Politics...

Ok, I don't usually broach the tough subjects on this blog. You are here for pictures of knitting projects and garden veggies. But I feel that I'd like to speak up about the current state of social affairs. I'll return to my usual light -hearted craft fluff in the next post.

There are a number of crisis facing the human race right now. We are staring at economic instability and inequality of unprecedented scale. There has been a lot of press recently highlighting the statistics about wealth concentration. There is also an uncomfortable closeness between this ridiculous wealth and the control of our governments. (Not a new phenomenon by any means, but rather extreme for any nation claiming to be a democracy.)

There is also that continuing specter of anthropogenic climate change and environmental degradation. For some reason hundreds of years after the realization that human economic activities can alter and damage ecosystems, we are still unwilling to do anything about it. Perhaps people forget that what we do to our surroundings, we do to ourselves. We have to live here after all.

But what to do? Take to the streets? Write your Representative? Cry and curl yourself in to a ball in the corner? Write and perform subversive street theater? Yes.

There is an interesting feature of modern democracy. Perhaps once a year, at the most, we are called to insert our opinion in a ballot box. A symbolic input into the political and social structure. But everyday we also vote, with our Dollars (or Euros, or Pounds etc.). We who do not have the resources to grease the wheels with extravagant purchases of political favors are still able to buy influence.

With everything we buy (or don't buy!) we speak out about how we want our society to be. Being an educated and responsible consumer is the simplest and most powerful form of social activism. If you want to correct income inequalities, support small businesses and independent proprietors. If you are concerned about the environment start with what you bring into your own home. If you are unhappy with the politics of a company, don't support them. It takes will power and time, but our world greatly needs people who are being conscientious in their lives.

And now, back to the making of things...