Veganism is not a fad diet to lose weight and/or get more healthy.

It has nothing to do with fasting. Vegans don’t only eat fruit.

It is not about amassing online followers with your groovy, plant based lifestyle.

It is not a diet!

Veganism is an ethical stance against any form of animal exploitation.

One can be an unhealthy vegan. Or a super healthy one. That’s up to the vegan.

The chances are that when a celebrity or content creator stops being vegan, they never truly were. They were on a diet.

Although, veganism is highly beneficial for the environment, animal agriculture being the second highest cause of Climate Change, one should never lose sight of animal liberation. Veganism is a potent package that can free animals from exploitation, combat climate change and other environmental issues, and prevent and reverse certain diseases, including, possibly, preventing harmful viruses. Surely, one of those benefits can shift your cultural conditioning, just a tad, are you not even curious to try some amazing plant based foods?

Otherwise, we’re trapped in a cycle of abuse. Animals, earth, earth, animals, leading to our own self-destruction.

So, make the initial change for anthropocentric concerns, if you must. Do it out of curiosity. But stick with it for the animals.

Make a small change then steadily expand to everything you eat, wear, drink, use. The more we do it, the more they will strive to come up with satisfying alternatives. We have the power.

Don’t buy into Big Ag propaganda and political rhetoric. Veganism is not an evil, elitist plot to take over the world by weakening humanity. It’s a key factor in saving us. I’ll say it again, we have the power!

Come on, let’s change our food system to one that doesn’t rely on abusing the earth and animals.

Purification and renewal are symbolized by fire, along with creativity, passion and desire.

Protection and safety, fanned from a spark, encircling the fire, the light in the dark.

Vitality, energy, intuition, the divine, fire oh fire a positive sign.

Yet fire can burn and rage untamed. Not freedom, but anger and war and pain.

Not warmth, but acres of forest aflame. Not comfort but temperatures gone insane.

Will we rise like the phoenix, renewed and evolved?

The flame of compassion, our problems solved?

An alchemical transformation, our hearts of gold?

All the burning greed and hate gone cold?

(I'm NO poet, but enjoyed the challenge.)

Like a seed, love is a noun.

Love is a seed planted within us all.

Like a seed, love can lay dormant, oppressed by layers of darkness. Trapped within infertile soil. A pulsating, pushing presence, frustrated!

Love must become a verb. Germinating, reaching, rooting. It must be nurtured, watered, fed. From seedling to plant, growing! Love is a verb.

Like a plant it relies on its environment, its community to grow.

Like bees to the flowers, love entices, love enthralls, love is beauty and nourishment. Scented and sweet, entrapping. Freeing like pollen on the wind. Love blooms in many varieties.

Its roots pervade our existence. Like a tree it is our breath. Like mycelium, it is our foundation.

It must be tended!

The glossed over atrocities of the United States (historic and current), are woven into the attitude of its government and the many propagandized citizens. It is apparent in the brazen patriotism: a childlike or childish defense of all things American based on, indoctrination, omission and outright lies. Contrary to the stereotype, Americans aren't stupid, just woefully uninformed and insular. And that's just how the government wants them.

As a child growing up in the US I, of course, learned about the violent displacement of the indigenous peoples, but only on a superficial level and right along with the glory of The Founding Fathers, The Pilgrims and The Revolution. I never learned about the horrendous boarding schools, the infected blankets and so on, in short, the genocide. I never learned about the Filipino war or much about the Korean war. If some Hollywood films told the story of corruption and CIA meddling, more films sang the praises of the US, insidiously or outright. This not only made me receptive to American exceptionalism, it also kept me in a state of cognitive dissonance. How was the US so exceptional when also so bad. But that's the key. Ramp up the exceptionalism to the point where no matter what the US does to another culture/country, US citizens believe it was a necessary act. That is, if they even learn about it.

