This is great! - A New and Expansive View of Joe the Plumber

Thank you to my friend, Dawn, who sent this great piece to me from her home in Michigan. For me, labels are not what really matter - such as liberal/conservative, Democrat/Republican, left/right - and often such categorizations polarize and impede finding common ground. And if I am going to use a label, I would personally often prefer, for instance, to use something like what Thom Hartmann refers to as being of the "Radical Middle". What is much more important to me than any labels are actions, such as who is standing behind what and who is truly walking their talk.Yet, I found in the below piece exactly that message of who actually stands behind what and who is truly walking their talk. I found it brilliant in how it overlays the paradox, the hypocrisy, and the myth of our seeming differences with the much more expansive truth of our shared values, interests, needs, and interconnectedness. I feel great gratitude for all who have worked, lived, fought, and died so more and more of us can live in a more caring and peaceful world. While war and soldiers are often given largely exclusive credit for "our freedoms", there is obviously a vastly larger picture of who we also need to celebrate, emulate, thank, and honor. Peace ~ Molly

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A new twist on Joe the Plumber

JOE THE PLUMBER

Joe the plumber gets up at 6:00 am and fills his coffeepot with water to prepare his morning coffee. The water is clean and good because some tree-hugging liberal fought for reasonable water quality standards.

With his first swallow of water, he takes his daily medication. His medications are safe to take because some stupid commie liberal fought to ensure their safety and that they work as advertised. All but $10 of his medications are paid for by his employer's medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance & now Joe gets it too.

He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs. Joe's bacon is safe to eat because some girly-man liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.

In the morning shower, Joe reaches for his shampoo. His bottle is properly labeled with each ingredient and the amount of the total contents because some crybaby liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained.

Joe dresses, walks outside, and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some wacko environmentalist liberal fought for the laws to stop industries from polluting our air.

He walks on the government provided sidewalk to the subway station for his government subsidized ride to work. It saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees because some fancy-pants liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.

Joe begins his work day. He has a good job with excellent pay, medical benefits, retirement, paid holidays, and vacation because some big city liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe's employer pays these standards because Joe's employer doesn't want his employees to call the union. If Joe is hurt on the job, or becomes unemployed, he'll get a worker compensation or unemployment check because some stupid liberal didn't think he should lose his home because of his temporary misfortune.

It is noontime and Joe needs to make a bank deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe's deposit is federally insured by the FDIC because some godless liberal wanted to protect Joe's money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the Great Depression.

Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae underwritten mortgage and his below market federal student loan because some elitist liberal decided that Joe and the government might be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his lifetime. Joe also forgets that in addition to his federally subsidized student loans, he attended a state funded university.

Joe is home from work. He plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive. His car is among the safest in the world because some America-hating liberal fought for car safety standards to go along with the taxpayer funded roads. He arrives at his boyhood home. His was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers' Home Administration because bankers didn't want to make rural loans.

The house didn't have electricity until some big government liberal stuck his nose where it didn't belong and demanded rural electrification.

He is happy to see his father, who is now retired. His father lives on Social Security and a union pension because some wine drinking, cheese eating liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Joe wouldn't have to.

Joe gets back in his car for the ride home, and turns on Rush Limbaugh. Rush is talking about how liberals are bad and conservatives are good.

He NEVER mentions that his beloved Republicans have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day.

Joe agrees: "We don't need those big government liberals ruining our lives! After all, I'm a self-made man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I have!?"

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Peace may sound simple - one beautiful word - but it requires everything we have, every quality, every strength, every dream, every high ideal. -- Yehudi Menuhin (1916-1999)

All works of love are works of peace. -- Mother Theresa (1910-1997)

NRDC - Mobilizing America For Our Environment

A message I received today from Robert Redford speaking for the Natural Resource Defense Fund and the urgent work they do:

No one voted on Election Day to hand over Utah's Redrock wilderness to oil companies.

But the Bush Administration cynically chose that very day to advance an outrageous plan that will sell off leases for some 300,000 acres of spectacular Utah canyonlands to oil and gas speculators.

While America was voting for Barack Obama and his vision of a clean energy future, Bush and Cheney's underlings were conspiring to plunder one of the crown jewels of our natural heritage for their fossil fuel cronies.

Please register your own opposition right now.

The auction of Redrock country will take place on December 19. At stake are world-renowned vistas near Canyonlands and Arches National Parks, as well as near Dinosaur National Monument. The highest bidders will earn the right to turn vast tracts of pristine wilderness into industrial wastelands.

It's bad enough that Bush officials went behind the backs of the American people with this disastrous scheme. But what's worse, they didn't even tell their own National Park Service until after the fact.

In my mind, this theft of our heritage goes beyond the cynical -- it's criminal. What will be left to give to our children and their children if we allow this administration, in a parting shot, to destroy our legacy of public lands for short-term gain?

