Dear President Obama,

By Carmen Yarruso

Mr. President, for better or worse, the policies of our government impact the lives of every human being on earth. Thus it’s not surprising your call for real change has struck a deep chord among all the citizens of this planet.

But real change won’t be easy. Those in power will strongly resist any real change. They’ll resist by exploiting our political system’s built-in mechanisms that can thwart change and obstruct reform. But without real change, without changing the basic way our government does business here and around the world, the inequality and injustice that saps the spirits of so many of our fellow human beings will continue unabated.

We privileged few can’t afford to ignore the unjust suffering of our fellow human beings here and around the world.

Their suffering is our suffering. Mr. President, their misery is our misery, especially when it’s our own government’s policies that cause or contribute to that misery. We are all one race, the human race. When one of us suffers unjustly, we’re all degraded. Real change isn’t just needed, it’s desperately needed.

But real change can’t happen unless we change the engine of change. Mr. President, if we Americans expect real change, if we want to make our world a better place, not just for us but for all people, in all nations, then we must start by coming together in mutual respect and radically reforming the engine of change, our intellectually dishonest political system.

Real change

This engine needs much more than a tune-up. It needs a radical overhaul. It’s become all too obvious that our political system is deeply corrupt and has been for many years. Mr. President, unless we fundamentally reform the system, we’re sure to get more of the kind of “change” we’ve endured over the past eight years—or much worse.

It’s very important to understand that the vast human suffering caused by the unending, costly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the vast human suffering caused by the meltdown of our financial system and economy, and the vast human suffering caused by a host of other entrenched U.S. government policies, does not represent a breakdown of our political system. Quite the contrary.

These extremely destructive situations and policies are the natural products of a political system working exactly as it is designed to work. A deeply corrupt system is bound to produce deeply corrupt results.

It’s clear from the non-results of the 2006 elections, that merely changing personnel is not the solution. Like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic, electing new politicians, who are then forced to work within the same deeply corrupt system, will accomplish little real change in the long run.

From your experience in the U. S. Senate, you know there are many highly intelligent, honest politicians with well-reasoned, progressive ideas for real change. But they are rendered powerless by a political system with entrenched policies and procedures specifically designed to protect the status quo.

Our political system has a virtual tool chest of policies and procedures that are regularly exploited to not only unjustly tilt the playing field, but more important, to diminish or effectively eliminate careful scrutiny and honest debate about virtually any issue, including and especially reform.

Mr. President, the change we need (and we need it now) is an open, careful, critical analysis of our political system that produces a specific, detailed plan for radical reform. It must focus primarily on these entrenched, blatantly dishonest, policies and procedures that are regularly exploited for unjust, special-interest advantage.

We need a political system that seeks truth, instead of one that often hides, manipulates, and even manufactures “truth”. We need a political system that creates legislation and policy using rational argument and open debate, instead of one that creates legislation and policy using wheeling and dealing and coercion.[read more]

INDEX of References i.e. supporting articles.

This news section of the Emergent-Culture News Magazine delivers, commentary, news articles and reports that identify…

• the source of our social and environmental problems;
• the solutions currently in use or available;
• where and what the needs are;
• socio-cultural deficiencies;
• the people in action;
• justice served.

Note: For navigation ease you may click on any index topic to take you directly to the desired section and then click on any image within the article or your browser back button to take you back to the index.

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• Citizens Beware

• Corporate & Political Corrections
• Education Reform
• Economic Crisis

• Economic Reform

• Energy Policy Reform
• Food Policy Reform
• Environmental Degradation

• Gender Issues
• Government Reform
• Injustices to Correct

• The Obsolete, Unproven or Disproved
• Socio-Cultural Decay
• Standing up to Goliath
• Swords to Plowshares
• Understanding Religion
• Untamed Technologies
• Useful Ideas – What you can do
• Voodoo Economics

• Voting Reform

• Workplace
• World Crisis
• Visualization of the Week: A Visual Guide to the Financial Crisis

• Featured Story: An open letter to President Obama; Our Political System is a Threat to Humanity, by Carmen Yarrusso

• Definition of “The Work”