Now, the US is certainly not alone in using extreme savagery to sort out the so called savages, the British are a prime example of a country adept at this, but that is irrelevant. It also doesn't matter that some of the victims of US imperialism were pretty bad themselves. These are not excuses for colonization, coups, invasions, bombs, torture and on and on and on. Even worse (if possible), when committed by a country that sells itself as the heroes of the world and tells its own people fairy tales.

I don't think that the American people of today (and that goes for other colonizing countries as well) need to live in perpetual guilt for what their ancestors did, but they need to learn about the history, ALL OF IT, every last detail. See it for what it was and should never be again. Informed they can decide what they think of their country: do they want to leave, or stay and make it a better place? Face the past, process it and move on. This would free up US citizens of any burden they may carry, as well as making them more compassionate and wiser people. It would also allow the victims of this tyranny to be truly seen, thus initiating healing from intergenerational trauma. Respect Due! *

Sadly, the US has no intention of stepping down from their pedestal. No intention of telling the stark truth. There will be no war crime trials for any politicians. The Republicans will present the past as a necessity that, actually, had some handy advantages for the victims, and the Democrats will pay lip service to some of the US crimes while engaging in current ones. America may not always send troops, but they will send weapons. Hypocrisy and gaslighting continue.

Despite this, I'm pleased to see many young Americans now aware of this fact, and articulate it well, along with some good, online, alternative news sources and commentary. The lids off the box and the truth is flying out. Heartening and exciting, but not enough. So many still respond with either visceral defensiveness if their righteous image is challenged, or with a softer, 'but we meant well' attitude. Their own identity is so wound up in the US identity, they must excuse any wrong doing.

But there is no excuse. You can't use the other side's bad behavior as a reason to invade, attack, colonize, interfere etc. If that's your criterion then the U.S. would be long gone.

I read a comment by a German guy stating that after World War II, a part of Germany should have been given to the Jewish people for them to make a country. For a moment, I was like, that would have been a great idea. And then it dawned on me. No, because the US would have just created another Western type country in place of Israel. That's not even taking into account the Christian and Judaic reasons for wanting Israel to remain where it currently is.

Alas, the trauma of the Jewish people has been exploited to create an unstable and manipulative set up. An enabled cycle of fresh trauma and revenge deeply tragic for all the people living there. A situation that has now escalated into a genocide of Palestinians.

Thoughts on responses to this type of critique:

If you criticize the US, you're bound to get a comment along the lines of: you spout a lot of hate towards your country without even realizing how great it is that you can speak freely without persecution.

But is this always true? There are examples where it is not. The Red Scare, for one. Malcom X another. And there are more.

And isn't the whole point of freedom of speech that you can criticize your government without persecution? So, therefore use it. Just because a country has positive aspects, it doesn't give the government carte blanche to do whatever they want. Should they not be held accountable? Very counterproductive to have the freedom to speak out, but then don't because you're so lucky to be able to.

You will also hear the counter argument stating that no country is an angel and would do the same as the US if they could.

OK. Let's look at invasions of the US. There was 9/11, Pearl Harbor, The Germans and Russians would have liked to. And there was Britain and Mexico. But what about a foreign coup attempt on the US? Or an assassinate attempt? Or lying about weapons of mass destruction as a ploy to invade?  And even if it is true that most countries are fueled by megalomania, greed and conquest, it is no excuse for America's actions. Of course, a country, a people, have every right to defend themselves, but not invade, bomb and meddle. Time and time again!

Furthermore, I don't accept that the current way of the world is the way it has to be. Are humans not meant to evolve as a species? Do we not pride ourselves on our civilized ways? Then why do we not live up to this professed goodness?

But for those Americans who use that excuse in defense of their beloved country, if bullying is the way of the world, why does the government whitewash their atrocities and worse hide them?  Could it be that humans are inherently compassionate with a strong moral compass? And knowing this, the powers that be not only trick you into believing violence is good and necessary, they trick you into believing that struggle, strife and scrambling to the top are the fundamentals of human existence.**

Is it not time that governments world-wide start reflecting the will and ethics of the people?

