Hothouse Flowers - #NoDAPL

Yesterday The US Army Corps of Engineers has denied easement for the Dakota Access Pipeline. Water Protectors are celebrating this as a victory and it is in a sense, however this situation will be far from over since corporations have routinely ignored the law with regard to drilling with or without permission. With the world watching it seems to me we are at a threshold moment where the US Government will be put to the test to see if they defend the rights of the people over the ambitions of a corporation. Fining Energy Transfer Partners for noncompliance will not be an acceptable outcome. Knowing their intention to drill regardless of law, surely police should be deployed to stop them. What happens next will define the credibility of the US democracy and what level of action will be necessary for ‘The People’ to be heard.

This situation is very exciting!

Water Protectors, you have exposed the Achilles Heel of this and all corporations! This is important! This latest news is  a  victory but it will lay bare just how desperate and vulnerable their system is!

The corporation are desperate to flex their muscles but what you have revealed is that their Power is actually their weakness! They are a Goliath who can be brought down!

We see corporations functioning on an illogical model of perpetual growth that is ultimately doomed to failure.  They amass huge wealth by convincing people that they can continue to expand their wealth exponentially year by year, yet the resources they rely upon are finite and dwindling, they seek to cut costs by reducing environmental safeguards and lowering employment standards and pay.

Corporations depend on posting record annual profits just to maintain shareholder confidence. The problem is that they have often white anted their own value by reducing quality of service and overestimating the value of their stock. Although they are experts at shuffling resources around to cover deficits, I reckon it must leave them fairly vulnerable to a combination of loss of revenue and bad press (lack of consumer confidence)

The stock market is based entirely on consumption and is devoid of humanity, shareholders have no loyalty they are interested only in profit, the ideology is entirely greed based. Greed and amassed wealth has been the strength of corporations but is the very thing that will bring them down.

Through their investment in lobbyists and the favours they buy via political donations they have created an artificial environment which they depend on for their survival. Fossil fuel Corporations may appear robust and invincible but in fact they are like hot house flowers sheltered from the realities of the real world. The world which ordinary people inhabit, an environment which is much leaner, requires prudence, resilience, and the ability to survive on very little materially. We are hungry for change, and the cost of continuing with Oil has already proven far too costly!

 When we (people) stand up for our family, our friends and our land we find ourselves in a situation that we are compelled, no matter what our belief systems, to turn to a source of strength beyond what we can summon on our own. We draw on our spiritual resources which when accessed can withstand hardship beyond the discomfort any ‘shareholder’ is willing to endure.

Bravo to the Water Protectors at Standing Rock! With a disciplined and peaceful approach you have managed to avoid giving ‘Law enforcement’ officers a mandate to openly attack you, something I imagine the company, and government might have hoped to happen. You have delayed the progress of their pipeline adding unplanned expense to their project which will cost them the confidence of shareholders and affect the profitability of the company; It will make them look bad. You have disrupted their financial supply chain through divestment… and you have applied pressure to your elected representatives, which I imagine embarrassed the hell out of them and caused them to backflip in the face of huge public backlash.

You have stood toe to toe with men and women who would use violence against you and you have been a mirror into their own souls. Your courage has turned hearts and will haunt those who have committed shameful acts against you.

I am sure the corporation will do all it can to ensure the pipeline continues despite the declaration by the State not to approve the easement. The corporation may even turn on the Government since they expect full compliance from politicians to grease the tracks for them. What happens next could make all the difference. It’s likely Government officials are looking for every way possible not to upset the company. You have shaken the foundations of their towers! They now know how dangerous you are and they will likely retaliate and lash out in their desperation. Do not lose hope! Be brave! God bless you. We are with you!

(Disclaimer, I have no credentials or professional expertise in the area of politics or finance, everything I’ve written is from my naïve perspective as a person caught between the wheels of a corporatized world. I am just a human watching the world implode around himself, who has caught a glimpse of something miraculous!)

Book of the week

WE ARE ALL BORN FREE

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Pictures
(Amnesty International UK section 2008)

 (We Are All Born Free)

Yep... just as the title suggests, it is a pictorial presentation of the UN Declaration of Human Rights.
This is a Children's book which presents a 'Simplified Version' of Thirty Human Rights Articles, The book is full of great drawing paintings and various other forms of cool images produced by 22 esteemed illustrators and artists.

Human Rights are not complicated. They are basic... Fundamental expectations that we would hope could be applied to all people regardless of where they are from, regardless of ethnicity, religion etc... etc...

Having attended the Federal Government’s round table discussion on human rights last year I was dismayed to learn that the overwhelmingly supported recommendation for an Australian Bill of Rights has been completely sidestepped.

