EXTINCTION,

Actually, it has already begun for some species.


Although we are quintessential beings-of-nature, i.e. an inextricable part of its long evolution, Mother Nature did not cause this  crisis. Rather the dominant economic/political/social organizations of our societies are  the primary source of the problem. She never promised us paradise. If, or when,  humans become extinct, the Earth and other life forms are likely to continue to exist. We need the Earth more than the Earth needs us.


By focusing our attention on the primary source of the problem, many of have come to the inescapable conclusion that the constant accumulation of capital (which we see even in countries which are purportedly non or anticapitalist)) must be ended ASAP. Sooner, rather than later, a massive, collective effort must be made, everywhere humans exist, to establish societies based on satisfying HUMAN NEEDS, e.g., food, shelter, healthcare, communication,  transport and public safety systems,  while dismantling those social systems motivated primarily by HUMAN GREED.


 As difficult as those tasks are,  students of human history recognize that the rule of capital only emerged within the last few hundred years, out  of a million years of human existence. Before and during the rise of capitalism, and before the advent of class-based societies, human societies arose and prospered that were based on sharing vital resources, goods, services and POWER. Civilizations rise and fall.


Nevertheless, no perfect society has ever existed, and probably never will.

Yet, we can do MUCH  better.

We MUST.


Fortunately, all across the world, there are social forces which are actively trying to avert impending extinction by dismantling climate degrading and exploitative social systems. What we call them are not as important as what they actually become and the healthy relationships they generate.


As advocates, activists and organizers,  unequivocally committed to this  daunting mission, here, in the ‘cranium of the Bea$t’, our most urgent tasks are to:


  • Seek UNITY with as many people as  possible, on the planet who express a genuine interest in creating, and recreating societies based on satisfying HUMAN NEEDS


  • Recognize the levels of interest and commitment to this mission, in terms of determining who is willing, and able, to do WHAT & WHERE & HOW & WHY


  • Love.Ain’t.ALL.we.need!


  • KNOW THY ENEMIES


  • Critically  accumulate knowledge and carefully examine ideas, strategies and tactics


  •  Wisely SHARE our limited resources and power


  • While recognizing the importance of utilizing VARIOUS rational and creative theories and practices, REJECT dogmatism, doctrinairism and sectarianism; acknowledging that no book or person or group has all the answers



UNITY WITHOUT UNIFORMITY



           DARE TO STRUGGLE, DARE TO WIN





https://youtu.be/ifKrjldapaY?si=mGtqtXaZ6Q4HlfDC


(To be continued)


Sunday, August 27, 2023

Latest Developments in the Reproductive Healthcare Struggle. Hypocrisy and Fascism led by reactionaries in Texas

1). “Abortion Bans or Democracy — You Can’t Have Both: Controlling people’s bodies requires trashing representative government and violating every individual right”, August 24 2023, Judith Levine, The Intercept, at < https://theintercept.com/2023/08/24/abortion-ban-laws-democracy/ >

2). “The First 'Wrongful Death' Case for Helping a Friend Get an Abortion: The lawsuit’s long game — beyond instilling fear — is establishing fetal personhood, the holy grail of the anti-abortion movement”, April 26 2023, Mary Tuma, The Intercept, at < https://theintercept.com/2023/04/26/abortion-wrongful-death-texas-lawsuit/ >

3). “Texas Says a Fetus Is a Child, Except When a Parent Sues a Negligent Doctor or State Official”, Aug 24, 2023, Dov Fox & Jill Wieber Lens, Slate, at < https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/08/texas-fetus-abortion-malpractice-ken-paxton.html >


4). “Abortion Is So Popular Republicans Are Inventing Conspiracy Theories to Trick Americans Into Voting Against It”, Aug 21, 2023, Christina Cauterucci, Slate, at <https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/08/abortion-votes-republican-plan-trick-transphobia-ohio-wisconsin-michigan.html>

5). “No OB-GYNs left in town: what came after Idaho’s assault on abortion”, Aug 22, 2023, Kathleen McLaughlin, The Guardian, at < https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/22/abortion-idaho-women-rights-healthcare >

6). Agonising delays for women as Dobbs decision worsens OB-GYN shortage: Supreme court ruling on abortion has led to specialists leaving restrictive states, with 36% of counties maternity care deserts”, Aug 22, 2023, Robin Buller, The Guardian, at < https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/22/obgyn-shortage-pregnancy-care-dobbs-abortion >

