People have far greater “exposure” to lots of addictive junk thru’ television..which has over a past few decades seeped deeper to almost emerge as the popular culture. Lots of it has got enmeshed and consecrated as part of the accepted lifestyle and things to aspire for – fulfilling our need for achievement and social status.
On the face of it there may be nothing wrong with owning an even bigger car or an expansive house – whether an apartment or a villa; 100% diesel-based power back-ups; air-tight rooms with 24x7 air-conditioning; lavish vacations to far out destinations etc. etc.
Yet, as you dig deeper, you discover plenty of shady and murky stuff that lots of this shine and glitter tries to cover up – trillions of dollars in perverse and regressive subsidies that are pumped year after year to keep these aspirational lifestyles “within reach”. And the moment it seems to slip away - there is a quick bail out - even as a number of really important agenda on energy, climate and social justice are slipping behind.
The challenge, on one hand, is to supply useful stuff and to warn about the dangers of the additive junk – which online communities such as WorldChanging, TheOilDrum and Copperwiki as well as a large number of grassroot communities - are commendably doing.
At the same time, there is a pressing need to rehabilitate the delinquent adults many of whom are out in the open in alarming numbers - even writing the rules ,setting policies and presiding over the bail-out plans that responsible adults are forced to live up with.
Like all good things, democracy in its present form has become a burden and needs reforms and renewal. A couple of changes that I believe are urgently required are :
1. To allow every child - a vote through its natural or rightful guardian.
2. Political candidates must be screened and appraised on their competency for the job, based on systemic enquiry - to make obvious complex cause and effect relationships, transparency and effective communication. The scores must weight in good proportion with the popular vote for the final outcome.
Can we debate and mandate these changes, if it passes the debate, before it's "too late"?
Is their any alternative?
On the face of it there may be nothing wrong with owning an even bigger car or an expansive house – whether an apartment or a villa; 100% diesel-based power back-ups; air-tight rooms with 24x7 air-conditioning; lavish vacations to far out destinations etc. etc.
Yet, as you dig deeper, you discover plenty of shady and murky stuff that lots of this shine and glitter tries to cover up – trillions of dollars in perverse and regressive subsidies that are pumped year after year to keep these aspirational lifestyles “within reach”. And the moment it seems to slip away - there is a quick bail out - even as a number of really important agenda on energy, climate and social justice are slipping behind.
The challenge, on one hand, is to supply useful stuff and to warn about the dangers of the additive junk – which online communities such as WorldChanging, TheOilDrum and Copperwiki as well as a large number of grassroot communities - are commendably doing.
At the same time, there is a pressing need to rehabilitate the delinquent adults many of whom are out in the open in alarming numbers - even writing the rules ,setting policies and presiding over the bail-out plans that responsible adults are forced to live up with.
Like all good things, democracy in its present form has become a burden and needs reforms and renewal. A couple of changes that I believe are urgently required are :
1. To allow every child - a vote through its natural or rightful guardian.
2. Political candidates must be screened and appraised on their competency for the job, based on systemic enquiry - to make obvious complex cause and effect relationships, transparency and effective communication. The scores must weight in good proportion with the popular vote for the final outcome.
Can we debate and mandate these changes, if it passes the debate, before it's "too late"?
Is their any alternative?
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