Russia and China, Seen Through Fun-House Mirrors
By Donella Meadows
–May 15, 1997–
We have a hard time seeing straight when we look at countries as large and potentially powerful as our own — countries such as Russia and China. We see mainly our own fears or expectations, and so we deceive ourselves, at enormous cost.
During the long, terrible decades of Russia’s communist rule, we systematically exaggerated its strength [...]
Hands Around the Capitol
By Donella Meadows
–January 2, 1997–
The Democrats took campaign money from an Indonesian trader and the Republicans from an Australian publisher. Tobacco companies made the biggest contributions to both parties. The 1996 election cost more than twice as much as the one in 1992 and treated us to the most misleading campaign ads yet.
We are finally getting it. The politicians don’t [...]
Lying to the Pollsters
By Donella Meadows
–February 15, 1996–
I want to assure you that my Mom brought me up right. Lying doesn’t come easily to me. I had to endure many New Hampshire presidential primaries before I thought of lying to the pollsters.
In the week or two before the primary they call almost every night. You can tell immediately that it’s a poll by [...]
Corporations Already Rule the World
By Donella Meadows
–February 8, 1996–
The title of David Korten’s new book — When Corporations Rule the World — does not refer to some theoretical future state. Korten’s point is that corporations already rule much of the world, and that the consequences aren’t good, not even for corporations.
His book is a detailed documentation — names, cases, numbers — of dysfunctional corporate [...]
An Age-Old Choice Presents Itself Again
By Donella Meadows
–January 18, 1996–
It’s an ancient urge to want to destroy those who don’t believe what you believe. People who think in strange ways seem even more dangerous sometimes than people who cheat, steal, or kill. The latter merely threaten your property or life. The former call into question your identity, your purpose, your God, your whole world.
So history [...]