Site Wide Index of Subjects & Themes

Citizens Beware

ESCALATING THE WAR ON SOCIAL SECURITY & MEDICARE…

Corporate & Political Corrections

GREAT MOMENTS IN DEFENSE SPENDING

Preemption Shot Down By Supreme Court

J&J/Janssen Fined $4.5 Million Over Risperdal Misleading Claims OBAMA FURTHERS THE MYTH ABOUT SHOOLS AND JOBS

Freddie Mac CEO steps down

Blackwater founder steps down

Education Reform

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND: EVEN THE NAME IS A JOKE…

OBAMA’S CONTINUES BUSH’S DISASTROUS SCHOOL PLANS

Economic Crisis

Addressing the Cause and Effect of the Credit Crisis, Legislating Denial- Pt.1 No Pain All Gain for Big Power

Globalization Destroying Our Nation

Today in the Zombieconomy

WHY THE STIMULUS MAY LEAVE THE ECONOMY SOMEWHAT FLAT

Nobel Prize-Winning Economist Joseph Stiglitz: Obama Has Confused Saving the Banks with Saving the Bankers..

Economic Reform Solutions

POGO Issues Top Five Budget Recommendations.

Looking for a New Economic Model? Try an Old One — Islamic Banking

How the Crash Will Reshape America.

Energy Policy Reform

Through the Looking Glass: Thoughts on the Financial System, Fertilizer Prices, and Our Food System

‘Get Smart’ on Biofuels, Experts Tell Obama

Even the Government’s Nuclear Agency Thinks an Atomic Renaissance Is a Bad Idea

..

Environmental Degradation

President ‘has four years to save Earth’

Deforested Amazon close to tipping point

One Fifth of Coral Reef is Already Gone

Scientist: environmental health is public health

Amazon Teetering on the Abyss

Sailing the Great Pacific Garbage Patch: Capt. Charles Moore on TED.com

Ice-free Arctic summers within a decade?

Orangutans and palm oil: What’s the connection? …

Plastic Bottle Recycling Increases

Corn-Based BioFuels Still Counterproductive

Rare Arizona Jaguar Euthanized

Bright Green, Light Green, Dark Green, Gray: The New Environmental Spectrum..

Food Policy Reform

USDA and food safety. That’s a joke, right?

John Kinsman: Nation’s Food System Nearly Broke…

Gender Issues

ILLUSTRATING THE WAGE GAP BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN

Family Planning Saves Money; Citi Faces Bias Claim…

Government Reform

THE PROBLEM WITH LEAVING TROOPS IN IRAQ

Amy Goodman: Global Support for the War in Afghanistan is Plummeting — So Why Aren’t Americans Talking About It?

WHY THE SENATE HIDES BEHIND A RULE IT CAN CHANGE

The Patent Reform Act of 2009 ..

Call on Congress to sign letter rejecting U.S. Intervention in Salvadoran Elections

FARM SUBSIDY DATABASE

Memo To Obama: Nationalize the Banks; End the wars of aggression; Fire Your Advisors.

Obama moves to avoid Supreme Court case in order to preserve indefinite detention of “terrorism” suspects

Read the Bill, Group Tells Congress..

Campaign to close the School of the Americas

Injustices to Correct

Despite a Crashing Economy, Private Prison Firm Turns a Handsome Profit Decades of Disparity: New Study Underscores Severity of Racial Bias in Drug-Related Law Enforcement..

POLICING THE STREET

1 in 31 U.S. Adults are Behind Bars, on Parole or Probation…

PTSD Meds: Killing Soldiers When the Battle’s Over

Uranium Mining Poisons Native Americans

The Housing Crisis and Homelessness

The Obsolete, Unproven or Disproved

Why robots can’t be trusted with weapons

ep Abyss

Desalination – Energy Down the Drain.

New report reveals serious flaws in abstinence programs

STUPID TEXAS SEX EDUCATION TRICKS

Socio-Cultural Decay

Study: 8 out of 10 Americans stressed because of economy

• Story Highlights
• Concern about economy is a shift from 2007’s top sources of stress
• Half in survey stressed about providing for family and having job stability
• Women are bearing the brunt of financial stress
• 60 percent feel angry and irritable, 53 percent fatigued, 52 percent sleepless

New Survey: Americans Stressed More than Ever National Consumers League Findings Show 80 Percent of Adults, and Women More than Men, Report Problems and Stress in Their Lives

Hate Groups have grown by 54% since 2000.

