Paper or Plastic? Or Your Own Re-usable Bag?

You’re standing in line at the grocery store when you realize that you don’t have your reusable bag. You’ll have to get a plastic bag. Again. You feel bad for a moment and then think that it’s just one bag. But it isn’t …
In the U.S. alone, 280 billion plastic bags are used each year, which is enough to stretch around the earth nearly 30,000 times. Making and using plastic bags has more repercussions than you might think. Check out the following infographic to see how exactly plastic bags affect our cities, our environment and even our economy.

Sorry, this graphic doesn't fit into the allotted space and I don't know how to fix it. If you want to see all of the facts, go here: http://www.learnstuff.com/suffocating-the-world/

When You Need to Survive You Go Back to the Land

For years we have been encouraging people to return to the land to protect themselves against difficult times. The Greeks are learning the same lesson, and many, against their will, becoming a labor of angst. But when the same move is taken voluntarily it can be a joyful adventure. 


Watch the accompanying video and see the original post here.

As another difficult year for the battered European economy ends, many Greeks are returning to the land to survive.

At the end of another year of painful austerity and mouting debts, Greece's battered economy is seeing over 1,000 workers lose their jobs every day. On the surface, many cities still looks prosperous, but the nation's deep crisis is clearly reflected in the windows of hundreds of empty shops.

More than one million Greeks are unemployed, which is one-quarter of the workforce, and the country is facing a youth unemployment rate of 58 percent.

But while many are struggling to survive in this harsh financial climate, others are returning to the land from the towns and cities that onced promised so much.
 
Up until a month ago, Kostas Bozas was a city banker. Now he is unemployed and has moved to his father's house in a village outside Thessaloniki, going back to his roots in search of a future.
 
"I come a from a steady job, and now at the age of 50 it's the right opportunity to become a farmer ... my father will teach me the things he knows from his father."
 
Thousands have taken the road back to farming in recent years - while the rest of the economy is in free fall, the farming sector is actually adding jobs.
 
[Ladies please take note of what this woman says!] "The work is labour work, it was very difficult for me. I'm a girl, I was raised in Athens, I was having everything done for me. And now I have to dig. I feel like Scarlett O'Hara - the land is my strength, I think that when you have the land you can feed yourself, you can produce anything, you can be happy ....We can't expect anything from the government, they have proven so many years that they are useless, so we have to do it ourselves," says Alexandra Tricha, a former scientist. When she left the city to start a company growing gourmet snails everybody thought she was crazy, but now business is booming.
Not everyone fleeing the cities is doing it willingly. Some are making a strategic retreat, taking refuge in family villages just to get by - hoping that one day they will return to urban careers.
 
Christos Kozakis always thought he would return to his mother's house one day, but when his business selling luxury cars in Athens collapsed, he and his wife felt they had no choice but to move back.
 
"You feel connected, you feel that you have roots here, that's one of the good things .... The only thing that makes me bitter is that somebody else decided that for me, I was forced to come here earlier .... Don't get me wrong, work is not a problem, I would wash cars, I don't care, just let me do it, just let me make a living to support my wife and my kid. It's breaking my heart .... This is my country, we are not thieves, we are not people who don't pay their taxes, and we are not lazy."
 
The steady shift to the farms and villages appears to be an unstoppable force fuelled by desperation in the cities, inspired by hope for a better, less anxious life. Some will flourish, others may fail. But all have taken a bold decision not to wait for the government or anyone else  - their futures are now in their own hands.
 
So, as Greeks are trying to turn their loss into a new way of life, is economic salvation to be found in Greece's rich and fertile soil?

Is Michelle Obama’s “natural food” campaign designed to hide the White House attack on organic food?

IS MICHELLE OBAMA’S “NATURAL FOOD CAMPAIGN” DESIGNED TO HIDE A COORDINATED WHITE HOUSE ATTACK ON ORGANIC FOOD?

By Jon Rappoport
December 2, 2012
www.nomorefakenews.com

This article follows up on Mike Adams’ devastating pieces exposing Dr. Oz and a coordinated high-level assault on organic food.

http://www.naturalnews.com/038172_Dr_Oz_organics_propaganda_campaign.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/038157_Dr_Oz_organic_food_sellout.html

How high does this assault on organic food go?

Soon after her husband’s 2008 inauguration, Michelle Obama announced her “First Lady do-good project” to the press and public.

Every First Lady picks one.

It’s mandatory. Better education, some charity, a worthy cause. It’s designed PR, aimed at creating good will for the husband sitting in the Oval Office.

That’s the First Lady’s job. She’s a PR agent.

Michelle chose an organic vegetable garden and the health of children. More than her work with military families or her personal fashion/style interests, the organic garden and the bee hives she installed on the South Lawn of the White House became her signature.

The White House vegetable garden was the first planted on the grounds since the days of Eleanor Roosevelt.

As the press trumpeted, Michelle instructed the White House kitchen to order organic food for meals.

We were told produce and honey from the South Lawn garden were served up for the First Family and even at State dinners.

The title of Michelle Obama’s 2012 book is American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America.

She has tied the issue of childhood obesity to deteriorating eating habits and unhealthy food.

All in all, her presentation has been quite effective and convincing. She’s done a first-rate job.

The all-important impression is unmistakable: the White house stands for “healthy eating.”

But meanwhile…

Her husband is the most powerful enabler of Monsanto in America.

Despite his hints that he would support labeling of GMO food, Barack Obama has done herculean work to destroy true natural food.

The details are undeniable. They include his mind-boggling political appointments of Monsanto operatives to key government posts, and a parade of new GMO crops into the food supply, during his first presidential term.

Monsanto and their allies couldn’t have wished for a better partner. The president has given them everything they’ve asked for.

The new president filled key posts with Monsanto people, in federal agencies that wield tremendous force in food issues, the USDA and the FDA:

At the USDA, as the director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Roger Beachy, former director of the Monsanto Danforth Center.

