The Emperor’s New Clothes, Part 3: Getting Dressed

This is Part 3 in a series of columns analyzing the state of humankind from the bottom up. Coming Monday, Part 4: An Empire State of Mind. <!--break--> The point is that it’s never a good time to press for justice. There’s always another priority that’s more urgent, in these cases “national security.” If one starts today and perseveres, one never knows what might happen five years down the road…The big question about our situation today is, are we still free enough to do something about the poisoning of our homes? If we have surrendered the right to clean up our own back yard, what have we become? Can we force our political economic “leaders” not to lie to us? If not, what have we become? If we never have had that power, what have we always been? Visible chains are relatively easy to break, but when they are invisible as in what we believe about ourselves, they’re much more difficult to address…The positions of those in power must be rendered untenable by a citizenry that exercises its rights as human beings. Leaders will regain credibility once they possess justifiable, transparent beliefs in what their roles are and whom they’re responsible to. Simply put: no sincerity, no trust. Without trust, we’re in big trouble.

<p>This is Part 3 in a series of columns analyzing the state of humankind from the bottom up. Coming Monday, Part 4: An Empire State of Mind.</p> <!--break--><p>The point is that it’s never a good time to press for justice. There’s always another priority that’s more urgent, in these cases “national security.” If one starts today and perseveres, one never knows what might happen five years down the road…The big question about our situation today is, are we still free enough to do something about the poisoning of our homes? If we have surrendered the right to clean up our own back yard, what have we become? Can we force our political economic “leaders” not to lie to us? If not, what have we become? If we never have had that power, what have we always been? Visible chains are relatively easy to break, but when they are invisible as in what we believe about ourselves, they’re much more difficult to address…The positions of those in power must be rendered untenable by a citizenry that exercises its rights as human beings. Leaders will regain credibility once they possess justifiable, transparent beliefs in what their roles are and whom they’re responsible to. Simply put: no sincerity, no trust. Without trust, we’re in big trouble.</p>