George Salzman

John Ross, a feet-on-the-ground struggler for human rights and decency

John Ross

by George Salzman

Building circles of trust and communication

In a small community, if the social environment is a healthy one, it may be that practically everyone knows everybody else. That was the situation I observed in San Pedro, Cántaros when I visited during three days in September 2008 with Jonathan Treat and his class from the School for International Training.[1] We were hosted by what amounted to little more than an extended family, with a total population of, I would guess, probably not more than about thirty to fifty. Under those conditions, close familiarity was natural. I believe that ideally the degree of familiarity in indigenous communities in Oaxaca that are self-governing under the practice of 'uses and customs' is similar, though of course many of them don't come close to the ideal. In order to build community, mere geographical closeness is not enough.

How many voters does it take to change a light bulb? None. Because voters can't change anything.

The values we live by -- and die from

by George Salzman

We 'westerners' have much to learn from the world's intellectual treasure trove of indigenous cultures. Although I couldn't refrain from titling this note with the anarchists' scornful little 'joke' about the social impotence of all the faithful ballot-casters who doggedly cling to the liberal myth that voting and representative democracy are not to be questioned, the truth is that this note is really "Straight talk 5, being truly human", a continuation of the discussion/debate associated with Israel Shamir. But that title wouldn't grab anybody. It's just not sexy enough.

The fact is that we human beings are fucking up the world with the incredible speed that our technological skill makes possible. It is insanity of the highest order -- a mass collective insanity based on the most destructive system of values that ever governed humanity. Almost two years ago I lamented, "[T]hese are difficult days. Everywhere the forces of fascism seem to be in ascendancy. Yet I know the world is full of good people who, like me, abhor the wanton destruction of so much that is wonderful about our species. How can it be, we must ask, that humanity has evolved a set of institutions that is ripping apart the very biosphere on which all life depends? And destroying hundreds of millions -- even billions -- of people's lives. I think we must somehow manage to get together, to understand deeply enough what the trouble is, and to figure out what to do in order to turn history around. And then, above all, we must act! Because time is running out."[2]