VIZ... Magazine (1st Issue)

8/14/2019 VIZ... Magazine (1st Issue)

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VIZ...

What isPermacul-

ture?

My BolivianCommute

SurrealIncident

Issue 1, JanFeb 2009www.evizmagazine.com

The other news

Paige Do


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ront Cover Artist/Author Pro le:aige Doughty is an environmental educator and freelance writer. Her written work has been published in a variety of places; her essay Theatience of the Wild will be published in the 2009 Green Living Guide by Llewellyn. She currently works in Boulder, Colorado, teaching theommunity Adventure Program at New Vista High School. She seeks to combine her passions for writing and art with transition towards a

ustainable and joyful world. Learn more at www.paigedoughty.com.

Contact Information:VizMag, LLC858 4 th Ave, Ste 2Longmont, CO 80501-5418mail to: [email protected]

VIZ Peeps:General and Ad Sales Manager: Jim KenworthyPrint Design and Production: Greg RoblesCopy Editor: Jack SlavinFinancial Manager: Clive ClussinContributing Writers: Benjamin Dangl, Jim Schulz, Aref

Nammari, Philip Skergan, PaigeDoughty, Sandy Cruz, Jim Kenworthy

Contributing Photographers: Charles Hanson and Nate KenworthyGraphic Design: Cyndie HardeyTechnical Consultant: Nate KenworthyContributing Editors: Ernie Greenly, Jack Slavin, Paige

Doughty, Cyndie Hardey, Greg Robles,

Jim KenworthyOperations Manager: Greg RoblesCirculation Manager: Jim KenworthyWebmaster: Philip Skergan

Why We Print and Why We Webhe reasons are many. What are we supposed to do, sit home and

watch TeeVee while the world turns? The world needs independentmedia. The corporate media only tells us what they want us to know.We need independent voices, the more the better.

e plan on printing and webbing information that is not readilyvailable, and hope to make you smile every now and then. Hope andood humor are essential. We face the future with a can-do-attitudend we laugh in the face of the giants.

he problems of the world are many, and we have spent a longtime ignoring them. It is time to take the future in hand. We canhape it like a potter shapes the clay. That will take skill, patience andnsight. We hope to supply some of each. We expect you to supply

the rest. We need each other. The best ideas come about when peopleommun cate.

ome of us had a hand in the Main Street Free Press, which wentut of print December 2006. There is good news and bad news since

then. The bad news is that the environment has been neglected andurther degraded, the economy has ung itself into chaos, the energyupply is questionable, and the wars are still going on. The good

news is that more people are catching on and forming movements toorrect those problems. That one bit of good news is (or can be) more

powerful than anything else. But we need to get moving. For moren that read the book review on Nowtopia and take a look at the

twelve steps at the bottom of page twenty.orporations control the economy and many of our politicians.

hey are rich, powerful, and few have any scruples aboutman pu at ng our t oug ts an our act ons. e nee to gure outhow to balance their power with something else. I have a hunch this

alance will come from us, the people who care enough and have therit for the long haul.

hats enough for now- yah bastante. We print therefore we are.h, the future is now.

Jim Kenworthy

Contents:

Wastebasket(AKA Opinion) 1Permaculture: What Exactly Is It? 2

Democracy Now! Headlines 4

Dont Rush It. Dig In 5

Republican IT Specialist Dies in Plane CrashDemocracy Now! Transcript 7

Small Planet E Vehicles Has Moved 10

Surreal Incident 12

Beyond Voting: Guerrilla Gardeners,Out aw Bicyc ists & Pirate Programmers 14

Informed Public Leads 18

My Bolivian Commute 19


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www.evizmagazine.com viz... 1

Friday, December 12th, 2008

Friends,

They could have given the loan on the condition that the automakers start building only cars and mass transit that

reduce our dependency on oil.They could have given the loan on the condition that the automakers build cars that reduce global warming.They could have given the loan on the condition that the automakers withdraw their many lawsuits against

state governments in their attempts to not comply with our environmental laws.They could have given the loan on the condition that the management team which drove these once-great

manufacturers into the ground resign and be replaced with a team who understands the transportation needs of the 21st century.Yes, they could have given the loan for any of these reasons because, in the end, to lose our manufacturing infrastructure and throw

3 million people out of work would be a catastrophe.ut instead, the Senate said, well give you the loan only if the factory workers take a 20 an hour cut in wages, pension and health

care. Thats right. After giving BILLIONS to Wall Street hucksters and criminal investment bankers -- billions with no strings attachedand, as we have since learned, no oversight whatsoever -- the Senate decided it is more important to break a union, more important tothrow middle class wage earners into the ranks of the working poor than to prevent the total collapse of industrial America.

We have a little more than a month to go of this madness. As I sit here in Michigan today, tens of thousands of hard working,

honest, decent Americans do not believe they can make it to January 20th. The malaise here is astounding. Why must they suffer because of the mistakes of every CEO from Roger Smith to Rick Wagoner? Make management and the boards of directors and theshareholders pay for this.

Of course that is heresy to the 31 Republicans who decided to blame the poor, miserable autoworkers for this mess. And our wonderful media complied with their spin on the morning news shows: UAW Refuses to Give Concessions Killing Auto BailoutBill. In fact the UAW has given concession after concession, reduced their bene ts, agreed to get rid of the Jobs Bank and agreed toma e t ar er or t e r ret rees to ve rom wee to wee . es at s w at we nee to o t s t e o s an an t e o peop e w ohave led the nation to economic ruin!

ut even doing all that wasnt enough to satisfy the bastard Republicans. These Senate vampires wanted blood. Blue collar blood.You see, they werent opposed to the bailout because they believed in the free market or capitalism. No, they were opposed to the

bailout because theyre opposed to workers making a decent wage. In their rage, they were driven to destroy the backbone of thiscountry, not because the UAW hadnt given back enough, but because the UAW hadnt given up.

It appears that the sitting President has been looking for a way to end his reign by one magnanimous act, just like a warlord on his

feast day. He will put his nger in the dyke, and the fragile mess of an auto industry will eke through the next few months.That will give the Senate enough time to demand that the bankers and investment sharks whove already swiped nearly half of the700 billion gift a chance to make the offer of cutting their pay.

Fat chance.

Yours,Michael [email protected]

Senate to Middle Class: Drop Dead Wastebasket(AKA Opin

Submit your letters to the VIZWastebasket at [email protected].

Politics is the art of shifting trouble from theliving to the unborn.

George Monbiot, The Guardian


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2 viz... www.evizmagazine.com

Permaculture: What Exactly Is It?By Sandy CruzIllustrations by Carol Jenkins

What great drama! Will humanitywake up to its follies in time to avoidglobal environmental catastrophe? Is

it already too late? It seems to me thatt e outcome s st up or gra s areal cliffhanger! And we have our roleto play in it. Now more than ever, our actions are crucial.

So . . . how can humans live on this planet far into the future in harmony,abundance, grace and ease? Whatmodels are available to guide us increating new relationships with Natureand each other.

One poss ty s to oo to Natureitself as a model. Natural systems tendto be stable, adaptable, non-pollutingand increasingly abundant over time.Just what we need!

Permaculture is a method of observing and understanding naturalsystems, and then imitating what wesee in Nature to provide ourselveswith food, shelter and clothing. Once

as c uman nee s are sat s e , wecan leave the rest of the planet in awild state.

Creating Ecosystems Nature organizes itself into ecosystemsof varying scales. A single cell in your

body is an ecosystem, as is your entire body, as is the watershed in which youlive, as is the entire Earth. Ecosystemshave a certain resilience and integrity

a e o t e r own w e atthe same time being part of larger ecosystem.

he basic idea of Permaculture is to

create ecosystems tailored to providewhat humans need. These may varyin size from an indoor windowsillgarden to a large farm, to a city or entire region. The strategy is to designand implement a system that takes ona e o ts own, t ere y max m z ngnatural productivity and enhancingthe environment, while minimizing

pollution, human intervention andabor. In every project, as much area as

possible is set aside to remain wild.

Relative PlacementPermacu ture trans ates t echaracteristics of natural systems

nto about a dozen guiding design principles.

