Activism
The Whole Truth and nothing but the truth
PLEASE NOTE: Mobilized is apolitical. We do not endorse any political party or candidate. However, in these divisive times, we recognize that open discussion is necessary for the resolution of divergent opinions. Consequently, we have added a new section called FORUMS that will host important OPINIONS posted my Mobilized Members. These are the opinions of the members alone and do not represent Mobilized News.
“If it’s not true, don’t say it. If it’s not right, don’t do it.” –Marcus Aurelius
Story by Chuck Woolery, (not the TV guy)
A new book by Steven Brill is out, titled “Death of Truth.” It blames our bad media diets for the current state of the world. This may not be true, but this book attempts to answer the January 2017 Time magazine cover page story as Trump was inaugurated, “Is Truth Dead?”.
Precisely 50 years earlier, TIME used exactly the same unique cover page with the words “Is God Dead? In white, on an entirely black page thinly boarded in red. After the Fact-checkers exposed all the lies, misinformation, and pure poppycock spewing from mostly one candidate in the recent Presidential contest, it’s truthful to say that if Trump is elected, the truth will definitely be on life support. And a sustainable remedy is urgently needed.
Suppose we aim to achieve each of the seven intentions in our Constitution. In that case, we must amend it to codify this fundamental truth
If we intend to achieve each of the seven intentions in our Constitution, then we must amend it to codify this fundamental truth
In much of the world, Americans fail to grasp the ‘one-sidedness’ of truth. Neil deGrasse Tyson wisely and correctly asserted that our minds can possess three kinds of truth. The first is our personal truth. What God do we believe in or not? We all know this truth has many sides and will never agree on which one is correct. Then there are our political truths. And again, there is no limit to the number of these increasingly polarizing sides.
The globally accepted ‘one-sided truth’ is determined by objective analysis. This truth has provided humanity with profoundly beneficial technologies for any application. Communication, transportation, medicine, banking, life-prolonging preventive health measures, and unfortunately, unprecedentedly robust weapon systems that can enable any disgruntled robust weapon systems enable any disgruntled nation or leader to end all life globally as we know it.
Because:
“Everything is connected, Everything is interdependent, so Everything is vulnerable… And that’s why this has to be a more than whole of government, a more than whole nation [effort]. It has to be a global effort….” Jen Easterly. CISA director. Oct. 29, 2021.
[The Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency is our nation’s newest federal agency, established by the Trump Administration in 2018.] And our environment is our most fundamental and essential infrastructure!
So, this Fourth of July, instead of celebrating our mental delusion of independence, we should think deeply about the profound words starting the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence, “WE hold these truths to be self-evident.” Meanwhile, many Americans and others worldwide blessed with abundance have managed to redefine happiness. Too many believe it’s about ‘feeling good”.
But humanity will never be able to truly achieve the lasting happiness intended back when that word was written. Then, it meant contentment with finding, creating, and applying one’s talents and using them to serve those they loved and others in their community to protect their freedom, security, prosperity, and posterity.
Today, our global community allows wars, genocides, violent extremism, extremely lethal weather events, hunger, starvation, and the global spread of pandemics and other lethal and debilitating infectious diseases. Nearly all of these are affordably preventable. Yet our existing global governance system was never given the power to do this.
Humanity once achieved global success in cooperating to eradicate Smallpox. That saved more lives in the last century than all the lives lost in all the wars, revolutions, and genocides combined during the same century. Because Everything is connected, interdependent, and vulnerable, such a global effort is increasingly and urgently needed to address all the global threats we each face today.
It’s inevitable that Americans will not be celebrating our commitment to prevention this Fourth of July. Or our achieving any of the seven intentions in our Constitution’s preamble. And we will remain intentionally ignorant of the most profound set of laws offered in the first sentence of our Declaration of Independence related to keeping everyone’s alienable rights.
The most basic rights being based on “the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God.”
We ignore this profound truth that we must take care of nature and each other if we intend to preserve our freedoms and security or achieve any of the intentions in the preamble of our Constitution.
“Most Americans and many religious believers appear oblivious to the fact that every major religion in the world is founded on the ideal of the Golden Rule.”