I hope you're as angry as I am about this blatant land grab, because we've got to stop it -- and we have to act fast. The NRDC Action Fund is mobilizing more than one million Americans in an outpouring of protest over the coming days.

Send your own message of opposition immediately. Tell the Bush Administration that you will not allow it to destroy one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

We'll automatically send copies of your message to your two senators, your representative and to the Obama transition team, which has signaled their opposition to this disastrous attack on our Redrock heritage.

The Bush Administration is racing to complete the auction of our lands before Inauguration Day, which will make sales difficult to reverse.

We must fend off this land grab now -- before the oil and gas companies can lay claim to the spoils.

Those spoils include stretches of Desolation Canyon, which has been proposed for national park status. Bush's own Interior Department describes the canyon as "a place where a visitor can experience true solitude -- where the forces of nature continue to shape the colorful, rugged landscape.

"The very idea of oil and gas operations invading these remote sanctuaries -- which have remained untouched for millennia -- is deeply upsetting. Once the dirty deed is done, our wilderness can never be restored. That's why I'm asking you to help us sound the alarm and organize now.

Tell the Bush Administration to cancel the Redrock auction. Remind them that we the people are the rightful owners of this majestic wilderness and that we won't stand for its destruction.

And thank you for joining with me and the NRDC Action Fund to save these beautiful wildlands for all future generations.

Sincerely,

Robert Redford
NRDC Action Fund

P.S. After you send your own message of protest, I'll let you know of an easy way to spread the word to your friends and family. With only 10 days to mobilize one million Americans, I'm counting on you to rally everyone you know to speak out and save this precious wilderness from destruction.

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The NRDC Action Fund is mobilizing hundreds of thousands of concerned Americans to speak out in defense of our environment. The four campaign areas span the most urgent environmental challenges of our time, focusing on flashpoint battles where online citizen action can make a critical difference. These include Wildlife, Wildlands, Oceans, and Global Warming. For more information, or to get on NRDC's mailing list (if you already aren't), please go here: http://www.nrdcactionfund.org/campaigns/mobilizing-america-for-our-environment.html. Thank you.

Watch & Listen & Support! -- Music For Human Rights

Heartfelt & Inspired Greetings!

I just received this message tonight from AIFC (American Iranian Friendship Council - http://www.aifcpdx.com/) in honor of International Human Rights Day -- which is on December 10th. This is an amazing film, song, project, global coming together, and just deeply heart-touching experience... at least it was for me! Wow!! I hope you will also consider supporting this project and/or sharing with others! Brightest blessings ~ Molly

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Music For Human Rights: Music Videos With a Message

_______________

Proceeds Go To Amnesty International

"The Price of Silence"

Created in 1948 the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) set forth the basic rights of every human being, yet 60 years later in places the world over, violence, poverty and oppression hold sway.

To commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the UDHR, and to remind the world that violations of Human Rights are unacceptable anywhere, at any time, Link TV has produced a video, "The Price of Silence" for Amnesty International.

Set in the United Nations, the artists appear on the stage of the General Assembly, flanked by huge screens whose images reflect the lyrics, or project performances from foreign locations. Starting with just Stephen Marley, the performance grows until a full band occupies the stage, singing and rapping, and the delegates are out of their chairs, cheering and dancing.

"The Price of Silence" is a true labor of love, the result of generous donations of time and talent on both sides of the camera. The song is based on "Cancion Protesta" which was donated by Aterciopelados and Nacional Records, produced by Andres Levin through Music Has No Enemies, and performed by an all star cast of international artists who have added their own lyrics. All of them are human rights activists and several are refugees. The video was directed by Joshua Atesh Litle, and although everyone looks like they are performing at the U.N., in fact all the artists and delegates were composited in through the visual effects wizardry of The Syndicate in L.A., Phoenix Editorial Designs in San Francisco, and a team of NY-based artists.

http://www.linktv.org/silence

It makes me cry.

Another world is possible!

"There is no trust more sacred than the one the world holds with children. There is no duty more important than ensuring that their rights are respected, that their welfare is protected, that their lives are free from fear and want and that they grow up in peace." -- Kofi Annan

The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die

Warmest Greetings

I want to thank my friend Sharif Abdullah, who just wrote from Sri Lanka

to share this link which is a "4 minute flash movie, taken from

(fellow Berrett-Kohler author) John Izzo's bestselling book,

The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die" --

http://www.bkconnection.com/thefivesecrets/

It's an extraordinarily beautiful film which deeply highlights the question

of whether we are moving to live our lives more

"through FEAR or through LOVE?"

As Sharif suggests - choose wisely.........

Peace & blessings,

Molly

"... the most interesting thing I uncovered is that being a loving person, the choice to give love, is even more important in determining happiness than getting it. These people talked to me about the importance of choosing love and kindness as your way in the world. They taught me that when we choose to be a loving person we find a deep sense of meaning in life." ~ John Izzo

Please go here for Sharif's website: http://www.commonway.org/.

