Getting out of this Mess by Building support for Economic and Social Justice The election was terrible and means huge setback in the things we who support social and economic justice care about. For the climate it may mean the difference between the possibility of building a sustainable future and getting to the changes too late … Continue reading Counterhegemony
The Fortress World of Capitalism vs. the Beautiful Possibilities of Cooperation
Our beloved world is entering an increasingly unstable period, full of dangers and also full of possibilities. In many countries, old political parties are crumbling faster and anyone thought imaginable. Old geopolitical alliances have come unglued as the US comes to exercise its role as world hegemon in new and unpredictable ways. The development of … Continue reading The Fortress World of Capitalism vs. the Beautiful Possibilities of Cooperation
Unicorns, Gnomes, and Plea to the Press on Covering Trump
On January 11 finally Trump held his much awaited press conference. And it was a terrifying success. The press faithfully covered a wild and strange show. But we don't need to be told about the show that was performed. What we needed was a consistent grounding in reality. It was as if, covering the moment … Continue reading Unicorns, Gnomes, and Plea to the Press on Covering Trump
Thinking about Fascism
The 2016 presidential election made me think about 1933 and Hitler's rise to power. I've known that he came to power through constitutional means and then used that power from the inside to destroy a constitutional system of government. This seemed like a good time to better understand the way that someone who was a … Continue reading Thinking about Fascism
Ten Ways to Challenge Capitalism’s Death Grip on Daily Life
In order to deal with the climate crisis and have more satisfying lives, we need to build economies that consume fewer natural resources. In other words, we need to build a "solidarity economy" based on worker-owned cooperatives, self-provisioning and barter systems, and gift-based exchanges. (1) To build popular support for a transition to solidarity economics, … Continue reading Ten Ways to Challenge Capitalism’s Death Grip on Daily Life
An End of Power?
We are entering a period where the social structures and mechanisms that have channeled and controlled power for the past few hundred years are shifting radically. In The End of Power, Venezuelan politician and former director of the World Bank, Moisés Naím, describes some serious ways in which the systems we have lived under for … Continue reading An End of Power?
Climate Action: Disrupting Business as Usual
Talk given to the California Student Sustainability Coalition’s annual convergence De Anza College Saturday May 21, 2016 We are at a time when we will probably see an increase in the use of civil disobedience, direct action and disruption. That’s because we are at a time when our political systems are increasingly controlled by corporate … Continue reading Climate Action: Disrupting Business as Usual
Breaking Our Dependency on the Old Economy as We Build the New
People all around the world are working to build solidarity economies, based on worker-owned collectives, the creation of local currencies, and making one’s own things and sharing them. Advocates of a solidarity economy claim that, as we build more of these kinds of economic relations, we will also build more satisfying lives and have a … Continue reading Breaking Our Dependency on the Old Economy as We Build the New
Making Rights Work
Making Rights Work: A Review of "The Human Rights Enterprise" A few years ago, when California was going through a major budget crisis and money for education was being cut back dramatically, many students protesting the cuts claimed that education was a right. Conservatives shot back that education wasn't a right, it was a privilege. … Continue reading Making Rights Work
Cynthia Kaufman 