old behaviors

"I try to remind readers that the very concept of "solutions" does not apply in this situation, since it implies that we can keep running things in America just the way we are running them now, only by means other than oil. The truth, in my view, is that we have to run things very differently now, at different scales than the ones we're used to -- but we are too invested in our behavior of the past to move forward. This is certainly unfortunate, because we have everything to gain by letting go of our old habits and obsolete wishes." Jim Kunstler, The Ponzi-plus plan

The question is then, where do we start building new habits and new wishes? Neither Obama nor McCain seem to propose any fundamentally new behavior, so far. Neither mention that our way of life as we know it is ending and that we will have to imagine and build something new, not change something old. Do we just drive electric cars instead instead of burning oil? do we just make health care affordable without looking at the lifestyle that is affecting our health in the first place? do we repair our aging infrastructure without rethinking what kind of infrastructure is sustainable in today's world? Solutions are cheap, recognizing that we have entered an age of uncertainty where our models of thinking no longer hold is the beginning of an answer... or the end of all answers.

open discussion

last saturday we had to move our meetup indoors, leaving our English garden as fall is now upon us. as it is the season to seek warmth and comfort, I was thinking that the next meetup can take place at a local cafe called Cafecito Bogota. they have excellent coffee (being columbian...) and great croissants, pastries and other Columbian specialties, plus the owners have copies of Noam Chomsky and other subversive authors on their bookshelves.

our meetup discussion was based on the bailout plan, the vp debate and the looming elections, for lack of a better word. we were all feeling the impact of the current economic crisis, either through our jobs, or through friends and family. while the bailout has been voted, there's an undeniable economic crisis underway (today's news confirms it once more) which affects our communities and our lives directly.

the vp debate set new lows as sarah palin winked and colloquialized to the average american. darn it, if you lack experience, just wink your way through it... just imagine what change we would bring by just winking to ahmadinejad, to kim il sung, to the evil casto brothers, and doggonit, to putin himself. a new world order that would be! joe biden, on the other hand was exceptionally contained, courteous and real given the circumstances.

these are extremely volatile times and times when we need to hold on to, and defend, the values we believe in, no matter what the economic situation is. the next month should be the occasion to commit ourselves, in every way possible, to defeat the republican's suicidal agenda. any suggestions you have on how to act are welcome.

welcome

This blog is an extension to the bi-monthly meetups and will provide a space of communal reflection on the world and on the future of our planet. How can we build a stronger sense of belonging, both locally and globally? How can we become more aware of the larger political, economical, social and environmental contexts we are part of?

We are more and more deeply affected by globalization and by the growing sense of vulnerability that it creates. Facing this reality without becoming frustrated, disillusioned or disinterested calls for a new sense of belonging and of engagement. While concrete interest-based action is important, this forum is a space to build local knowledge of the world through dialog and exchange of ideas.

This blog is moderated by Kai Krienke, a teacher at CUNY and a militant for peace. He has been living in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, with his family for the past two years. He is also a founding member of a Geneva-based non profit organization called Institute for Peace, Knowledge and Human Relations (www.sermacavalta.org).