Dear Governor Gregoire, Join us in solidarity!

Dear Governor Gregoire,

I am discouraged. I am looking at the prospect of the emergency special session. According to your office, the special session will focus on cutting programs in order to balance the budget.

I want to ask you to think about whether this is the correct approach. I want to ask why are we pushing for cuts, before seeking new revenue.

Maybe there is a better way.

Maybe, just maybe, instead of a "first cuts" approach, your office could call for a special emergency session to RAISE REVENUE.

For example, the Boeing and Microsoft corporations have tons of money. Tax exemptions that these corporations enjoy could be allowed to expire, instead of making cuts that will result in death and further suffering for so many. Look at this. The Boeing and Microsoft corporations have outsourced jobs to exploit cheap labor overseas. The government, by granting them indefinite tax exemptions, enables, encourages, promotes and rewards these, and other, harmful behaviors.

There is an appearance of betrayal. After all, we cannot abide policies that enable cash profits at the expense of the well-being of so many people (and planet.) We cannot abide cash for killing!

Please consider this: Instead of a special "cuts first" legislative session, how about an emergency session to raise revenue. To save lives.

You could even say to the people and the legislature something like this:

"If at the end of this special session to raise revenue the legislature has failed, then I as Governor of the State of Washington, will leave the luxurious abode of the Governor's Mansion, and move into Solidarity Village, in solidarity with those whom are most afflicted as a result of the systemic injustice and corruption that plagues this society."

Please join us. Please protect us. We call on you.

I hope that you will seriously and sincerely consider this message.

Thank you,
Robert Whitlock

beautiful morning!

Washington State Budget Protest Update!

More updates on my flickr site, http://www.flickr.com/photos/rwhitlock/ and OlyBlog, http://olyblog.net/blog/berd.

The following is from a couple emails I sent, one to the Fair Budget Coalition and Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace listserves, and another to my Washington State legislators:

Hey everyone, congratulations on the week so far. Tuesday was awesome, and then Wednesday was even more awesome!

The Backbone Campaign [http://backbonecampaign.org] is encouraging people to contact their legislators. I think it makes sense to communicate with them about the reasons we are demonstrating too. more information at http://backbonecampaign.org

Here's a note I sent to Gov. Gregoire:

Dear Governor Gregoire, I support the people who are occupying the Capitol Building, and I want to join in saying, "no excuses." There is no excuse for anti-social budget cuts at a time when there has never been more wealth in society. Wealth must be taxed. Wealth must give back to society from which it was garnered!

No Excuses!: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rwhitlock/5596842492/

I also posted photos from Wednesday here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rwhitlock/sets/72157626445019320/

and a hastily edited video (which might disappear if I re-do it) here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZnX66zEV20

berd

Dear Senator Fraser and Representatives Hunt and Reykdal,

I am writing to express my support for protests against the budget this week. I am sure that
you're all similarly inclined toward more progressive taxation. So the purpose of my letter may
be less to persuade, than to make sure you know that there are many people amongst your
constituency whom are interested in basic changes to the state revenue system. I have heard of
polls that indicate nearly 70% support taxing wealth in order to fund social services.

The demonstrations this week illustrate the urgency of this problem. For example, people are
losing their homes at a time when the economic elite control a massive proportion of society's
wealth, and at a time when there are not enough jobs, much less dignified jobs with living
wages.

You have my support in vigorous and assertive approach to this problem. Wealth that is
garnered from society, must be taxed and returned to society, in order to maintain the
commonwealth. People need fairness and equity.

There is class warfare, and I want government to protect the poor against avarice and predation
in the marketplace.

Thank you!

Berd Whitlock
[address
Olympia, WA]

Poverty is not caused by personal defect, it is not an individual problem. Poverty is a social problem.

Some Recent Photos

Here are some recent photos and images from the past week or two. More information is attached on the flickr photo pages.


Friday 19 March 2011
Olympia, Washington

There are a couple of events today and tomorrow happening at Heritage Park. One is the Pacific Northwest Medicine Wheel. Another is the Global Day of Listening project.

Here is a link to a 1min 40sec YouTube video focusing mostly on the GDL project:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsxItpDboJU

olyblog.net/events-heritage-park-weekend

more photos:

A Question about Wealth and Privilege, and Oppression and Suffering

Let us ask whether our wealth and privilege depend on oppression and cause suffering.

No Imperialism, No Racism

Racial and economic justice, and the cessation of violent conflict! Abolition of an offensive economic, military-industrial establishment...

The enemy is not personnel. It is not personal. The enemy is ignorance. The enemy is fear, xenophobia, racism and other prejudice. The enemy is aggression and violence and hate.

