July 5, 2008 by Mirjam Hirch.

How fun to watch them dance. Whirling around quickly. Different colors and sizes. The big black ones are the best. They equal great success. Even though the red ones are good for the tax.
Behind computer screens shielded from the rest of the world people fervently watch moving numbers on bank accounts. All energy is put in the effort to have those numbers grow. As they seem to represent the meaning of existence. Rather reduce the number of people- a common and widely accepted goal e.g. for corporate marriages.

It is all about the financial aspects- numbers and figures. Little focus is on the human element and cultural cohesion on which societies’ and companies’ tangible assets ultimate rest.

Sure, nobody likes to find out that his job is going away. But at least when it is honestly communicated and people hear it up front they do not feel like unneeded tokens removed from the board by some global players without knowing what is happening.

Companies’ strategies, however, used to get rid of individuals often are pretty well disguised. A strict dress code might be introduced for people working in back offices even though they have no contact with customers at all, together with many additional small changes that spread the fear- instilling certainty of being watch and controlled.
All this can have devastating health effects. Oftentimes it is the beginning of the end of a silent and stressful fight that invisibly erodes the physical and mental well being of the individuals and families. Unable to defend themselves against the intangible attack the individuals quietly disappear.

Is this freedom of democracy and right of justice? Clearly we should not accept the right of companies which establish their laws daily to control our lives, make us dependant, and keep us from getting active, reducing us to fear. We cannot afford that the principle of fear governs our world as the last path to silence a population longing for solidarity and freedom. We have to fearlessly fight the theft of our human rights and common wealth so we can see happy people dancing, celebrating life.

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July 5, 2008 by Jay Taber.

As a euphemism for compliant, “moderate” in its present political perversion is an achievement of the investment in ideas by American conservatism. Since there is no corresponding investment in ideas to lend continuity to the human rights movements that rose up against the excesses of corporate liberalism, it is no surprise that a lost generation has apparently emerged in academia.

The immoderate behavior of the current conservative–liberal alliance can be traced directly to this investment, which has overwhelmed all community safeguards worldwide since the Reagan years. The sole exception to this intellectual cleansing is the world indigenous movement, which, due to its location outside the conventional political spectrum metaphor, has the capacity and motivation to see things differently.

Since the perspectives of Native America and the Fourth World are the only authentic views left standing, perhaps we would do well to abandon the metaphor altogether.

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