As deputy commissioner of the FDA, the new food-safety-issues czar, the infamous Michael Taylor, former vice-president for public policy for Monsanto. Taylor had been instrumental in getting approval for Monsanto’s genetically engineered bovine growth hormone.

As commissioner of the USDA, Iowa governor, Tom Vilsack. Vilsack had set up a national group, the Governors’ Biotechnology Partnership, and had been given a Governor of the Year Award by the Biotechnology Industry Organization, whose members include Monsanto.

As the new Agriculture Trade Representative, who would push GMOs for export, Islam Siddiqui, a former Monsanto lobbyist.

As the new counsel for the USDA, Ramona Romero, who had been corporate counsel for another biotech giant, DuPont.

As the new head of the USAID, Rajiv Shah, who had previously worked in key positions for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a major funder of GMO agriculture research.

We should also remember that Obama’s secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, once worked for the Rose law firm. That firm was counsel to Monsanto.

Obama nominated Elena Kagan to the US Supreme Court. Kagan, as federal solicitor general, had previously argued for Monsanto in the Monsanto v. Geertson seed case before the Supreme Court.

The deck was stacked. Obama hadn’t simply made honest mistakes. Obama hadn’t just failed to exercise proper oversight in selecting appointees. He wasn’t just experiencing a failure of short-term memory. He was staking out territory on behalf of Monsanto and other GMO corporate giants.

And now let us look at what key Obama appointees have wrought for their true bosses. Let’s see what GMO crops have walked through the open door of the Obama presidency.

Monsanto GMO alfalfa.

Monsanto GMO sugar beets.

Monsanto GMO Bt soybean.

Coming soon: Monsanto’s GMO sweet corn.

Syngenta GMO corn for ethanol.

Syngenta GMO stacked corn.

Pioneer GMO soybean.

Syngenta GMO Bt cotton.

Bayer GMO cotton.

ATryn, an anti-clotting agent from the milk of transgenic goats.

A GMO papaya strain.

And perhaps, soon, genetically engineered salmon and apples.

This is an extraordinary parade. It, in fact, makes Barack Obama the most GMO-dedicated politician in America.

You don’t attain that position through errors or oversights. Obama was, all along, a stealth operative on behalf of Monsanto, biotech, GMOs, and corporate control of the future of agriculture.

From this perspective, Michelle Obama’s campaign for gardens and clean, organic, nutritious food is nothing more than a diversion, a cover story floated to obscure what her husband has actually been doing.

Nor is it coincidental that two of the Obama’s biggest supporters, Bill Gates and George Soros, purchased 900,000 and 500,000 shares of Monsanto, respectively, in 2010.

Now in 2012, we are seeing, as Mike Adams reveals, a new attack on organic food: organic is an elitist fetish, a nonsensical preoccupation of the 1%, as against the 99%. We are told that conventionally grown, pesticide-laden, genetically engineered food is just as good, is no problem, and patriotic Americans should be loyal to it.

In other words, we should be loyal to the corporate giants who are taking over the food supply, are exercising patent rights on food ownership, are doing whatever they can to squeeze small farmers out of business, are giving us nutritionally deficient food, are lying through their teeth about the heavy health risks of eating this GMO food.

We should be loyal to the police who are ordering homeowners to rip out their vegetable gardens on their lawns.

Yes, this is a coordinated attack on clean nutritious unpoisoned food, and it reaches all the way up into the White House, does a quick detour around Michelle Obama’s smokescreen operation, and arrives in the Oval Office, at the desk of Barack Obama.

Why isn’t Barack out there on the White House lawn picking a few delicious organic vegetables from the garden?

Why isn’t he posing in front of a hundred media cameras taking a bite out of an organic non-GMO tomato?

Why isn’t he leading the way on a campaign to have people in inner cities plant more community organic gardens, to fend off hunger, ill-health, and poverty?

Why isn’t he?

Because he’s working for Monsanto.

Monsanto, the same company, by the way, who took the advice of Mitt Romney, many years ago, to stop overtly promoting chemical pesticides and, instead, get into genetics.

Sources:

http://redgreenandblue.org/2012/02/02/monsanto-employees-in-the-halls-of-government-part-2/

http://redgreenandblue.org/2011/02/09/monsanto-employees-in-the-halls-of-government/

http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2011/10/fda-labeling-gmo-genetically-modified-foods

http://fooddemocracynow.org/blog/2011/feb/15/update-obama-goes-rogue-gmos-tell-him-say-no-monsa/

http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/food/genetically-engineered-foods/

http://news.yahoo.com/not-altruistic-truth-behind-obamas-global-food-security-174700462.html

Jon Rappoport
The author of an explosive collection, THE MATRIX REVEALED, Jon was a candidate for a US Congressional seat in the 29^th District of California. Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, he has worked as an investigative reporter for 30 years, writing articles on politics, medicine, and health for CBS Healthwatch, LA Weekly, Spin Magazine, Stern, and other newspapers and magazines in the US and Europe. Jon has delivered lectures and seminars on global politics, health, logic, and creative power to audiences around the world. You can sign up for his free emails at www.nomorefakenews.com

A Wonderful Speech to Change the World

The former CEO of Citibank, Phillip Wollen, captivates the audience (and me)! Wow! Bravo!

GMO Foods Proven to Create Sterility

We suspected this problem when we learned that American farmers who gave their pigs GMO feed saw problems in reproduction. Now we learn the same thing from the Russians who have run a controlled study with hamsters. They found that in the 3^rd and 4^th generation that these animals reached sexual maturity more slowly and then were unable to reproduce at all. This is why GMO foods are being forced on an unwilling population. See the stories here, here and here.

The powers-that-be realize that the entire world cannot live at the American standard, although everyone aspire to it once having seen it on television. America as you know has just 6% of the world’s population but consumes almost 30% of the resources. The estimate is that for everyone to live at this standard we would need 5 planet earths to provide the resources and absorb the wastes.