Here are three copies of a video I recently made, my intent was to deal with the problem of an 'us v. them' mentality, privilege and oppression, wealth disparity, socio-economic harmfulness, and I suppose, violence in general.

Videos are below the fold.

Capitalism Hurts

Capitalism Hurts Flickr Group Slideshow (link to group photo pool):

Capitalism hurts!

Instead of the accumulation of wealth: imagine a society geared toward mutually beneficial, life-serving interests. Imagine a world of health and well-being, for ALL people!

maybe life would be better if...

maybe life would be better if the world was set up differently—instead of a society that rewards people with, and that promotes, materialism, and the maintenance of hierarchical structures where some have power over others—maybe life would be better if the world was set up for mutual/interdependent empowerment of all people (and the rest of nature) toward mutual health/prosperity/well-being, and mutual/collective liberation from oppression for all people... maybe, just maybe.

War is Bankrupting and Impoverishing Us

Friday 19 September 2008
Percival Landing Washington

War is a bankrupting activity. It bankrupts economically (financially, ecologically, etc.) And it bankrupts morally.

There are some anti-war quotes attached to this photo where it's linked from on the flickr site, and I am reminded of another quote by the Rev. Dr. MLK Jr.:

A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.

Which reminds me that I recently read Stride Toward Freedom by MLK. It's about the Montgomery bus boycotts of 1954-55. I thought it was a great read. Why? A number of reasons. For starters, it was clearly written, and also of compelling content. It's the story of Southern Black Liberation—a story that is ongoing today—and it's roots are in campaigns like the one described in the book by MLK.

Rosa Parks and MLK are popular figures in America. For example, many cities have major thoroughfares buildings named after MLK. That's pretty high esteem for a radical revolutionary. Because that's what MLK was. He was a radical, and a revolutionary. Even at the age of 26, in 1954, he understood the cause of so much violence and disease (including racism) was fear, and distrust/mistrust between people, and the repetition of old patterns of behavior, patterns that really just don't make sense—and he also understood that the vast and growing discrepancy in wealth between global rich as a root-level cause of war and other violence.

By the time that MLK was assassinated in 1968, I think he may have even moved in his political views further toward the left of liberation, that is the liberation from oppression for all people—and he criticized the war in a very meaningful and fundamental way, calling into question national aggression, and calling for a movement to counter the rampant "militarism, materialism, and racism" prevailing in society.

I recommend the Speech, Beyond Vietnam, which was delivered a year to the day before he was killed.

Seeking to address the root cause of violence, disease and poverty, MLK stated in the speech that: "True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring."

Another statement from the speech:

"I was increasingly compelled to see the war as an enemy of the poor and to attack it as such." MLK Jr.

Following is a link to audio of the speech, and then the text. Please take a listen!

Include Everyone!

I was reminded of this concept of including everyone by an article I read in the Progressive magazine. It's a book review by Ruth Conliff. Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett have researched the effects of socio-economic equality on people's health, and have desecribed their work in a new title, The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger. I wrote a blog about that on OlyBlog here.

Here are a couple more photos, with peace, Berd

Olympia Food Co-op Boycott of Products from Israel

There has been a lot of discussion on OlyBlog about the boycott.

I created a book page where related posts can be accumulated:
http://olyblog.net/olympia-food-co-op-boycott-products-israel

From Tacoma

This photo is from Tacoma Washington, near the County City Building. I was there to attend a trial for a friend of mine who was charged with disorderly conduct after blocking a military vehicle.

Parking lot near County City Building
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In this photo, Mr. Ellsberg is seen in the witness stand, in the court of Pierce County Judge Maggie Ross, where he gave testimony in a trial where the state was prosecuting a war protestor in a case of nonviolent direct action civil resistance.

Ellsberg delivered a brilliant testimonial about his life and experience, ranging from education at Harvard, to service in the Marine Corps, to consulting with the White House and State Department, to releasing the Pentagon Papers, which detailed incriminating documents, that related to the invasion and occupation of Vietnam, by the US government.

The jury delivered a disappointing verdict, finding the defendant guilty, a strike against the claim of necessity.

But it seems to me that the defendant, Patty Imani, who is a care-giver by trade, is a winner anyway, because of her principled and courageous act of conscience in resistance to aggression.

Ship in Port, with Ideas about Success, Materialism, Society, and Health

July 10, 2010
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A ship carrying logs is seen at the Port of Olympia, in the City of Olympia, Thurston County, Washington State. The ship is the STX Pioneer, of Panamanian registry.

Despite the many faceted objections of environmentalists, the Weyerhauser company has teamed up with the public sector and is operating a log export operation at the Port of Olympia.