Abraham Lincoln once wrote that our Declaration of Independence is our “Apple of Gold,” and our Constitution is its “Frame of Silver.” With our Constitution based on the illusion of independence that exists nowhere in the known universe, we can only expect increasing chaos because we exist in an entirely interdependent reality. And until we accept this fundamental truth, nothing is safe, secure, or sustainable. And our lack of virtue is what’s killing us. Benjamin Franklin said, “Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.“
“We have no government armed in power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our Constitution was made only for a religious and moral people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.“ — John Adams (1735-1826) Founding Father, 2nd US President Source: Oct. 11, 1798; Address to the military
“Our Constitution is in operation; everything appears to promise it will last, but in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.” — Benjamin Franklin
Our national and global governance systems, based on the illusion of independence, were created 400 years ago. It’s way past time we created a global governance system that is true to our reality of interdependence and keep our flag pledge of “liberty and Justice for all.”
If we are truly committed to realizing the seven intentions in our Constitution, we must take proactive steps to amend it. We need to codify the fundamental truth that ‘Everything is connected, interdependent, and vulnerable. And a global effort is needed.‘ This is not just a matter of making America Great Again, but of preventing our republic from meeting the same fate as Rome. It’s time for ‘We, the people’ to do more than react to this truth. It’s time to act, or be prepared for the consequences.
Just listen….
Danny Schechter adapted the name “News Dissector” when he worked on air at WBCN in Boston.
He was one of the most respected documentarian and someone who couldn’t be bought. He was one of the first people in America to bring the name Nelson Mandela into the public consciousness.
Schechter produced and directed many television specials and documentary films, including:
- Beyond A Long Walk To Freedom (2014)
- America’s Surveillance State (2014)
- DeWitt Clinton HS: The School That Can Teach Them All, on the fight for Public Education (2013)
- Who Rules America? (2012)
- Plunder: The Crime Of Our Time (2010)
- Barack Obama: The People’s President (2009)
- Boob Tube: Sex, TV and Ugly George (2008)
- Viva Madiba (2008)
- A Work in Progress: Danny Schechter and the Journalism of Change (2007)
- In Debt We Trust: America Before The Bubble Burst (2006)
- WMD: Weapons of Mass Deception (2004)
- Counting on Democracy (2004), about the 2000 Florida election recount, narrated by Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee
- We Are Family (2002), about a benefit recording of the Sister Sledge song following the September 11, 2001 attacks; shown at the Sundance Film Festival
- Nkosi: A Voice of Africa’s AIDS Orphans (2001), narrated by Danny Glover
- Falun Gong’s Challenge to China (2001)
- A Hero for All: Nelson Mandela’s Farewell (1999)
- Globalization & Human Rights (1998)
- Beyond Life: Timothy Leary Lives (1997)
- The World of Elie Wiesel (1997)
- Sowing Seeds/Reaping Peace: The World of Seeds of Peace (1996)
- Prisoners of Hope: Reunion on Robben Island (1995), co-directed by Barbara Kopple
- Countdown to Freedom: Ten Days that Changed South Africa (1994), narrated by James Earl Jones and Alfre Woodard
- Sarajevo Ground Zero (1993)
- The Living Canvas (1992), narrated by Billy Dee Williams
- Beyond JFK: The Question of Conspiracy (1992), co-directed by Marc Levin and Barbara Kopple
- Give Peace a Chance (1991)
- Nelson Mandela: Free at Last (1991), PBS national broadcast
- Mandela in America (1990)
- The Making of Sun City (1987)
- Student Power (1968)
Books
- Surveillance A to Z (Seven Stories Press, 2015, forthcoming). ISBN 978-1609806439
- When South Africa Called, We Answered: How the Media and International Solidarity Helped Topple Apartheid (Cosimo Books, 2015). ISBN 978-1616409418
- Madiba A to Z: The Many Faces of Nelson Mandela (Seven Stories Press, 2013). ISBN 978-1609805593
- Occupy: Dissecting Occupy Wall Street (Cosimo Books, 2012). ISBN 978-1616407162
- Blogothon: Reflections and Revelations from the News Dissector (Cosimo Books, 2012) ISBN 978-1616406691
- The Crime Of Our Time: Why Wall Street is Not Too Big To Jail (Disinformation Books, 2010) ISBN 978-1934708552
- Plunder: Investigating Our Economic Calamity and the Subprime Scandal (Cosimo Books, 2008) ISBN 978-1-60520-351-5
- When News Lies (Select Books, 2006) ISBN 978-1590790731
- The Death of Media (and the Fight to Save Democracy) (Melville House Publishing, 2005). ISBN 978-0-9766583-6-8
- Media Wars: News At A Time of Terror (Rowman & Littlefield, 2003) ISBN 978-0742531093
- Embedded: Weapons of Mass Deception: How the Media Failed to Cover the Iraq War (Prometheus Books, 2003) ISBN 978-1591021735
- News Dissector: Passions, Pieces and Polemics (Akashic Books, 2001) ISBN 978-1888451207
- Falun Gong’s Challenge to China: Spiritual Practice or ‘Evil Cult’? (Akashic Books, 2000) ISBN 978-1888451139
- The More You Watch, The Less You Know (Seven Stories Press, 1997) ISBN 978-1888363807
Arts + Solidarity
The Arts as Connector
February 14th is the day the world celebrates Valentines Day. A day of celebrating the love we have for one another–no matter where in the world we are. Now, something special to celebrate the love for others kicks off in Southen California on February 15th.