Here in the NT most people are acutely aware of the fact that the Federal Government suspended the Racial Discrimination Act in order to impose their “Northern Territory National Emergency Response” better known as “The Intervention”.


We have also witnessed the arbitrary axing of Bilingual Education for Indigenous children which, if the decision referred to any actual evidence at all, it was based on erroneous data and nonsense.

Article 26 (part of) “...Our parents have the right to choose how and what we learn...”

Of course if our country has such little regard for the rights of it’s own citizens it should be expected that we would have little concern for the welfare of Asylum seekers or refugees! For those unfortunate enough to have had to flee their own country they may find insult and contempt added to their list of injuries when seek refuge in this Country!

Although most asylum seekers will be granted refugee status and be allowed to stay once they have endured the interminable wait for processing. They’ll enjoy very few basic rights while they are waiting! Here in Darwin Children have been detained for months with very little opportunity or space for play. Although it had been intended for children under 16 to attend school, it has taken months for them to actually have the opportunity. Now we hear that children will be released from detention while awaiting acceptance, but they’ll likely be a year older before that happens... Apparently they may finally taste freedom in June next year!

Article 14 “If we are frightened of being badly treated in our own country, we all have the right to run away to another country to be safe”

A couple of months ago I drove by some Asylum seekers who'd jumped the razor wire fence of the detention center, just so they could stand by the road and hold signs begging for justice and compassion... They cried as drivers abused them for slowing the traffic and making them late for work... I heard that they were taken away soon after that... Who knows where they are now.



Additional Links related to this book

http://www.franelessac.com/docs/teachersnotes/We%20Are%20All%20Born%20Free.pdf

What's on the box

It's true these day I am more Spud than Stud. As I have finally conceded that my lifestyle is more one of a couch potato than an international man of action I'll at least try to find some useful cause for my true occupation. (We now have a portable TV/DVD player in our air conditioned bedroom)

Last night I watched a great program called 'LIVING WITH ILLEGALS'. (8:30pm Wednesday)
Sorious Samura, the journalist who produced the documentary gave more of himself for this story than most people would even consider. It was quite a briliant perspective on illegal immigrants and one that we who have the luxury of living in a safe country would rather not consider!
Mr Samura travels with and when possible 'as' an illegal immigrant. Taking many of the risks and suffering some of the hardship that the subjects of his documentary are forced to endure in order to escape what would be a worse fate in their original countries.
The documentary makes the obvious point that, on the whole, these are people whose circumstances in life have forced them into the almost hopeless position of fleeing their own country and risking everything for a chance to live under conditions that we take for granted.
Finally a story that is told in a way that allows any viewers capable of empathy the opportunity to put ourselves in the shoes of our neighbors.
The desperation of these people is real. Although we often look at struggling nations and say if only they would do this or did that, in most peoples cases the circumstances of their lives are well beyond their control.
It amazes me to see the heartlessness of Australians and particularly our government when it comes to dealing with refugees or illegal immigrants. I don't know how often I have heard the words 'Queue-jumper' or "illegal" used to denigrate people who seek refuge in our country! I don't know who started using them but they became common in the media very quickly and even used by our politicians! It wasn't long before I was hearing the words several times a day by people who had never seen the 'queue' and I doubt, like me, most of them wouldn't know what constitutes the difference between a 'legal' or an 'illegal' immigrant.

Why is it that when the xenophobic, paranoia button is pressed in this country we all respond with astounding diligence! It seems we will forgive any lie or deception played upon us by our governments, bureaucrats and truth makers when it comes to keeping 'them out'!

I am so glad that these peoples stories are being told in this way, from a man who has sacrificed part of his comfortable, safe life to share the suffering of his brothers and sisters.
We can justify our neglect and go on living in our fools paradise believing that the troubles of the world are nothing to do with us. Or we can practice some compassion and understanding for people who's dilemma we should be grateful we don't share.

I can't help thinking of the Samaritan from that parable in the bible?

Thank you Sorious Somara!

Interesting timing with the current situation in Tamworth where the council refused to allow 5 families from Sudan to settle in their town. It appears that the decision has been over turned after some heated public debate. I can't help thinking that the debate taking place within the Tamworth community might actually be a good thing. It is not easy to accept changes that appear to have been thrust upon you and it must be better to address peoples fear through discussion and debate than to ignore the way they feel about the future of their community. Who knows Tamworth may end up embracing their new citizens.

The series will continue next week at the same time.

Tonight at 8:30 SBS will be screening a rerun of 'Making 10 Canoes'. an excellent documentary.