Microbes, fungi, plants andanimals, for example, tend to feed onan nurture one anot er n a comp exweb of relationship and interaction.What can we learn from this? By

placing plants, animals, and other elements that nourish and supporteach another together, we can foster a

dynamic web of life.The classic southwestern tri-

culture of corn, beans and squashs a wonderful example of humansm tat ng t s natura pr nc p e. Qu c -

growing squash provide shade and protection for young corn seedlings.Beans x nitrogen that fertilizes thecorn and squash. Corn stalks providea trellis for the beans. Shade-lovingground beetles under the squash mayeat the eggs of corn-borers.

Relative Placemen t is theprincip le of placing things near eachot er t at can e p one anot er. Ina dry climate, for example, we canocate a compost pile under the eaves,

so that the roof automatically shedsrain and snow onto the pile. (Donot rest the pile against the siding,

owever, unless you also want tocompost the building!) Nature addedanother element to one compost pile

I saw, where volunteer squash plantsuse t e u ng as a tre s, c m ngup the wall and onto the roof.

Energy and Nutrient Recyclingnother common trait of natural

ecosystems is that elements cyclehrough them over and over until

eventually leaving the system. A dropof water, for example, may fall fromhe sky into a puddle, where it is drunk

by a squirrel, who urinates it onto a

p ant, t at pumps t up nto ts eaves,hich are eaten by a deer, who exhaleshe water through its breath, where its carried away by the wind.

Beaver enhance this dynamic bydamming streams, thereby increasinghe time a drop of water remainsn the system and raising the water able. This creates habitat for many

other creatures and protects the forestrom severe w res. In contrast,he same drop of water tends to wash

away quickly in an eroding landscape,aving done nothing to support life inhe ecosystem.

How can we learn from this? Wecan set up ecosystems where energyand nutrients tend to cycle through thesystem for a while before leaving. For example, we can capture the energy of

e w nter sun n a so ar green ouse,converting it into heat by piping ithrough the growing beds. Warmoots will help the plants to thrive. A

ome attached to the greenhouse will bene t from the extra layer of warmthemanating from the growing beds.

fter creating these useful effects, theeat will leave the greenhouse long

after the sun has set.

Using Biological ResourcesMost human endeavors, at this point


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in time, rely on dead materials suchas metals, minerals, lumber and toxicc em ca s. Natura ecosystems cons stlargely of biologically alive elements.What can we learn from this? We canimitate Nature and apply biologicalresources whenever possible.

Mycologist Paul Stamets has shown,for example, that in cleaning up toxicoil spills, oyster mushroom culturesare far more effective than chemicalremediation methods.

Rat er t an ert z ng p ants w t petroleum-based chemicals, organicgardeners use biological resourcesto nourish the soil by encouragingworms to propagate, and by creatingrich compost from biologicallyactivewaste materials. Gardeners can also

use predatory insects rather than toxicinsecticides to control garden pests.In some situations, they can create

ense o og ca ences y p ant ngquick-growing plants, shrubs, treesand vines, rather than cutting trees for fenceposts which will eventually rot.

Permaculture is UniquePermaculture has some unusualc aracter st cs among gar en ngsystems:

Permaculture is based on the ethicsof caring for the earth, caring for

people, and limiting growth.Permaculture is primarily a systemof design . When a site is wellunderstood and the ecosystem welldesigned, the results are likely to

be more productive and resilient,

thereby needing less maintenanceand remodeling over time. Incontrast to t e typ ca coo e-cutter approach, Permaculture regardseach site as unique.Permaculture recommends that

people observe a site for at leasta year before doing anything.This concept is not too popular inour current hurry-up world! Byobserving diverse factors throughevery season and every extreme, aviable design cangrow out of the site, rather than being imposed on it. InPermaculture, we say Thoughtfuland protracted observation, rather

than thoughtless and protractedlabor.Permaculture based on anintegration of microbes, insects,

plants, fungi, animals, people,structures and technologies considers all possible connectionsamong all elements. In applyingintegration to human activities,what connections can we forge, for example, among organic gardeners,holistic healers, solar architects

and waste collectors? Thewaste people can create compostfor the gardeners, who use solar structures to grow medicinal herbsfor the healers. The healers cangive massages to the hardworkinggardeners, composters andarchitects in solar spas, followed byan organic lunch from the garden.Etcetera.

Culture and Agriculturehere are people all around the planet

working towards creating new modelsfor human culture on earth modelsthat value and create cooperationamong all beings.

With Nature as its model,Permaculture can serve as a greatunifying umbrella, integrating manydiverse elements of our emerging

culture into the vast planetaryecosystem.

Working in harmony with Natures largely uncharted territory. Theres

plenty of room for creativity andew discoveries in Permaculture.

elcome aboard!andy Cruz has been gardening at 9,200 feetor thirty years, experimenting with plantsnd re ning strategies for living in extremelyarsh conditions. She holds a Diploma of ermaculture Design from the Internationalermaculture Institute, and has published aariety of articles on sustainable living. Sandyounded High Altitude Permaculture in 1992nd currently assists people with site planningnd design. She can be reached at (303) 459-

.

his article rst appeared in Colorado

ardener, April 2006.

Points to Ponder:

A recent CNN programasked viewers, if the State f California is going toissue IOUs to reimburse taxrefunds, can residents sub-mit IOUs for taxes owed?


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Army Unit to Deploy in October forDomestic Operations 09/22/08Beginning in October, the Army plans tostation an active unit inside the UnitedStates for the rst time to serve as anon-call federal response in times of

emergency. The 3rd Infantry Divisions1st Brigade Combat Team has spentthirty- ve of the last sixty months inIraq, but now the unit is training for domestic operations. The unit willsoon be under the day-to-day controlof US Army North, the Army servicecomponent of Northern Command. The

Army Times reports this new missionmarks the rst time an active unit has

been given a dedicated assignment to Northern Command. The paper says theArmy unit may be called upon to helpwith civil unrest and crowd control. Thesoldiers are learning to use so-callednonlethal weapons designed to subdueunruly or dangerous individuals andcrowds.

Scientists: Arctic Warming atUnforeseen Rate 12/17/08In environmental news, scientists saytheyve found new evidence the Arcticis warming far faster than previouslyanticipated. The US National Snow andIce Center says temperatures recordedtoday werent expected for another ten

to fteen years. Researchers say autumntemperatures were higher because of the heat accumulation from increasedmelting in the summer. The process,known as Arctic ampli cation, couldsignify Arctic melting has hit a point of no return.

Climate Talks End Without NewGoals to Cut Emissions12/15/08The twelve-day international climateconference in Poland has ended after nations failed to set ambitious new goalsto cut greenhouse gas emissions. WWFDirector Kim Carstensen criticizedmany industrialized nations of blocking

progress at the summit.Kim Carstensen: Weve seen a lack

of leadership among the developedcountries, lack of leadership fromthe US, because they cant lead atthe moment because theyre waitingfor a new president. Weve seen a

lack of leadership from the EuropeanUnion, who are not leading at themoment, because theyre completelyinward-focused, completely lookingat themselves and the EU package thatthey agreed today.

At the end of the climate talks,

wealthier nations were also accused of failing to provide enough money to help

poorer countries cope with droughts,oods and rising seas. Former US

Vice President Al Gore urged climatedelegates to approve a new climatetreaty next year.

Al Gore: To those who are fearfulthat it is too dif cult to concludethis process with a new treaty by thedeadline that has been established for one year from now in Copenhagen, I sayit can be done, it must be done. Lets

nish this process at Copenhagen. Donttake the pressure off. Lets make surethat we succeed.

Bailed-Out Banks Cant Account forGovt Funds 12/23/08The Associated Press has revealed thatmany of the nations largest banks areclaiming they cant track how theyreusing the billions of dollars they havereceived in aid from US taxpayers. TheAssociated Press contacted twenty-one

banks that received at least $1 billionin government money and asked four questions: How much has been spent?What was it spent on? How much is

being held in savings? And whats the plan for the rest? None of the banks provided speci c answers. WhenCongress approved the massive bailout,it attached nearly no strings to themoney, and the Treasury Departmentnever asked the banks how it would bespent.

