News & commentary on sustainability, activism, urban planning, politics, and our world.
This week the governor of Oregon, John Kitzhaber, announced that he will halt the execution of Gary Haugen, who had been scheduled to be killed by the government next month on December 6. Kitzhaber stated that he will not allow the murder of Haugen, or any other prisoner, to take place as long as he remains in office. He said that the death penalty is morally wrong and unjustly administered, and it must be stopped now.
“Why Iceland Should be in the News but is Not” describes how Iceland has completely transformed their financial institutions, as well as their entire democratic process. The story of how the European nation is recovering from bankruptcy three years ago, the sensible economic reforms implemented, and the radical public process of drafting an open source constitution, are amazing examples which all countries could easily successfully emulate.
Although this undoubtedly outs me an incredible geek, I must confess that I find few things more satisfying than smart well-informed political discussions which systematically dissect important difficult and complicated issues. My absolute new favorite thing this month is the weekend morning news program,”Up with Chris Hayes”. The engaging show focuses on politics, interviews, and thoughtful panel debates, which transcend the insipid mediocrity of most mainstream media.
Massive corporate banks and billionaire plutocrats are proving that they have a vested interest in dismantling the growing Occupy protests. Chris Hayes has just revealed that a politically connected lobbying firm with close ties to Republican John Boehner, has asked a wealthy banking group for nearly a million dollars to develop a strategic plan to destroy the Occupy Wall Street movement, as well as any politicians who might express support for the activists.
