The Most Useful Kind

Why do some try so hard, and get nowhere, and some do only wrong, and prosper?

Today’s podcast is about some of the reasons that sincere people have fought for progress for many years, and yet have somehow lost ground. It is also about the sort of opposition which really scares the forces which conspire to deny our best will and aspirations as citizens of democracies.

Little us, that is, filled not with the sort of mindset that shapes and drives blind consumption, but equipped instead with the sort of awareness, determination and empathy that really can still change and perhaps even save the world.

The policy group I talk about here really is frightening and worth looking into – but it isn’t a good reason to get discouraged. Better to consider what it says about the difference between the voices and needs of citizens and those of corporate monopoly multinational capitalism – so that we all more clearly understand what to demand of our leaders, in order to effectively restrain and leash these predators.

Yoke them to humane service - instead of letting them make us into desperate, stressed out, hyper-entertained and yet ultimately powerless digital-age serfs. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

And just in case you think I’m being overdramatic about self-proclaimed freedom lovers and the projects of tyrants – some fairly up to date numbers worth considering.

US total population – 329,549,922 – (all figures here from latest tables on Wikkipedia)

US incarceration rate – 655/100,000 – 21% pretrial remand.

Total prison population – 2,121,600

Canadian population – 38,000,148 – very similar culture, about 11% of the US population, way fewer guns.

Canadian incarceration rate – 107/100,000 – 38% pretrial remand.

Total prison population – 39,579