Natural disasters expose, once again, that our rulers are no longer fit to rule. We can do it much better.
In recent days and weeks we have witnessed massive devastation and death in Juchitan, Oaxaca and Mexico City from earthquakes, monster storms doing the same to Houston, Texas, portions of Florida, and the entire Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, flooding in Texas and California, and deadly, horrific fires in the Napa Sonoma Valley of California.
Parallel to these “natural” disasters has been the upheaval, suffering, and consternation caused by the actions of our 45th President. Separating families, trampling dreams of DACA students, militarizing the border and police forces nationally, attacking and undercutting health programs for everyone, gutting environmental protections, and much more — he promotes racial, gender, and religious divisions. His tough talk threatens to bring us to the brink of war with North Korea and others.
How do we make sense out of all of this?
Some talk of dooms day and the coming “apocalypse” or end of the world scenario. However, in the Book of Revelation and in Wikipedia “apocalypse” has a different meaning. It means “a vision of heavenly secrets that can make sense of earthly realities.” It speaks of the ultimate victory of good over evil and the end of the present age.
Seen in this context, the global climactic disasters we are witnessing and the brutal corporate dictatorship that President Trump seeks to impose are one and the same. They are man-made disasters in the making. If we as humanity do not intervene soon, the planet as we know it will no longer be able to support us, and we will be consumed by nuclear war, pestilence, starvation, and want.
These truly are apocalyptic times. With the technology that exists we can have a world of plenty, where we live in harmony with our environment, uphold all life, and everyone is valued and allowed to contribute to their full potential.
However, we have some serious house cleaning to do. We can no longer confide in leadership whether Democrat or Republican that attacks science because it warns of the danger of global warming; or that puts our young men and women in danger to control world petroleum resources, when renewable nonpolluting resources such as sun and wind are available; and that bailed out Wall Street and Big Business in 2008 but now refuses to help Puerto Rico because it owes money to Wall Street. We have to be wary of developers and other corporate types that profited by the displacement of poor people from New Orleans after Katrina. They want to do the same in Houston, Florida, Puerto Rico, etc.
The only thing Mexican President Peña Nieto had to offer victims of the earthquake in Mexico City was a lottery to rebuild. Similarly, President Trump threw out paper towels to crowds in Puerto Rico, not real relief. These actions are reminiscent of the French Revolution when Queen Antoinette, upset by crowds seeking food, said “let them eat cake.” Our rulers are no longer fit to rule. We can do much better.
