Bottom Up

So here we are on the second day of December and now everyone is turning toward the holidays. I can tell you for sure that I am having some real trouble mounting any Christmas spirit. My hopes for change in the status quo were firmly dashed last night when the President confirmed the rumors that he was expanding the war in Afghanistan. Huge mistake. He now owns the war.

We will likely see further erosion in the job market tomorrow when the official numbers come out and more and more economists are looking at the entire year of 2010 as stagnant or even a worsening jobs picture. Even Krugman is starting to mention the dreaded 'double dip' recession possibility.

I am afraid that all of the momentum and positive energy reflected on the left after last year's election has been wasted. The Obama administration was too timid in addressing the need for economic stimulus and it is clearly obvious that they took the 'Wall Street Way' and not the 'Main Street Way' when tackling the Bush economic disaster. The timidity has now granted the deficit hawks the upper hand and going back to the well for additional and necessary stimulus is not in the cards.

I expect any day now to hear the talking heads start to redefine the 'normal'. Nine or ten percent unemployment is the new 'norm'. Hungry is the new 'norm' for millions more Americans. Homeless will be the new 'norm' for millions of Americans. Everlasting war will be the new 'norm'.

I am beginning to believe that material change is not possible within the current system. The politicians and corporate leaders need the status quo as it is what makes their pleasant lives and existence possible. If we got the change we really need in this country one of the first things to go would be them and they know it. It is in their vested interest to keep their feet on our necks and nothing short of a revolution is going to change anything and the needed changes most surely won't be a result of top down effort.

It is just time to do what you can to insulate yourself from the 'matrix' as best you can. Don't expect the 'leadership' to tell you to quit buying useless crap or grow your own food or live more simply, you just need to do it. The only way we are going to be able to change things is from the bottom up and that is going to mean individual and incremental effort to rebel against what we have been taught to do which is use and abuse our world and live beyond the world's ability to sustain. It may already be too late but I am going to feel better for the effort.