I recently finished reading an excellent book, Reason: Why Liberals will win the Battle for America by Robert Reich. Normally I do not openly write about books I have read, but for some books I feel the need to let people know just how good they are. This is one of those books.
It is an incredibly well thought out look at the history of the Liberal tradition in America, as well as its current dormant state. The book breaks down how, over the last 30 years, radical conservatives have steadily pulled the media and government ever rightward in their constant crusade to the world to live as they see fit. Reich lays out the actions and ideals that will allow the American people to retake their country from a close-minded and terrified minority.
His main point, which I completely agree with, is that the Left has become scattered and beaten back. Afraid to fight back for their beliefs. Why is that? The far Right has no such shame in the battle to push their beliefs on others, so why should we have shame in our beliefs? The far Right is fiery and determined in their crusade, so why should the left be any less determined in ours?
It is time to let our light shine forth, and it is time to organize in solidarity behind out beliefs. Freedom, equality, and peace are at stake. There is a time to fight and a time to make peace, and now is the time of the former. The Right speaks of bi-partisanship, but when have they ever moved leftward to meed us in the middle?
The time for compromise is over.
We are who we were born to be, just as they are.
No more, and certainly no less.
It is time we remembered that.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Almost Home
My time here in Iraq has nearly come to a close. Two months from now I will be on a plane bound for home, and to be honest it can't come soon enough. I miss everything about home. My wife, my family, my friends, seeing green things growing, heck even the strange old landlord. I have had my fill of dust, sand, smoke, and rockets for year to come. Iraq, I will be glad to never see you again.
It is strange now when I think of home and it feels so distant, like I have been gone for years. In a strange way it has begun to feel like home here. Everything is so familiar, that only when I focus I remember it has only been a temporary four month stay.
Not everything has been terrible about this place. I have met some really great people, been to a very different part of the world, accomplished a great deal of reading, and had many quiet moments to sit and reflect. In addition, I have started taking courses toward my teaching degree again, which I am very proud of. So I can at least say some good has come of my little vacation.
Still I will be overjoyed to see you all again once I am home.
I'll try not to cry but no guarantees, I am pretty squishy.
It is strange now when I think of home and it feels so distant, like I have been gone for years. In a strange way it has begun to feel like home here. Everything is so familiar, that only when I focus I remember it has only been a temporary four month stay.
Not everything has been terrible about this place. I have met some really great people, been to a very different part of the world, accomplished a great deal of reading, and had many quiet moments to sit and reflect. In addition, I have started taking courses toward my teaching degree again, which I am very proud of. So I can at least say some good has come of my little vacation.
Still I will be overjoyed to see you all again once I am home.
I'll try not to cry but no guarantees, I am pretty squishy.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Update
So, I must update you, my loyal readers, on a few developments that have taken place recently. The first is that my avocado pit decided to sprout and is now a tiny plant! I was worried that it was not going to do anything, but it finally decided it was time. 
The second is much bigger and demonstrates the military making a more common of late sensible environmental decision.
When I first arrived here, you had two choices as far as what to put your food on in the dining facility.
The first was all plastic. An individually wrapped set of utensils and a plate, all of which were a one time use, disposable affair. Disposable here means that it is bound for the incinerator and ultimately the atmosphere.
The second choice consisted of a standard plate and silverware, which are washed and reused until breaking.
Sadly, most people decided on the first choice, which amounted to thousands of plastic plates being thrown away and burned every day!
Recently though the military has wisely realized that it is both cheaper and more sensible to offer only the standard plate and silverware. You can already see that the number of trash bags produced daily has fallen to a quarter of what it was previously.
This was a great day for the Earth and also the human beings who have no other choice but to continue inhabiting her. Hopefully, big organizations such as the military will continue to make these seemingly small changes that will yield large compounded gains.
The second is much bigger and demonstrates the military making a more common of late sensible environmental decision. When I first arrived here, you had two choices as far as what to put your food on in the dining facility.