Many people who understand and care about the environment object to the activities of the Weyerhauser company. The lists of reasons is long. The objections stem at least in part because of the fact that the logging operation is harmful to ecosystems. The logging and shipping imperil the delicate biodiversity that is at the heart of ecosystem health. This goes along with a number of other reasons to object to the log export operations, including but not limited to the environmental effects from the transport of such a heavy commodity over long distances.

Should companies be allowed to engage in activities that harm the environment?

Who does the environment belong to? Or rather, who ought the environment belong to? (To some and not others? To all? To none?)

When there are harmful industrial activities, does it make more sense that some few should benefit disproportionately more than others, or does it make more sense to distribute the wealth in a way so that everyone would benefit equally?

Does the focus on a definition of success that leans on the metrics of materialism (v. spirit, or community, for example) promote a fundamentally harmful, abusive, violent relationship with the material of existence, the substance of the planet?

Is it possible that there other ways of defining success that would be more favorable toward a vision of economic stability and justice, and toward an end to what many believe is the criminal behavior of big companies?

In of the current system societies are engaged in competition to exert control over resources. Instead of this scenario, think about societies moving toward a culture of cooperation and stewardship and mutual prosperity. Think about society moving away from a culture of war, conquest and dominance.

Instead of measuring success based solely on personal material riches, perhaps success could be defined along the lines of a healthy community, on the ability to take care of each other, and to be truly aware and awake, conscious (and conscientious) in our daily lives, so that we are careful to the greatest extent possible to NOT do harm...

Perhaps success could be defined along the lines of efforts to strengthen the fabric of society, to work toward an end to all violence, and an end to all unnecessary suffering - an end to poverty, starvation, illiteracy, homophobia, sexism, ageism, racism, nationalism.

Perhaps success could be defined along the lines of contribution to the mutual health and well-being—the mutual happiness and prosperity—of all people.

Berd

More Photos from the Detroit Incinerator Protest

June 26, 2010
Detroit, Michigan

Detroit Incinerator Protest

Saturday, June 26, 2010, Detroit—Protest against Detroit incinerator. We were told that this is the "largest incinerator in the world." It's a privately owned for-profit company that does the job. It's called Covato, or something like that. I'll look it up and make any corrections.

Also, it's hard to see smoke, but there is a nasty odor in the exhaust plume. I wonder if the particularly nasty stuff gets burned at night, or if the smoke has been cleaned up for the presence of out-of-towners with the forum this week. There was a very nasty odor when we walked downwind of the facility.

Detroit doesn't have a recycling program, so waste plastic, styrofoam and other toxics may very well be included in the waste that is burnt at the incinerator. Disgusting thought.

One organizer mentioned the concept of Zero Tolerance: There is no safe, nor allowable level for toxic emissions. Any toxins are unacceptable. For example, if the incinerator releases even one particle of dioxin, then it must be shut down. I agree. Especially if it is run for-profit.

No one deserves to profit from activities that do harm.

It was a great protest, I have a ton of photos. More later!

[more photos from the protest here: //peacepotential.blogspot.com/2010/07/more-photos-from-detroit-incinerator.html]

Can Capitalism Be Altruistic?

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This book, "Only the super-rich can save us," by Ralph Nader, came out last year.

I think Ralph Nader is a brilliant thinker. I credit Ralph with initiating my own political awakening, to the harmfulness that is intrinsic to this corporate power dominated political system. These corporations compete for market domination. They can do no less - or else they would not be wise investments. Dominate to succeed. It's an unnatural and inharmonious system. Human beings have too much control over the environment to have a system that promotes and encourages the dominator paradigm. Another way is possible. A better way. A way of altruism, respect, kindness, compassion, reciprocity, truth, and peace....

Here are some of my initial thoughts about this book, I posted these on the facebook website earlier today:

I'm reading this new book by Ralph Nader. I'm about a chapter into it, "Only the super-rich can save us."

I think Ralph is brilliant, and I enjoy what seems, so far, to be the sense of humor in this book. However, there are some questions I have about the vision Ralph presents in this book, and although I am curious ab...out whether my questions will be addressed in this nearly 800 page epic, I am also skeptical.

The book presents Ralph's fictional (though he thinks plausible) scenario in which some of the world's richest philanthropists suddenly wake-up and realize how fucked-up the world is. Because of this realization, and the realization of their potential ability to make change, they therefore dedicate themselves, under the leadership of one mega-billionaire Warren Buffet, to use their capital, and other influence, toward the creation of an "open society" -a society that is altruistic and benevolent.

My question relating to the plausibility of this scenario revolves mostly around the realism of an expectation for reform within the capitalist (corporate socialism/ fascist) economy that we have.

It seems to me that capitalism has always been abusive. It seems to me that capitalism has always been exploitative and violent (slavery, extinction of species, et al.). It seems to me that on at least some level capitalism has always involved the mentality of divide and conquer. It seems to me that capitalism has always been oppressive.