No Charges Yet Against StudentWho Disrupted Gas & Oil Auction

in Utah 12/23/08In Utah, the US attorneys of ce inSalt Lake City said Monday it hasnot decided yet whether to prosecutea University of Utah student whodisrupted a controversial federal oil- andgas-lease auction Friday by posing as a

bidder and buying nearly 22,000 acresof public land near Arches and

Canyonlands national parks. Thestudent, Tim DeChristopher, appearedin court on Monday, but no chargeswere led. A spokeswoman for theUS attorneys of ce said, It willtake time to evaluate evidence andmake a determination whether wewill prosecute. On Monday, TimDeChristopher toldDemocracy Now! he is ready to go to

jail.Tim DeChristopher: Ive seen theneed for more serious action by theenvironmental movement and to protecta livable future for all of us. Ive seenthat need for a long time. And frankly,Ive been hoping that someone wouldstep up and someone would come outand be the leader and someone would

put themselves on the line and make thesacri ces necessary to get us on a pathto a more livable future. And I guess I

just couldnt wait any longer for thatsomeone to come out there and had toaccept the fact that that someone might

be me.

I think hat men livin in

aristocracies may, strictly pea ing, o wit out t e i ertyo t e press: ut suc is not t e

case wit t ose w o ive in emo

cratic countries...servitude cannocom lete i the ress is ree: the ris t e c ie emocratic instrument

ree om.

lexis de Tocqueville,1805-1859,

from Thom HartmannsUnequal Protection


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Lets face it things arent going wellout there. The Midwest is ooded,the Southeast is in drought and thetitle of the Common Dreams e-mailthat I got on Sunday June 22 d wasEverything is Spinning Out of Control.

Holy shit! I thought, not for therst time that day, the end is near!

W at s ou I o?My stomach sank and my heart

raced. Then I looked around me tond I was still sitting in front of a

computer, my stray kitten purring onmy lap. I noticed that the ocean wasnot yet lapping at my door, and thatthe leaves outside my window were

beautiful.his is not the rst time I have

grappled with the end of the world.Usually the images that ash throughmy mind, involve drowning, re, or thirst; it always ends the same way: Icalm down and go back to the work Iwas doing before the news ash toldme the world was ending.

In short, this is how I spend mostof my crazy environmental life.Everyday I work, in my own smallways, to create a more sustainableworld; but I oscillate constantly

between the practicality of thesesmall daily actions, and theneed for large-scale changewith the greatest urgency.

On the one hand Iwake up everydaywith pressingurgency. Go,go, go, there is not much time. Andthere isnt. There is not much time in aday, or in a life, or in ten years, whichis the amount of time we have to stopincreasing carbon and start decreasingit, according to Bill McKibben inan October 19 h speech at the GreatTurning Conference.

McKibben stressed that we are ata unique moment in history, racingagainst a global deadline. Thatsheavy stuff. And its a heavy feelingthat presses on my chest when I liveall day racing against an invisibleclock, hanging above us, ticking awayseconds like a time bomb from a badaction lm. Its also information weve

been hearing for years, so I canthelp but wonder, what the hell areyou panicking for, you knew this wascoming?

I met a man last fall on

the street in Cambridge,Massachusetts. Heapproached me with a CDabout Global Warming.He wanted me tomake copies anddistribute itamongst my friends.I told him aboutmy own work, with a

grassrootsorganization in

he same city. Thenhe smiled and said,That sounds nice, but I

dont have time right now,I am working at 200 percent

on the global climate crisis.We must be kindred spirits, both

full of our own importance. I think we both need to take a step back fromt e e ge.

On the other hand, we cannotact hastily. Large scale hasty

responses to climate change thus far,nclude nuclear energy and ethanol.Both of these solutions add tothe unsustainable use of dwindlingwater supplies (we have anywhere

between 10-50 years depending onwho you ask, although if you live inAt anta r g t now you m g t e say ngsomething different), both are already

appening.In another speech at the Great

urning Conference, Winona LaDuke, celebrated Anishinaabekwe,environmental activist and wise

oman asked: If nuclear power ishe answer, then what the hell was the

question? Wasit the further

contamination of groundwater? Was it

ow can we be bigger jerks and consume more

resources? 70% of available

uranium is in indigenouscommunities. She has a stunningway with words.

As for ethanol, Im just going togive you a few statistics drawn fromGerry Risings July 15 h 2007 articlen the Buffalo News. According to

Risings calculations, which are basedon the work of Ted Patzek and GeraldCecil, for one gallon of ethanol theequivalent of more than a gallon of oil

ust be expended. If every acre of this

ations corn were assigned to ethanol production, it would only provide 7 percent of what the nations cars use

oday.One element of ethanol production

hat Rising doesnt mention is the facthat corn, as currently grown in most

of the United States, is one of the mostand intensive plants in the world.

P ant ng t cont nuous y causes soerosion, unsustainable water use, andoss of diversity.

Lastly, counting the growing of he corn, the processing of the corn,and production of the fuel, it will take

illions of gallons of water on a daily basis to create ethanol.

I draw again from Winona LaDuke:If ethanol is the answer, then what the

e was t e quest on?So this is the point in the article

Dont Rush It. Dig In:De ning Advice for the Possibilities Aheadby Paige Doughtywww.paigedoughty.com


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when I am supposed to give youalternative solutions. Excitingly Ihave many. They are not original,most have nothing to do withlarge-scale national solutions toenvironmental problems, and theyrequire an active imagination:

Turn your lawn into a garden.Quit your job if you hate itand start doing what youvealways wanted (after all if McKibben is right youve onlygot a out a eca e .Look at what you do on a dailybasis and ask yourself is thisharmful to me, to others, to theplanet? Act accordingly.

Learn how to can and preserveto eat locally year round.Turn off your T.V., Computer,cell phone.Read a book, play a game,ance aroun a on re.

Install a grey water system tocreate a closed loop for your water use.Be dirty more often.Use rain barrels.Find a place you love outside;

visit it often.Learn the names of trees,shrubs, birds, say hello.Stop am ng: We are t ey, t eyare us.Start a conversation withsomeone who intimidates you.Cross neighborhood boundaries,be uncomfortable.Never ever drink out of a plasticstraw again.Carry a mug, a re-usable bag,

a water bottle, plate, and fork w t you at a t mes.Unplug, unplug, unplug.Make a leaf collage.Compost (1/3 of the householdwaste in land lls could havebeen composted and is thebiggest uman contribution of methane).

Trust that what is happeningwill unfold well if we keepworking on it.Do not try to do this all at once.I did, and it wasnt pretty.

Finally, I end with two of wisest pieces of advice I have ever received about how to change theworld.

The rst is from a man namedohn Francis, also known as the

Planetwalker. He spent 22 yearswa ng a over t e country, 17 othem in silence. His advice, alsoat the Great Turning Conference,was this: Ask yourself: what isyour dream, say it out loud, and

then begin taking steps towards it.Dont rush it.

The second is from WinonaLaDuke: Get some place. Staythere. Live in a way that is

peace u to t at p ace. D g n.This is what, each time that I

panic, draws me back from theedge. It is trust in the universe, thewill to follow my dreams, and theknowledge that I am not alone,far from it. There are millions of

people out there making the world better everyday; my guess is thatyou are one of them. So DontRus t ut D g In.

ee Paiges bio on inside front cover.

hamed!rporate Accountability Internationls

(CAIs) Hall of Shame 08 lists Blackwater as the most shameful corporation of 2008.Over 10,000 votes were cast. Heres thecomplete list:

1. Blackwater 2. ADM (Archer Daniels Midland)3. Wal-Mart4. Countrywide5. Nestle6. Mattel

. oyota8. Other 9. Wendys10. Monsanto (write-in)11. Exxon-Mobil (write-in)12. Hallibuton/KBR (write-in)

Visit CAIs website for more detals aboutall their corporate misdeeds at:

http://www.stopcorporateabuse.org/cms/ page1651.cfm

And to nominate corporations for theCorporate Hall of Shame 2009 visit:

http://www.stopcorporateabusenw.org/campaign/hall_of_shame_

nominations_2009

Clean coal is now only a dream. For more information visit:

http://www.thisisreality.org/#/?p=facility

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/ 29/AR2008022903390.html

http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/2008/10/17/what-is- clean-coal-anyway/


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AMY GOODMAN: A top Repu can nternet strateg st w owas set to test y n a case a eg ng e ect on tamper ng n 2004n O o as e n a p ane cras . M e Conne was t e c e IT

consu tant to Kar Rove an create we s tes or t e Bus anMcCain electoral campaigns. He also set up the of cial Ohiostate election website reporting the 2004 presidential electionreturns.

