We have had a few days to sit with the reality of Obama’s momentous victory on Tuesday night. It is hard to know what to expect now. I have a sense of what I’d like to see. Obviously the economy and the financial market are going to be the main focus for the new administration, but I expect that the Obama team understands that financial stability and sustainability are not distinct problems.
Recently, Al Gore brought the connections between transparency in the marketplace and environmental protection into view. Standing with New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Gore praised a settlement between the State and a national energy company that requires the disclosure of relevant information to investors about climate change risks associated with their coal fired power plants. The agreement requires the energy company to include information on present and future climate change legislation, the possibility of future litigation, and the physical impacts of climate change in its annual filings to the SEC. An increased awareness of the environmental impact of corporate activity and the need to remedy current and future damage means that corporations will increasingly find themselves in litigation and regulatory proceedings over their carbon emissions. This is going to have serious consequences for investors and consumers. Gore brilliantly equated the failure to honestly acknowledge the legal, financial, and environmental liability of carbon emissions to the failure to honestly acknowledge the financial risks of sub prime mortgage securities. Both reveal a corporate tendency to disregard catastrophic long-term risks for short-term financial gains.
Obama made some promising noise on Friday when he suggested that Detroit’s economic salvation was connected to the production of more fuel-efficient vehicles. Hopefully in the coming weeks he will expand on this and present a stimulus plan that integrates sustainability into our economic survival. But it must be more than a mere recognition of consumer demand for hybrid cars and alternative energy. As Vice President Gore suggested, corporations must fully internalize the costs associated with carbon emissions. Until that occurs the products, services, and securities on the market will not reflect their real value, and we will continue to be victims of an economy built on a false assessment of risk.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Prop 8 Protests in CA
Tonight was amazing. A viral invitation on Facebook to get into the streets drew "several thousand" people (according to the news--it definitely felt huge) at the spur of the moment. Many of us in SF were feeling a little cheated since there were no LDS temples to surround. But as we spilled into Market Street for the 1 mile walk to Dolores Park at rush hour, what was most amazing to me was the willingness of people to sit in horrendous traffic, honking their horns and waving or giving us all the thumbs up in solidarity. I figure I got a good glimpse of people who voted "yes"--they were the ones who would not look us in the face. I almost think some of them were ashamed of themselves.
This feels like something. And what is best about it was that it was not organized by any of the groups that raised zillions of dollars to put some milquetoast ads on TV when the Yes effort, funded by religious wingnuts and bigots of note, threw innuendos and lies about the law and about is into the public arena. I hope this keeps going. Everyone--those who were married, and those who weren't--all said some variation of "this feels personal." And it does. It is.
The thing that irks me most about the Yes forces is that so much of their money and power comes from outside this state, and preyed on the fact that California has a diverse population. The same fascists who want to build a fence on the Mexican border, rounding up and deporting undocumented aliens even if it means splitting up Latino families, the same people who felt so threatened by the swift, improbable rise of an African-American man to the presidency managed to put their racial hang-ups aside and appeal to the fear and intolerance of homosexuality that their religions hold in common. And now they tell us that our protests show that WE are intolerant of their beliefs, that WE are sore losers, and that now is the time for HEALING? Sorry, you freaking @$$hats, you put our rights up to a vote. This doesn't end until we get them back, and there's no healing until YOU beg OUR forgiveness.
This feels like something. And what is best about it was that it was not organized by any of the groups that raised zillions of dollars to put some milquetoast ads on TV when the Yes effort, funded by religious wingnuts and bigots of note, threw innuendos and lies about the law and about is into the public arena. I hope this keeps going. Everyone--those who were married, and those who weren't--all said some variation of "this feels personal." And it does. It is.
The thing that irks me most about the Yes forces is that so much of their money and power comes from outside this state, and preyed on the fact that California has a diverse population. The same fascists who want to build a fence on the Mexican border, rounding up and deporting undocumented aliens even if it means splitting up Latino families, the same people who felt so threatened by the swift, improbable rise of an African-American man to the presidency managed to put their racial hang-ups aside and appeal to the fear and intolerance of homosexuality that their religions hold in common. And now they tell us that our protests show that WE are intolerant of their beliefs, that WE are sore losers, and that now is the time for HEALING? Sorry, you freaking @$$hats, you put our rights up to a vote. This doesn't end until we get them back, and there's no healing until YOU beg OUR forgiveness.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Prop 8 at Midnight
Is too close to call. We're down by 5% with nearly half the vote counted.
I don't know what the next step will be. I've heard from many that the contingency plans for losing this include immediate and long-term legal challenges. I don't know enough to know on what grounds, and what the likelihood of success will be.
