Is It Not Now or Never?

I am so sad. It appears that the Republicans are driving through their bill to cut taxes on the rich and harm the middle class and the poor. Perhaps it can still be stopped or made less toxic but it doesn't look good at this point. 

Why are many rich people so greedy? It is immoral and should be illegal. There should be a maximum allowed on income and assets. What about $1,000,000 a year in income and $50,000,000 in assets. Anything over those figures belongs to the society as a whole. That still allows some people to be rich but also ensures that the entire society functions well.

The problem with allowing a few people to amass astronomical wealth is that they can then buy political power thereby continually increasing their wealth by setting the rules of the game, the regulations or nonregulations on the economy. This ensures that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. This creates a true plutocracy, the rule by the rich. 

Our country and the whole world are at a moment of crisis. The most fundamental questions are being laid bare. What is a human being? What is human society? What is our purpose on this planet and in the universe? 

We are currently damaging and destroying the ecosystems of Earth - air, water, soil, plants and animals. We are causing global warming with its mega storms, droughts, fires, flooding, food collapse, water shortages, migrations, blazing temperatures. Today in late October it was 107 degrees fahrenheit in parts of California. And this will only increase.  

And as if this disaster is not enough, we have another mega-madness  - the potential for nuclear holocaust. We could deal with both of these crises if we so choose. We could stop pumping carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. And we could destroy all nuclear weapons. But will we? We currently don't agree on doing either of these to ensure the future of life on Earth. Such madness. 

Are we an insane species? Are we suicidal? Are we a race of sociopaths and psychopaths? Are we so trapped in self deception that we cannot do what would protect and extend life on this planet? 

Or can we wake up in time? Can we not see that protecting life on Earth and allowing it to flourish is in our own self interest and our collective interest? The over 7 billion of us must wrest control from the deranged few who would rather destroy everything than lose their fossil fuel assets or their nationalistic bravado and desire for world domination.

Yes, let us arise and with clarity of intention move life on Earth toward a compassionate civilization of sustainable development. It is now or never.