Transformational movements are rare in history. What Alexander the Great did was transformational (spread of Hellenic culture). The phenomenon of the Roman Empire was transformational. So was the Christian movement, the Islamic movement, the Protestant movement, the movement toward science and secularism of the Enlightenment. There was a movement for…

https://rupertread.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/collaborations-joint-writings-on-ecology-economy-and-society.pdf Localization initiatives in many spheres are underway, from small business networks to local banking and investment, from bioregionalism to the ecovillage movement. Thousands of communities are attempting to lower their carbon footprints by shortening the distances that goods travel, installing decentralized renewable energy systems, and rethinking transportation. In the…

It’s not my own point of view, but some sagacious thinkers are predicting an extremity of crisis by the end of this century. The sea levels have risen over the last fifty years, but very little. Does that become a parabolic function over the next couple of decades? There are…

. . . and only time will tell who’s right. Stephanie Kelton (MMT) says deficits don’t matter while Jim Rogers says they do: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kJ-nT_GNQ0 Context: The old discipline came from the supposed imperative to balance budgets and to back the currency with a real asset, like gold. 1950s: Keynesianism lifted…

The Green Party tends to spin its wheels bogged down in identity politics and “woke-ism” in general. re: https://www.counterpunch.org/2022/11/22/when-will-climate-change-become-the-crucial-issue-in-american-elections/ . . . we ought to be focusing on delivering a distinctive message on this key issue: In regard to the problematic trajectories of pollution, depletion, capital accumulation, and inequality, we…

We start out in families, neighborhoods, communities. We feel like people have some agency. In those early-life small groupings we see significant things happening, meaningful decisions being made, ideas and behaviors having impact. Then we grow up into the world of mass society. We tend to retain the sensibilities of…

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/13/business/medicare-advantage-retirement.html The typical Medicare enrollee is able to choose from 57 Medicare prescription or Advantage plans. All you need to do is evaluate your options re: premiums, deductibles, co-pays, coinsurance, out-of-pocket maximums, etc. Well . . . “The amount of information that consumers need to grasp is dizzying, and it turns them off from doing a search,” Mr. Riccardi said. “They feel paralyzed about making a choice.”