Portraits from Iran: "Pictures of You"

Warmest Greetings

I am on the mailing list of AIFC - American Iranian Friendship Council @ http://www.aifcpdx.com/ - and recently received this link from Goudarz Eghtedari who added:

"The video shows that there is still hope for peace as long as there are people like the producer of the event described in the attached video. We really hope to be able to bring this to Portland."

Please go here and see if you are as moved as I was by the beauty and life and stories that emerge through these images:

http://www.boingboing.net/2008/12/01/portraits-from-iran.html

I am so excited that this may come to Portland. This amazing video and powerful project deeply touched my heart and obviously also touched the hearts of others. I am constantly inspired, and my hope and passion ignited, each time I am witness to the phenomenal creativity and diversity of ways in which human beings are working to create a more peaceful world. This project brings the humanness of Iranians to America, creating the opportunity to replace some of our ignorance, fear, and prejudice with greater understanding, compassion, caring, and connection. Since 9-11 we certainly even today, over 7 years later, continue to need this help to shake us out of our distortions and bigotries amidst the continuing plethora of propaganda which is still in our midst trying to overtly and/or subtly communicate to Americans that Iranians, Muslims, Arabs, etc. are among those "Others" who are out to destroy Americans, our way of life, convert us all to Islam, etc., etc. What better way to nourish our higher selves and feed that which reminds and awakens us to what we may have forgotten - that we are all sacred, we are all connected, we are all in this together.

Please watch "Pictures of You: Images from Iran" and help spread the word. Thanks so much!

Connecting heart to heart to heart is what will help heal our world.

Tag, we are all it! :-)

Molly

"The propagandist's purpose is to make one set of people forget that certain

other sets of people are human."

--Aldous Huxley

The only fear we have to fear is fear itself.

-- Franklin D. Roosevelt

Better than a thousand hollow words is one word that brings peace.

-- Buddha (560-483 B.C.)

Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained

through understanding.

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

This Brave Foundation

About the Brave New Foundation:

The vision of Brave New Foundation is an open democratic society that encourages rigorous debate, opportunity and justice for all.

Our mission is to champion social justice issues by using a model of media, education, and grassroots volunteer involvement that inspires, empowers, motivates and teaches civic participation and makes a difference.

Please go here for more information: http://www.bravenewfoundation.org/about.php.

You can go here to watch the video: http://bravenewfoundation.org/honorlist. If you wish, you can also make a donation today in honor of the person that inspires you in your life. Your donation goes toward supporting Brave New Foundation projects, such as In Their Boots, which examines the daunting challenges facing our returning Iraq/Afghanistan war veterans and their families.

Peace,

Molly

Rosa sat, so Martin could walk. Martin walked, so Obama could run.

Obama is running, so our children can fly.

- Ed Welch, quoting a text message from a friend,

on NPR's All Things Considered, 10/28/08

This Brave Nation

This Brave Nation is a unique video collaboration between The Nation, America's oldest weekly magazine, and Brave New Foundation, one of the country's newest multi-media producers. The series consists of six video dialogues between two well-known figures featuring charged conversations about loves, lives, politics and history. Each conversation is both a five-minute viral video and a 30-minute mini documentary.

The shows features: Pete Seeger, Dolores Huerta, Majora Carter, Tom Hayden, Naomi Klein, Anthony Romero, Carl Pope, Ava Lowery, Bonnie Raitt and Van Jones.

Please go here for more information and to view any or all of these amazing conversations: http://bravenation.com/. Many courageous, hopeful, heartfelt, and extraordinary things are happening in our world and in response to the enormous challenges which face humankind and all life on Earth.

Peace & Gratitude & Blessings,

Molly

Just take what you love doing, and

do it with enough people to make it the future."

- Carl Pope, Sierra Club's Executive Director

"Another Dopeless Hope Fiend"

- my exceptionally brave, funny, and big-hearted friend

Dave's button that he wore yesterday as

countless others came to celebrate his birthday and his life,

and who even with pancreatic cancer, is able to

maintain vision of a larger picture and more loving world.

What a role model for us all.

Thanks, Dave!

Gross National Happiness

Economists Appraise Bhutan's Happiness Model

Thursday 04 December 2008
by: Don Duncan, The San Francisco Chronicle

Thimphu, Bhutan - In the thick of a global financial crisis, many economists have come to this Himalayan kingdom to study a unique economic policy called Gross National Happiness, based on Buddhist principles.

When considering economic development, policymakers here take into account respect for all living things, nature, community participation and the need for balance between work, sleep and reflection or meditation.

"Happiness is very serious business," Bhutan Prime Minister Jigme Thinley said. "The dogma of limitless productivity and growth in a finite world is unsustainable and unfair for future generations."

