What fine messages for the end of the year! And the beginning of the
next one. Thankyou!
I am far from perfect but would like to express to you
again that together we can make change and I think
that is probably why Journey to Forever website was
formed (thank you Keith and Midori).
You're welcome Phillip, and yes it was.
And Peter G., you wrote this:
The horrors of humanity's inhumanity are painful for
me. I always wonder about why friendly fire incidents
get so much coverage, but "insurgent" deaths get no
coverage. Don't we realize that the "insurgents" have
family, wives, children, parents, who love them as
much as we love ours. The answer, unfortunately, is
no we don't. Every "insurgent" death brings with it
as much pain and sorrow as every friendly fire death.
People say they like GW Bush because he sticks to his
guns. If that is the case then they should really
love the Iraqiis.
Have we learned anything? Sadly, no we haven't.
Humanity's inhumanity?
And then you wrote this:
The consumer gets what the consumer demands. Sorry
out there but my feeling is the average consumer is
not capable of intelligent choices after exposure to
the mass media.
Correct identification of villain and victim. I keep saying, and
knowing it's true, that we humans are just fine, but our institutions
are another matter - and they are NOT human. That they're composed of
humans is beside the point - corporations of various ilk may have
more human rights than you do, but they are not not even remotely
human. That is not to say that they're all evil, of course they're
not, but even those that aren't are still not human. Nor are they
inviolable or omnipotent. We ordinary people, Gustl's "common
people", will win this age-old game in the end, it's our destiny.
http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/BIOFUEL/30617/
[biofuel] Mammoth corporations
http://journeytoforever.org/fyi_previous5.html#140202#creed
Feel No Remorse -- The Corporate Creed
There are good resources on all this in that FYI section at JtF and
in the list archives. You really should check this out, IMHO, there's
no need to be so pessimistic, and I don't think it's your nature.
I've been there, I was angry for years, angry about all the callous
injustice in the world. Indeed I had so much to be angry about, I was
encountering it face to face all the time in my work. But, it's the
wrong approach. I stopped being angry about 15 years ago. The sources
of the anger remain, or in many (but not all) cases have increased, I
don't pretend about it, I do confront it, I don't have any time for
rose-tinted specs, and, truth to tell, I still do get angry
sometimes, but it's short-lived, and it doesn't colour my vision.
Phillip is saying nice things about JtF, Gustl about the list
community. I don't think such things can be built out of anger or
pessimism. It's a choice you can make.
Best wishes
Keith
As JTF readers Let us set some goals this New Year of
doing at least a few great things. As it pertains to
the discussions on this listserv my goals for the New
Year for you all are:
1) To finalize and summarize the costs and approach to
buying an orphan vacated U.S. gas station and
converting it into a clean fuel/biodiesel gas station,
including incentives from DOE, commercial credit,
maybe a co-op, and other various factors.
2) FOr me, I plan to "get a real job" to supplement my
consulting in energy efficnecy and renewable
fuels/regional planing in order
to assist people like you readers and people of
similar sensibilities
3) Gain a better understanding of how I can use
locally made regional goods and services and do a
better job of recycling, and offering homegrown goods
and services to help my immediate neighbors.
4) I will not be as "afraid and fearful" in life and
write my congressman and get involved for local and
regional change; regardless of my personal failures.
5) Try to be aware of the plight of others in other
countries and worlds.
Hallo Peter, Hakan, All,
One thing I think everyone should understand is that all governments
spy on one another. No one has clean hands in this area. The US
spied on China? So what? China spies on us and everyone else just
like everyone else. Espionage of one sort or another is as old as
civilization. Economic, political, military. No matter. It happens
because of self interest and despite our best philosophical and
religious teachings we have not yet learned that we are all one. Until
we learn that this sort of thing is going to keep on happening and we
apparently are never going to learn this lesson. Those of us who have
learned this lesson are in the minority and fighting an uphill battle,
but it is one which we need to keep on fighting.
Governments are only "friendly" to one another when it serves their
purpose. When they find they have divergent interests then they may
appear to be friendly but in reality they are not. They share
information and resources when it is in their interests and when it is
not they withhold the same or pass on false and misleading information
or make excuses as to why they cannot "help". Again, no one has clean
hands here.
It is my sincere hope that given the internet and the possibility of
communicating with others in other countries that we come to realize
that people in general all want the same thing for themselves which is
peace and enough. Enough food, shelter, work, friendship, safety.
There are those few at the top who want it all and they are the ones
who manipulate the rest for their own ends. If we pay attention we
can see this. If we don't then things will not change. The blame
game is not the best thing for us to be playing. It is better to
recognize that every country has its good and bad points, its faults
and its advantages. No country has the market cornered on good or
evil.
When I was in the military I was in Naples, Italy and there was a
certain section of town which was off limits because it was a
Communist stronghold and both the Italian and US authorities thought
it would be "dangerous" for a US serviceman to go there. Of course I
went there straight away. I sat down in a bar and ordered beer and
the "commies" came up and started talking to me. At first they were a
bit cautious and hostile and we certainly had different views of how
the world should be run but we found common ground on what we all
wanted which was peace and enough. When the Italian police and US
military police found out there was a serviceman in the place they
tried to come in and take me out and arrest me but my "enemies", the
"commies" refused them admittance and hustled me out the back door to
another place where we continued our conversation undisturbed. No
minds were changed that day when it came to politics but a mutual
understanding and respect was achieved without violence and without
strife. It is possible.
I have seen how far this list has come from a year ago and am amazed
and impressed. We have had our disagreements and not everyone thinks
the same but with reason and tolerance we have become a pretty good
family unit I think. Those who have sought to disrupt the list
because of their own self interests and beliefs are gone in the main.
Those of us left are civil, tolerant and reasonable in the main. We
still have a ways to go but then we are always going to have a ways to
go. Perfection doesn't seem destined for this world but that doesn't
mean we should stop trying. If our governments, militaries and
economic entities want to play at division let the common people play
at peace and cooperation. Much has been achieved with more to follow.
There is always hope for change.
Happy Happy,
Gustl
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