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- America: The Fairwell Tour - book, C. Hedges - Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic - book, C. Johnson -The Unraveling of America - article, book

- America: The Fairwell Tour - book, C. Hedges - Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic - book, C. Johnson -The Unraveling of America - article, book W. Davis America is slowly boiling on the stove of corruption and apathy to become another failed state like Brazil, and has been unraveling for decades. It's not doomer hysteria to suppose it when it's demonstrably happening. Look at the burgeoning number of homeless, extreme budget expenditures on global MIC militarism, horrible leadership, lack of plans, lack of achievements like the JFK days, lack of leadership, lack of organizational effectiveness, lack of disaster containment, violence, political divisions, prevailing social hermitage and animosity, personal habits/escapism/conditions of despair (drug use, alcohol, hikamori isolation, friendlessness, depression, anger issues, road rage, screen addiction, virtual lives, extended adolescence, negative attitudes, poor social skills, fatalism, no families), cannibalism of public commons by corporations, power/influence of corporations, lack of accountability of public officials, lack of community, unequal distribution of wealth, and false beliefs by the middle-class and rich that everything is good enough. To pull the republic out of this fatal dive towards the ground, nonviolent but assertive direct action is needed to undo the neglect and revitalize the American psyche. Better days are ahead when, not if, people pull-together to solve the big problems and advance breathtaking goals. The universe is malleable, not inevitable.

adamcstephens 6y ago
Since I appreciate your list, here’s a couple more about the growing class divide. - The Precariat: The New Dangerous Class - book, Guy Standing - Listen, Liberal: Or, What Ever Happened to the Party of the People? - book, Thomas Frank
- airhead969 6y ago
  Oh thanks. Yeah, the American empire is socially divided-and-conquered against itself and economically pyramidally-narrowing with ultra rich vs. growing favelas / ultra poor. Americans have to escape their ruts, become more unified, and act more sensibly, determined, and rationally to assert for a fair shake and better leaders focused on public works, reinvigoration, and better services. I also like: - Death of the Liberal Class - book, Hedges - Collapse - book, Jared Diamond - Upheaval - book, Jared Diamond - The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Vol 1-6 - book set, Gibbon - Screw It, Let's Do It - book, Branson
  - adamcstephens 6y ago
    Sadly, I don’t think we’ve hit bottom enough yet. Maybe when we do we can break from the cult of the individual. Though it can just as likely turn into civil war and bloodshed.
    - airhead969 6y ago
      I think you're right. Most people are reactive rather than proactive. In the case of long-term existential threats like climate change, this isn't an option and requires top-down, unpopular mandates that only get necessarily more draconian as the hole gets dug deeper. Hyper individualists who don't care about anything outside their lifestyle vs. collective community participants for sustainability; easily pigeonholed with pejoratives like conspiracy nuts/deplorables vs. socialists/communists/antifa. The related issue of power structures excessively dominated by the hubris of the rent seekers refusing to change because of self-serving greed: "Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." - JFK They're asking for it, and will only placate with crumbs, but will never cede power without a fight.
throwaway20875 6y ago
Excellently written and spot on. Unfortunately, I think we'll have to suffer far more before more folks realize what's needed to change trajectory.
- airhead969 6y ago
  Perhaps we need to reach people differently: movies, ads, and spectacles to shove undeniable consequences, testimonials from around-the-world, and plans/hope in their faces to change sentiments sooner. Another, parallel option is subtly: Crowdfund massively to buy-out the advertising industry to alter beliefs?

adamcstephens 6y ago

Since I appreciate your list, here’s a couple more about the growing class divide. - The Precariat: The New Dangerous Class - book, Guy Standing - Listen, Liberal: Or, What Ever Happened to the Party of the People? - book, Thomas Frank

airhead969 6y ago
Oh thanks. Yeah, the American empire is socially divided-and-conquered against itself and economically pyramidally-narrowing with ultra rich vs. growing favelas / ultra poor. Americans have to escape their ruts, become more unified, and act more sensibly, determined, and rationally to assert for a fair shake and better leaders focused on public works, reinvigoration, and better services. I also like: - Death of the Liberal Class - book, Hedges - Collapse - book, Jared Diamond - Upheaval - book, Jared Diamond - The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Vol 1-6 - book set, Gibbon - Screw It, Let's Do It - book, Branson
- adamcstephens 6y ago
  Sadly, I don’t think we’ve hit bottom enough yet. Maybe when we do we can break from the cult of the individual. Though it can just as likely turn into civil war and bloodshed.
  - airhead969 6y ago
    I think you're right. Most people are reactive rather than proactive. In the case of long-term existential threats like climate change, this isn't an option and requires top-down, unpopular mandates that only get necessarily more draconian as the hole gets dug deeper. Hyper individualists who don't care about anything outside their lifestyle vs. collective community participants for sustainability; easily pigeonholed with pejoratives like conspiracy nuts/deplorables vs. socialists/communists/antifa. The related issue of power structures excessively dominated by the hubris of the rent seekers refusing to change because of self-serving greed: "Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." - JFK They're asking for it, and will only placate with crumbs, but will never cede power without a fight.

throwaway20875 6y ago

Excellently written and spot on. Unfortunately, I think we'll have to suffer far more before more folks realize what's needed to change trajectory.

airhead969 6y ago
Perhaps we need to reach people differently: movies, ads, and spectacles to shove undeniable consequences, testimonials from around-the-world, and plans/hope in their faces to change sentiments sooner. Another, parallel option is subtly: Crowdfund massively to buy-out the advertising industry to alter beliefs?