From his ornate pedestal at the 4th annual Gross National Happiness conference last week, Thinley said it is common knowledge in Buddhism that every creation requires destruction.

"New thoughts and ideas emerge from chaos and devastation," he said. "If Gross National Happiness (is to) be the new order, the old (order) certainly seems to be giving way."

Gross National Happiness, or GNH, evolved over centuries in Bhutan but was launched formally in 1972 as an economic alternative by then-King Jigme Singye Wangchuck.

At the time, he was criticized for overseeing the stagnation of one of the world's smallest economies based mainly on agriculture and forestry.

As a result, the former king shifted focus of development from productivity to human well-being in four areas: sustainable economic development, preservation and promotion of cultural values, conservation of the environment, and good governance.

Since then, government policy in Bhutan has been guided by GNH principles in a succession of five-year plans, according to Thinley....

National Happiness

Gross National Happiness is an approach to development unique to Bhutan. While conventional development stresses economic growth as the ultimate objective, GNH is based on the premise that true development takes place only when material and spiritual development occur side by side. For GNH to grow, government must concentrate on four key areas:

• Promotion of equitable and sustainable socio-economic development.
• Preservation and promotion of cultural values.
• Conservation of the environment.
• Good government.

More... http://www.truthout.org/120508LA

Paul Ehrlich's "Seven Steps We Should Take Toward a Sustainable Society"

My partner and I met and heard Paul Ehrlich speak last night, and it was an excellent and enlightening experience. Dr. Ehrlich covered an incredible range during his presentation, including population growth, consumption, climate change, agriculture, access to water, education, the empowerment of women, the environment, the impact of a society on life support systems and the threats to our existence, the potential for huge die-offs if we do not act now, the propaganda and impact of disproving science, and - very importantly - our cultural evolution. He also wove humor through some difficult subjects along with the interrelatedness of all of the above subjects. I have a great deal of respect and gratitude for Paul Ehrlich and the work he has been doing in the world for many decades now. Below is a glimpse of Dr. Ehrlich's perspectives on creating a sustainable world. Peace & blessings... Molly

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by Paul Ehrlich

One: Put births on a par with deaths.

Two: Put conserving on a par with consuming.

Three: Transform the consumption of education.

Four: Judge technologies not just on what they do for people but also to people and their life-support systems.

Five: Rapidly expand our empathy.

Six: Decide what kind of world we all want.

Seven: Determine the institutions and arrangements best suited to govern a planetary society with a maximum of freedom within the constraints of sustainability.

For the complete article, and also a video presentation of Dr. Ehrlich's "overview of the 'state of the world' from the point of view of an ecologist/biologist" - which includes much of what I heard last night - please go here: http://blog.islandpress.org/author/PaulEhrlich.

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Paul R. Ehrlich is Bing Professor of Population Studies and Professor of Biological Sciences at Stanford University. He is the author of hundreds of scientific papers, and numerous books including The Population Bomb and Betrayal of Science and Reason (Island Press, 1997). His latest book is The Dominant Animal: Human Evolution and the Environment, which he co-authored with his wife Anne.

ENVIRONMENT-US: Bush Quietly Passes Dozens of New Rules

By Stephen Leahy

IPS - Inter Press Service News Agency

UXBRIDGE, Canada, Dec 1 (IPS) - As the world community meets in Poland this week to find solutions to the climate crisis, the George W. Bush White House is chaining the United States' tiller to prevent a change of course by President-elect Barack Obama by passing new anti-environmental rules and regulations at a furious pace.

Nearly a million hectares of public wildlands in Wyoming and Utah are being opened up to oil shale extraction, the Endangered Species Act is being gutted, as are regulations regarding factory farm operations, the Clean Air Act, and removing mountaintops to dig for coal and more, said a coalition of environmental groups.

"There are many last-minute changes and some are draconian," said Josh Dorner of the Sierra Club, an environmental NGO.

The White House can make such changes arbitrarily without approval or consultation with Congress, the Senate or the public. Known as "midnight regulations", more than 60 were passed in November with the intent of tying the hands of the Obama administration.

Some of these will be difficult to reverse, but many of the worst ones will almost certainly be overturned by Obama, Dorner told IPS.

There will be an entirely new atmosphere in the White House in 2009, says a coalition of 29 leading environmental and conservation groups. They met with the Obama transition team last week and presented a 345-page "roadmap for presidential action on economic stimulus, energy, climate change, and other pressing environmental issues".

"The new administration's priorities on energy, the economy, and the environment jibe well with our roadmap," said Margie Alt, executive director of Environment America.

More: http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=44924

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"The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either -- but right through every human heart -- and through all human hearts. This line shifts. Inside us, it oscillates with the years. And even within hearts overwhelmed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained." -- Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Gulag Archipelago