How Campaign Reform Could Clean up a lot of Hog Manure
By Donella Meadows
–January 20, 2000—-
“Campaign reform” is much too polite a phrase. “Ending corruption” is more like it. I could — and maybe I will –write a column a week from now till next fall’s election counting the ways campaign contributions corrupt our government, destroy our public assets and rob taxpayers.
Today’s example is industrial hog farming.
As recently as 20 years [...]
The Character Issue
By Donella Meadows
–November 7, 1996–
Everyone breathes a sigh of relief when an election is over. This year my sigh is more heartfelt than usual. While one presidential contender was ranting about “character” and the other was studiously ignoring the subject, I was teaching an ethics course. The daily contradiction between real ethics and the rhetoric of the politicians was hard [...]
The People Have Not Spoken
By Donella Meadows
–November 17, 1994–
It was a tidal wave, an earthquake, a rout, a cultural revolution, a mandate for sweeping change, say the media. The people have spoken, say Gingrich and Dole, preparing to cut loose on Capitol Hill. But look around. Do the people you know feel they have spoken? Did you call for the mandate the Republicans think [...]
He’ll Break our Hearts, and We’ll Break His
By Donella Meadows
–January 21, 1993—-
It’s frightening to watch, every four or eight years, how we turn one of ourselves into a president.
At first, while he’s struggling toward the head of his party, we search out his dirty laundry. We blow up every rumor, no matter how unsavory its source, into a topic of national discussion. We view each aspirant with [...]
Ross Perot, Jesse Jackson, and the Politics of Protest
By Donella Meadows
–July 24, 1992–
Though I hadn’t made up my mind to vote for Ross Perot, I was sorry to see him leave the campaign. I like him, for the same reasons that I like Jesse Jackson.
They are both delightfully unprofessional. They won’t submit to the grooming and polishing of party machines. They don’t need polls to know what to [...]
