AustinGathers...

Divided, many of us fell into isolation and apathy. It's time to stand up and act, you've already woken up to whats happening. Fear and ignorance are our mutual enemies. We value family friends and community. Local power, people power! Innovation creativity and networked intelligence. Let's connect and get on the same page about life and society. Is our culture founded on peace or war? Let's focus on solidarity and cooperative strategies that will strengthen our cities and the world at large. Compassionate souls will be needed to balance the fear and wickedness in our world. There will always be a struggle in this life. We choose our attitudes and actions. We choose not to be willing slaves or victims. We are responsible for everything that comes. We must become the Hero that every one of us needs to be free. God is in action. You are the world. Each of us a droplet containing the ocean. Go find the others, go find your glory! remember to laugh and love on the journey! Theres a never-ending story emerging through us all.

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RSA Animate - Changing Education Paradigms

Sir Ken Robinson, world-renowned education and creativity expert and recipient of the RSA's Benjamin Franklin award.

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Story of YOU. When you are the world. We all are. 

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Timelapse animation by Isao Hashimoto. He shows us actual nuclear explosions (most of them tests) on the map since 1945. 

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“We’re at War!” — And We Have Been Since 1776: 214 Years of American War-Making

To put this in perspective: * Pick any year since 1776 and there is about a 91% chance that America was involved in some war during that calendar year. * No U.S. president truly qualifies as a peacetime president. Instead, all U.S. presidents can technically be considered “war presidents.” * The U.S. has never gone a decade without war. * The only time the U.S. went five years without war (1935-40) was during the isolationist period of the Great Depression.

                                                             President Barack Obama repeated the now infamous words of George W. Bush, declaring: “We are at war…”  Yes, and we have been, ever since 1776.

Danios was the Brass Crescent Award Honorary Mention for Best Writer in 2010 and the Brass Crescent Award Winner for Best Writer in 2011.  

Update I:

It goes without saying that I am not arguing that all of America’s wars listed above were wars of aggression and therefore unjustified–but arguably the vast majority of them were.

Update II:

To put this into greater perspective, Iran has not invaded a country since 1795, which was 216 years ago. (h/t LW’s Ilisha)

Footnotes:

[1] Zinn, Howard. A People’s History of the United States, p.297

[2] Steuter, Erin. At War with Metaphor, p.43

[3] Chomsky, Noam. Deterring Democracy, p.34

[4] Mraz, John. Looking for Mexico, p.60

[5] Ching, Erik. Reframing Latin America, p.228

[6] Ibid.