For as long as we know, the Arts has been a catalyst for awareness and change. From the “Sun City” Rockers Against Apartheid movement produced by Steve Van Zandt, Arthur Baker and Danny Schechter to convey opposition to the South African apartheid to, to Woodstock, the No Nukes Concerts Live Aid, No Nukes and many others creators worldwide have found ways of utilizing human creativity to create awareness about human suffering, or the need to create change.”
“In the alternative art world, performance artists have championed the issues of social justice, freedom of expression and human rights. Artists such as the NEA Four, Suzanne Lacey, Barbara T. Smith and so many others have paved a way for today’s current generation of humanitarian arts-based practices.”
While the struggles and oppression continue in Ukraine and Belarus, we’ve seen little reporting on their struggles.
One group of humanitarian artists have come together to shine the light on helping those who have nflicted from harms way.
Pavuk (Ukrainian for “Spider”) is a collective installation and day-long performance centered on a traditional suspended straw structure symbolizing cosmic balance, protection, and interconnected life.
What’s happening
- Fifteen artists from around the globe will each create one geometric element of the Pavuk and send it to Los Angeles, where the pieces will be assembled into a single monumental installation. This multinational and multigenerational group of artists, curators and organizations, are volunteering their efforts in support of a critically important cause: the survival of the Ukrainian people.
- Additionally, performance artists, including the legendary LA MUDPEOPLE, will activate the installation while accompanied by a durational piece by project creator, Alina Kalinouskaya, who is immobilized, bound by rope in symbolism of the struggles in Ukraine. Singer/songwriter Lali Bell performs throughout the 3-hour durational experience.
- The 3-hour experience will be live-streamed via the Pavuk website.
- The event takes place and is hosted by 18th Street Arts Center, in Santa Monica, California. Long a home for progressive social change, The 18th Street Arts Center has, since its founding in 1988 been champion and home to the intersection between art and social activism.
Why diversity is essential.
Alina Kalinouskaya, Performance Artist
“I believe this diversity, and the project’s multidisciplinary nature, creates a sense of unity among us as humans. In addition, Olena shared information about trusted and widely recognized charitable organizations, and I selected the Prytula Foundation because I deeply respect and value the work they do.
Why it matters
Pavuk is presented in solidarity with the people of Ukraine — and as an urgent reminder to U.S. audiences that the humanitarian and political crisis remains ongoing.
- In support of victims of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
- In support of individuals facing political repression for protesting the war and invasion.
The big picture
Olena Yara, Yara Studio
The structure at the center — a traditional Pavuk — represents a worldview where balance and protection emerge through relationship.
This project mirrors that principle: distributed creation → shared assembly → collective witnessing → direct support.
What to anticipate.
- Durational performance: Alina Kalinouskaya will remain suspended in ropes for the entire day — acting as a living axis within the installation.
- Live music: Lali Bell will perform live on guitar throughout the day, including a song composed in dedication to the people of Ukraine.
Where donations go
Visitors will be encouraged to donate directly to the Prytula Foundation, supporting its Emergency Response Program, “Light of Ukrainian Hope” — providing generators to communities where electricity has become a matter of survival.
- Direct donations during the performance support the same emergency program.
- Proceeds from project-related NFTs will also be donated to the program.
Credits
- Curated by: Michael J. Masucci
- Supported by: Yara Agency
- Vision
- Circularity (Materials/Resources)
- Connected Health
- Energy and Transportation
- Food
- Info-Comm
- Personal Democracy
- Smarter Cities
Flip the Script
- Activism
- Circularity
- Connected Health
- Economics
- Energy and Transportation
- Food
- InfoComm
- Justice
- Leadership
- Personal Democracy
- Smarter Cities
- See it/Say it
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