living on earth: some thoughts on the next president (REVISED FOR THE MAN) - by Bil Johnson

the next president does not need to be a leader,
those working towards a just and moral society are not followers
a president should be a catalyst
the next president should be strong in character
should have courage.
the next president should be humble, which is not the same as weak,
i would argue humility is the exact opposite of weakness
i do not want a president who is bull-headed, the willingness to admit mistakes
then work to correct them is all but lost in our current batch of representatives.
i want a president who understands that government is by, of, and for the people. it is the people. and the people have the ability to change it. please, mr. president...a corporation is not a person. therefore a corporation should not have freedom of speech or due process etc etc. there is not a corporate bill of rights. the "right to profit" is not a right that supercedes
the right to a decent and honorable life. the "right to profit" is a luxury built on the backs of countless who did not profit (i do not begrudge the rich. only the rich and oblivious).
i want a president who will not succumb to the "unbridled savagry of capatalism" (pope john paul II).
i want a president who will ask the american people to sacrifice for the greater good. and war is not for the greater good. war is a profit game for wolves and vultures.
i do not want a president who suggests we should buy more things to ease our apparent
restlessness. the "pathology of consumption' (barry lopez) is a disease and we've all got it.
the next president should realize that our current pace of living is clearly not sustainable. the most basic premise of capatalism is, in fact, unsustainable. which came first production or consumption? in order to keep the machine squeaky-clean we will grow exponentially, chasing our tail of progress.
the next president should realize that growth is enemy of true progress. i want a president
who will surround himself with those who think differently.
i do not want a president who golfs. i want a president who has a nasty fadeaway jumper from, oh, say, 18-feet.
the next president should never use the phrase "acceptable level of violence"
and so on and so forth...

          wilLiam

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