The first was all plastic. An individually wrapped set of utensils and a plate, all of which were a one time use, disposable affair. Disposable here means that it is bound for the incinerator and ultimately the atmosphere.
The second choice consisted of a standard plate and silverware, which are washed and reused until breaking.
Sadly, most people decided on the first choice, which amounted to thousands of plastic plates being thrown away and burned every day!
Recently though the military has wisely realized that it is both cheaper and more sensible to offer only the standard plate and silverware. You can already see that the number of trash bags produced daily has fallen to a quarter of what it was previously.
This was a great day for the Earth and also the human beings who have no other choice but to continue inhabiting her. Hopefully, big organizations such as the military will continue to make these seemingly small changes that will yield large compounded gains.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Taxation for a Greener Tomorrow
Tax codes may seem like an incredibly boring subject to almost everyone but you may be surprised to learn that within them rests the seeds of possibly one of the greatest benefits to society and the environment in recent history. The kicker is, it won't even end up costing you much more.
The potential benefit I speak of is known as the Fair Tax. It is a consumption tax placed on purchases of new goods, similar to a sales tax only as a much larger percentage, which replaces the more traditional income taxes. "In essence, income taxes penalize people for what they contribute to society (labor and capital), whereas consumption taxes penalize people for what they take out of society (new retail purchases)."(Miller, 310)
Under such a system system only purchases of new goods and services are subject to this consumption tax. So buying used goods and sharing skills and labor within the community are not taxed. Environmentally this would mean a huge leap forward as such a tax greatly favors reducing and reusing. For example it would be far cheaper to purchase a dresser at a yard sale or thrift store and repaint or otherwise redecorate it as opposed to purchasing a new one. In this scenario under a consumption tax you are paying a tax only on the paint, sandpaper and knobs (given an estimated cost of $12 for these items the tax would be $2.76) as compared to the tax on the whole dresser ($27.60 on an estimated dresser cost of $120). Businesses which deal with the maintenance, repair, and reuse of already existing products (seamstresses, upholsterers, auto mechanics) will see increased business and expansion, as keeping what you have working will be more cost effective than purchasing a new product.
The initial quality and longevity of products will increase as consumers will demand a long lasting, easily repaired product in exchange for the higher price they are paying up front. This consumer demand will cause a decrease in the amount of poor quality, short term products finding their way into landfills.
Going further, economist Robert Franks has suggested a progressive consumption tax in which the more one consumes in a given year, the higher the consumption tax percentage rises. A progressive consumption tax could also be placed on individual categories of products so that the consumer bears the true cost of the purchase as opposed to society picking up the additional costs. "For example, if a $1 pack of cigarettes imposes about $6 of additional costs on a country's nationalized health care system, to cover the expenses of caring for the increased number of lung cancer and emphysema cases, then the consumption tax on cigarettes should be 600 percent."(Miller, 312) Isn't it only fair that everyone should bear the full responsibility of their actions?
This change in tax law could revolutionize many facets of life in the United States. It solves some of the largest environmental issues associated with consumerism, cheap disposable products rapidly filling up landfills. It goes to work on a variety of societal issues from narcissistic consumerism which leaves people feeling unfulfilled, to government budget woes, and even the immigration dispute.
One of the biggest arguments is that illegal immigrants take advantage of government programs while the bill is being footed by U.S. taxpayers. Under a consumption tax, even immigrants pay taxes into the system, thereby helping to fund the programs they use.
With a progressive consumption tax in place the arguments that a national health care system would be far too expensive begin to loose much of their footing. Tourists, immigrants, and citizens, essentially all of the groups who would need medical care are paying into the system by purchasing new products. Going further, those most likely to end up in the hospital (tobacco users, alcoholics, motorcycle riders, etc.) would have already paid a higher consumption tax to cover the eventuality of their medical care.