But, the answer to the problem is not at all difficult to figure out: change the lifestyle! Foreseeing this problem His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada encouraged his followers since forty years ago to adopt a simple life and acquire their necessities directly from the land as we teach at Gitagrad—not only for themselves, but to demonstrate to the world that it is possible to live simply and be happy, as long as one has suitable spiritual practices to bring inner satisfaction and peace. This message is more relevant today than ever before. Prabhupada told us again and again that the modern way of life is totally artificial and unsustainable. And it is! But people prefer the soft life despite all of the good arguments to get closer to nature.

Unfortunately the powers-that-be have chosen a different approach to the problem of sustainability—depopulation! If 7-9 billion people cannot live the comfortable Western consumer lifestyle, then the solution is to reduce the population to the number that can be comfortably sustained! That’s the plan, and that plan is being implemented in as many ways as they can find, and GMO foods are just one of them.

Stopping reproduction is perhaps a more humane way of depopulation, but they don’t let matters stop there. They want to step up the death rate with Codex Alimentarius. Never heard of that? You should because that is the reason why the potency vitamins and minerals is being reduced to impotent levels. You can no longer purchase more than a 50mg capsule of Vitamin C in Europe without a doctors prescription. That is why you can no longer purchase colloidal silver in Europe. That is why nutrients, yes, nutrients, have been declared to be toxins! Seems incomprehensible doesn’t it? Well, check it out here with Dr. Ian Crane here (1.5 hours), Dr. Rima Laibow’s 40 minute version here and her 5 minute version here. 

Don’t be surprised if we see another flu pandemic also since a Dutch lab learned how to make the deadly, but not contagious, H5N1 bird flu highly contagious. Expect to see it slip out of the laboratory somehow. But the best defense against the flu is NOT an injection of who-knows-what, but plain old vitamin D. Get out and get some sun, and if you can’t do that get some vitamin D tablets. If you can’t get a decent dose in one tab you can take the whole bottle, well, maybe you won’t want to do that, but it is hard to overdose. You can take up to 5,000 IU of vitamin D a day. And besides protecting from the flu it will help to prevent breast cancer, colon cancer, heart disease & stroke, cognitive decline and diabetes. See here, here, here and here.

The fact is that when spiritual beings live in a material world everyone must die. How and when is the question, and increasingly simply getting a material body to work out our karma is the first challenge. Keeping it going is the next one. We don’t belong here. We are spiritual beings and we have the possibility of living in the spiritual world where there is no death. Make it your plan to transfer yourself there after this life is up and you will no longer be troubled by mad men attempting to play God and decide who lives and who dies. The process for doing that is chanting the great mantra for deliverance: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

Woman Overcomes Cancer with Turmeric Spice

Woman Overcomes Cancer with Turmeric Spice

While expensive cancer drugs linked to premature death and mega-tumors are pushed by many mainstream doctors as the only option outside of chemotherapy, a growing number of informed individuals are consistently opting to instead utilize natural methods that are known to conquer cancer cells and effectively negate the disease — without harsh side effects.

One such person, Vicky Stewart of Britain, chose such a path when she refused mainstream medical cancer treatments and instead began consuming powerful turmeric spice.

Despite excessive warnings from MD’s who insisted that Vicky would surely not recover using superfoods that are commonly touted as ‘woo’ and ‘ineffective medicine’ by pharma-backed doctors, Stewart found amazing success by altering her lifestyle and taking in extra amounts of superfoods like turmeric each day.

Stewart recalls to The Telegraph how her doctor repeatedly voiced concern over switching to a healthy diet full of turmeric to fight the cancer (one of many turmeric health benefits), telling her that it would do virtually nothing: “The doctors absolutely will not say that the diet is going to do anything to help the cancer in any way.”

Four years later with absolutely no mainstream treatments, she is still cancer free with no signs of it coming back. At the age of 44, Stewart is now the center of a major research project led by scientists who are downright fascinated by what she has done.

Research Shows Turmeric Spice is a Natural Cancer Fighter

While it is indeed fascinating, it should come as no surprise that Vicky healed herself naturally using turmeric and other lifestyle changes. In fact, copious amounts of research highlight the anti-cancer properties of turmeric (in many cases due to it’s active compound curcumin), and countless individuals have used it to aid themselves in the fight against many diseases.

Not only has peer-reviewed research by the UCLA shown that turmeric can naturally block the growth of cancer cells, but in more than 9 studies it was revealed that turmeric can reduce tumor size by a whopping 81%. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. 

So why is it so fascinating that a spice that has been used for thousands upon thousands of years by many South Asian and Middle Eastern countries as a ‘heal-all’ substance can actually stop cancer naturally?

As Stewart explains, turmeric has a unique ability (along with other great superfoods) to essentially cause cancer to regress in a number of ways. As she puts it, it essentially caused the cancer cells to ‘commit suicide’. Stewart explains to The Telegraph: “Turmeric kind of makes cancer cells commit suicide and ginger and garlic are great to cook with.”

Mainstream Health Organizations, Doctors Continue to Ignore the Evidence

Even in the face of such overwhelming evidence (whether it be studies that have been available for decades, stories like those of Stewart’s, or the prominent role of turmeric in multi-national cultures), mainstream health organizations and traditional medical doctors continue to cling to radiation and dangerous cancer drugs as the only possible option to ‘treating’ cancer. Just as Stewart’s doctor warned her that diet would do virtually nothing, despite saving her life and eliminating cancer from her body completely, these individuals will continue to assert that all alternative medicine is a joke.

In the same vein, cancer researchers will continue to be paid by charity walks and expensive non-profit events to ‘find the cure’ through invasive surgeries and pharmaceuticals. Turmeric, a dirt cheap alternative along with other nearly-free superfoods, are blatantly ignored as they cannot be patented and sold through Big Pharma’s proverbial commodity gates.