I do know that disappointed does not begin to describe how I feel about having to wonder if my rights will be rolled back by referendum. What a majority of Supreme Court justices giveth, low-information, easily manipulated, mean spirited culture warrior voters may taketh away. It wasn't right in the 19th century, and it isn't right today.
Nor does it begin to descirbe how I feel about those who took the opportunity to get married not to raise money or consciousness around this issue, but to register for expensive gifts, as if the battle were won.
But no matter what result we wake up to tomorrow, there are so many people that I know who contributed in large ways to pushing this struggle forward: from plaintiffs in the original lawsuit, to those who phoned, knocked on doors, or held signs at polling places and braved the ugly, threatening heterosexism that still exists even in the Bay Area; from those who used their weddings as an opportunity to raise money to fight this back, to those single men and women who threw their first fundraisers just by asking their friends to give to an important cause; to my many friends and family members who contributed from outside the state. Win or lose tomorrow, doesn't end here.
I don't know what the next step will be. I've heard from many that the contingency plans for losing this include immediate and long-term legal challenges. I don't know enough to know on what grounds, and what the likelihood of success will be.
I do know that disappointed does not begin to describe how I feel about having to wonder if my rights will be rolled back by referendum. What a majority of Supreme Court justices giveth, low-information, easily manipulated, mean spirited culture warrior voters may taketh away. It wasn't right in the 19th century, and it isn't right today.
Nor does it begin to descirbe how I feel about those who took the opportunity to get married not to raise money or consciousness around this issue, but to register for expensive gifts, as if the battle were won.
But no matter what result we wake up to tomorrow, there are so many people that I know who contributed in large ways to pushing this struggle forward: from plaintiffs in the original lawsuit, to those who phoned, knocked on doors, or held signs at polling places and braved the ugly, threatening heterosexism that still exists even in the Bay Area; from those who used their weddings as an opportunity to raise money to fight this back, to those single men and women who threw their first fundraisers just by asking their friends to give to an important cause; to my many friends and family members who contributed from outside the state. Win or lose tomorrow, doesn't end here.
The Speech
The campaign was finished and Obama immediately stepped into the massive role of being the President of the United States at this moment in time. He acknowledged the difficulties, he immediately reached out to McCain, he even reminded us all of the progressive foundation of the Republican Party. I sat watching the speech thinking, "we did it" and I felt it. I have never felt so invested in a political campaign and never felt more committed to the idea that "we" are the government. I thought the most important thing he said tonight, of course, was that this election was not the change, it was only the opportunity to work for the change. Now for the next step (cheesy, I know...)
It was a blast blogging with everyone tonight. Please keep coming back and lets keep the energy and discussion rolling as we start finding solutions to the challenges at hand.
It was a blast blogging with everyone tonight. Please keep coming back and lets keep the energy and discussion rolling as we start finding solutions to the challenges at hand.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
McCain's concession
Started out great and tragic, and one had to feel for the man when he tried to calm the haters, the tiger he rode to this moment.
Then he did something weird. He made it about race. Obama and civil rights. As if we white people, recent immigrants and, well, neo-traditionalists, had nothing to do with this. Or, as if, this were all about black people.
I want to believe, and do believe, that he meant no harm.
But he doesn't freakin' get it. Never did. He has no idea what this moment means.
His crowd, frankly, scares me.
But he did it with honor and dignity.
You know, in this campaign, photos and videos of the younger McCain were shown, and I was surprised at how good looking this scary guy used to be. But as he made his concession, and in some way never sounded older (the whole Doesn't Get It thing), I kept seeing glimpses of that younger better looking McCain.
This guy, along with, in some way. Hilary Clinton, can almost be considered Shakespherean tragic figures. The greatest obstacle on the road to Greatness was themselves.
Then he did something weird. He made it about race. Obama and civil rights. As if we white people, recent immigrants and, well, neo-traditionalists, had nothing to do with this. Or, as if, this were all about black people.
I want to believe, and do believe, that he meant no harm.
But he doesn't freakin' get it. Never did. He has no idea what this moment means.
His crowd, frankly, scares me.
But he did it with honor and dignity.
You know, in this campaign, photos and videos of the younger McCain were shown, and I was surprised at how good looking this scary guy used to be. But as he made his concession, and in some way never sounded older (the whole Doesn't Get It thing), I kept seeing glimpses of that younger better looking McCain.
This guy, along with, in some way. Hilary Clinton, can almost be considered Shakespherean tragic figures. The greatest obstacle on the road to Greatness was themselves.
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