Any way you look at it, the Fair Tax would be a giant step forward for the United States, a benefit to the country as a whole regardless of party affiliation. Yet like most great ideas it is being suppressed by politicking, misinformation, and fear, in favor of the known and established. This is one good plan that I hope gets the chance to show the change it could enact for the benefit of the masses.
Work Cited:
Miller, Geoffrey, PhD. Spent. Sex, Evolution, and Consumer Behavior. New York: Viking Penguin Group, 2009.
The potential benefit I speak of is known as the Fair Tax. It is a consumption tax placed on purchases of new goods, similar to a sales tax only as a much larger percentage, which replaces the more traditional income taxes. "In essence, income taxes penalize people for what they contribute to society (labor and capital), whereas consumption taxes penalize people for what they take out of society (new retail purchases)."(Miller, 310)
Under such a system system only purchases of new goods and services are subject to this consumption tax. So buying used goods and sharing skills and labor within the community are not taxed. Environmentally this would mean a huge leap forward as such a tax greatly favors reducing and reusing. For example it would be far cheaper to purchase a dresser at a yard sale or thrift store and repaint or otherwise redecorate it as opposed to purchasing a new one. In this scenario under a consumption tax you are paying a tax only on the paint, sandpaper and knobs (given an estimated cost of $12 for these items the tax would be $2.76) as compared to the tax on the whole dresser ($27.60 on an estimated dresser cost of $120). Businesses which deal with the maintenance, repair, and reuse of already existing products (seamstresses, upholsterers, auto mechanics) will see increased business and expansion, as keeping what you have working will be more cost effective than purchasing a new product.
The initial quality and longevity of products will increase as consumers will demand a long lasting, easily repaired product in exchange for the higher price they are paying up front. This consumer demand will cause a decrease in the amount of poor quality, short term products finding their way into landfills.
Going further, economist Robert Franks has suggested a progressive consumption tax in which the more one consumes in a given year, the higher the consumption tax percentage rises. A progressive consumption tax could also be placed on individual categories of products so that the consumer bears the true cost of the purchase as opposed to society picking up the additional costs. "For example, if a $1 pack of cigarettes imposes about $6 of additional costs on a country's nationalized health care system, to cover the expenses of caring for the increased number of lung cancer and emphysema cases, then the consumption tax on cigarettes should be 600 percent."(Miller, 312) Isn't it only fair that everyone should bear the full responsibility of their actions?
This change in tax law could revolutionize many facets of life in the United States. It solves some of the largest environmental issues associated with consumerism, cheap disposable products rapidly filling up landfills. It goes to work on a variety of societal issues from narcissistic consumerism which leaves people feeling unfulfilled, to government budget woes, and even the immigration dispute.
One of the biggest arguments is that illegal immigrants take advantage of government programs while the bill is being footed by U.S. taxpayers. Under a consumption tax, even immigrants pay taxes into the system, thereby helping to fund the programs they use.
With a progressive consumption tax in place the arguments that a national health care system would be far too expensive begin to loose much of their footing. Tourists, immigrants, and citizens, essentially all of the groups who would need medical care are paying into the system by purchasing new products. Going further, those most likely to end up in the hospital (tobacco users, alcoholics, motorcycle riders, etc.) would have already paid a higher consumption tax to cover the eventuality of their medical care.
Any way you look at it, the Fair Tax would be a giant step forward for the United States, a benefit to the country as a whole regardless of party affiliation. Yet like most great ideas it is being suppressed by politicking, misinformation, and fear, in favor of the known and established. This is one good plan that I hope gets the chance to show the change it could enact for the benefit of the masses.
Work Cited:
Miller, Geoffrey, PhD. Spent. Sex, Evolution, and Consumer Behavior. New York: Viking Penguin Group, 2009.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Avocado Pit
So as I was walking through the dining facility last week I went to the fruit section to grab a apple or pear and they had a basket of avocados sitting there. I stopped and and stared at them for a minute because who would just look at them and say "Hmm, I think I will bite into a nice avocado with my meal." I think they were out there because I doubt the people working there knew what they were, and just put them out on the fruit cart.
