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03 December 2024
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The Trump Presidency: Celebration of the Little Boy, and Mass Awakening
by Jan Lundberg   
21 January 2017
Image Donald Trump has won a bet, perhaps with himself, that a grandiose ego can transcend the world of the business deal and reach the level of nation-dealing. As a sole qualification for being president of the U.S., not to mention his being a white male of a privileged background, this is very slim. Yet, one could point to the refined education and style of ex-president Obama, and lament that someone so intelligent who gained the trust of the pro-peace electorate (and the Nobel committee) kept the wars going instead of ending them.

But Trump seems to have a complex world view, and apart from whatever good he might do there is a worrisome Reaganite knee-jerk right wing tendency. Reagan took down the solar panels off the roof of the White House as soon as he was installed, while Trump began dismantling Obamacare.

 
Stepping Back from Trump's Election: Critique of underlying US Culture in a List - 25 Limitations
by Jan Lundberg   
21 November 2016
I have been reflecting upon the ascendancy of Donald Trump to the top spot of the U.S. power structure. It has been disturbing to about half the country, and this demographic is further frustrated that not even half of the voters voted for Trump. Many people in other countries are appalled, and some pleased because Trump adds to the humorous or wild aspect of the increasingly rogue former colony.

At Culture Change (est. 2001) we have focused on root problems that give rise to the full range of dangers of racism, bigotry, misogyny, war, and ecocide. With the patience of a historian we have to watch the usual complete inaction. Yet every so often a movement or campaign comes along, such as Standing Rock or Occupy to fascinate millions of us.

 
The Unconnected and Unrewarded in the New Divisive Dichotomy: Being Either Online Or Not
by Jan Lundberg   
05 November 2016
Image

Editor's note: this new piece can be considered Part Two of our Screenism report, Feb. 2015.

In past centuries the world’s population knew literacy, a major phenomenon that boiled down to whether you could read or not. In terms of what literacy meant for either the majority or minority, it was a useful or oppressive tool. However, literacy was not an all-consuming status that was never off (always “on”).

Today’s telecommunications industry and its ubiquitous products’ usage is a very different phenomenon, compared to mere literacy. There are many differences, but let us focus on impacts on public health and social cohesion, and on the progression of major forms of social control by elites.

 
The Ameliorators: a possible coalition of progressives on (e.g.) NAFTA
by Jan Lundberg   
21 October 2016
These are confusing times, for many. We know of very intelligent, well-informed activists who choose to see an aspect of the disturbing reality afflicting us, while ignoring other parts of the big picture. This may be because of stress and fear.

Is this scary picture of a multi-crisis an affliction Western Civilization suffers from, or is Western Civilization the affliction? The question should lead people to improve their perspective, in case they needed to. Meanwhile, we can't sit back smugly by concluding, "I understand what's going on, and what needs to be done, but people don't get it." Other common attitudes: "The banksters are too powerful. The elite will always have what it wants." Or, "Hmm, is the presidential election what most deserves my attention as a solid activist?"

 
It's the 21st, and this is what a growing movement is doing
by Jan Lundberg   
21 August 2016
Image Dear Culture Changers and fans of Sail Transport Network:

This is our third article on Turn21, a most promising movement that offers hope for the world in crisis. We believe you would do well to subscribe to the Turn21 newsletter (click here).

There comes a time for action on the behalf of the planet, and that time has already begun. Thank you for being part of the solutions, thinking about what you can do to reduce your carbon footprint, supporting sustainable commerce, and thinking of how you can enjoy a great life with less carbon energy.

 
Thoreau
by Richard Adrian Reese   
15 August 2015
Image Henry David Thoreau had a mind that was intelligent, complex, and rigidly righteous. He was born in Concord, Massachusetts in 1817, into a family of uppity Unitarian abolitionists. After attending Harvard, he worked as a schoolteacher for a few years. Later, he lived with Ralph Waldo Emerson, serving as a tutor, handyman, and editorial assistant. Emerson took him under his wing, and encouraged his literary efforts. Emerson owned land on Walden Pond, and he allowed the young man to build a cabin there. Living by the pond led to experiences that inspired Thoreau’s classic, Walden.
 
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