Trail Guides
"The highest form of intelligence is to observe without evaluating." – Jiddu Krishnamurti
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Stand With Russia And Ukraine
This war is not between Russia and Ukraine. It’s between the United States and Russia, with the US using Ukrainians as sacrificial foot soldiers. It is a disaster for Ukraine, for Russia, and for all of us. Continue reading
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Tagged propaganda, Russia, sanctions, U.S. imperialism, Ukraine
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Don’t Blame Putin
Invading Ukraine was wrong, but Putin is not a monster. He’s not crazy, and he’s not Hitler. The US-centered empire pushed Russia into a corner and they lashed out. We are not the good guys here. We have a long history of aggressive wars and genocidal crimes and can’t tell anybody else what to do. We must speak and act for peace, not send more weapons to a war zone. Continue reading
Don’t Believe the FDA on New Drugs
They say, ‘Follow the science.’ But to find the truth, you also have to follow the money. Science as reported to the public too often follows the money and not the facts. Because of industry lobbying and patient pressure, it seems drugs have become harder to disapprove, no matter how ineffective and even dangerous. Continue reading
Decolonize the Earth
Colonizers see conquered land as a storehouse of treasures they can exploit, leaving a wasteland behind. To the colonized, land is home, and its long-term health is a top priority. With climate change and mass extinctions, we are all colonized now., Continue reading
Heal the Earth, Heal Ourselves
“In the process of helping earth to heal, we help ourselves. If we see the earth bleeding from the loss of topsoil, biodiversity, or drought and desertification and if we help reclaim or save what is lost, through regeneration of degraded forests, the planet will help us in our self-healing and indeed survival.” – Kenyan environmental hero Wangari Maathai Continue reading
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Tagged Africa, environment, global warming, peace, reforestation, spirituality
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World Bank’s War Against Nature
The World Bank talks about sustainability all the time. But their practice sees economic growth as the answer to all problems. Raise exports, increase GDP, and let Nature take care of herself. Let the global South struggle as their resources are shipped North. We must replace the WB with a Natural Bank that invests in restoring Earth. Continue reading
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Tagged Amazon forest, climate change, economics, export models, globalization, hydroelectric
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Corporations Aren’t People; They’re Super People
Part human, part machine, programmed to profit, devouring the world Photo by Aditya Vyas on Unsplash “I’ll believe corporations are people when Texas executes one.” -Economist Robert Reich In spite of Reich’s disbelief, corporations are people, and a very … Continue reading
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That Time I Actually Helped Someone
Effective help, the kind that enables people to change their lives takes time, patience, focus, and consistent effort. But it can be totally worth it. That’s what I learned from helping my 18 year old neighbor graduate high school. It was a great experience. Continue reading
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Tagged advocacy, friendship, Helping others, motivation, tutoring
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Supply Chains Collapsing: Time to Go Local
The only way to be even partially free of global corporate capitalism is to have food security and productive capacity of our own. This is true of communities as well as countries. We might not have as much stuff, but we wouldn’t have the poverty, isolation, and crime we see now. Some things people can do to build local economies. Continue reading
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Imagining The End Of Capitalism
Capitalism by definition is unsustainable, since it is based on constant change, growth, and progress, always seeking more in a finite world. If there truly were no alternative to it, we must all die, and soon. Fortunately, there are many alternatives both historic and modern. Continue reading