Why defend a country that lies to you, disrespects your intelligence and actively tries to dumb you down? Why defend a country, any country that claims to be civilized and at the same time rationalizes the slaughter of children.

The US presents a false image to its citizens and the world. They are the purveyors of goodness delivered from the moral high ground. Live up to that or fess up!

Oh and one more thing. No, the US is not the freest and most wonderful place to live in. I have lived in the UK, Germany and Ireland and have never felt my freedoms were oppressed. In fact, the standard of living was higher in many respects.

The US doesn't even show up in the top searches for best county or place to live in.

Do keep in mind that US interference causes destabilization in the targeted countries, and then Americans have the nerve to not want these people showing up at their borders as migrants and asylum seekers. Equally abhorrent is to then accuse these countries of being backwards and inferior, violent and unable without seeing  or admitting to America's hand in it all. This type of argument is used against African Americans, and, in all cases, is used to excuse state sanctioned violence against these people.

*But, of course, those who still benefit from the spoils of slavery, genocide, and colonization (e.g. Germany, The US, The UK) can not fully acknowledge and respect the victims. Or, in the case, of Germany, the gnawing guilt manifests as a terrible allegiance to your former victims. And then  there are the similarities between Israel US origins. It's no wonder some Americans can't condemn Israel when their own county was founded in a similar style.

**If religion is meant to be the path of finding human morality and keeping you there, why do so many religious institutions embrace violence using the same excuses as most world governments?

Joy to the world? The time has come!

To receive many things;

Let every wallet make more room

And the cash registers ring

And the cash registers ring

And profit and profit and pointless bling

Joy to the world? Eating too much!

Let men their bellies fill;

Turkeys, geese, ham, in pot, on plate

In the millions

In the millions,

In the, in the millions.

My thoughts on the differences between Democrat politicians and Republican ones (and their counterparts world-wide).

The Democrats pay lip service to progressive ideals while supporting environmental and climate destruction, and the same ol' hierarchical setup of rich and poor. They bring nothing new, for while they claim to champion change, true structural change is what they fear.

On the other hand, Republicans come right out with their distain for progressiveness, it's an affront to family values, an evil plot by conniving globalist elites. They also fear change, (apparent in the word conservative), and have no issue saying that. In fact, a past glory is what they seek. A mythical time when men, women and children knew their place and all was good and proper.

Handmaid's Tale or two-faced, regardless of the approach, the result is the same. Neither side is relinquishing their power. They are not entertaining a world beyond capitalism. Profit will always eclipse ethics.  And to cloud over this shameful truth, fear mongering, scapegoating, ridiculing and rage baiting are employed. Deceive with populism or duplicitousness. Resort to immediate polar opposite views on issues and hype up the base to follow suit. Divide and conquer as they say!

They have no intention of changing a system that empowers them. Certainly not significant change for the better, but certainly for the worse!

This is a realization I came to long ago, as did many others. An understanding of US politics and politics world-wide that becomes more obvious and frustrating. A situation, we the people, either don't fully comprehend or accept out of a perceived powerlessness.

But must it be so futile?

Are we such slaves to our conditioning that we can't think beyond our upbringing and environment? So emotionally immature that outrage is our immediate response? Can we not dig deeper, look farther, listen well? Feel beyond fear? If not, we will continue to be baited and captured by the powers that be.

A party to our own demise.

Before my grandmother came to live with us, she had only been a woman in photos, a stranger who happened to be my grandmother. I’d never spoken to her on the phone, or received a card or presents. I only knew that she’d grown up in Germany, had my mam quite young, and had moved to the west coast of Ireland when my mam was a toddler. My mam called her Mutti, and I called her Omi.