So, so far the book is interesting, and I really appreciate what I think is Nader's sense of humor. About 40 pages into it, and I think it's an entertaining and interesting, crafty literary work of prose, albeit with a narrative that is sometimes somewhat silly, (an aspect which I personally find to be charming.)

But the question remains... is capitalism reformable? Is it possible to practice an altruistic capitalism? Or is the tendency to pit people against each other a radical and undeniable basic feature of the capitalistic economic system?

Is the concept of altruism anathema to capitalism (especially one that thrives on materialism/commercialism/consumerism)?

Comments re: Cesar Chavez Day Proclamation and Offshore Drilling

The following is posted on the White House flickr page:

Dear President,

This looks and sounds good.

But please, please, please move beyond the rhetoric and take action according to the ideals that Cesar Chavez fought for!

Thus far we have seen a lot of talk, but we need to see the walk.

Corporate greed is running humanity and this planet to ruin.

A better way is possible. Please. Lead the way to real change - to a real redistribution of wealth. To environmental and social stability, to ecological and economic justice and sustainability.

Wall street speculators driven by greed do not deserve a greater influence over policy matters than anyone else.

All people deserve to be treated equally by government.

This is good rhetoric. Now make it into good policy. Please - stand up against corporate power! Stand up against this tremendously abusive economic environment! Stand up against the exploitation of the poor by the rich!

Sincerely,
Berd

p.s. I think the move to deregulate off-shore oil drilling was incorrect.

Because, it makes sense to focus on reducing consumption, through improvements in efficiency, subsidies for public mass-transit, and the like - rather than open up the planet to increased industrial exploitation, which will only cause greater harm and increasing potentials for global warming and other related environmental catastrophe.

Detention Center

The following is a comment (edited for clarity) that I left on an article about a protest against the Northwest ICE Immigration Detention Center. The facility is located in Tacoma Washington, and I cross-posted the same article here on Peace is Possible. And also here again is a slideshow of the day's events.


by berdww
on 2/15/2010 @ 9:26am

I think that the ICE Detention Center is a symptom of the deeply diseased nature of our society.

When some people are willing to put others down for the purpose of economic self-interest then there is a problem. People are willing to exploit each other - and there is a fundamental violence that exists at the roots, and in the heart, of our socio-economic political system.

The Detention Center is an outward manifestation of what is a culture of cruelness, meanness, hurtfulness, exclusion, fear, and exploitation (etc.). It's a culture that permeates to the roots and heart of this society.

A Social Transformation Toward Sustainability and Justice Would Benefit Everyone

the words of Mahatma (Mohandas K.) Gandhi

This quote needs to be framed in reference to the struggle by people native to the Indian Subcontinent against what was the tyrannous and incredibly violent and harmful colonialism that was waged under the auspices of the British Empire.

I also like the idea of altering the quote slightly so that it ends with "everyone wins" - because real social transformation toward justice and sustainability would benefit everyone. Real social transformation, justice and sustainability would prove to be a winner for everyone...

Wow!!! Humanity has done such a huge damage to itself and to the living systems of the Earth in such a short time since the advent of fossil fueled industrialization!

The following are thoughts which are cross-posted at OlyBlog, link below:

I would really like to see people from the various social and environmental justice movements working along more of a unified front.

The root causes of environmental degradation and ecological unsustainability; imperialism and wars of aggression; exploitative labor practices; societal oppression; and poverty and any other social injustice are the same.

I would like to see a broad based, inclusive and supportive social movement - a movement that is accessible to everyone regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, ability, creed, and/or any other distinguishing feature - in order to effectively and successfully challenge the status quo: a status quo which is currently doing so much harm to all people.

Please imagine a movement to challenge the current establishment's enablement of a degrading and dehumanizing status quo of economic instability, ecological unsustainability, and social injustice...

Further thoughts and avenues for consideration on this topic include, but are not limited to, potential solutions and responses such as 1) permaculture: a resilient, sustainable and independent local/regional economic infrastructure, 2) socio-economic egalitarianism, 3) making health care a central and foundational economic feature ...and etc....

larger image olyblog.net/working-union

Celebrate the Vision of the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr.

Here are some resources to help celebrate the vision of MLK:


original size: Excerpt from Martin Luther King Nobel Peace Prize Lecture 1964

Read the full text of Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1964 Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech

Full text of the Nobel Lecture: MLK Nobel Lecture 1964

Listen to the speech MLK delivered on April 24, 1967 - one year to the day prior to being assassinated: Beyond Vietnam

Celebrate the vision of Doctor and Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.!

A Strong Dose of Truth to Do Away with the Lies

Recently posted at OlyBlog: A Strong Dose of Truth to Do Away with the Lies