Thankfully, millions worldwide are waking up to this ‘old paradigm’ of health full of pharmaceuticals, surgery and sickness. In turn, they are utilizing life-saving techniques and foods to further their health without sacrificing both their finances and their health.

Explore More:
Beating Cancer with Nutrition – Turmeric Slows Spread of Breast Cancer
Natural Cancer-Fighting Spice Reduces Tumors by 81%
Turmeric Offers Powerful Anti-Cancer Benefits Without Side Effects
Turmeric, Curcumin Naturally Block Cancer Growth
Turmeric Shown to Cut Heart Disease, Diabetes Risk
Cancer Rates Can be Cut in Half with Lifestyle Changes

This article first appeared at Natural Society, an excellent resource for health news and vaccine information.

Living With Less!

(from the folks who brought Living Without Money :-)

This just came in an email from my friend Line Halvorsen who produced the video "Living Without Money". Looks like Simple Living is an idea whose time has come. Well, if its not here yet, this kind of work will help it to grow. Hooray!

Here's the explanation from their very new website (just getting started) followed by several videos, one explaining living with less and the other some of the with and wisdom of George Carlin (relax, this one is not so profane). They have a fundraiser in progress (http://www.indiegogo.com/livingwithless) to get their website up and running ad-free. I chipped in a hundred bucks and encourage you to do what you can.

LivingWithLess.net will be an innovating web portal presenting inventive ideas on how to live a more sustainable and socially-connected life.e. The site will be packed with perspective-changing tips, links, videos and smart suggestions about how to save money and achieve sustainability in our personal lives while building stronger and more connected local communities. The team behind this web portal is the filmmakers of the award-winning documentary "Living Without Money." (www.livingwithoutmoney.org)

Reuse, reduce, recycle, de-clutter, share, barter, grow your own, and heal yourself are some of the key concepts on Living With Less.net. We're doing an extensive research for you and will prepare all the information you need in one well-edited and userfriendly webportal.

Living With Less.net offers visitors a fun and easy way to search for useful tips on for example alternative holidays, free accommodation and low-cost transport, and gives them access to experiences like learning to grow their own food, generate their own energy and live more sustainable and enjoyable lives.

If you want to take a sneak peak into the first draft of the layout, so you can start envisioning with us, click here: http://www.grupoparalelo.com/clientes/lwl/#

So far only the squares Travel "Work abroad" and "Smart Transport" are active, but maybe you can get an idea of what this can be once we finish?

Why do we need your help?

We'd like for the Living With Less.net portal to be completely not-for profit – with no annoying ads or pushy sponsors on the site. But this means we need help from those who believe in our vision. Creating a website with an unconventional design and content that requires extensive research costs more money that we can pool together, but we can turn this into something big if every person who likes it just pitches in a small donation. We like the idea of opening this up to the greater global community!

(See lots more on the website)

Who Makes Your Food?

A ginormous number of brands are controlled by just 10 multinationals, according to this amazing infographic from French blogConvergence Alimentaire. Now we can see just how many products are owned by Kraft, Coca-Cola, General Mills, Kellogg's, Mars, Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, P&G and Nestlé. A mere 8 communications companies control almost all the media in the United States, and another mere 10 companies control a huge portion of the food that people eat. And what is the object of their corporate activity? Profit. Food is just a means to that end. If you want really healthy food join up with the slow money movement, or community supported agriculture.

 click on the graphic to view a large size

A Step in the Right Direction

Today I accidentally re-discovered the Slow Money movement. Perhaps you have heard of the slow food movement that originated (I believe) in Italy as a sort of reaction/protest to the fast-food way of eating. Of course Italy is perhaps the setting and background where graceful dining and leisurely gourmet meals would be valued. In any case it may be that slow food spawned the idea of slow money. I don't know; I'm just speculating here. 

Regardless, the slow money movement is the idea that perhaps money doesn't have to return as much as possible in as short a time as possible. The idea that perhaps a reasonable return on money invested in local business, and particularly farms and wholesome, healthy food production, is a great idea, and one that can do much to give us both good food, and local social security. People helping each other for the reason that it ought to be done, and even more important than the idea of producing a great profit. Nice!

What do we see in this formula that is absent from Wall Street? Sattva-guna - the influence of the material quality of goodness, with the result that people and the world are uplifted. And what is missing in this approach that is present in Wall Street? Tamo-guna - the destructive influence of the material quality of ignorance. This is what we might call the green shoots of the rising of consciousness. Just as in spring we first see the shoots of daffodils and realize that winter is now behind us, such green shoots of higher consciousness are an indication that the pervasive and oppressive modes of passion and ignorance are lifting. Sort of a spring of consciousness!

Slow money promotes the idea that money should work for people instead of people working for money. Particularly slow money focuses on healthy food production, a most valuable treasure that is being lost in a world where a handful of mega-companies produce the majority of food that people eat, and where profits are more important than quality.

"Slow Money could not be more relevant to our economic 

situation. We need true, grounded, fundamentally different 

approaches to investing in our agriculture and in our 

communities." 

 – Clifford C. David, Jr, president, Heritage Conservancy

The Slow Money Principles

In order to enhance food security, food safety and food access; improve nutrition and health; promote cultural, ecological and economic diversity; and accelerate the transition from an economy based on extraction and consumption to an economy based on preservation and restoration, we do hereby affirm the following Slow Money Principles:

I. We must bring money back down to earth.

II. There is such a thing as money that is too fast, companies that are too big, finance that is too complex. Therefore, we must slow our money down -- not all of it, of course, but enough to matter.

III. The 20th Century was the era of Buy Low/Sell High and Wealth Now/Philanthropy Later—what one venture capitalist called “the largest legal accumulation of wealth in history.” The 21st Century will be the era of nurture capital, built around principles of carrying capacity, care of the commons, sense of place and non-violence.

IV. We must learn to invest as if food, farms and fertility mattered. We must connect investors to the places where they live, creating vital relationships and new sources of capital for small food enterprises.