Obviously after staring at them for so long, I couldn't pass the opportunity up so I grabbed one. I ended up cutting it up on a burger later for dinner, and it wasn't half bad considering how far of a journey it made to get to me.
So I took the pit and some toothpicks back with me to where I live, and cleaned it up.
I cut the top off of an empty water bottle, which we have a never ending supply of, and voila!
Something to "grow" while I am here.
Obviously after staring at them for so long, I couldn't pass the opportunity up so I grabbed one. I ended up cutting it up on a burger later for dinner, and it wasn't half bad considering how far of a journey it made to get to me.
So I took the pit and some toothpicks back with me to where I live, and cleaned it up.
I cut the top off of an empty water bottle, which we have a never ending supply of, and voila!
Something to "grow" while I am here.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Generating Power
None of the electricity here is provided from the city power grid (yes, they have electricity, it isn't that desolate out there) instead it is all produced here on base. To provide what I imagine must be a massive amount of electricity the military uses large JP-8 (jet fuel) powered generators. The ones pictured are some of the smaller ones about the size of a large van and the largest are the size of a semi trailer.
I say it must be a massive amount of electricity because there are a large number of buildings on the base most of which are not very well insulated and all are air conditioned. Due to people of industrialized countries being acclimated to much colder temperatures than are necessary and the high temperatures outdoors here, most rooms are kept at 18C/64F which requires the unit to run constantly. Add on top of this the fact most individuals make no efforts to conserve electricity whatsoever and you can see why it takes several generators to power even one building. The two pictured are part of a grouping of 8 that provide for the tower alone!
The amount of greenhouse gases being released daily must be staggering.
Now consider for a moment that the solar intensity levels here are extremely high (no sunglasses at noon and I can't even open my eyes) and the number of sunny days is a little over 300 and what power possibility leaps out at you?
PV Solar Panels!
While admirably the little sidewalk lights are solar powered, it is a far cry from truly taking advantage of an available resource. The initial cost of setting up the solar panels would be a bit pricey, but given the seven years this base has been occupied they would have paid themselves off by now and then some. You would only have to burn about 1/4 of the fuel you are going through now which means one less thing you have to worry about the logistics of shipping.
An environmentally and financially sound ways of generating electricity overlooked in the interest of conventional means.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Operation New Dawn
As some of you know I have been in Iraq for about one month now, and by far the most striking things I have seen are the environmental travesties being committed daily. Almost everyone one looks the least environmentally sound choices are being made. By themselves they seem like small things, but as part of the big picture they compound into some serious problems. Now I am not so naive that I don't realize there are instances, given the nature of military operations, when an environmentally conscious solution cannot be implemented.
With that being said we have been here seven years and in that time more lasting solutions could have been implemented.
Sadly, they have not.
So I will give all of you back home a look at how a few things are done, and possibly how they could be done differently to minimize the impact we have on the local environment.
Operation Iraqi Freedom has now officially become Operation New Dawn.
If it is truly to be a new dawn for this country and its people, then they must also learn how to care for the environment they inhabit. If mistreated, as it is now, then it will surely grant no peace and security to those who have disrupted it.
First the Iraqi people must be taught how to do this, and as we all know the best way to lead is by example.
With that being said we have been here seven years and in that time more lasting solutions could have been implemented.
Sadly, they have not.
So I will give all of you back home a look at how a few things are done, and possibly how they could be done differently to minimize the impact we have on the local environment.
Operation Iraqi Freedom has now officially become Operation New Dawn.
If it is truly to be a new dawn for this country and its people, then they must also learn how to care for the environment they inhabit. If mistreated, as it is now, then it will surely grant no peace and security to those who have disrupted it.