Conne was reporte y an exper ence p ot. He e nstant yFr ay n g t w en s pr vate p ane cras e n a res ent ane g or oo near A ron, O o.

Michael Connell was deposed one day before the election thisyear by attorneys Cliff Arnebeck and Bob Fitrakis about hisactions during the 2004 vote count and his access to Karl Rovesemail les and how they went missing.

Ve vet Revo ut on, a non-pro t nvest gat ng Conne sact v t es, revea e t s wee en t at Conne a recent y sa

e was a ra George Bus an D c C eney wou t rowm un er t e us. C Arne ec a a so prev ous y

a erte Attorney Genera M c ae Mu asey to a ege t reatsrom Kar Rove to Conne e re use to ta e t e a .

ell, Mark Crispin Miller joins us now, a professor of mediacu ture an commun cat on at New Yor Un vers ty, t e aut or o severa oo s, nc u ng Loser Ta e A : E ect on Frau ant e Su vers on o Democracy, 2000-2008 an Foo e Aga n:How t e R g t Sto e t e 2004 E ect on & W y T ey Steat e Next One Too. Mar Cr sp n M er us now n our re ousestu o.

elcome to Democracy Now!

MARK CRISPIN MILLER: Its goo to e ere, Amy. T anyou.

AMY GOODMAN: Alright, well, we had you on right beforethe election, because thats when Mike Connell was beingdeposed. This news that came out of his death in a plane crash onFriday night, talk about what you understand has happened.

MARK CRISPIN MILLER: We , I cannot assert w t per ect con ence t at t s was no acc ent, ut I w sayt at t e c rcumstances are so susp c ous an so conven entor Rove an t e W te House t at I t n were o ge tonvest gate t s t ng very, very t oroug y. An t at means,

rst o a , ta ng a c ose oo at some o t e stor es t atwere mme ate y c rcu ate to account or w at appene ,that it was bad weather. That was the line they used when

ellstones plane went down. There had been bad weather, but it had passed two hours before. And this comes froma woman at the airport information desk in Akron. Were toldthat his plane was running out of gas, which is a little bit oddfor a highly experienced pilot like Connell, but apparently,

w en t e p ane went own,t ere was an exp os on,a re a t at actua y c arre an poc e some o t e ouseronts n t e ne g or oo . Peop e can go on ne an see t e

footage that news crews took. But beyond the, you know,dubiousness of the of cial story, we have to take a close look atand a serious look at all the charges that Connell was setto make.

MY GOODMAN: Now, he had asked the Attorney GeneralMukasey for protective custody, because of threats to him and

is wife?

MARK CRISPIN MILLER: He reporte t reats to s awyer,C Arne ec , an Arne ec a so, Ve vet Revo ut on ear rom t psters, as we , t psters w o a so c a me t at Conne s

e was at r s . Step en Spoonamore, t e w st e ower w owas t e rstw o was t e one to name Conne n t e rst p ace, a so a an ear to t e ns e. Hes a so very connecte .

n a t ese peop e were say ng Rove s ma ng t reats, t eWhite House is very worried about this case.

Hav ng ear a t s, Arne ec contacte Mu asey, econtacte Nancy Rogers, w o s t e O o Attorney Genera ,an e wrote a etter to t e court, te ng a o t em t at T sman s ou e n protect ve custo y. He s an mportant w tnessn a RICO case. P ease o somet ng to oo a ter m. An

t ey nt respon to t s.

MY GOODMAN: So, explain what this case is all about andexactly what Mike Connell has been doing over these last years.What does it mean to be Karl Roves IT guru?

MARK CRISPIN MILLER: We , t e awyers n t e casere er to m as a g -IQ Forrest Gump, y w c t ey meant at e seems to ave een present at t e scene o every u ouse ect on o t e ast e g t years. Were ta ng a out F or a n2000. Were ta ng a out O o n 2004. Were ta ng a out

a ama n 2002. He seems to ave een nvo ve n t e t e to Don S ege mans re-e ect on or governor. T eres someevidence that links him with the Saxby Chambliss-Max ClelandSenate race in Georgia in 2002. To be Karl Roves IT guruseems to have meant basically setting it up so that votes could

be electronically shaved to the disadvantage of the Democratsand the advantage of Republicans.

MY GOODMAN: W at o you mean, e ectron ca ys ave ? I mean, youve got a t ese prec ncts a over O o.eyre count ng up t e r votes. W at oes e ave to o w t

t s?

MARK CRISPIN MILLER: Well, speci cally, theresa computer architecture setup called Man in the Middle,"which involves shunting the election returns from, you know,the state in questionin this case, Ohioshunting them to

Republican IT Specialist Dies in Plane CrashDemocracy Now! Transcript12/22/08


10/24


a separate computer elsewhere. All of the election returns inOhio in 2004 went from the Secretary of States websitethiss Ken Blackwellto a separate computer in a basementn Chattanooga, Tennessee, which was under the control of

another private company called SMARTech.

So we ave now two pr vate compan es: GovTec So ut ons,

w c s Conne s company, SMARTec , w c s run y a guyname Je Aver ec . An t e companyt e t r pr vatecompany t at manage t e vot ng ta u ators n O o was ca eTriad. All three of these companies worked closely together onelection night in Ohio in 2004. It turns out that the states ownIT person was sent home at 9:00 p.m. They said, Go ahead.Go home. Well take care of this. So that this trio of highly partisan and, let me add, Christianist companies basically took over the whole

AMY GOODMAN: W at o you mean, C r st an st?

MARK CRISPIN MILLER: Well, theyre radical theocraticactivists, particularlyparticularly Triad and SMARTech. You

know, they are fervently anti-choice.AMY GOODMAN: We , M e Conne was, n actmanysa t ats w at mot vate m t roug a o t s, s erceant -a ort on stance.

MARK CRISPIN MILLER: He toldConnell toldSpoonamore that one of the primary reasons why he helpedBush-Cheney steal elections was to save the babies. I do think,though, that we have to draw a distinction between Connell,on t e one an , an t e Aver ec an t e Rapp am y, ont e ot er an , ecause Conne was ar ess eroc ous n s

po t ca v ews. He was an ar ent ant -a ort on st, ts true, ute wasnt qu te as ar core as t e ot ers. An n act, you now,e was a tt e t a enate rom t e ot ers, an t ats one o t e

reasons w y e was nc ne to ta , an so on.

But the fact is, to answer your question, that on election nightn 2004, it had been Connell, with these other two companies

working with him, who had managed the computer setup,enabling Ken Blackwell to study the maps of precincts andvoter turnout very carefully and gure out how many votesthey need. By shunting the data to Chattanooga, they kind of slowed down the data stream.

AMY GOODMAN: Wasnt Kar Roves ema a so t ere nC attanooga on some o t ese servers?

MARK CRISPIN MILLER: Yes, yes. The same servers wereused to host a whole bunch of highly partisan websites. Anda so, n ee , Kar Roves ema s were on t at server, too.

AMY GOODMAN: T at ave gone m ss ng.

MARK CRISPIN MILLER: That have gone missing.Inc enta y, Step en Spoonamore, aga n, t e w st e ower w os t e one w o name Conne , as to usan Ive seen

s own contemporary notes

MY GOODMAN: An exp a n aga n w o e was. W y wase in a position to whistleblow?

