The division of the spiritual from the political has been a great failing of Western society. Where other civilizations have been able to call forth their greatest spiritual minds in times of manifest political crises "” Gandhi amongst the people of South Asia, the Dalai Lama amongst the people of Tibet, Chief Joseph amongst the Nez Perce, to name only a few examples "” the trembling earthquakes of destruction which loom heavy over Western civilization have called few men or women of spirit into action. In other cultures, those individuals who must remind the people of their duties to each other and to the Earth become the first warriors for the cause of the common good, their righteousness a product of the sanctified union of truth and compassion; but in the West, such men and women "” from the pope to the sidewalk preacher "” remain silent or (perhaps more fairly) unheard through the jungle of distraction contained in our computers and televisions. read more »

Despite heavy losses in the November Congressional election and a strong rebuke from the Iraq Study Group, President George W. Bush has made no indication that he intends on ending the violence in Iraq. In fact, the contrary is true: news agencies are now reporting that Bush is pondering a deeper committment to the bloody debacle, boosting troop levels in Iraq by as many as 25,000 troops.

These moves appear to flaunt public opinion, with a new poll for National Public Radio yesterday showing nearly two-thirds of Americans favouring a withdrawal of US forces from Iraq in early 2007 despite the threat to Iraqi stability. read more »

Law "” the set of rules that govern a society "” can be either an instrument of justice or an instrument of tyranny. It can either set men and women free, or it can bind them under an oppressive body of regulations, government oversight, and abusive police power.

Common sense dictates that when there are more rules to follow "” more regulations, ordinances, civil codes, criminal laws, and so forth "” then there are more things that a person has to remember if she wishes to be a law-abiding citizen. As the number of laws expands, the law itself becomes voluminous and arcane, difficult for the average person to understand. A person may not even know how many laws there are, or whether she might be accidentally breaking one. Lawyers come into the picture, acting as the high priests of good conduct, necessary intermediaries who can interpret the foreign language of law to the common man and woman.

It may seem counter-intuitive, but the simple fact is that the more laws, the less justice "” and the less freedom which exists in society.

Read the rest: http://www.demandmore.org/2006/11/27/one-law/

Democracy is an emotion. Like any other emotion, its presence is recognized through our feelings. Just as someone knows when she is angry or sad, every person carries within her an instinctive recognition of that state which signals saftey from all forms of oppression, a place of true liberty.

Democracy represents the triumph of every individual's potential. It enables people to cultivate friendships and relationships as well as individual self-development. Democractic societies value mutual aid, because they understand that in helping others, a person creates the very same conditions which will provide her with assistance and comfort when she requires it. Mutual aid encourages the cultivation of brotherhood and the forming of steadfast interpersonal bonds. It creates community.

(read the rest: http://www.demandmore.org/2006/09/21/democracy/)

In an age of growing militarism and religious fanatacism, those seeking an alternative vision for life on this planet might look to the simple ideal of pacifism.

Pacifism is the belief that war and violence cannot and should not be used as a way of solving disputes. Like any other type of human action, the use of war and violence is a learned behavior. When we are born, we arrive onto a planet that has been mired in warfare for at least the last 6,000 years; even today, the battle grounds of ancient Mesopotamia are being rebaptized in the blood of 21st century warfare. Because we grow up in communities and nations which have forgotten the value of peace and non-violence, we stop questioning the insane levels of coercion and oppression which continue unabated across much of the Earth.

But because these behaviors are learned, it means that it is eminently possible to discard war as a way of life and to embrace the basic tenets of a peaceful existence.

...read the rest: http://www.demandmore.org/2006/02/14/pacifism/