7). “Abortion, Every Day (8.25.23): Docs challenge South Carolina's definition of 'fetal  heartbeat' ”, Aug 25, 2023, Jessica Valenti, at < https://jessica.substack.com/p/abortion-every-day-82523#details >

~~ recommended by dmorista ~~

Environmental Issues: Displacement of Agricultural Suitability and Human Habitation Zones, from the U.S. Sunbelt, Northwards

 1). “The Great Climate Migration: Climate Change Will Force a New American Migration”, Sept. 15, 2020, Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, at < https://www.propublica.org/article/climate-change-will-force-a-new-american-migration >


2). “Where Will Everyone Go?”, July 23, 2020, Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublicaat < https://features.propublica.org/climate-migration/model-how-climate-refugees-move-across-continents/ >.        


3).  “Will Texas become too hot for humans?”,  June 30, 2023, Sarah Griffiths, BBC, at < https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230630-will-texas-become-too-hot-for-humans >


4). “As the Earth Warms, Duluth Is Looking Pretty Cool”, Apr. 16, 2019, Kendra Pierre-Louis, 1,476 words, The New York Times.


5). “The Great Climate Migration: Climate Change Will Make Parts of the U.S. Uninhabitable. Americans Are Still Moving There”, Nov. 10, 2020, Lucas Waldron & Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, (includes an excellent short video discusses the problems of the SunBelt and its nearly totally autocentric disaster prone major cities), at < https://www.propublica.org/article/climate-change-will-make-parts-of-the-u-s-uninhabitable-americans-are-still-moving-there >


6). "Future of the human climate niche", May 26, 2020, Chi Xu et. al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, vol. 117, no. 21, pp 11350 - 11355, at < file:///C:/Users/Admin/Downloads/Future%20of%20the%20human%20climate%20niche,%20%20Chi%20Xu%20et.%20al.,%20PNAS,%20Oct%2027,%202019.pdf> 

~~ recommended by dmorista ~~

Texas Bounty Hunter Ethos Extended in Attack on Local Blue City Governments

Texas Takes Attacks on Austin to New Level With 'Death Star' Law”, Aug 22, 2023, John Pfaff, Slate, at < https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/08/greg-abbott-texas-attacks-austin-with-death-star.html >

The ‘Death Star’ Bill Is About Kneecapping Democracy in Texas: House Bill 2127 is the culmination of a years-long fight about centralizing power, not protecting small businesses”, July 31, 2023, Gus Bova, Texas Observer, at < https://www.texasobserver.org/death-star-hb-2127-democracy/ >

~~ recommended by dmorista ~~

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Attacks on Free Speech in Build-up to War with China

 

New Cold War on China Brings New McCarthyite Attacks on Free Speech”, Rhania Khalek and Eugene Puryear host discussions with Dr. Ben Becker, Editor-in-Chief of BreakThrough News and Giorgio Cafiero, CEO of Gulf State Analytics, The Freedom Side LIVE, from Breakthrough News, at < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbr9mi_4gmo >.

~~ recommended by dmorista ~~

Monday, August 21, 2023

Abortion as an election winner

 Abortion Wins Elections: The fight to make reproductive rights the centerpiece of the Democratic Party’s 2024 agenda”, “The Body Politic”, Mar. 27, 2023, Rebecca Traister, (writer-at-large for New York Magazine and The Cut), The Cut,                                                                                                                                 at < https://www.thecut.com/article/abortion-democratic-party-2024-elections.html >


Proud purple to angry red: These Florida residents feel unwelcome in 'new' Florida”, August 21, 2023 Tom McLaughlin, USA TODAY NETWORK (Originally published by the Pensacola News Journal), at <https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/proud-purple-to-angry-red-these-florida-residents-feel-unwelcome-in-new-florida/ar-AA1fy4vJ?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=7546c4343dc64216a31ef6ef34b67874&ei=13>

~~ recommended by dmorista ~~

0:01 / 23:29 "Horrendous": Black Men Tortured By White Mississippi Police “Goon Squad” React to Guilty Pleas

 https://youtu.be/4QVbKzYPAKE

~~ recommended by collectivist action ~~