2.5
March 15, 2011

“America is not Broke.” ~ David Telfer McConaghay

Photo: Brett Hoven

Friends, please pay attention.

To the video below, yes, but more than that.

(Oh, this is just a bonus; scroll down for the more important viewing)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tR91q59gFo

The Time is now for heightened vigilance.
There is little occasion for distraction or apathy.

Photo: Patrick Finnegan

There is an abundance of misinformation out there, oozing from your TV and scattered all around the interweb. It is all too easy to stumble upon subtly falsified sources of fear, all too easy to find nefariously tweaked editions of reality being foisted on the (somehow still) unsuspecting public.

One of the most common myths is that of scarcity, the grand-scale deception named ‘overpopulation’. I call B.S.

We live on a supremely abundant planet, with each and every individual born to an Earth Mother whose sole destiny is to shower us with blessings. Hmm, a crispy apple comes to mind. Avocados.

I will say this more plainly: there is no shortage of resources. The potential exists for every person on the planet to live their life free from fear of hunger or pollution (environmental, emotional or otherwise).

Allow me to insist that global peace and prosperity is an entirely plausible scenario; there is nothing radical about such a thought. The noble application of technologies already in existence but purposefully suppressed, combined with a child’s sense of right & wrong could, would and surely will yield unending abundance for all, with plenty of space to play and grow safely.

The primary issue is distribution. And without going all global geo-political conspiracy theory on you, can we agree that the free and fair distribution of resources hinges on the existence — or lack — of the most basic, humanitarian morality?

That is, can we cultivate the collective understanding that we are one human family, and thereby agree that not a single member (much less the vast multitudinous majority) of that family should be made to suffer unnecessarily in exchange for the exorbitant comfort of a few others?

And yet, this is how it works. “400 obscenely rich people… now have as much loot, stock and property as the assets of 155 million Americans combined” (MM). This is shameful to the highest degree. Everybody knows it’s corrupt. And yet, it continues…

I’ve ranted on this before, but I will ask again: How difficult are these decisions? Place yourself in the shoes of a world leader, and imagine you are asked to choose between mass starvation due to your continued hoarding of resources, or, accept a reduction in your personal net worth in exchange for increased equality and sharing of essential resources.

How long do you need to think about this?

The problem is obvious; the solution, not so much. Yes I know, there are roadblocks. However, we must start with the common recognition that the current system (meme, if you will) is highly dysfunctional. As Michael Moore so passionately points out, we want to once again be “the United States of America, not the Corporate States of America.”

The United States of America. The United States of America. The United States of America.

Let us begin with enough self-respect to see that the way things are are not the way things necessarily must be.
Let us go beyond hope and truly embody the knowledge that we deserve rich, fulfilling lives, and nothing less.
Let us stand together, unmoving in the conviction that healthy food, clean water, suitable shelter, and guided access to humanity’s complete wealth of knowledge are included among the fundamental, inalienable rights of every person born on this planet.
And know that this is not actually very difficult to achieve!

Believe it! In fact, I imagine it will be far easier to live as I’ve just described than it is now, as we slave to pay for precious petrol-gas, and then give back half our income in tax while scraping by to buy GMO corn-syrup poison for our dearly beloved.

Won’t it be effortless to be generous when you are no longer besieged but only supported on all sides by loving family? It’s so easy to give freely when you know there’s always more where that came from, already on the way to you.

These are seriously simple concepts — practical, too — though not from within the imposed scarcity paradigm. Thank Heaven it’s only an illusion, ready to dissolve — indeed, already dissolving before our very eyes. Can we stay calm amidst the drama?

What would happen if world leaders all spontaneously altered their behavior to align with these simplest of humanitarian principles?
What would happen if the imagined amounts in various bank accounts became moot?
If the hoarding of wealth was entirely off the table, and our leaders felt called to act with the sole intention of improving the lot of all humanity?
How rapidly would the state of our agreed-upon reality change?

The essence of this mode of behavior was concisely stated a while back, by a truly divine man in whom many current “leaders” publicly profess their sadly (I have to say it) perverted faith — Jesus of Nazareth advised that we simply: “Love thy neighbor.”

That’s it; that’s everything, right there.
Maybe, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
The Golden Rule. That’ll do too.

What else do we need to know?

Can we start now?

What if?

This cannot become a blame game, for that is equally as self-defeating as our unwitting submission has been until now. Until now… If we are to demand it of “them,” we must first bring it forth from within, no?

Remember, the only appropriate response to callous, inhumane hate is unconditional Love. The time is now for vigilance, yes, but also radical non-violence. Remember, Mahatma Gandhi showed us beyond a doubt how “non-violence is a weapon of the strong.”

So just for fun, let’s assume we are already so empowered…
Are you visualizing this with me?

What would happen? Because I’m curious, I’m asking…
(please, respond with your comments. somebody, anybody, everybody!)

Enough out of me. Here is Michael Moore’s inspiring speech from 5 March, 2011, in Madison, Wisconsin:

Here is the link to his explanatory note entitled, “How I Got to Madison, Wisconsin”

For more, see What Democracy Looks Like according to one inspired/inspiring Wisconsinite farmer.

America isn’t broke. The only thing that’s broke is the moral compass of its leaders. And we aim to fix that compass, and steer the ship ourselves from this point on. (MM)

Clearly hear the clarion call…
Avocados for One! Avocados for All!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________


David Telfer McConaghay was born on planet Earth. Since that fateful first day of Spring in ’86, he has wandered across its surface in search of something which, when found, kindly insists that he continue searching. His immediate family lives in Minneapolis, MN, though he also feels at home in Washington D.C.; Grass Valley, CA; Bogotá, Colombia; and now, almost Boulder, CO. He completed his B.A. in English & Creative Writing at The George Washington University in 2008. The Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm (Vrindavan of the West) is the primary source of any yogic inspiration David aka Sri Nivasa may express. He plays on Facebook HERE.

Read 8 Comments and Reply
X

Read 8 comments and reply

Top Contributors Latest

Elephant journal  |  Contribution: 1,375,490