Newsletter

I'm happy to let you know that the feature film "Apology of an Economic Hit Man" produced by a US/Greek company and featuring yours truly is a finalist at this years Palm Beach Film Festival, showing April 13. It is about 1.5 hours long.

Bank bailouts (while the victims -- millions of homeowners -- suffer alone, in silence)

As we move into the coming months it will serve us and our planet well to remember that No president or representative can serve you unless you participate at the marketplace -- every time you buy anything, at home and office -- every time you speak.

I was in Panama, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica during the recent crisis over Colombia's invasion of Ecuador and the killing of the FARC representatives.

Latin leaders convened in the Dominican Republic to overwhelmingly condemn President Uribe of Colombia. He is seen as Washington's last puppet in the hemisphere, a man who does not want peace with FARC because he receives so much US military aid.

Obama and Clinton both joined Bush in supporting Uribe and blaming Chavez. They bowed to political expedience rather than taking the opportunity to educate the U.S. public about the true significance of what is going on in Latin American.

The immigration debate swirls to new levels of rhetoric but none of the candidates has pointed out what is obvious to anyone who has talked to the Central Americans who mow our lawns and serve our food -- that they are here because our corporation-backed "free trade" agreements have devastated the economies of their countries. They have no desire to toil 80 hour weeks so they can send $ home to their starving families. They long to be back in Guatemala, Mexico, and Honduras. But our policies have shattered the job markets in their countries. They must come here or watch their children starve.

Time you told the candidate of your choice to talk about these things, To tell your candidate that the Iraq war is only a symptom, that If we want a peaceful world we must go deeper, to the root causes:

This is a time of opportunity. Please recognize the power you hold – seize the opportunity. Step forward. Don't wait to speak at the polls.

Tell your candidate to address the real issues – go to root causes. Speak every time you buy a banana, loaf of bread, tee-shirt – Anything.

Know that Freedom of Speech means the Freedom to speak. Rejoice every time you exercise that right.

My daughter Jessica and son-in-law Dan just gave Winifred and me a grandson, Grant Ethan Miller (GEM!). He will turn 3 months old on Christmas day. What a pleasure. What an honor. What a responsibility!

I am struck so deeply by the fact that Grant can't hope to grow up in a sustainable, peaceful, and stable world unless every child on this planet has that same expectation. There will be no Homeland Security until we realize that the entire planet is our homeland. Every sentient being in the world must feel secure.

Jessica and Dan take parenting very seriously. They try to buy only things for their baby that are made by companies dedicated to acting with social and environmental responsibility. For example, they found a $200 crib made in China (probably in a sweat shop) and a $600 one made in Canada with plantation-grown trees and non-sweat shop labor. Their attitude was not that the extra $400 was a sacrifice but that it was an investment in Grant's future.

(And ultimately, they were able to buy it on sale! Being green pays in many ways!)

As you move into this new year, please know that you are very powerful. Every shopping decision you make, every morsel of food you eat, every beverage you drink -- is a vote. Every time you speak to another, you send important messages.

Below is a list Jessica composed of places you can shop that are trying to do it right. More are available at http://www.dreamchange.org ("Wakeful Organizations" - "Socially & Environmentally Responsible Buying ") and http://www.johnperkins.org ("What you can do").

The business of doing things right is in its pioneering stage. These companies are not perfect, but they are headed down the right path. If we all follow that path, we will reach the destination. Grant -- and his sisters and brothers around the planet -- will grow into a sustainable, peaceful and stable world.

I send you my warmest, most heart-felt greetings. Enjoy this holiday season. And feel the power of the investments you make every single day.

American Apparel- clothes made in the US for adults and children, there are some organic pieces as well

Speesee- organic clothes for infants, made in sweatshop-free factor in Southern India

Bamboosa- uses bamboo for clothing for adults and children, made in South Carolina

Organic Wine Company- grapes grown without pesticides, herbicides, & chemical fertilizers-don't forget to recycle the bottle

Sting and his wife Trudie Styler made a surprise appearance Thursday night, July 12, at Books & Books in Coral Gables to hear a lecture given by their friend, the author and activist John Perkins, on his new book “The Secret History of The American Empire”.

