Colin Powell Endorses Obama in a Climate of Real Change

I wouldn’t normally be interested in campaign advertisements, but as usual, I found this by chance and was not lost on the significance.  I did mention Colin Powell (former Secretary of State) in one of my blogs and the fact that he left the Bush Administration.  My inner feeling was that he was a consciencious objector about what was happening in Afghanistan and Iraq.

I just had a look at some of the footage in New York regarding the recent storms.  My first thought is earth changes and climate change.  The second thought was the Afghan and Iraqi people and how they had their cities destroyed by human created disasters. The word ‘desert storm’ comes to my mind. 

The Americans, similar to Australians live in worlds that appear safe and secure and we do demand the lifestyles we have. We get shocked when we see natural disasters affecting modern cities. I recall my friend being shocked by the earthquake in New Zealand and commenting his shock was exacerbated by the fact that New Zealanders are like us. He noted his discrimination of being more shocked than when he saw images of third world disasters. We don’t expect to see people in desperate need similar to those in the third world.

I do feel an awakening is occuring in realisation that we are each other keepers, indeed we are one. I recall after September 11 MeetUp groups started on the internet which created opportunities for people to meetup online and then in person to get to know each other and start grassroots action on subjects that mattered to people. People during the disaster reached out to each other and there was a great sense of getting to know others and helping each other. I send out much love to the Americans who have lost their properties or loved ones.

I ask everyone to see the world as your home and the natural environment as the no. 1 security priority. The number 1 issue not only in American politics but across the world is the environment and the human impact (disaster) that is creating great change.

Always political messages focus on the economy. They do this as all of us believe jobs bring us security and we do not want to live like those in the third world. There is a great fear of not enough or being a failure on a social level. So the mantra of economic growth has been an unquestioned message that people listen to as they need their jobs to pay rents or mortages and raise children. Yet the real message is that we are living in lifestyles that are destroying the natural support systems that sustain all life. Al Gore made the very insightful metaphoric point – the gold bar or the earth? That is the real line drawn in the sand, the real choice and the real message. Economic growth will not continue to increase as the planet does not have the resources for every country to desire to live like the United States. You would need 4 earths to sustain such demand. Moreover, the lifestyles are built on consumerism which directly benefit business profitability as their primary interest and in turn link to political influence as the politics of power and by extension, militarism in our world.

If we look at what is valued in respect of militarism in Iraq and Afghanistan estimates for the costs of these wars appear to be around $3.7 trillion dollars (ref http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2009371/Iraq-Afghanistan-Pakistan-wars-US-cost-3-7trillion-258k-lives.html).

Estimated costs of climate change by 2100 are estimated at $1.9 trillion annually (http://www.nrdc.org/globalwarming/cost/cost.pdf).

According to the World Bank Gross National Income for the United States in 2010 is $15.23 trillion (refer http://www.google.com.au/publicdata/explore?ds=d5bncppjof8f9_&met_y=ny_gnp_mktp_pp_cd&idim=country:USA&dl=en&hl=en&q=united+states+gnp

So what each of us values and how we choose to live affects how resources are used and the global big picture.  Each of us are 100% responsible for these choices and the future of children.  When you choose apathy you step away from democracy of which you have been given.  After my trip around the World I realised the importance of the democracy I experienced in Australia and now I speak openly without fear. For myself democracy is listen to others without demonising them, it is freedom of speech and even those I may not agree with, I respect people’s rights to their opinion, that is democracy. I always suspend judgement to make room for myself being wrong. Democracy is not sound bytes on media programs that have right or left wing agenda’s, that aim for profit over people. The people require balanced information to make decisions given they are not Economists.  I intend to be a participant in my society rather than an armchair critique sounding like I know or don’t care.  I value democracy and live it by offering solutions rather than complain about it which is to live as a victim.

