Thursday, January 19, 2006
Unbalanced Power
Unfortunately, in our toxic society, if you support sane environmental policy and attempt to hold public officials accountable, you will be derided by the institutions and markets that foster economic inequality and social exclusion. Same goes for honoring Indian treaties and being grateful guests in their land.
Neither of these principled positions on relationships with life and other humans require advanced study or degrees, but merely an honest, thoughtful, and kind attitude. Plus a little courage and support.
Fighting for fairness, equality, and justice may be treated with disdain by elites and cynics, but it's nothing to apologize for. Indeed, they're the ones to be called to account.
As for my estimate of the situation, the impending disruption of critical resource flows from the third world to the first world due to unbalanced power between states as well as between states and indigenous nations will exacerbate tensions and intensify conflict over the next century. Africa and Asia will bear the brunt of this, but here in the US, Indian nations will be attacked for the considerable resources they hold title to by treaty.
National security will likely be invoked against Native American sovereignty, much as it has been against Iraqi, Nigerian, and Venezuelan sovereignty. Indian country is well aware of this, and that's largely why, in my opinion, they are holding a national symposium on communication and media relations in six weeks.
US tribes realize they literally stand to lose everything under a national security state desperate to maintain a high energy consumption culture at the expense of the rest of the world. There may be sixty million Indians in Latin America ready to take over the state apparatus in countries like Ecuador and Bolivia, but in the US, Indians are a very small percentage of the overall population with few reliable allies.
Neither of these principled positions on relationships with life and other humans require advanced study or degrees, but merely an honest, thoughtful, and kind attitude. Plus a little courage and support.
Fighting for fairness, equality, and justice may be treated with disdain by elites and cynics, but it's nothing to apologize for. Indeed, they're the ones to be called to account.
As for my estimate of the situation, the impending disruption of critical resource flows from the third world to the first world due to unbalanced power between states as well as between states and indigenous nations will exacerbate tensions and intensify conflict over the next century. Africa and Asia will bear the brunt of this, but here in the US, Indian nations will be attacked for the considerable resources they hold title to by treaty.
National security will likely be invoked against Native American sovereignty, much as it has been against Iraqi, Nigerian, and Venezuelan sovereignty. Indian country is well aware of this, and that's largely why, in my opinion, they are holding a national symposium on communication and media relations in six weeks.
US tribes realize they literally stand to lose everything under a national security state desperate to maintain a high energy consumption culture at the expense of the rest of the world. There may be sixty million Indians in Latin America ready to take over the state apparatus in countries like Ecuador and Bolivia, but in the US, Indians are a very small percentage of the overall population with few reliable allies.