John Perkins talked about the role economic hit men, jackals, and assassins play in global politics. He then went on to express his confidence that the corporate ruling structure can be changed as the corporations, treated under law as ‘individuals’, are forced to accept the role expected of individuals in society --to be

responsible citizens. He believes that many of those in power want to do what’s right but need the prodding of energized citizens to effect change. He likens what’s required to “a second American Revolution.” This time the goal is "a sustainable, peaceful, and stable world for everyone everywhere."

Following his talk, Mr. Perkins invited Ms. Styler to join him at the podium. An activist and founder (with Sting) of the Rainforest Foundation, she spoke about the need to hold oil companies accountable “for creating hellish conditions in their quest for oil” and of the desperate need around the world for clean drinking water.

She pointed to a lawsuit in Ecuador spearheaded by lawyers Pablo Fajardo and Steven Donziger against Chevron over pollution in the Amazon as a potential milestone judgment.

”A verdict against Chevron could revolutionize how oil companies operate,” she said. “But whatever the outcome, the environmental and human catastrophe must be brought to the attention of the world.”

John Perkins, Sting, and Trudie Styler -- writer, musician, environmentalist -- three powerful activists. Let them inspire all of us to take action every day to create a better world.

As our nation’s eyes focused on the Super Bowl I kept thinking about who we are, what we stand for, about the role violence plays as a tool of US foreign policy. . .

Every poll shows that we the people strongly oppose any further escalation in the Iraq war and that we do not want to invade Iran. We are intelligent enough to understand that threatening other people encourages terrorism.

We know that the way to create a safe and sustainable world is to alleviate the root causes of anger and hatred: starvation, poverty, disease, environmental degradation, and injustice. It is what we must do if we want to protect ourselves and our progeny. It is the right thing. It is the practical, pragmatic, and rational approach to solving our most serious problems.

There are voices shouting that a dictator has taken over our government. The Bush administration does indeed defy the will of the people; yet we must not lull ourselves into seeing the current crisis as “his” responsibility. We - you and I - must take action. This is not a football game where we are relegated to the sidelines.

Our politicians - Democrat and Republican alike - are beholden to big money, to the corporations and those who become rich enough from corporate ownership to sponsor candidates. It is essential during this year that kicks off the presidential election campaigns that we make ourselves heard by those who control the purse strings - the corporations - as well as by the politicians. The polls do count, but our voices, our emails, phone calls, marches, demonstrations, protests, and rallies count more. The message we send every time we buy a bottle of water, t-shirt, or loaf of bread is heard at all levels of government and business.

Complacency is our biggest enemy - and the corporatocracy's ally. All you had to do was watch the ads during the Super Bowl to comprehend that those who run our biggest businesses want us to feel like impotent spectators. This is the year when we must show them otherwise; we must stop complaining and instead commit to acting according to our principles.

Please join with me. Become a member of Rainforest Action Network, the Pachamama Alliance, Amnesty International or other organizations that are forcing corporations to become good citizens. Sign up with www.moveon.org to support their e-mail and phone-in campaigns. Subscribe to www.democracynow.org and other media outlets that offer real journalism. Call your Congress people. Buy as little as possible, make things last, and when you must shop do so consciously.

If the “surge” becomes a reality, if more troops are sent to Iraq, or if the White House launches an invasion of Iran, do not hesitate. Don't be complacent. Take to the streets. This is a time for courage - and actions that reflect the feelings in our hearts – and the love we hold for the Earth and future generations of all living creatures.

JOHN PERKINS COLLECTION at the Global Dialogue Center...

You’ll see the new BOOK, PODCAST with GDC Community, your new JP BLOG ... and more.

http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/johnperkins