V. Let us celebrate the new generation of entrepreneurs, consumers and investors who are showing the way from Making A Killing to Making a Living.

VI. Paul Newman said, "I just happen to think that in life we need to be a little like the farmer who puts back into the soil what he takes out." Recognizing the wisdom of these words, let us begin rebuilding our economy from the ground up, asking:

• What would the world be like if we invested 50% of our assets within 50 miles of where we live?
• What if there were a new generation of companies that gave away 50% of their profits?
• What if there were 50% more organic matter in our soil 50 years from now?

Woody Tasch can be considered the founder of slow money. He is the author of the book Inquiries into the Nature of Slow Money - Investing as if Food, Farms and Fertility Really Mattered, a title that borrows from E. F. Schumacher's essential Small is Beautiful - Economics as if People Mattered. Woody talks like Schumacher. There's a definite Schumacher influence there. Here's an excerpt to give you a flavor of his book:


"We don't need any more big ideas. We need small ideas. Beautiful ideas. Beautiful because they lead to a large number of beautiful, small actions, the kind alluded to by Wendell Berry: 'Soil is not usually lost in slab or heaps of magnificent tonnage. It is lost a little at a time over millions of acres by careless acts of millions of people. It cannot be solved by heroic feats of gigantic technology, but only by millions of small acts and restraints.'"

In this short video he explains some more of the particulars of slow money, and there are a number of other videos explaining the whys and wherefores on YouTube, and of course have a look at the slow money website.

 

I ask why not free ourselves from the restrictions of money altogether? Why do we want to work within the confines of a system that is inherently flawed? Perhaps is too big a step for most people to take at once, so slow money is a step in the right direction. The time of Spiritual Economics may not be here just yet, but as concepts such as slow money develop they pave the way for the freedom of Spiritual Economics.

Toloka and Cob House Building 

One of the community members, Locan, makes carved wood altars as his livelihood. He has been working inside his house for years, but recently decided to construct a workshop for himself out of "saman", that’s the Russian word for what is known as "cob" in America. Saman or cob is a mixture of clay and straw. He constructed the frame using wood purchased from the local sawmill, and held a Toloka, a work party.

Toloka is an ancient tradition in the villages of the Slavic countries. In a subsistence economy there are many kinds of work that can, or needs to be, done by many people together making it a social affair. Clearing the barn after winter, replacing a roof, and putting up a building are the kinds of activities that would be done jointly. Typically the men carry out the work while the women make a great feast. After the work is completed the meal is taken, followed by singing and dancing. This is all something like a Sunday feast at the Hare Krishna temple, except for the work.

On the appointed weekend about 30 people from all over Lithuania showed up to participate and get experience in such housing construction. We turned it into a party by having kirtan and singing while we worked. And as you will see, people of all ages helped, from infants to seniors (represented by yours truly). The women were happily involved in the house building too, and as you will see it is not a strenuous nor skilled affair. For the weekend’s work almost one meter of the exterior wall was completed, so it looks like another two toloka’s will finish the job. Here are the pics and videos: 

The frame with first tier of cob that was constructed on the first day

The men dug the clay very near the house
and Petras with his oxen brought it to the site

The mixing pit and sand nearby. The cob mixture should
be approximately  20% clay the rest sand and straw.
It is not a science however and there is room
for almost every variation.

The Mashpit
The first day the oxen were used for mashing the clay/sand/straw
mixture, but that was too slow. The next day the humans
took over and made a dance of it. The mixture should not
be too wet, otherwise the wall will slump.

2012 – The End or The Beginning?

Last year we poked some fun at the Mayan Calendar predictions posting a cartoon along with a report from my friend Stephen Knapp who learned from a Mayan shaman that there is no certainty as to the alignment of the Mayan calendar with the Gregorian calendar, meaning that 2012 on the Mayan calendar could be 2030 or it could be 2000. Nonetheless there’s a lot of hay being made in both the fundamentalist Christian camps and the New Age circles with this being the end of days. I’ve read that an amazing 25% of the American people say they believe that the world will end this year—it uncertain whether that was the writer’s hyperbole, or whether the Americans are that desperate to escape their troubles. There was also an apocalyptic film “2012” depicting massive earth changes along with the destruction of modern civilization. Typical Hollywood: mayhem, death and destruction to play on people’s fears.

So what is the future? Another of my friends, Nalinikanta Dasa, an astrologer, has given the future mixed reviews: It will be the best of times. It will be the worst of times. According to his read of the stars people are going to begin to let go of their attachment to material illusion and begin to make serious inquiry into the nature of spiritual reality. We are going to turn the corner, so to speak, and masses of people will begin to travel in a new direction in life. The best of times. At the same time, however, there is going to be widespread hardship and suffering. The worst of times. Apparently we are going to experience both the carrot and the stick, led to the positive, driven by the negative.

This concept is portrayed quite nicely in two videos that many people have by now seen: “Zeitgeist” and “Thrive.” They both make an in-depth study of our current situation and how we got here, and they both then offer their suggestions as to how we can escape the fate that we have created if enough of us will change.

Thrive

"Thrive" written, produced and starring one of the heirs to the Gamble (of Proctor and Gamble soap products fame) family, Foster Gamble. Gamble also reaches out to science and materialism as our savior, presenting the torus and its geometry as the possible touchstone of an enlightened era. He takes the viewer on his journey of discovery connecting all of the dots, and I mean all of them: sacred geometry, crop circles, UFOs and ETs, ancient cultures, free energy, the green revolution, the money powers and their suppression of health cures and dumbing down education, and more. Gamble then follows the money trail, venturing into the dark and threatening places that money always seems to lead to. He traces the problems to those at the apex of the pyramid, the top of the top of the human food chain—the money powers. Showing how they create money out of thin air to control and exploit the world, getting into Masonic symbolism, false flag terrorism, global domination and a new world order of slavery leading to a totalitarian New World Order. Whew!

