Top Ten Ways to Evolve:

By Jim Prues

- by Jim Prues

10) Replace our Current Administration and Congress

The current crop of politicians running our country seems hell-bent on
fostering violence and war. Along with the occupation of Afghanistan and
Iraq, the administration denounces real democracies like Venezuela .

In domestic policy, the vast majority have proven their loyalties by their
complete disregard for we, the people in favor of corporations and
elitists. Energy laws written by the energy industry. Drug plans written
by pharmaceutical companies. Bankruptcy laws written by bank corps. The
laws enacted over the past five years slap the face of democracy.

The good news is that a lot of U.S. citizens are ready to throw these bums
out. The bad news is that these villains will not go quietly. The next few
months are crucial ­ and likely explosive.

9) End U.S. Sponsored Aggression

Few can doubt that Israel would be disinclined to pursue their current
violent policy toward Lebanon and Palestine without tacit U.S. approval.
Israel 's argument of self-defense rings hollow in light of the facts.
(Google "Israeli aggression" if you need facts.)

Throw in Iraq and Afghanistan, sprinkle in the threatening behavior toward
Iran, Syria, North Korea, Venezuela, Cuba and others and what do you get?
A clear picture of fascism. It may not be the Hitler kind, but it's
fascism. And it must end.

8) Migrate to Sustainable Energy Resources

Can I get a big "duh?" Behind much of the conflict in the Middle East is
our country's perverse compulsion to control global oil supplies. Then
there's the inconvenient truth of global warming and the impact of oil
dependency on our pocketbooks.
The Apollo Alliance provides lots of fodder for understanding how we can
make the transition away from oil in a way that supports jobs and the
economy, while obviously mitigating the current oil crisis.

Sustainable energy resources have added benefits in being more benign
environmentally, which includes reducing global warming and resource use.
We may get lip service from this administration and big oil, but we know
their hearts are where the money is, and that's in oil.

7) Recreate our Communities

Communities have been the forgotten step-child in government efforts to
enable "free trade" and a "global economy." Community issues are legion
and diverse, from failing infrastructure to dysfunctional schools and loss
of quality jobs. We haven't had serious attention to this issue since
Lyndon Johnson's 'War on Poverty.'

Communities are the foundation of a healthy culture, and the state of our
communities points straight toward the priorities and policies of our
representatives in government.

6) Reduce Military/Defense Spending by 75%

The bankruptcy our country faces is not just an ethical one. We teeter on
the edge of financial chaos, in large part due to the phenomenal amount of
money we spend on wars, arms and defense-related spending. (Tax cuts for
the wealthiest Americans is the other.)

The 'hidden' truth in this spending cut is that it is singularly the most
effective thing we could do to refocus global spending on armaments. Do
you not imagine that North Korea, Iran, Russia, China and any number of
other countries would feel less threatened if the U.S. curbed its military
spending dramatically? Can you contrast that with our current efforts to
develop lethal weapons for space and mini-nukes? The way to peace is
peace.

5) Plant and Nurture Trees

It's hard to argue against global warming when temperatures all over the
country are near all-time highs, when desertification is rampant around
the world, when glaciers are melting at record pace, and when millions of
acres of forest are being destroyed by insects that couldn't survive such
locales even a few years ago.

Most obviously trees take in carbon dioxide, a major culprit in climate
change, and emit oxygen. They also 'create the space' for nearly every
land-based ecological system on the planet. They are energetically
peaceful. Their root systems help retain rain, creating a sponge/trickle
effect critical for natural water systems. I could go on and on. Suffice
it to say that along with conservation and migration to sustainable energy
resources, planting and nurturing trees is the single biggest thing we can
do to help our ailing planet.

4) Re-introduce Hemp

A study of hemp's place in human history quickly reveals its central
place. Highly prolific, its natural territory circumscribes the globe.
Almost every major culture has a hemp component, from African religious
'cults' to Europe's Middle Ages, where it's estimate up to 65% of the
population was somehow involved in hemp production, manufacture and
distribution.

Hemp oil lighted the world's growing cities. Its seeds were used for food
and medicinals. Its fibers for rot-free rope and sails (no New World
discovery without hemp). Yet efforts initiated by newspaper baron William
Randolph Hearst and carried on today by lobbyists have demonized the
plant, reducing its use to the fringes of our culture (if you know what
I'm sayin'). In these times when the value of plants for biofuels is
gaining prominence, what could be better than hemp, an energy-rich plant
that grows well without artificial fertilizers and pesticides. (Heard
about that big dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico?)

3) Overhaul Corporations and Institutions

There is little question that multinational interests are undermining
workers rights, the environment and communities across the globe.
Apologists claim that unbridled capitalism is the only successful model
for civilization, but scrutiny of our situation today proves that absurd..
In these times, it seems obvious that some synthesis of capitalism and
socialism is required. Capitalism to promote invention, socialism to
protect resources and the vulnerable.

On the other side of the coin, many of our institutions are bureaucratic
nightmares, where hard work and innovation are stifled for fear of
upsetting the status quo. Policies that initiate best practices,
integration and honest appraisals of systems and personnel are all
required to remake these hulking dinosaurs into institutions that serve
our needs.

2) Institute a Global Initiative for Children

Few resources are more important to our planetary and our personal futures
than our children. It may seem trite to harp on 'children are our future'
themes, but that makes it no less true. More importantly, our most
critical human responsibility is to our children. We just have to
recognize that all the world's children are ours, and start acting
responsibly from that context. (Israel, are you listening? Darfur?)

How tragic and ironic that we can find trillions for the war machine, but
can't find money for children suffering from malnutrition and disease all
across the Earth. Even in the U.S. , far too many children are under
duress. And all the while we're hypnotized by bullshit, baubles and
trinkets on the TV. Sheer madness.

1) Dedicate Ourselves to Peace and Love ­ NOW!

Anyone left standing (or reading) after such outrageous declarations may
still swoon at this ridiculous notion. We all know how important fear is
to our survival. (That why it's pandered so regularly on the TV.) And
since fear is the opposite of love, we just have to throw the love out,
right? It's not our fault! We have no choice!

And peace is equally unviable. Just look at the news. Yet outside the news
room there are millions of people of peace in our world. We're just not
connected. Or empowered. And we won't be within the confines of the
current world paradigm.

So that's the stark choice. Which will we throw out (individually and
collectively) - love and peace, or the current world paradigm. I choose
the former.

If these ideas make sense to you, please join us.



Authors Website: http://world5.org

Authors Bio: Jim Prues is a entrepreneur and small business principal
whose interests include writing, music, culture, ecology and the human
condition. He lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.




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"Liberty and democracy become unholy when their hands are dyed red with
innocent blood": Gandhi, Non-violence in Peace and War, 1948

"Man is the only animal that deals in that atrocity of atrocities, War. He
is the only one that gathers his brethren about him and goes forth in cold
blood and calm pulse to exterminate his kind. He is the only animal that
for sordid wages will march out... and help to slaughter strangers of his
own species who have done him no harm and with whom he has no quarrel....
And in the intervals between campaigns he washes the blood off his hands
and works for "the universal brotherhood of man" - with his mouth": Mark Twain

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