Personal Emerging Politics

I will spare the story but in the past two years I have become increasingly political. Four real reasons: international injustice (do you know how many children die each day from preventable causes??), peak oil (people are way to ignorant of this), unsustainable corporations (co-operatives are so much better) and the quenching of community through consumerism (this hurts). All these reasons come down to a desire to see good and be part of good in the world.

I realize that some of these are already implemented, some of them are idealistic and likely will not happen and others maybe slightly incoherent.

So here are a list of political positions that are developing but not quite there:
- credit unions should be established and should charge non-profit interest (against Usury)
- > including national credit unions
- worker's co-operatives should be everywhere
- > along with this one of the priorities of government spending should be setting these up
- non-profit social insurance co-ops are needed urgently (Canada is facing a major crisis in a few years with it's spending)
- > along with worker's co-operatives should be funded by the governments but this is higher priority at the moment
- solar and wind energy driven economies
- > we can not survive on oil - the technology exists to go solar/wind
- > to do this a system of carbon taxes, renewable tax credits and laws for certain key sectors that must go renewable
- the IMF needs to change
- > be managed by a board of more equitable representation globally
- > SAPS need to have reasonable interest rates
- > SAPS should encourage the above mentioned government projects and not the selling off of major public works
- > heavily indebted countries need to be forgiven their debts immediately
- the nation-state model needs to be replaced with a continental union model,
- > the African union, the Central American union and the South American union are essential to get off the ground now
- expropriate the patents and rights to their GMOs from Monsanto
- make it illegal to buy non-fair trade purchases (just as Asbestos was made illegal)
- truth-and-reconciliation commissions should be set-up
- > between former colonial powers and colonies
- > between ethnic conflicts the world over
- > in the Great Lakes region of Africa
- > between North and South American post-colonial states and their indigenous peoples
- > between the United States and the various countries it lead coups in during the Cold War
- high-speed trains
- > several long projects within the new continental unions and across borders to create a new internationalism

Things I think about but have reached no solid ideas about:
- the environment - there is danger but what happens when we switch our energy sources?
- education - Illich showed me the disturbing reality of schooling which added to my own suspicion of the institution - where do we go from here?

MY DEEPEST CONCERN:

Community and consumerism - the point isn't to arbitrarily create wealth, although I believe my suggestions will create wealth in the long run. I worry that wealth might lead to excess consumerism and more breakdown of community - more isolated individuals living somewhat meaningless lives moving from place to place with no real friendships, enduring connections or hope for an intentional life.

It will be hell - the damned fires of satiation and excess, greed and loneliness.

That's why I started this blog. It is not that I have confidence in the good human soul but I believe with the technologies that exists a better political order can be founded. This is not some idealism, I believe there is the agency to do so. But hidden within that agency is a dark spirit that will rage a deep spiritual violence on people who live in political peace and economic prosperity but who are not living 'the good life' nor being form into the 'Imago Christi' having forgotten the Imago Dei.