Did you not know that you are a Ukrainian? Yes, of course you are. Did you not know that you are an Afghan too? Yes, of course you are. Did you not look into the eyes of that little Ukrainian girl fleeing the bombs hitting her school? Of course you did. Did you not look … More You are a Ukrainian and an Afghan Too.
Yes, Vladimir Putin is universally despised as a ruthless war criminal, too well trained by the KGB, a narcissistic sociopath far more skilled than Trump in the dark arts of genocide and general destruction. Yet, there is so much more to the story. During his reign over the ‘new’ Russia, the West’s strategy of containment … More The War on Ukraine is a War on Planet Earth
It would seem that autocrats are all the same. Just like Trump, Vladimir Putin the barbarian autocrat of Moscow, telegraphs his moves as if they were obviously okay, although he incorporates all sorts of deception trying to justify his aggression. At the same time, the solidarity of the Ukrainians in the face of overwhelming military … More Vladimir the Terrible and Two Kinds of Tyranny
This past Sunday, a post on the Australian site, Crikey Sunday Read reported on a protest called the “Canberra Convoy.” I had not been aware that the Canadian Truckers’ blockade had been replicated ‘down under.’ The thing is, reactionary, racist, and neo-fascist sentiments have become globally contagious. Clearly, social media has ‘enabled’ the contagion of … More Illusions of Freedom and the Contagion of Hate
Henrik Nordborg, who is Programme Director: Renewable Energy and Environmental Technology at OST – Ostschweizer Fachhochschule, Rapperswil, St Gallen, Switzerland, has kindly agreed to allow me to re-post his recent article from Substack.com. It is an excellent assessment of where we stand in relation to our home, the Earth System, and the hubris of human … More NATURE CANNOT BE FOOLED
More and more people are moving closer to an “climate action now” mode today. They realize that the climate crisis really is an emergency. That, after all, is what emergencies are all about—action that people must take now or all is lost. Recognition is the important first step, but it is only the beginning. Many … More What does “Climate Action Now” require of us? Much more than you think.
Kenyan climate activist, Elizabeth Wathuti, presented the moral case for global action to reduce the suffering and chaos that have already taken many lives and visited starvation on millions. The government and corporate delegates to COP26 listened respectfully, and they did nothing.
You cannot change large numbers of people’s beliefs or behaviors by giving them lots of facts and rational arguments, especially when the issue is political. Beliefs and behaviors are deeply rooted in our social relations and commitments to others and to the groups we identify with. Peaceful protests in the streets can certainly get the … More How to Make Climate Action Work
If you knew all the details you might say that we had the road trip from hell over the holidays. Many things happened that were not part of the plan. Never mind the dampening effect of the near-constant rain once we entered California. Never mind the “collateral damage” due to the drunken rage of a … More Hilton Hell and Marriott Madness: Money Trumps Life
Here is a very interesting song expressing our future ansestors’ recognition of where we went wrong.
Robert MacNeil Christie, Author 