It is ‘We The People’ that must wake up to a new paradigm where we take 100% responsibility for our decisions. If you want real security build a mud brick or hay bail house, plant a vegetable garden and start to learn about sustainability. Most importantly, get to know who you are, find inner peace in your life so you don’t feel the desire to buy things to fill the gaps. For myself the inner peace started when I followed my heart and truly lived the life that made me happy. So many feel locked in and fearful, and I understand that, but you will be surprised when you show courage and make a positive change, something will come to assist you. As you change your world changes. That has been my experience. I live on whatever money comes, I house sit and spend my time working for peace. I am no greater than you. I could have been an Economist or remained as a market analyst earning $100,000 now I have enough to eat and I know I made the right decision for myself. I am happy.

We are not in balance and it reflects in ourselves, the world we live in and nature is responding.

It is not politicians who will change the world, it is you. Don’t waste time blaming one politican over another for the state of the economy, the people are the ones consuming and deciding which corporation succeeds or not. We vote with what we spend our money on and that is a signal of what we value. Look at your own lifestyle, what do you value? In the words of Edmund Burke ‘In order for evil to flourish, all that is required is for good men (and women) to do nothing.’ Apathy of the people is the real political problem as people do not feel heard and give up on the system which suits those in power. Many believe the only power they have is as consumers rather than citizens. It is when you remember your citizenship your decisions will be less about jobs and gross national product it will be more about gross national happiness and societal values. The onus is on you to get informed about the truth of the times you are moving through. There are more citizen journalists reporting on issues that affect people lives such as fracking, pollution, corruption, climate change etc. It is not about having more to feel rich and powerful and enhance your ego, in truth it is learning to give to live, that is when you will feel your true wealth. When we learn to cooperate rather than compete we will help each other succeed, we will learn to work for the community’s best interests rather than self interest based on greed.  I will post a poem I sent to the Australian Parliament in the next blog.

When I stepped out of the economic paradigm I was amazed by how many people helped me just because I was seeking a higher road in serving society. In western societies we have disconnected from each other through focusing on materialism and trying to look successful, yet the reality is you already are successful, you are here. How did you get here? how rare are you? You are here with a purpose in life and I can assure you it is not about paying the rent, making money or being loved. You have your own talents and passions and now is the time to have the courage to create the life you want. You are a valued member of the world community yet so many don’t live their full potential, many eek out a living.

Here are a few wise sayings to contemplate:

“Learning to live simply so that others may simply live” (where need equals want)

“be the change you wish to see in the World” Gandhi (walk the talk)

“to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man” Shakespeare (honesty)

Turning to the situation in New York. I don’t know if this news report is true but it was reported that a doctor made $10,000 treating people injured from the storm. If this is true my question is – is this the society you want to create? That is economics without values (economic rationalism). In this instance he saw to exploit others in need, he placed profit over people. That connects for me to the US Health Care system in the United States. As an Australian, I find it hard to understand why public health care is opposed. It is accepted uninimously by both sides of politics here. In Australia we have medicare, those on low incomes can get their medical treatment for free. In my view, that is the sign of social wellbeing over greed. Still some doctors oscillate here to remove bulk billing (government pays the bill), greed is here too, but thankfully our government has not allowed them to dismantle the system. How does a poor person get treatment? they don’t! For me medicare here is a statement of equality, not winners and losers worldview. A sign of a civilised society is reflected in how it treats the most vulnerable. It is a reflection of the society not the poor. Human values gets my vote every time.

Why not place people over profit, return to the founding fathers values and live the symbol of the Statue of Liberty – life, liberty and happiness not only for the United States but as values extended to the world. Freedom is not about getting your own way, it is about allowing all to be free to be who they are, a dviersity within unity. That is the true meaning of freedom, it is not pertaining to captialism, that is a system of economics, freedom is innate and universal. In a World that values freedoms you will never send in the troops to uphold freedom, you will express freedom and inspire through your great inventors, visionaries, ways of being that others aspire and admire. In my feeling, that was the greatness the founding fathers saw. That is the democracy I vote for.

If all people across the world do not change, nature will change the world for us. That is the real choice put before all people at this time of great change. Who are you and who will you become?

Love and peace.

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Mohandas Gandhi

“Nobody can hurt me without my permission.”

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