MARK CRISPIN MILLER: Step en Spoonamore s aconservat ve Repu can, a ormer McCa n supporter an avery prom nent expert at t e etect on o computer rau . Hest e star w tness n t e O o awsu t, r g t, n w c Conne was

nvo ve . He as one extens ve wor o t s n , nvo v ngcomputer secur ty, an a t ere ore wor e w t Conne ,new Conne persona y an new a ot o t e peop e w o

were nvo ve n t e sort o cy er-secur ty en o t e Busoperat on.

Despite his conservatismor I suppose some would say because of ithes a man of principleI mean, believes in theConstitution. He believes elections should be honest. Hes theone who came forward and named Connell.

n I ave seen s notes o a conversat on n w c Conneas e Spoonamore ow one wou go a out estroy ng W teHouse ema s. To t s, Spoonamore sa , T s conversat on s

over. Youre asking me to do something illegal. But clearly,clearlythis is the important pointMike Connell was up

past his eyeballs in the most sensitive and explosive aspects of this crime family that, you know, has been masquerading as a

political party.

MY GOODMAN: An w at F tra s, t e attorney w oas roug t t e su t w t Harvey Wasserman, t e O o awsu t,

earn n t e epos t on o M e Conne n t e ay e ore t ee ect on, w c ar y got attent on, cons er ng t was t e ay

e ore t s stor c e ect on?

MARK CRISPIN MILLER: Yeah. Harvey wasnt part of t. Harvey writes articles with Bob. Its Bob Fitrakis and Cliff rnebeck are the attorneys. They learned very little. What

they learned was that Bush-Cheney lawyer who accompaniedConne to t e epos t on was watc ng t e w o e t ng

e a aw , repeate y o ecte to quest ons. Conne wasstonewa ng e crazy at t s epos t on.

hey only learned one thing. And that was, they got con rmationthat it was Connell who brought these other private companiesnto the arrangement, in addition to his own GovTech Solutions.gain, there was Triad and SMARTech. It was Connell who

brought those three companies into one unit, so that the threeof them were, in effect, handling Ohios election returns onelection night under Connells supervision. Thats what weearned.

We a so now, Amy, t at s nce t e epos t onI want to ma et s c ear; we sa t e ore, I want to repeat tt at Conne

as n cate very c ear y a es re to ta urt er, to te more,w et er ts s consc ence ot er ng m or w et er ts ear o some n o a per ury c arge ecause o ow v gorous y estonewa e at t e epos t on. He ma e t nown to t e awyers,

e made it known to reporter Larisa Alexandrovna of Raw Story,


11/24


that he wanted to talk. He was scared. He wanted to talk. And Isay that he had pretty good reason to be scared.

AMY GOODMAN: So w y e y nw y e p ot sown p ane w en e was so a ra ?

MARK CRISPIN MILLER: Well, thats a good question. We

cant as m, un ortunate y. I mean, t s s n o a gr s yt oug t, ut, I mean, I t n we s ou e as ng w ere t eo y s? Were to t at a trooper on t e scene mme ate yent e Conne . But t en we rea e sew ere t at t ere was

not ng e t ut e r s an t at t e re a was enormous. Somay e e wasnt on t e p ane. I mean, w o nows, w en youre

ea ng w t peop e as eep as t ese?

But the point isI cant stress this strongly enoughweredealing not just with a shocking accident, if thats what itwas, and a convenient one. Were dealing not even just witha particular lawsuit that, you know, really requires vigorous

promotion. The important point here is that this is all about our elections. Thats what this is about. This is about democraticself-government.

T e act t at O ama won so an y as cause a ot o us tos t ac an re ax. T eres een a ot o popp ng o c ampagnecor s an peop e raw ng t e conc us on t at t e system mustwork, because our guy won. Well, this is not a sports event. Thiss self-government.

In act, t e ev ence strong y suggestsan we avent aa c ance to ta a out t s s nce E ect on Dayt at O ama

pro a y won y tw ce as many votes as we t n . Pro a ya goo seven m on votes or O ama were un one t rougvote suppress on an rau , ecause t e stu was extens ve an

pervas ve, n p aces w ere you wou nt expect t.The Illinois Ballot Integrity Project was monitoring the vote

n DuPage County, right next door to Obamas, you know, backyard, Cook County. And two of them, in only two precinctson E ect on Day, saw w t t e r own eyes 350 voters s ow up,on y to e turne away, to , Youre not reg stere , peop ew o were reg stere , w o vote n t e pr mary. A ut one ot ese peop e was ac . T ats n I no s.

People at the Election Defense Alliance have discovered, fromsifting through the numbers, an eleven-point red shift in NewHampshire. That means that theres a discrepancy in Obamasdisfavor, primarily through use of the optical scan machines, aneleven-point discrepancy in the Republicans favor, OK?

You start to com ne t s w t a t e vote suppress on, a t esen ranc sement, a t e vote mac ne pp ng t at went on

n t s e ect on, you rea ze, OK, O ama won, ut m ons omer cans, most o t em A r can Amer can an stu ents, younow, were not a e to part c pate n any c v c sense, ron ca y,

a ot o t e same peop e, you now, w o wou ave eensen ranc se an were sen ranc se e ore t e c v r g ts

movement. So t e act t at a ac pres ent was e ecte , w ecause for jubilation, see, ought not to take place at the expenseof a whole lot of our fellow citizens who seem to have beendisenfranchised on racial grounds. My point is very simply this:Weve got to get past the victory of Obama and look seriously atwhat our election system is like, or else, I promise you, see, thesetup that was put in place in this last election, in 2004 and in2000, OK, will still be there in 2010, still be there in 2012. Soweve got to take steps to do something about it now.

MY GOODMAN: Mar Cr sp n M er, I want to t anyou very muc or e ng w t us, pro essor o me a cu turean commun cat on at New Yor Un vers ty, most recent

oo Loser Ta e A : E ect on Frau an t e Su vers on oDemocracy, 2000-2008.

The collapse of the global marketplace would be a traumatic eventwith unimaginable consequences. Yet I nd it easier to imagine than thecont nuat on o the present reg me.

George Soros, Soros on Soros , 1995


12/24


Small Planet E Vehicles Has Movedby Philip Skergan and Jim Kenworthy

Tom Wilson has moved his Small Planet ElectricVehicles business to 724 N. Main Street in Longmont,

Colorado. You will nd a selection of electric bikes, anelectric scooter, electric cars and trucks, and C.A.R.B.approved gasoline scooters. Check out the web site athttp://www.smallplanetearth.com. The future is now.

he future cost and availability of oil ought totrou e us. S ou we grow as expecte an cont nueto rely on fossil fuels, we will soon face supplyshortfalls that will have a crippling effect on our economy. Perhaps we have already encountered theopening pages of that chapter in our history.

hen looking at the available choices for a

next generation of vehicles that drastically reduceor eliminate the use of oil, electric vehicles rise tothe top. Electric vehicles join an electric motor,controlling electronics and a battery. Lightweightand powerful, electric motors have ef cienciesapproaching 90 percent, compared to the 20 percentenergy ef ciency of combustion engines. Thecheapest, most productive domestic energy resources:wind and solar among them, all produce electricitywith high ef ciency. We already have most of theneeded infrastructure to ll up on electricity.

he main technological hurdles concern batterydevelopment. Gasoline is so energy dense, that largetrucks and SUVs travel 500 miles on a tank of gas

that is small relative to the vehicle. Even thoughlightweight, short-range electric vehicles ll manyuseful roles, until advanced batteries can hold enoughcharge to cover long distances and occupy a smallenough portion of a vehicle, conventional vehiclesmust continue to be produced.

n the past ten years, dozens of innovations have brought battery development to a new level. Currentdiscoveries promise to combine into a power plant thatw o as muc as ve t mes t e energy as t e estexisting batteries. Full-sized electric vehicles ful lling

most drivers expectations should be possible withinve years.

he U.S. auto eet is enormous, but we replaceit every sixteen years. If we begin to purchase suchelectric vehicles ve years from now, we might havea completely electric eet of cars and trucks by 2030,

powered by domestic wind, sun, coal and natural gas.

