Connecting the Dots
A Call for Public Media in a Broken Democracy
Courtesy of Pressenza
To confront the barrage of executive orders and undiplomatic policies from the U.S. government, the opposition is focusing on restoring institutions to their pre-Trump state—without recognizing that it was precisely those institutions that created the conditions for the current crisis.
The democracy they claim to defend was largely formal: it worked for some while leaving millions marginalized. For decades, no serious action was taken to stop the relentless concentration of wealth, the decline in living standards, or the dehumanizing effects of unchecked technological development. These issues remain unaddressed.
Now, the new administration is threatening to cut federal funding for public radio and television, accusing these outlets of being too “leftist” or “woke.”
But perhaps even more revealing than the threat itself is the reaction of public media institutions. WNYC in New York, for example, has leveraged this threat primarily as a fundraising opportunity, urging listeners to donate out of fear rather than conviction.
This response exposes a fundamental contradiction. These institutions speak of “democracy” and “public service,” yet they are unable—or unwilling—to mount a truly democratic response. Why aren’t they calling on people to stand up for public goods? Why not organize a large-scale campaign, like a concert in Central Park, to advocate for a federal public funding system that remains independent of presidential politics? New York has plenty of artists ready to contribute and stand up for others.
The question becomes clear:
Will institutions like WNYC and NPR help advance genuine democracy, or will they gradually transform into privatized versions of non-profit entities? If we want democracy, we need active public participation. If we accept privatization, we merely need people’s money.
Today, there is no visible leadership in our so-called democratic institutions that is mobilizing the population to build a new democratic system—one that addresses economic redistribution and real public participation. This isn’t just about public broadcasting. What future awaits Social Security, Medicare, the U.S. Postal Service, public libraries, and other essential public services?
These institutions cannot be privatized. No modern society can develop without deepening democracy, improving standards of living, and ensuring collective well-being. A society governed primarily by self-interest ultimately undermines itself.
So today, my call is to WNYC and NPR: Please stop trying to merely save yourselves in a collapsing system. Instead, help move the country forward. Mobilize people. Inspire engagement. Become a force in building a new, inclusive society for all.
In this episode of ‘Brighter’, Adam busts some of the myths on a particularly bad idea, the idea that ‘less’ – less energy, less transportation, less food, less labor – is a solution to our problems
Doing less cannot get us to net zero emissions. Degrowth doesn’t repair anything. And less economic productivity and less abundance only make solving climate change, and our other major problems, worse.
Adam’s book, ‘Brighter: Optimism, Progress, and the Future of Environmentalism” is available on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BNYC1GWY and as an audiobook on Amazon, Audible, and iTunes.
Visit the RethinkX Website:
This question, dominant in our society, harps on our economic system—capitalism. A driver of progress for centuries, capitalism has led to technological marvels and an increased quality of life. It’s easy to see the fruits of capitalism: the smartphone in your pocket, the car in your garage.
Although, there’s a darker side. Income inequality is rampant. A small fraction holds the majority of wealth. Consumerism equates happiness with possessions. Our natural resources are on the brink of exhaustion. From this perspective, we seem to be serving the system instead of it serving us.
Just as with capitalism, our environment raises a question: Is it a resource for exploitation or a sphere of life needing protection? Far from being a mere resource, our environment is a complex life system providing essentials—air, water, food. We’ve exploited it for our gains, forgetting its true worth. Forests have been chopped, rivers polluted, habitats destroyed—all in the name of progress. The environment has been treated as a mere resource.
The fallout is here: climate change, biodiversity loss, worsening pollution. These challenges arise from our disregard for the environment. Can we shift our perspective? Can we treat the environment as a sphere of life that demands respect and protection?
The question now is: Can we change our ways? Can we shift our perspective to see the environment for what it truly is—a precious sphere of life that demands respect and protection?
Imagine a world where communities decide their destiny, where nature is not just a resource but a living entity with rights.
Welcome to the Community Rights Movement—a powerful wave of change sweeping across the United States. This movement is about people taking power into their own hands, envisioning a new sustainability constitution, and adopting new laws at the local level. It’s about challenging the system that prioritizes corporate rights over the rights of communities and nature.
The Community Rights Movement is grounded in nonviolent civil disobedience, using municipal lawmaking to push for change. At its core, it aims to recognize and enforce the rights of nature and ecosystems. This isn’t a new concept but rather an ancient understanding traced back to Indigenous cultures.
For them, nature isn’t property to be owned but a living entity—a relative. The Anishinaabe, for example, speak of protecting the flying people, swimming people, and singing people. The Uru Nation regards the Cloth River as a living being, a relative. Contrast this with the Western perspective, where nature is seen as a commodity—a thing to be exploited. It hearkens back to the words of Sir Francis Bacon, who urged us to “torture nature on a rack to extract her secrets.”
The Community Rights Movement is challenging these outdated views, following the trail blazed by pioneers like Christopher Stone. In his seminal work *Should Trees Have Standing? Toward Legal Rights for Natural Objects*, Stone argued for conferring rights onto entities previously considered rightless.
So, where do we stand now?
We’re at a critical juncture. The future of our environment, our communities, and our very way of life hangs in the balance. The Community Rights Movement offers a different path—a path where nature’s rights are recognized, where communities have a say in their destiny, where the economic system serves us, not the other way around.
In conclusion, the Community Rights Movement is not just a movement but a necessary shift in perspective. It’s about empowering communities, recognizing the rights of nature, and challenging an economic system that has long prioritized profit over people and the planet. It’s about envisioning a world where sustainability, respect, and community are not just ideals but the foundation of our society.
A web of life for all life, inspired by the original network, nature. Powered by Passion. Empowered by Action. Mobilized by all of us.