He then goes on to propose his solutions which include a waking up the masses as to the nature of the destructive arrangement of civilization and the need to stop our participation in a system that leads to the destruction of both ourselves and the environment. We need to recognize that there are “destructive forces in power” that depend on us, the “imaginal cells,” and that by waking up to the present reality and altering our behavior we can shape a new and transformed future for our planet. “The structure of the controlling elite is dependent on our active participation. We can obsolete their plan; as we non-violently withdraw our support, their house of cards will fall.”

Gamble then outlines a prescription for forming a new society based on 3 over-lapping stages of a transition: reforming current systems, limiting government to the role of protectorate, and creating a completely voluntary, non-coercive environment for conscious planetary evolution stressing the necessity of avoiding the old “us versus them” mentality and relying on inner wisdom as a guide. He sees the possibility of a mass global awakening giving power to the people to make such a transition.

Zeitgeist

Zeitgeist is a prodigious piece of work considering that it was written, edited, produced, directed, and narrated by one person—Peter Joseph—who also hopes to spark a movement of change. And there is not just one, but now three Zeitgeist videos: the Zeitgeist original released in 2007, then came “Zeitgeist Addendum” in 2009, and finally “Zeitgeist—Moving Forward” in 2011. All three are feature length with Addendum going just over 2 hours, and Moving Forward a whopping 2 hours 45 minutes.

Joseph does a great job of explaining our present day predicament, going into detail about the stupidity of our financial that enslaves everyone. He doesn’t, thankfully, get into all of the New Age fringe topics that Gamble does, but he also does, unfortunately, arrive at a “la-la” conclusion. He goes on to tell us how if we apply the existing scientific know-how we can save the day! Hooray! Designer Jacque Fresco of The Venus Project seems to be his knight in shining armor. While Fresco makes many good points about both the nature of man and science, he seems to have much to much faith in technology. So does Joseph who also seems to be very naïve about human beings and how this planet is being run. As with Gamble, Joseph shows how the many existing technologies can be applied to the benefit of every living person, and the environment. It’s true such technology exists—but we are not allowed to have it!

It’s a bit sad to think that these men, obviously intelligent enough to understand the big picture and analyze the problems very well, cannot see that their solutions are not going to be allowed to happen. They seem to think that it is sufficient to simply show that the solutions exist and point them out, and that they will generate a tide of enthusiasm and good will to make it so.

What do I see that they don’t see? Those who run this world are envious of the people and have a demonic mentality. That is why we have the problems that we have, and that is why the solutions are not going to be allowed. Instead, the solutions, which we are going to hear more about at this years Rio Earth Summit, is population control. As in too many people in the world. That in their view is the problem, and that is what they are going to work to correct.

Further, do Gamble and Joseph actually think that these demons who have created a money system that works to impoverish the many to enrich the few are just going to give up their game since they have been exposed? Hell no! Their mentality is they are the enjoyers and we are the slaves. The money system conveniently allows that to be perpetuated with very few even understanding it. If it cannot be done that way, then it will be done another way. And that is what they mean when they say they want a new world order. Look out, because that new world order is coming your way!

Gamble and Joseph are right about one thing however, and that is that the future can be wonderful. But first we have a slight problem to take care of, and that is those who now pull all the strings. The good news about that is that this can also be done simply, not with guns or violence, but by chanting, dancing and feasting, through a Spiritual Revolution! The spiritual revolution is a tide that raises all consciousness, including that of the ruling elite. They can also become happy in Krishna consciousness, and then help to create a New Spiritual World Order. Science, the Venus Project, and all of the new age bliss can be applied to bring a material utopia, but first we must create a spiritual utopia by calling out the names of the Lord—Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

10 Reasons Why 

Varnashrama Dharma 

Cannot be Established in ISKCON

(or, serious issues that must be resolved 
to establish Varnashrama Dharma in ISKCON)

Varnashrama Dharma has been on my mind for a long time—ever since I lived at the Gita Nagari farm in Pennsylvania in 1977 when Srila Prabhupada was going to come there to teach us all about it. In more recent years that interest has piqued and I speak about it often, and have been doing my best to help bring it about in E. Europe. As I have contemplated all of this over the course of years I have observed various conflicts between the varnashrama culture and the ISKCON culture, conflicts that would preclude the establishment of varnashrama within ISKCON. I thought that this would be a good time to articulate those differences and share them with others who also desire to establish varnashrama culture, especially given the efforts of ISKCON’s Strategic Planning Team (SPT) and the changes they are likely to create at the higher levels of the organization. The further the managers of the society go down that road, the greater and more insoluble those cultural conflicts become. I take this to be a given since the SPT has earlier rejected the notion of integrating conceptions of Varnashrama Dharma within the scope of their activities. 

Of course these conflicts arise within my understanding of the varnashrama culture, which is not stated here, and which may be different from the conceptions of others. In that regard this paper is somewhat incomplete, since, how does one argue whether there is a conflict or not unless the thesis is first of all understood?  But that is another reason for bringing these arguments to the varnashrama enthusiasts, that the conflicts noted here may engender a discussion that will help to further clarify what this beast is that is called varnashrama. I want to explicitly state that this is offered in a positive spirit with the hope of resolving these issues. For if I am correct in my assessments and if the differences are not bridged as early as possible, I fear that the establishment of Varnashrama Dharma within ISKCON will become impossible, a truly tragic fate given that the founder-acharya, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, considered the establishment of Varnashrama Dharma to be no less than half of his mission.

By no means do I suggest that what I present here is the absolute truth. All  arguments, rebuttals, comments and challenges are welcome on any of these points. I should further state that these arguments are not complete, in that, the organization of ISKCON can be considered from many different and even opposing points of view. It is likely that challenges will arise as much from the various conceptions of what ISKCON is, as what Varnashrama Dharma is.

And, this may not apply across the entire institution. ISKCON is a world-wide society and what is impossible in one place may well be possible someplace else.