Her name was Tara, a name she said she gave herself as an acknowledgement of a new phase of life after her arrival in Ireland. She wouldn’t tell me her birth name. She said it was a name for a past stage and therefore irrelevant to the present.

However, she still had a German accent and said mit instead of with. I don’t know why she used this one word of German because her English was otherwise flawless. Maybe, she was paying homage to her ancestors. Maybe, it was simply her stubborn nature. She had a steadfastness and pride about her that beguiled me. And for the short time I knew her, I came to adore her. Her accent and bearing made her seem like some foreign noble. Someone special. And her presence and attention made me feel special. Like there was more to me than just being a weird kid. I felt like I had been waiting for her the entire eight years of my life.

She told me that there were things about my ancestors my mam didn’t want me to know and that my so-called weirdness had to do with this. That I was just tuned to a higher frequency, something other children couldn’t comprehend. Her words ignited my world yet I sensed our time together was limited. Three months later she was gone again and with her departure my parents’ dull account of family history regained its hold.

I’d always accepted my oddness and its shadowing effect on my life as the way things were. Compared to other kids my imagination was like some wild thing in need of taming. When I went to get neighbourhood kids out to play sometimes their mothers didn’t invite me in. It wasn’t verbalised, I just felt I wasn’t meant to cross the threshold. Waiting on the step for my friend to appear, I would drink in as much of the pristine interior as I could see from the door. A portion of plush carpet, a fireplace, glasses in cabinets, family photos lining the hallway. How I longed to get through that doorway and experience that normality. Where was the dust and other signs of life? It was all so orderly. My mam couldn’t perform this miracle of immaculateness like their mothers could. The minute one of them stepped into my house, the light from the windows seemed to ignite the dust and cobwebs. Papers, books, dishes and bits, seemed to be strewn everywhere.

It’s not like my mam didn’t strive to be like everyone else; she just couldn’t pull it off. Usually when she spoke to people, I’d spot that look of bewilderment spreading across their faces. I couldn’t stop it happening no matter how I tried to cut her off and derail her train of thought. It was just something about our family.

Tara insisted that our otherness was important, and related to a powerful, ancestral heritage. That my pre-historic kin had lived in perfect connection with all living things, in a world flourishing with untouched natural beauty: pristine mountains, forest and ocean abundant with nourishment.

She said the rural area of Ireland I lived in still had a helping of that raw, wild beauty my ancestors had enjoyed. But like the entire planet it was under threat as humans continued to assault the natural world, consequently ushering in their own demise. This was because the old ways had been crushed by the intruders. That’s what she called most people, the intruders.

Whenever she came with us grocery shopping, she’d give sideways glances at laden trolleys and later in the car ask me if I’d seen the junk the intruders bought. Or if I was watching TV, she’d comment on the intruder brainwashing apparatus.

One time, Tara came with us to the playground and minded me while my mam posted a letter. Spotting some girls from school, I ran over to the slide calling to them. Turning, they mumbled hello and then completely ignored me. Tears stinging my eyes, I walked back to Tara and sat down next to her on the bench. Taking my hand, she held it tightly.

“It’s not you who doesn’t fit in, it’s them. The intruders! They don’t belong here,” she said.

A feeling of ownership surged through me as if these clumsy children before me were intruders into my realm. I sat up straight, mimicking my grandmother’s posture.

“Your mother should tell you the truth,” she muttered.

As soon as my mam returned, I asked her straight out if it were true.

“How ridiculous,” she said, bringing me away to the ice cream van. Waiting in the queue, I watched my grandmother sitting on the bench, grim-faced watching the children play.

From then on, my parents began to control how long I was alone with my grandmother and no matter how I approached it, my mam refused to engage in a discussion about these mysterious ancestors and terrible intruders.

(I have friends reading it, but would love some feedback from strangers.)

https://www.amazon.com/KEEPER-FLAME-Lisa-D-Verdekal/dp/B0CD12P8QP/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=