Nationalism and the Hierarchy of Self Interest
Addressing the world, speaking directly to its leaders, at the United Nations General Assembly, the President of the United States stated that he will put America’s interests first before any other nation’s interests, and that leaders around the world should do exactly the same, put their nation’s interests first.
What is, or should be the most basic interest of America, of any nation? Survival.
At first glance this admonition of nationalism does not just ignore, it flies in the face of what is tantamount to what America, indeed all nations need to do right now -to survive: we must cooperate globally to face global threats to ensure global survival.
Quite simply, if all nations want to survive, then they are going to need to cooperate. America first? America wants to survive? Then America needs to cooperate, work with others in order to survive, as do all nations. It is in our collective “best interest”.
The threats the planet faces know no borders. In order to ensure our collective survival we have to address global problems that threaten the planet as Our Problems.
All people everywhere deserve not only to survive, we deserve a healthy environment: clean air, clean water, clean food. Of course we all deserve and require much more to thrive; much more, housing, access to health care, jobs, equal rights.
We all need to ensure we will survive, and we need to work to make sure governments exist for the people, not special interests, to thrive.
A Tree Hugger!
Yes. I am a Tree Hugger. I embrace that fact, and I will add that I am a determined one at that. One that sees all strife as a social construct, it is of our own doing, as is pollution, and war, and hunger, and as such, can be unmade. Not by total deconstruction or dismantling democracy and its institutions, but by clear eyed assessment, local alignments towards global mobilization via democracy and its institutions.
The Earth will not be able to support life if we continue to allow a few of us who think they are so special that they can put their special interests in front of the rest of ours.
We have to get in their way. Stand up to them, stand tall, like a tree.
The Original Tree Huggers
In the 1970s, an organized resistance to the destruction of forests spread throughout India and came to be known as the Chipko movement. The name of the movement comes from the word 'embrace', as the villagers hugged the trees to prevent their being cut down by contractors.
Read more about their struggle and eventual success here: en.wikipedia.org/...
The movement was largely undertaken by women, to protect and to preserve the sustaining resource the forests meant to their survival. The willingness to put themselves in harm’s way was a risk they instinctively took without a second thought when faced with the loss of all they knew, the very means to their survival.
Democracy Means Survival
Fast forward almost half a century and around the globe to America: We the People are facing the fact that democracy is under attack, here at home and around the world, and has been for quite some time. A loss of the democratic process constitutes the loss of our control over our means to survival.
Through democracy we achieve what is best for ALL of the people. Through democracy we protect ourselves, our environment, our health, our livelihoods, and last but not least, we protect those among us who cannot protect themselves.
”What can be done?” “How can we protect and preserve democracy?” Many are asking, many more need to be asking these questions. Very few people offer solutions, so many can’t see the forest for the trees.
We must embrace the situation, fearlessly face it down. We need to be willing to put our bodies in the way of this global threat to us all. We need to do as the people of the Chipko movement did: we need to all become Tree Huggers.
The Global Situation
- Election interference in democracies around the world;
- Widespread global corruption across borders;
- Toxic air, water, land, food around the world;
- Extreme weather, wildfires, and extensive pollution around the world.
A Global Solution
- Secure democratic process, elections worldwide;
- Set global election standards, enact reform, empower global election oversight;
- Root out corruption, authoritarian regimes, dictatorships around the world;
- Enact worldwide regulation of all toxic industry that crosses borders to prevent and reverse pollution of the Earth;
- Focus on survival via cooperation: R&D for green energy, global food and housing, disarmament.
Think Globally, Act Locally
When an activist states that a movement must be willing to ”put bodies in the way”, the Chipko movement’s act of embracing the trees is the precedent to which they refer; the memory that they summon and honor.
When someone disdainfully calls a protester a “tree hugger” this is the precedent they seek to denigrate: women willing to die to protect their right to survive.
Women are still willing to protect rights. The Women’s March was a worldwide demonstration of people’s willingness to embrace the rights of all people, everywhere, worldwide. One woman has already given her life protecting her rights and the rights of others: Heather Heyer.
We know an effort is underway to strip the Earth of its resources, to deny the planetary crisis that is climate control. Simply put, their motive is greed. They know that the fossil fuel industry is a dying industry and so seek to eek out as many billions as possible before green technologies such as solar, wind, and water replace fossil fuels. They deny, enable even spur climate change as a warmer climate makes its easier to access oil and minerals in places such as the Arctic Ocean.
Similarly, we know that toxic chemicals introduced into our food chain ignore the science that proves the ultimate harm done to the Earth. Global corporations look to advance their own particular interests, for that reason they cannot be trusted to self regulate.
We know climate change is real. Toxicity in food, water and land is real. Hurricanes, fires, earthquakes, floods are real. Is it God’s will? Is it Mother Earth’s? Is Gaia seeking to shake us off her like a dog shakes off a flea? Or, are we responsible and therefore able to reverse the situation?
The Bottom Line
The planet is at risk, and our survival is dependent on global unified action. It is in all nations’ best interests to work together in order to survive. It is going to be up to each and every one us as individuals to get in the way of those who seek to act in their own interests, seek to access resources unfettered.
I am willing to put my body in the way to save our home, our planet. Are you?
Tall order, yes.
The might of the tallest of oaks exists in the slightest, the smallest of acorns.
Action Steps
Many individuals and organizations here at home and around the world are calling for this threat to democracy to be addressed, many understand the relationship between greed, corruption, climate change and democracy. Corruption and election interference has already or is being addressed in Ukraine, South Korea, Kenya.
Many here in the US are focused on aspects of the overall threat, local aspects that are directly affecting their lives. All agree that this is not normal, these are unprecedented times. The connection between democracy and survival is becoming apparent.
Current demands are ranging from removal of statues to the release of the President’s tax returns to removal of the current administration to holding a new election.
Nonviolent strategies currently range from continued pressure on elected officials to mass street protests to boycotts to a national strike.
An alignment of issues to be addressed would have to include all the following demands:
- DOJ’s Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation must be protected, must be non-partisan; granted all resources required and become a non-partisan independent commission;
- All politicians and individuals, foreign and domestic, who interfered with our democratic process must resign, and/or lose right to conduct business and/or hold an elected position in US; must face prosecution and maximum sentences allowed by law; all appointments and EO’s rescinded;
- Sweeping electoral reform enacted to include such provisions as the vetting of candidates via mental, physical and fiscal evaluations, end of gerrymandering and voter suppression, and the protecting of the the vote via a paper ballot, hand counted under videotaped surveillance;
- Once both the President and the VP resign or are removed, a caretaker “Officer” must be appointed until a special election for the next president “shall be held” as directed by the Constitution of the United States, Article 1, Section 2, Clause 6;
- The 46th President of the US must participate in a global effort to reverse the threat to the planet and its inhabitants, must cooperate to serve all nation’s best interests: survival.
Are you paying attention?
Heather was enraged.
She stood to embrace an issue, and was cut down.
Are you willing to find your Tree to embrace, to make a stand?
Unite to fight, align against the maligned, save our world.
Hug the Trees.