Why it is impossible to establish the varnashrama culture within ISKCON:

1. The Required Cultural Shift is already too great

The varnashrama culture is organized in such a manner as to give maximum freedom to individuals within it, both politically as well as ideologically. It is an all-encompassing culture that provides a framework within which all members of the society may spiritually advance to according to their chosen path without dictating what that path should be, what they should believe, etc. It is an open system that places responsibility on the individual, encouraged through the actions of the brahmanas and ksatriyas who oversee and guide the citizens.

ISKCON is presently organized as an institution following the corporate model, which is characterized by centralized command and control, a very different cultural structure with a very different purpose. Although it may be argued that Srila Prabhupada had a more decentralized scheme in mind, it is observed that the centralized command and control model is increasingly employed. In the present structure subscription to a specific ideology is required, as is following the orders of the centralized command.

ISKCON’s organization is sufficiently different from the varnashrama model that proper varnashrama culture cannot be established within ISKCON as it is presently arranged. A great cultural shift would be required, and of course this must be initiated at the highest levels of the society, in unison. This is an extremely daunting challenge, and in my humble opinion, one that is quite unlikely to happen unless led by a cooperative effort that includes the GBC as well as all of ISKCON’s gurus.

2. Leadership for varnashrama culture is missing at the top levels of the society

The leadership of the society hasn’t had, and does not have, the time to focus on and learn about varnashrama culture. Thus they do not understand it, and therefore do not realize the need or value of establishing it. Until the top leadership of the society understands varnashrama culture and takes steps to implement it within their sphere of influence, there is little chance that the rank-and-file devotees will embrace it and practice it. The followers cannot lead despite what the bumper stickers claim (“if the people lead the leaders will follow”). Action must come from the top.

Varnashrama culture introduces a possible concern about loss of control at the top levels of the institution. In contrast, in the varnashrama culture, such control is practically absent, and is replaced by support of the praja in their activities within the framework of the culture. 

ISKCON follows a corporate model in which the top echelon (GBC) exercises full control of both ecclesiastical and administrative functions. They have taken the role of not only the ultimate managing authority, but also the managing authority and the ultimate authority. Varnashrama culture necessarily dismantles this control and gives ecclesiastical authority to the brahmanas, limited administrative authority to the ksatriyas, and freedom to everyone else. The global model of varnashrama administration, following the principles of dharma, does not allow for executive authority beyond that. In other words, there is no concept of global organization or global management, commanding the actions of others, within the varnashrama framework. This fact is at odds with modern organization and centralized command. Unless the GBC will let go of the idea of centralized command the varnashrama culture cannot be established.

We note that there are exceptions to this point, notably Sivarama Swami who is a sannyasi, the GBC, and initiating guru for an entire country of Hungary, and he has put great effort into establishing New Vraja Dham. Also, there is Bhakti Raghava Maharaja who, although no longer a GBC, is the driving force behind establishing varnashrama consciousness in ISKCON. As a sannyasi and initiating spiritual master he is a recognized leader in the society, has much influence, and is establishing varnashrama projects in Indonesia, Cambodia and India.* It is a question of leadership and ideology. Although these projects are oriented toward self-sufficiency and preaching of Krishna Consciousness, is the varnashrama culture fully established in these examples? If so, then the question of how these projects interface with the ISKCON leadership is a question that needs to be answered.

* There very well may be other exceptions of which we are not aware.

3. Varna is not understood by the body of devotees

The social system of the varnas has not been understood, or articulated, or taught to the body of devotees and they therefore have little idea of what it really is, or how to apply it. Devotees are understandably reluctant to sign on to something that they do not understand. How does the culture function? How does a person find their place in it? What is their relationship with others and how is that determined? How does one support themselves in the varnashrama culture? What is acceptable and what is not? All of these and many more questions must be answered and conveyed to the body of devotees, and they need to then sign on voluntarily. Of course, leadership by both precept and example is required at the highest levels. What a great man does, the common men accept as significant and follow. If the ISKCON gurus and GBC do not take it up, we cannot expect that their disciples will. The present effort to reach and teach varnashrama culture must answer all of the above questions and more. At this point we are very far from any consensus on what varnashrama culture actually is.

4. Everyone is equal

Modern society propagates the concept that everyone is equal, and while this is ostensibly for political purposes, the idea carries over into all aspects of life. In fact, no two people on the planet are equal. We see this concept of equality is naturally brought with the members into the society of devotees, especially in online discussions. Although we profess to subscribe to the idea that there are four classes of men, we do not, as yet, have any method for distinguishing them, or applying such distinctions. Indeed, we even see a strong resistance to introducing this aspect of Vedic culture. There are distinctions and etiquette based on ashrama and seniority in the society, but we note that these are not the distinctions of varna, entirely overlooking this important half of the culture, without which varnashrama culture obviously cannot be established.

Because we think of everyone as being equal those who actually have a brahminical nature, and are making efforts to lead according to that nature, are very often ignored. This can clearly be seen in online comments following articles, or on various forums. It’s simply one persons opinion against the others, with no deference being offered even to senior devotees, what to speak of supposed brahmanas.

A proposed supermarket at the Mayapura compound is a case in point. Recently a supermarket chain approached the Mayapura authorities with the idea of establishing a supermarket, and it was met with enthusiasm by almost everyone at the leadership level.  Why? Because it will bring to Mayapura those foodstuffs that now require traveling to Kolkatta to get. In other words, it offers increased sense gratification. But there are significant cultural and economic disadvantages which a very few thoughtful men (i.e., brahmanas) address, and when they did argue against the store on the basis of culture they received only a little support.

5. Fear of the unknown

Almost everyone is fearful of being exploited by a social system that they do not understand. We know the existing culture, our place in it, and how to function in it, but we do not know how they will be protected in varnashrama culture and therefore feel insecure about participating in it. Varnashrama culture is entirely unknown, and possibly fraught with problems that we cannot anticipate or know how to deal with, therefore it is avoided.

