working together for social inclusion in America

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

The Predatory Pyramid

If you take a sheet of paper and write American Civics Lesson #1 at the top of the page, then draw a large triangle and divide the triangle into five horizontal layers, you can portray American society in a framework that elucidates the distribution of power. You can choose your own labels, but the ones I have chosen are as follows:

1. Aristocracy
2. Wall Street, U.S. Treasury
3. Political Parties, Media, Universities
4. Churches, Schools, Unions, Associations
5. Wage Slaves, Prisoners, Homeless, Veterans

Sunday, January 24, 2010

The Advent of Netwar

In the years ahead, the possibility should not be overlooked that a major new global peace and disarmament movement may eventually arise from a grand alliance among diverse NGOs and other civil-society actors who are attuned to the doctrinal elements of netwar. They will increasingly have the organizational, technological, and social infrastructures to fight against recalcitrant governments, as well as to operate in tandem with governments and supranational bodies that may favor the movement.

--The Advent of Netwar by John Arquilla and David Ronfeldt

Monday, January 18, 2010

Shameless Audacity

From the White House Open Government Blog:
Americans chose Barack Obama to be President of the United States to change the way Washington works. To do just that, on his first full day in office, the President signed two critical documents that have shaped the Administration: the Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government and the Executive Order on Ethics. As a result of the Memorandum on Transparency, we have since Day One, worked to empower the public – through greater openness and new technologies – to influence the decisions that affect their lives. And as a result of the Ethics Order, we have since that same day worked to reduce special interest and lobbyist influence in Washington so the voices of the American people can be heard.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Law of Conquest

Indian Country Today examines how Christian dominion is interwoven into U.S. law and policy used against the spiritual traditions of indigenous nations and peoples.