Photographed by Charles Hanson

Photographed by Charles Hanson


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14/24


Surreal IncidentBy Aref Nammari

What can I do with all this cheesein the sun? Come on soldier, let me pass the cheese. Look its gettingruined.

You cant take your car into Na us a town n t e WestBank] said the soldier. You donthave a permit for the car.

I dont have a permit for thecar? But, you can see for yourself, Ihave a permit from theministryof agricultureI am allowed to

pass my cheese, I have sheep, Imake cheese from them and sell itin Ramallah [another town in theWest Bank] where they use it for

na e a pastry e w t c eese .Every week I transfer the cheese inmy car to Nablus, from Nablus I goto Huwara checkpoint and then Ihead to Ramallah. And now you, a

bunch of new soldiers, tell me thatI need a permit to enter with my car into Nablus. If you would let me Iwould bypass it, I dont even wantto enter Nablus, I just want to get toRamallah. How do you want me to pass all this cheese, on my back?said the cheese man and pointed atthe buckets that were full of hardsalty cheese.

I dont care how you pass it, getinto your car and drive away, I dontwant to see you here again without a permit for your car.

he cheese man sighed in

desperation and turned around tolook for a car that had a permit toenter Nablus.

After half an hour the cheesean found a car with a permit to

enter Na us. It too anot er t rtyinutes to transfer the buckets from

one car to the other, and another

thirty minutes waiting in line. Thesoldier inspected the car for veinutes and sent them back to Beit

Furik [a small town in the WestBank].

Whats the matter, we asked thesoldier, This [sic] car has a permitto enter Nablus.

Yes t oes, t e so er sa , but the permit allows the car toenter empty, it hasnt got a permit totransfer merchandise.

After twenty minutes he [the

cheese man] found a car witha permit to enter Nablus and totransfer merchandise. It took twenty

inutes to move the bucketsfrom one car to the other (by thenthey have become experts in this)and thank god the car passed thecheckpoint and entered Nablus.

After an hour we left to Huwaracheckpoint. We parked at thefaraway parking lot and walked tothe checkpoint. From afar we saw

buckets of cheese being moved fromone car to the other.

We came close. It was the same

man that was at Beit Furik. He passed the checkpoint into Nablus, but the car he was in didnt havea permit to exit from Nablus, hestarted moving the cheese to another car t at a a perm t to trans er merchandise from Nablus throughHuwara and head to Ramallah, so

at the exit from Nablus, he startedmoving the cheese to another car that had a permit to transfer merchandise from Nablus throughHuwara. He got out of Nablus andhen had to move the cheese again

from one car to the other.Whats the matter, we asked,

oesnt t s car ave a perm t toransfer merchandise?

Yes it has, said the cheeseman, it has a permit to transfer merchandise.

So why are you moving thecheese from one car to the other allover again? we asked.

It doesnt have a permit to passhrough Zaatara. Im swapping it

with a car that has a permit to passhrough Zaatara in the direction of

Ramallah.

Surrealism is a cultural movement best known for producing visual and writtenworks juxtaposing unexpected elements and non sequitur sometimes bordering on theabsurd. Often surrealism taps into the subconscious and the world of dreams and of theimagination.

his story was published in a report by the BTselemThe Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories. The reporters were the eld observers of Machsom Watchan Israeli organization that monitors the checkpoints.

Although this story has some elements of surrealism, it is not a work of ction. It is not the fruit of a vivid and creativeimagination, and it is not a dream lodged deep in the subconscious. It is a typical story of the daily experience of millionsof people throughout the West Bank. A trip that normally should take thirty or forty ve minutes can take up to two or three hours. Sometimes people have to turn around and go home without completing the trip, only to try again the nextday.


15/24


One has to wonder about the purpose of this seemingly bizarre and arbitrary situation which makes an otherwise surrealand perhaps even comical episode to become a common, sad and humiliating experience.

We are constantly told by the apologists of the occupation that the checkpoints are for security reasons. We are toldthat Israel has an obligation to protect its citizens against terrorists bent on destroying lives as well as the state of Israel.

Never mind the fact that Israel boasts of the fourth strongest military in the world.

Is the cheese a security threat? Is the only way this threat can be eliminated is by nding the right car with the right permit to transport it? Obviously, the concern is not about security. It is clear that the purpose of these checkpoints,located deep inside the West Bank, is to harass and humiliate the Palestinians and to disrupt any semblance of a normallife. The checkpoints are there to demonstrate who is in control: that the Israeli authorities and military can do anythingthey please whenever they please.

In the West Bank and Gaza, surrealism has become a way of life, but the result is not meant to be a work of artisticexpression but rather a means of doling out misery, poverty, anger and violence.

Dear Taxpayer,

Your Contributions this scal year was put toward the maintenance of an F-15 ghter jet, which on October 16 dropped a bomb on the townof Ramaldi, in Iraq, killing, among others, Muhammed Salih Ali (age

six) and Haifa Ahmed Fuad (age eight) and Saad Ahmed Fuad (age four). Little Haifa and Saad were sister and brother; you helped ac-complish their deaths by a jet very similar to, if not exactly the sameas, those that y over the stadium just after the American Idol winner

sings and the home of the brave at the Super Bowl.

From Harpers MagazineWhy I Pay My TaxesBy Ben Metcalf

Aref Nammari is an American Palestinian born in Jerusalem and has lived in Longmont, Colorado since 1987. He is an advocate for ang e emocrat c state n stor c a est ne w ere srae s an a est n ans ve as equa c t zens. e wor s as an e ectron cs eng neer at

the University of Colorado, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics.


16/24


This US election year an unprec-edented number of voters will likelyhead to the polls to cast their ballots inan exercise that should take just a fewminutes to complete. But what aboutthe rest of the minutes left in the year?Author and activist Chris Carlsson hassome suggestions for social change be-yon vot ng n Nowtop a, a new ooabout modern day rebels who, in hiswords, arent waiting for an institu-tional change from on-high but aregetting on with building the new world

in the shell of the old.Chris Carlsson is a long-time com-munity organizer, writer and radicalhistorian based in San Fransisco.He helped launch the Critical Massmont y e- ns, w c now ta e

place in ve continents and over 300cities, and was a founder of the dis-sident magazine, Processed World,a publication reporting on the under-side of the Information Age. Theseexperiences enrich his enjoyable and

fascinating new book, Nowtopia: HowPirate Programmers, Outlaw Bicy-clists, and VacantLot Gardeners AreInvent ng t e Future To ay AK Press,2008).

A driving argument throughout the book is that nowtopians are more thantheir jobs or class, and are workingoutside of the capitalist economy to

create A social revolt against beingreduced to mere workers, to beingtrapped in the objecti ed and com-modi ed status of labor power. It isthis movement that the dynamic book focuses on, telling stories from acrossthe garden plots, bicycle parties andkitchen tables that play essentialro es n creat ng utop a now.

Though there are many more ex-amples of community organizing andactivist work that could ever t intothe pages of one book, Nowtopia

presents compelling stories of activismthat anyone can learn from.In a chapter on vacant-lot gardeners

Carlsson digs into the roots and lega-cies of community gardening. Readersare n orme t at ur ng Wor War I, a campaign was launched to plantfor freedom and hoe for liberty inwhich ve million gardeners produced$520 million in food in just two grow-ng seasons. By 1944, in World War

II, 18-20 million families had Victory

Gardens which produced 40% of thenations vegetables. More recently, in2004, 37 gardens in NYC producedmore t an 30,000 poun s o oo .Globally, there are approximately 200million urban gardeners producingfood and income for around 700 mil-ion people.