First the Iraqi people must be taught how to do this, and as we all know the best way to lead is by example.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Materialism
Throughout early American history its peoples fostered and carried with them, what is today commonly referred to as, the "American Spirit." They faced great hardships and trials just to survive daily life and make it from one year to the next. Imagine you are one of the early settlers of Jamestown or Plymouth, just stepping into this new and untamed wilderness. Almost a different world from the "civilized" lands you just left. There is no Home Depot to pickup the materials you need for building a new house. No Wal-Mart to select from a multitude of styles and sizes of clothing and linens. No supermarket around the corner to buy the produce, dairy, and meats to feed your family.
The early settlers led simple, sustainable, and most importantly thankful lives.
Lives of substance and meaning.
Every new sunrise was a gift, full of hopes, dreams, and visions of the future.
This was the indomitable American Spirit.
But the more you look around each day, the more obvious it becomes that somewhere along the way, we have lost that.
President Jimmy Carter saw this disturbing truth in 1979 and, in a truly rare moment for one who holds the highest office in the land, he voiced that truth.
In his Crisis of Confidence speech he stated that "too many of us tend to worship self-indulgence and consumption," and that is as true today, if not more so, than it was then. How many people do each of us know, that the driving force of their life is to obtain an increasingly larger house and then fill it with useless-expensive baubles? These people believe, as President Carter stated, that "human identity is no longer defined by what one does, but by what one owns." They mistake the accumulation of material wealth for the signs of a life well spent. And in the end this does not satisfy mans deep rooted search for meaning.
President Carter told the American people an ugly truth about themselves, one they did not want to hear. And what was the response from the people for this brave act?
Come election time, he was replaced with President Ronald Reagan.
Right about now you might be thinking that the subject of all this is supposed to be about green living, so why is he on a rant about materialism? Have no fear, I have not led you astray.
Who will suffer the most from these meaningless, materialistic lives? Not the ones living them, instead it is our Mother Earth.
We build large opulent houses, that could easily house twelve, but only three of four live there. We even tear down perfectly useful houses to make room for these monstrosities, and all of those potentially re-usable materials end up in a landfill. To make matters worse we have one universal idea about what a house looks like, and how it should be constructed. For example a house made in the traditional wood stick framing method in the Arizona desert. The milled lumber had to be shipped in, the walls are not thick enough to properly insulate, and in such a dry wildfire prone climate, not at all fire resistant. Furniture is purchases almost exclusively for aesthetics, with little thought given towards durability. Just look in the furniture section and see how many items are made from laminated particle board.
What about the latest this, that, or fad new toy your child just had to have? Broken or unwanted within the year, and piling up in the local landfill.
This cycle must be broken.
We must all follow the advice of President Carter, as he exhorted all Americans to self-sufficiency, discipline, sacrifice, conservation, independence, and "the striving for meaning and purpose, beyond material wealth."
By recapturing this true American Spirit, we will find greater happiness, and notice this world which fosters us, improves a little more each day.
The early settlers led simple, sustainable, and most importantly thankful lives.
Lives of substance and meaning.
Every new sunrise was a gift, full of hopes, dreams, and visions of the future.
This was the indomitable American Spirit.
But the more you look around each day, the more obvious it becomes that somewhere along the way, we have lost that.
President Jimmy Carter saw this disturbing truth in 1979 and, in a truly rare moment for one who holds the highest office in the land, he voiced that truth.
In his Crisis of Confidence speech he stated that "too many of us tend to worship self-indulgence and consumption," and that is as true today, if not more so, than it was then. How many people do each of us know, that the driving force of their life is to obtain an increasingly larger house and then fill it with useless-expensive baubles? These people believe, as President Carter stated, that "human identity is no longer defined by what one does, but by what one owns." They mistake the accumulation of material wealth for the signs of a life well spent. And in the end this does not satisfy mans deep rooted search for meaning.