Public School Dropout at 30% in 2007

Prisoners rates. The US has the greatest percentage of it adult population under lock and key.

Relationship hostility and violence plagues up to 65% of couples.

From1960 to 2007 the violent crime rate (assault, rape, murder) increased by 190%.

During the same period the property crime rate (larceny, theft, burglary increased by 90%

The obesity rate has increased 250% from 1960 to 2004   If  rates of over consumption continue at this pace the 75 percent of adults and nearly 24 percent of U.S. children and adolescents will be overweight or obese by 2015″

Prescription drug abuse is up 80% since 2000.

Elderly substance abuse among older adults is an “invisible epidemic”

Almost One in 10 Americans Has Addiction Disorder

Eating Disorders Increasing In Women Of Childbearing Age

Eating Disorders Increasing Among Children

More Men falling victim to eating disorders

Mental illness has increased 500% in the USA since the 1950’s

Multiple childhood maltreatments lead to greater adolescent binge drinking

Modern life-making women ‘ignorant and ill-equipped’ to cope with motherhood

Can You Trust the Republicans?

Standing up to Goliath: People in Action Against Oppression & Injustice

Group: 50,000 protest NYC budget cuts……Taxpayers Furious With Budget Cuts Take Frustration To Streets Of NYC

EFF Opines: How to Protect Oneself From Government Snooping

OBAMA BACKS DOWN ON BARRING SINGLE PAYER BACKERS AT HEALTH SUMMIT

It’s up to We the People to arrest GWB and end the war

Thousands Storm Capitol Hill in Largest Protest Against Global Warming Phoenix: 5,000 march against Sheriff Joe Arpaio

Power Shift: Youth Climate Activists Swarm D.C. for Weekend of Organizing, Lobbying and Protest..

North to South, the Oil Monster Meets Resistance

Swords to Plowshares: Disarmament & Demilitarization

New Approaches to Ending the Arms Trade…

Understanding Voodoo Economics

Unregulated Capitalism Harms The Country These Six Ways

WHY IS AIG SO IMPORTANT?

Credit Default Swaps: The “Gordian Knot” Standing in the Way of Economic Recovery

Understanding Religion

Book Review : Questions of Truth: Fifty-one Responses to Questions about God, Science, and Belief

Evolution of Religion

Karen Armstrong: 2008 TED Prize wish: Charter for Compassion

..

Untamed Technologies

TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FARMED SALMON ESCAPE, THREATENING INDIGENOUS STOCKS..

Nanotechnology Regulation: Former EPA Official Highlights Shortcomings Of Current Federal Oversight Tased Until Dead: The Epidemic of Taser Crazy Cops.

Useful Ideas – What you can do

An API for Federal Legislation? Congress Wants Your Opinion.

ACORN preps for civil disobedience

ShovelWatch Uses Crowdsourcing to Track the Stimulus Bill

Innovation: How social networking might change the world

Voting Reform

Report: Diebold Voting System Has ‘Delete’ Button for Erasing Audit Logs..

Workplace

One in Four Americans Compare Their Workplace to a Dictatorship

The Outsourcing Tragedy

T

The World Crisis

Global Financial Crisis

T

Europe is Failing

A planet at the brink?.

A Nation of Widows: Why Any Honest Discussion About Iraq Must Include the Plight of Women

Cancel Haiti’s Debt, Say 72 U.S. Congresspeople

Brits start to fight back.

50 Afghan Parliamentarians Oppose Obama’s Troop Surge; US Slams Karzai over Snap Election Plan

Ukraine: Nation on the brink of bankruptcy

China Blasts US Human Rights Record

Mexico Unconquered: Reviewing a People’s History of Power and Revolt

Counter-Summit to Challenge Elites at Americas Summit

Call on President Obama: End “Plan Colombia” and Change U.S. Drug Policy

Resource Wars in Ecuador

Visual of the Week

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