Why Say No to the TPP? Corporations Already Have Too Much Power
At a time of widespread corruption of governments by powerful moneyed interests, we don’t need to give mega-corporations yet another tool to override the will of “we the people.”
Society
Rooted
With the climate emergency now breaking upon the world, some may wonder whether human society is going to be capable of an effective response.
Review of After Oil 4: The Future’s Distant Shores
Last year, author John Michael Greer posed a fascinating challenge to participants in his annual science fiction writing contest.
What Are You Reading?
I love books, always have.
Equity and Inclusion: Getting Down to the Heart of Placemaking
Placemaking, a collaborative process by which we (residents, architects, activists, community leaders and planners alike) shape our public realm together, is fundamentally about inclusion and shared community ownership.
American Fantasies
One of the reasons why I’ve tried to ignore most of the political news coming from my native USA these days is that I dislike hearing many of my friends – some of whom support Sanders, some Clinton, some Trump, and so on – chat blithely about a “revolution” or a “civil war.”
Retrotopia: Unnoticed Resources
Our narrator discovers that the differences between the Lakeland Republic and his own country include a sharp variance in vulnerability to sudden political and economic shocks…
Not Quite Enough
It’s no secret that the Presidential election has narrowed down to major candidates who are each distrusted or even loathed by a substantial portion of the electorate.
“You Can’t Handle the Truth!”
At this point most people appear to know that something is terribly, terribly wrong in the United States of America.
In Conversation: Communities and Infrastructure in a 100% Renewable World
The transition to 100% renewable energy raises profound questions for the future of our communities and infrastructure.
Ripples in a Community
In a more traditional world, community isn’t a hobby or cause; people need each other.
How to save the post-industrial town?
The great tragedy is that many of the problems Trump identifies are real, and so many of the hurts he exploits demand serious thought and measured action—from governments, yes, but also from community leaders and individuals. Yet so long as people rely on that quick high, so long as wolves point their fingers at everyone but themselves, the nation delays a necessary reckoning. There is no self-reflection in the midst of a false euphoria. Trump is cultural heroin. He makes some feel better for a bit. But he cannot fix what ails them, and one day they’ll realize it.