6. There are not enough properly engaged ksatriyas within the society

Men of great ability cannot find their place within the society, are not attracted, and do not participate on the level of independent leadership, which is the actual role of a ksatriya. Whatever men of ability are present almost all have leadership responsibility in ISKCON, but there is a great need for additional leaders. Since ksatriyas create the place/space, without ksatriyas there is no ksetra, or field of activities, for the body of the devotees. Men of ability require room to be independent, and it may be argued that the present structure of ISKCON does not encourage independent, thoughtful action, in contrast to true varnashrama culture, as argued above.

7. Institutionalism

ISKCON has an established authoritarian structure with authority vested in a seat of power, or position, rather than in persons of qualification. We may say that the appointed persons are the best qualified men that can be found, but long experience tells us that this is not the case. The modern system is antithetical to the varnashrama culture wherein authority is placed in a qualified individual, not in a fictitious position (officer of a fictitious corporation), and further creating levels of bureaucracy not seen in varnashrama culture. We should note the design principle that form follows function. The two cultures are so arranged to pursue different purposes. The purpose of the varnashrama culture is progressive spiritual enlightenment for the entire culture. The purpose of the present dominant culture is increasing the sense gratification of a small section of society at the expense of the vast majority.

Further, within the institution the idea exists (at least among some) that climbing the corporate ladder is an indicator of spiritual progress or controlling men and money as a substitute for it.  The corporate structure and the varnashrama culture are mutually exclusive paradigms. Since in the modern world we must work within the framework of the dominant culture we are challenged to establish a legal position that gives proper authority to qualified persons in the varnashrama structure.

The argument may be raised that Srila Prabhupada himself set up the corporate structure of ISKCON and therefore it can hardly be considered antithetical to the purposes of the society. While this is true we must also note that Srila Prabhupada regularly and consistently requested his leaders to establish varnashrama colleges in every temple, and to establish varnashrama culture, requests that were almost totally ignored at the time. Had the effort been made while Srila Prabhupada was with us the contradictions between the two would likely have shown up, and could have been dealt with under his supervision. 

8. Vaisyas confusion about their duty

Within the society there exists the idea that the duty of vaisyas is to do business, not agriculture, and not cow protection. This is not what Srila Prabhupada or Sri Krishna say, however; for example:

Come here and grow food. Grow fruit. That is... That is the desire of Krishna. Annad bhavanti bhutani [Bg. 3.14]. Produce food and eat in sufficiently, be strong, and chant Hare Krishna. That is our philosophy. Why you are producing bolts and nuts, tire and tubes? Eat. Rascal. They do not know that first of all you must eat. No, everyone is engaged in industry [business]. Why? Krishna does not say that "Take to industry." Krishna says, "Produce foodstuff." Annad bhavanti bhutani. 3Apr75 Mayapura

The vaishya... Generally, we understand, vaishya means the mercantile class of men. No. At the present moment the so-called vaishyas are shudras, less than shudras. Why? Now the vaisya's business is krishi-go-rakshya-vaëijyam vaishya-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.44]. The vaishyas must be engaged in producing foodgrains, but they are not interested. They are interested for opening factories for bolts and nuts and tires, Goodwheel tires, Goodyear tires. Now you eat tire and bolt nut. No, you cannot eat. You have to eat rice, and rice is ten rupees per kilo because no vaishya is producing food grains. This is the defect. 2Feb74 Bombay

Our so-called vaisyas are almost cent per cent engaged in business of various sorts, and although this is not what Srila Prabhupada indicates what is proper, this is accepted as normal or even good since they support the temples. And because everyone is equal, if the brahmanas make notice of this it is not given much attention, especially when the gurus make no issue of it. Used to being independent and having the means of being independent, such devotees are not willing to listen to the brahmanas who may instruct them in their proper duty.

9. Lack of personal qualification

We all understand to some degree our own lack of qualification and see that others are also unqualified, therefore we lack trust in depending directly on others. The varnashrama culture requires the members be qualified—this is one of its very desirable characteristics. In modern society however we are accustomed to being “independent” and free to live at any standard we choose, rather than being accountable to a group that demands specific conduct.

10. An attitude of complacency

There exists a very strong idea amongst some that by distributing books (and perhaps harinam as well) everything else will come, since Srila Prabhupada said as much. Therefore we need only continue the mission in the same fashion as when Srila Prabhupada was with us. There is no need for varnashrama dharma. Harinam and book distribution is all that is needed.

This reminds me of the story wherein during terrible weather and flood a Christian man prayed to the Lord for His help, and was told by God that He would save him. As the water rose the man took to his roof and a boat came by. The man refused to get in saying that “God said He would save me.” Then another boat came by and again the man refused saying “God said He would save me.” Finally as the water was cresting the roof a helicopter tried to hoist him up to safety but again the man refused saying that God would save him. Well, he drowned. When he got to the pearly gates he asked God why he didn’t save him. God replied that He sent two boats and a helicopter but the ignorant fool had refused them.

As a result of book distribution and harinam we can expect to see men of ability come forward to do the needful to establish the entire Krishna varnashrama culture, but they must be recognized as the agents who are going to develop that “everything else.” We should recognize and accept their efforts understanding that they have been sent by the Lord to further the mission. Unfortunately, those who endeavor to expand upon that which was begun by Srila Prabhupada (i.e., varnashramites) are sometimes seen as unnecessary, idle dreamers. 

Finally I note that at least some of these issues do not apply only to ISKCON, but must be dealt with in any circumstance. However the existing culture within ISKCON seems to make it that much more difficult. The challenges expressed above are, in my mind, already too great to establish Varnashrama Dharma society-wide in ISKCON at this point. The result will be that no varnashrama will be established, or that ISKCON will wind up with some bastardized version of varnashrama that is not really the true varnashrama culture. I certainly would love to be proved wrong.