Yet as this book illustrates, thesegardens grow more than food, theygrow community. Neighbors cometogether around gardens, experiences

and knowledge are shared across gen-erations, and empty city lots once fullof fear and street violence are replaced

by gardeners with owers, vegetablesand families. New York City gardener Sarah Ferguson describes the com-munity gardens shes been involvedwith, Like the antic shrines and alters

hey construct in their ower beds,hese eclectic havens are in a veryeal sense churches, where peoplend faithboth in themselves and

n their neighbors. But NYC Mayor Rudolph Giuliani waged a war ongardens, working to sell the lots off o real estate developers. In 2000, heo t e New Yor T mes, I you ven an unrealistic world then you can

say everything should be a communitygarden. Yet many NYC neighbors

banded together and resisted, preserv-

ng their garden lots and strengtheningheir community in the process.Community gardening also offers a

down to earth alternative to buying ino the corporate food world. Environ-

enta ust ce act v st Jess ca Hayes,for example, who worked at The FoodProject in Boston, said, I can ghthat [industrial agricultural system]

until I die, but at the same time buildan alternative so that at some point wecan just cut the global system off.

Another nowtopian activity un-derstandably outlined in this book s bicycling. This mode of transportas ong een app au e y act v sts

against oil wars, oil dependency andcars. Like gardening, working together o x and ride bikes can also build

community. In Nowtopia, Ted Whitealks of his experience at the Center

for Appropriate Transport in Eugene,Oregon, w ere e wor e w t young

ids to x and put bikes together.

hite says the work was empoweringand con dence-building: They took

etal and rubber and plastic parts, puthem together, ne tuned them, andhenvoila!they had literally madehemselves a vehicle for both external

exploration and self-discovery. Simi-arly, Eric Welp, who teaches

BEYOND VOTING: GUERRILLA GARDENERS, OUTLAWBICYCLISTS & PIRATE PROGRAMMERSBy Benjamin Danglhttp//www.towardfreedom.com/home/

Editors note:This article was written before the election, but, except for that, it is up todate and worth reading.

Plant for freedom; hoefor liberty. Globally,there are approximate-ly 200 million urbangardeners producingfood and income foraround 700 millionpeople.


17/24


people how to x their own bikes atC a n React on n Was ngton, DC,said were not going to solve theworld with bikes, but we can change

it by changing a kids outlook andmode of transportation.

Carlsson also guides readersthrough the rich history of bicyclezines, providing the example of theearly 1990s zine called Mud ap

by Greta Snider, where the author wrote a cartoon called EquipmentFetish, which goes, you know howit feels theres something so goodabout MACHINE PARTSknurledwheels, dials, level meters; the KA-

CHUNK of a shutter, the clicks of indexed things falling into placeIn her zine, Snider also tells stories of haunts for bike-punks in Toronto,rants against buying stolen bikes anddevelops different cityspeci c gamesfor bicyclists.

Other zines and publications cited by Carlsson critique the car culture of the US. An issue of Resist proclaims,all you habitual motorists are suck-ers. Youve been hoodwinked. Your

automobile is expensive, annoying,and anti-social. My bicycle is cheap,fun and at times, a traveling party.Critical Mass bike rideswhen bicy-clists converge to take back the streetsfrom carsare another inspirationalexample of renegade bike culturerede ning streets and protest. Carls-son says of these gatherings, The

bike ride is the premise, but the deeper transformation of imaginations andsocial connections is hard to measure.

Nowtopia also moves off the streetsand into cyberspace in another chap-ter called The Virtual Spine of theCommons which includes a brief

peoples history of the internet, anda celebration of the rise of open andfree software. This software move-ment, Carlsson writes, has helped

to radically reduce the price of soft-ware, prov ng access to t ousan sof new programmers and technicallyskilled people. However, with

programs like Blogger, MySpace,YouTube, Carlsson laments the factthat A pro table business modelarose by placing things people have

been making privately for a long time(personal diaries, novels, photos, ram-

blings, poetry, school gazettes, etc.)n a public context of advertising and

ecommerce, and then working to makethose public, commercial platforms asmonopolistic as possible.

The author also shows many ex-

amples of how the internet has beenan incredible organizing and fundrais-ng tool for social movements and

activists all over the world. From theZapatistas getting their messages outvia the internet, to nonpro ts andsocial organizations networking inways that were unimaginable in pre-nternet days, Carlsson analyzes the

highs and lows of this powerful tool.He writes, Typically, online com-munities are criticized for promoting

disembodied and immaterial connec-tions. Too often political campaignsthat may once have mobilized a streetaction or something directly physicalhave instead turned into a cascade of emails and online petitions. But as theremarkable participation in the Febru-ary 2003 global anti-war demonstra-tions revealed, the same electroniccommunities can network themselvesto produce an unprecedented publicdemonstration.

At the end of election day, manyof the nowtopians we encounter inthis book will likely still be teachingkids how to x bikes instead of takestandardized tests, crunching their shovels into new soil and democratiz-ng cyberspace. Carlssons Nowtopia

reminds us that there is much to do be-

ond simply voting, and the examplese out nes n s oo can e a goo

place to start, or expand, your ownocal revolutions. They are not neces-

sarily end-all solutions, but can becatalysts toward broader social changeand movements. As Carlsson writes,a nowtopia might be right around thecorner: An unfolding potential canand does erupt in the most surprising

places, seemingly simple and limited but also embodying deeper aspirationsfor a more profound transformation.

enjamin Dangl is the editor of the Vermont-ased TowardFreedom.com, a progressive

perspective on world events. He is teaching a

lass on globalization and pirates at Burlingtonollege this fall.

ot Local Book

Order your copy at:www.ebookstand.com/book_details/STUFF_NONSUCH


18/24


Your ad cou d e p aced ere. For aate Card, contact im. enwort y@

evizmagazine.com or greg.ro [email protected].

Or it could be placed here.


19/24


Cheney at His Undisclosed LocationPhotographed by Nate K


20/24


san avid follower of energy

nitiatives, I take interestin the Congressional dog and ponyshow that passes for debate on energy

policy. One representative or senator after another takes the oor to pushwhatever form of energy or relatedtec no ogy er ves rom t e r str ctor state. There is no recognizabledeliberative attempt to prioritizeamong competing options, just baldsales efforts to translate the publicsdesire for an energy solution into

dollars for constituencies.It comes as no surprise thatindustries that stand to pro t fromsubsidies and grants pull congressionalstr ngs. Increas ng y, t ese nterestsextend their campaigns by creatingnonpro t organizations that pretendto promote genuine solutions. Mostrenewable energy organizations inColorado, for instance, have either

been completely dominated by ethanoland agricultural interests or at least

signi cantly in ltrated by them.Corporations also spend millionsof dollars to in uence and misinformthe public directly. They attempt toconvince us that hydrogen cars arecommercially ready, that ethanol can

provide independence from oil, thatexfuel cars save energy, that the

United States has an abundance of oiland gas or that clean coal technologyexists. In virtually every case, a key

piece of legislation hangs in the

balance for them. Elected of cialsface the carrot of corporate campaign

nancing and the stick of corporatecapabilities to turn public opiniontoward fallacies. Politicians maynot know of the especially limited

potentials of such solutions, but if theydo, they face the dif cult quandarythat to honorably educate the public

may lose their elections.

Its no great surprise then that both 2008 presidential contendershad energy plans with few speci csother than the interests important totheir home states. Barack Obamaspeci ed targets for cellulosic ethanol,w e Jo n McCa n a p ans or upto a hundred nuclear power plants.

Neither ethanol nor nuclear power hassuch signi cant potential to impactour energy needs that it deservesfront billing. It cannot be taken as

coincidental that Obamas Illinois hasunsurpassed agricultural interests andMcCains Arizona has the nationssecond largest uranium resource andt ousan s o new m ne c a ms.

The political realm may not offer enough latitude for well-intentioned

politicians to play the game of misinformation and wasted moneyand still focus on authentic solutions.Political necessity and the nationsnterests might not coexist in the blend

of corruption and principle that passesfor policymaking. It seems like toogreat a risk for we citizens to watchfrom the sidelines. We must informourselves despite the complexities of energy.

An informed public can useknowledge about energy to speak truth to power, Barack Obama just asmuch as anyone else. We have never had a more pressing issue confronting

us. We face the rapidly approaching

dilemma of mounting population atome and globally, an emergent globalndustrial base and falling supplies of

ineral energy sources. Oil, naturalgas, coal and uranium provide the

preponderance of energy, and eachsoon ecome more cu t an

ore costly of money, time and energyo nd and produce.

