Thursday, March 23, 2017

We Have Met the Enemy

One of the most appealing things about modern society and all its trappings is that irony abounds. While capitalist systems devour themselves, the global human population goes farther into serious overshoot, and the global ecosphere trends toward chemical imbalances that will destroy its ability to support life, it seems illogical to assume that the very things that brought the world to this ignominious state of unwell-being will somehow save us from it. Absent radical changes to the economic, environmental, political and social policies now in effect, we’re toast.


Monday, March 6, 2017

About that Wall


Our so-called president is delusional if he thinks that just because good fences make for good neighbors, high border walls make for good allies. History shows us that high walls create bitter enemies, and exist as much to keep resident populations inside as to keep invading hoards out. Walls breed fear and distrust.

Rather than building walls, we should be tearing them down and building friendships, instead. Tackling global problems arising out of for-profit capitalism requires global cooperation, which is most easily obtained by gaining trust and forging friendships among nations. At a time when humanity stands on the brink of ecocide, putting up a wall is about as stupid as it gets.

Of course, every stupid idea deserves a silly rhyme to commemorate it. This one's based on a children's classic:

Grumpty Trumpty built a high wall,
from which, soon after, he took a hard fall.
Not all of his minions, nor all of his kin,
could put the Pumpkinführer together again.

How will the Cheeto Burrito* pay for his Great Wall? Slashing social benefits for the 99% and giving huge tax cuts to billionaires are my two guesses.

Projected to cost a minimum of $15 billion, Trump's Folly could easily exceed $25 billion when the costs of defending lawsuits and typical cost overruns are factored in. That's a lot of money to commit to a project that is almost certain to be reversed by the next duly elected U.S. President, who is absolutely certain to be smarter than the current one.


*Kind of doughy, full of shit and sprinkled with Cheeto dust (among other things).