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Rolla Peace News June 28, 2016 |
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================================= Dear Friends:In this newsletter is: 1. NOON VIGIL FOR PEACE: THIS WEEK, THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2016 2. JULY 4 VIGIL FOR PEACE AT ENTRANCE TO LIONS CLUB PARK: 6:30-7:30pm 3. WHAT DOES HILLARY CLINTON REALLY STAND FOR? 4. THE MISFIT MATHEMATICIAN (Tom's column, http://tomsager.org) Disintegration
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We vigil for peace in front of the Rolla Post Office THIS THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2016, (and all subsequent Thursdays until peace is established) from Noon to 1:00 PM. Please try to join us. The temperature is predicted to be in the 80s. If you do not feel comfortable standing with us in front of the Post Office, please consider driving by and showing your support for our message by honking your horn and flashing a peace sign. 2. JULY 4 VIGIL FOR PEACE AT ENTRANCE TO LIONS CLUB PARK: 6:30-7:30pm On Monday, July 4, 2016, we will have our annual vigil for Peace on the sidewalk at the main entrance to Lions Club Park off of Hwy 63 from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. This is the final day of the Lions Club carnival. Please try to join us. As always, we vigil only on the sidewalk and stay off Lions Club property while vigilling. Unless you have family members at the carnival, please do not park on Lions Club property while vigilling 3. WHAT DOES HILLARY CLINTON REALLY STAND FOR? So, the platform committee of the Democratic National Committee has refused to put opposition to the TPP officially on the platform, instead making a vague statement that “there are a diversity of views in the party.” Anyone who believes that the party would not oppose the TPP if Hillary really opposed it herself is fooling him/herself. The DNC is basically owned by Hillary Clinton, and, what she says, goes. That's how it was throughout the primary campaign, and there's no indication that anything has changed. Dave Johnson makes the point that this decision hands Donald Trump a big advantage, as it lends credence to his charge that Hillary is only pretending to oppose the TPP to get votes. This is only one of many indications that the American public has once again been had by the Democratic party. As Bill McKibben (one of Bernie Sanders' appointees to the platform committee) states, Clinton's campaign was “ready to acknowledge serious problems,” but when it came down to specifics, they were not about to put anything definite in the platform that might go against the wishes of the global elite. Opposition to the TPP was voted down. Medicare for all was voted down. Six separate amendments to mitigate the effects of climate change were voted down. This is not the way to get Bernie Sanders' supporters to vote for Hillary. 4. THE MISFIT MATHEMATICIAN (Tom's column, http://tomsager.org) DISINTEGRATION “Popular revulsion for the ruling elite, however, is nearly universal.”The subject of my column today is disintegration. Three years ago, Chris Hedges reduced global disintegration to the single sentence above. The cause for the popular revulsion — the corruption of ruling elites. Here are three recent articles that all elaborate on Hedges's sentence: Patrick Cockburn discusses the “failed states” of the Middle East and neighboring parts of Africa and Asia; and their replacement by non-state organizations such as the Islamic State. Stephen Kinzer looks at brexit, the British exit from the European Union, and concludes that this ought to be a wake-up call for arrogant elites. John Feffer looks at the rise of right-wing nationalism and neo-fascism in Europe and the United States. I recommend all of these articles. The unifying thread is that the State is not supporting the people; so the people stop supporting the State and look elsewhere for support. I would also add that it is not only states that are disintegrating; our planetary life-support system is also disintegrating under the weight of corrupt elites. Here is a judgment from the I Ching that describes this situation well: The weight of the great is excessive. The load is too heavy for the strength of the supports. The ridgepole on which the whole roof rests, sags to the breaking point, because its supporting ends are too weak for the load they bear. It is an exceptional time and situation; therefore extraordinary measures are demanded. It is necessary to find a way of transition as quickly as possible, and to take action. This promises success. For although the strong element is in excess, it is in the middle, that is, at the center of gravity, so that a revolution is not to be feared. Nothing is to be achieved by forcible measures. The problem must be solved by gentle penetration to the meaning of the situation. Then the change-over to other conditions will be successful. It demands real superiority; therefore the time when the great preponderates is a momentous time.PREPONDERANCE OF THE GREAT ================== Rolla Peace News is distributed by email once a week on Tuesday evenings (except on rare occasions) and is posted on the web at http://tomsager.org (click on Grassroots Rolla: top of rightmost column).If you don't wish to get notices of peace events in the Rolla area, let me know and I'll take you off this list. If you want to be added to this list, let me know. Wage peace, Helen helenm (at) fidnet.com ### |