Finding energy goals is not alwaysntuitive. Consider that we import

65 percent of our oil and that 42

percent of the total goes to highwayransportation. If we were able toeliminate the need for oil to power cars and trucks today, then we woulduse ess o ut st mport 40 percentof our needs. As we add an expected100 million to our population by 2030,our imports would grow to 65 percentagain, and we would import 80 percentof what we now import. Eliminatinghis use of oil would seem to be

onumentally impressive, yet it would

only improve our situation slightly.Much more would need to be doneo move signi cantly toward energyndependence.

Most people could not easilyeproduce the math for this

observation. Becoming informed onhis technical issue can be dif cult.

e used to rely on elected of cialsand government employees to solvecomplicated issues. With such anmportant crisis facing us at a time

hen corporations and specialnterests dominate politics, we haveo choice but to learn all we can

about our energy options and hold politicians accountable to our

nowledge.

Informed Public Leads To Energy Solutionsby Philip SkerganMr. Skergan has a Master of Science degree in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering and has researched energy for over 25 years. Hewrites and speaks along the Front Range.

It comes as nosurprise thatindustries thatstand to pro t fromsubsidies and grantspull congressionalstrings.


21/24


My trip from home to work thisorning began as it usually does,

eaving the front door of my househand-in-hand with my 5-year-olddaughter for the walk through thecountryside to her school. If I walkedt alone I could do it in just over 5

inutes. With my daughter it takesalmost 20. There is a lot to see.

The cows arent there today, shesays to me as soon as we reach the dirtroad in front of our house. The cowswho eat in the open eld next door tous have been a subject of speculation

between us of late. For a week theyhave been there every morning, two

of them, chomping on wild plants andgrass. We wondered if they actuallyslept there, or just got dropped off really early. Last night, at least, theyslept somewhere else.

long the way we watch a small bird bathing itself with tiny splashes

n a small puddle that remains fromhe rains. I tell my daughter that I bethe birds Mom made her take a bath.

She agrees that is probably the case.hen she suggests that we try to walk

by only stepping on the big rocks.hen we pass the purple morningglories growing along the side of a

eld where one of our neighbors awoman in a wide dark skirt and whitestraw hat is harvesting the spinachand alfalfa. The ower my daughter

picks for me gets planted into my shirt pocket, just peeking out.

hen we spend 5 minutes assessinga very big dump truck full of dirt thats parked by the side of the road. Then

we debate if the ancient and beat-upChevy pick-up parked across the roadever actually goes anywhere.

At night I think it moves, she tellse, and then they put it back early in

he morning in the same place.Maybe so.By the time we turn the next corner

o her school, I can tell by the absence

of kids at the entrance that we arevery late. I dont mind all that much.Punctuality, I think, is overrated as anorganizing principle for the universe,especially if it comes at the expense of observing cows and picking morningglories. I think this belief may makeme Bolivian.

When we arrive the gate is locked.I know, how about I throw you

over and then you ap your armsreally, really fast like a bird and just

oat down on the other side? NOOO!Okay, maybe we can just open the

gate and let you in.

She disappears into a tiny sea of small children, who are kind enoughto greet me by name as I wavegoodbye. I spent yesterday morning,Fathers Day in Bolivia, in their classreading them (in poor translation) TheLorax by Dr. Seuss, teaching them tomake paper airplanes, and engagingn nger puppet warfare in which

Superman is challenged by a pig Chancho-man! With small children,I nd it best to make things up as you

go along. Now I am alone, walking upa narrow dirt road that eventuallytakes me to the Tiquipaya-ApoteSuper Highway. Okay, it isnt a super highway, but it is paved. It is alsowhere I catch the Taxi Tru #106 thattakes me into the city.

A minute or so goes by and alongcomes a white 1980s vintage ToyotaCorolla station wagon, that shows itsage along with a plastic sign 106

fastened to its roof. It pulls over to pick me up and I squeeze my bodycarefully into the front seat next to thedriver and an enormous Bolivian mansitting in between us.

Que bien que es aco! booms avoice from the back seat. Thats great,hes thin!

I look back and three more

enormous Bolivian men, looking likelarge sardines, are squeezed into theToyotas back seat. Soon the largestof them, the man in the middle, isengaged in a full-on conversation withthe driver.

Its the Japanese, they are allskinny. So there cars are made for skinny people.

Of course they are skinny, theyeat nothing but sh and rice, sh andrice.

Images of Sumo wrestlers come tomind, but I decide I am better off justlistening.

So thats what you need to do,

starting tomorrow, sh and rice, shand rice, says the driver. The largeman in the back seat laughs.

By this time we are makingour way south down what is calledAvenida Ecologica. My friend Ismael pointed out to me the absurdity of thename a few months ago. Look whatthere is all along Avenida Ecologica

eld after eld of cut logs. AvenidaEcologica is a cemetery for trees!

During the taxi-tru ride into

town my seatmates in front changethree times. The round man next tome leaves and is replaced by a well-dressed young woman in remarkably

pointy shoes. A few blocks later sheleaves and a father and young son pilein next to me, each wearing baseballcaps. The boys is on backwards. Theyare headed to the bus terminal to travelfor Easter.

On the radio two voices discuss thesteep recent rise in in ation, a topic on

everyones lips here. They announcethe good news that Piromani brandmilk remains priced at three liters for 11 Bolivianos.

Entering the center of the city we pass the statue erected in the middleof a large fountain at the edge of ElPrado. It is an abstract pair of faceslooking upward, but I agree with the

My Bolivian Commuteby Jim Schulzhttp://democracyctr.org/index.php


22/24


ocal reviewer who said it looks more like a big concretesaltea [a meat dumpling served for breakfast here]. I think a statue of an actual saltea would have been even cooler.But what do I know about art?

I get off along El Prado to walk the last few blocks to

y of ce. In Plaza Colon Doa Elsa sits, like clockwork,with her trademark wide-brimmed bright red hat, changingdollars into Bolivianos and visa-versa. Through rain, civiluprising and falling currency rates, Doa Elsa is alwayshere.

On Calle 25 de Mayo I pass the young mothers fromPotosi, who sit with their children asking for change, andgive some coins to the one I know by name.

I stop at a newspaper stand where all the local papers are pinned up, unfolded, letting anyone who wants, to read thefront-page stories. Both Los Tiempos and Opinion lead withhe latest criticisms of the Morales government. Setting

politics and news aside I wander into a store where I go to buy my morning bananas. I walk past some new graf ti(translated): Neither God, nor love, nor country Liberty!

On the corner I stop at the nut cart operated by a shortan named Gusto and buy some almonds. From there I

walk up the stairs to my of ce, where one of our youthfulstaff is practicing her Quechua homework on a blackboard.I ght open a balcony door that has been swelled shut by the recent rains. In the distance I hear the sound of exploding reworks, the telltale signal that a protest isunderway somewhere in Cochabambas center.

I push the on switch on my computer and sit down.

You know, I think to myself, All of that wouldntake a bad thing to write about. And I start to type.

im Shultz (Founder and Executive Director): A graduate of UCBerkeley and Harvard University, Jim is the author of a variety

f major reports and two books, most recently the award-winningDemocracy Owners Manual (Rutgers University Press, 2002). Hiswritings on Bolivia have been published in books, magazines and

newspapers across the US, Canada and the UK. His on-the-groundreporting on the 2000 Cochabamba water revolt won top honors fromro ect ensore . e as ve n o v a or n ne years.

Transition to the FutureReview the following twelve steps, from the Transition Initiatives Primer, to adapt to the looming challeges brought on byPeak Oil and Global Warming.

1. Set up a steering group and design its demisefrom the outset.

2. Awareness raising.

3. Lay the foundations.

4. Organize a Great Unleashing.

5.Form working groups.

6. Use open space.

. Develop visible practicle manifestations of the project.

8. Facilitate the Great Reskilling.

9. Build a Bridge to Local Government.

10. Honor the elders.

11. Let it go where it wants to go.

12. Create an Energy Descent Plan.

If these twelve steps pique your interest, vist the Transition Towns website at www.transitiontowns.org .

Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells


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