President Carter told the American people an ugly truth about themselves, one they did not want to hear. And what was the response from the people for this brave act?
Come election time, he was replaced with President Ronald Reagan.
Right about now you might be thinking that the subject of all this is supposed to be about green living, so why is he on a rant about materialism? Have no fear, I have not led you astray.
Who will suffer the most from these meaningless, materialistic lives? Not the ones living them, instead it is our Mother Earth.
We build large opulent houses, that could easily house twelve, but only three of four live there. We even tear down perfectly useful houses to make room for these monstrosities, and all of those potentially re-usable materials end up in a landfill. To make matters worse we have one universal idea about what a house looks like, and how it should be constructed. For example a house made in the traditional wood stick framing method in the Arizona desert. The milled lumber had to be shipped in, the walls are not thick enough to properly insulate, and in such a dry wildfire prone climate, not at all fire resistant. Furniture is purchases almost exclusively for aesthetics, with little thought given towards durability. Just look in the furniture section and see how many items are made from laminated particle board.
What about the latest this, that, or fad new toy your child just had to have? Broken or unwanted within the year, and piling up in the local landfill.
This cycle must be broken.
We must all follow the advice of President Carter, as he exhorted all Americans to self-sufficiency, discipline, sacrifice, conservation, independence, and "the striving for meaning and purpose, beyond material wealth."
By recapturing this true American Spirit, we will find greater happiness, and notice this world which fosters us, improves a little more each day.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
A New Hope
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead
On the whole, we Americans are as unthinking and placid as the herds of cattle we love to enjoy on our triple stack hamburgers.
Fortunately, as Ms. Mead so accurately observed, when broken down into small groups or individuals we are capable of changing anything. Just take a look through the history books for all the proof you need. From the abolitionists battle with slavery, the suffragettes battle for the vote, down though the homosexual battle to live their lives as they see fit.
As one of the a fore mentioned Americans, who admittedly does love a big hamburger, stationed in a small Oklahoma town, there are so few things geared toward green, sustainable living that doubt starts to sink into your heart.
Can I do this? Will one person even make a difference?
When the major shopping locale is Wal-Mart (where products have been shipped in from half the country away), beef peddling fast food is everywhere, and gas stations proudly advertise "100% Gas, No Ethanol", it kind of makes you wonder if green, sustainable living is possible at all.
But being an optimist at heart, I will fight back the doubts. Not because I want to, but because I must. Our planet is in trouble. We kill it a little every day with the irresponsible lifestyles we lead. Change has to start somewhere. It has to start with the small groups and individuals.
Because as we let our own light shine we unconsciously give others permission to do the same.
So come with me, as I...
Cross into the Green.
On the whole, we Americans are as unthinking and placid as the herds of cattle we love to enjoy on our triple stack hamburgers.
Fortunately, as Ms. Mead so accurately observed, when broken down into small groups or individuals we are capable of changing anything. Just take a look through the history books for all the proof you need. From the abolitionists battle with slavery, the suffragettes battle for the vote, down though the homosexual battle to live their lives as they see fit.
As one of the a fore mentioned Americans, who admittedly does love a big hamburger, stationed in a small Oklahoma town, there are so few things geared toward green, sustainable living that doubt starts to sink into your heart.
Can I do this? Will one person even make a difference?
When the major shopping locale is Wal-Mart (where products have been shipped in from half the country away), beef peddling fast food is everywhere, and gas stations proudly advertise "100% Gas, No Ethanol", it kind of makes you wonder if green, sustainable living is possible at all.
But being an optimist at heart, I will fight back the doubts. Not because I want to, but because I must. Our planet is in trouble. We kill it a little every day with the irresponsible lifestyles we lead. Change has to start somewhere. It has to start with the small groups and individuals.
Because as we let our own light shine we unconsciously give others permission to do the same.
So come with me, as I...
Cross into the Green.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)