a timeline of Third Millennium history (so far)

Y2K
the 20th Century culminates 1000 years of barbarism wars, massacres, slaughters, bombs, gas, torture and oppressions kill 200,000,000 people
costing trillions and trillions and trillions the radiation spreads into the water soil and air into our bodies
leaks from our urine and tears
as we watch each other die from epidemics of cancer

pre millennial jitters
the Y2K bug
predictions for the end of the world
It didn't

The 21st Century comes a year early
in 2000
so that marketers can hawk more of their wares sooner Massive election fraud in the U.S.
a rabid regime installed
reeks with the stench of fascism

human consciousness expands
many people declare the Third Millennium should not recapitulate the last

finally all the ingredients exist for a global civilization

911 - WTC
The incredible hubris of a society acting as if it could use the technological achievement of
airplanes as tools of commerce and freedom for the masters and weapons of death for the unprovoked delivery of bombs, napalm and defoliants on the poor
without a response

The lesson
embedded within our success are the seeds of our own destruction

Vulnerability of the system
lessons from chaos theory demonstrate that small instabilities in a complex system
grow rapidly

The U.S. response
The emperor wears no clothes
$400 billion U.S. military budget
and they tell people to buy plastic wrap and duct tape for defense against attack
they're joking, right?

NPR Nuclear Posture Review
moves U.S. policy on use of nuclear weapons from defensive to pre-emptive
"failure of imagination" - A. Roy

Media embarks on campaign of fear
you're either with "us" or you're a terrorist constant drum beat of hate and war

Peace not war is the solution
to the problems confronting the Earth
its biosphere
and the millions of species that inhabit it

"We are in a teachable moment" --Bill Moyers

This is what democracy looks like
Feb 15 2003
Pay no attention to the 15 million people marching behind the curtain mainstream media works to minimize anti-war sentiment by refusing to give coverage
But the Internet and cell phones create a new media bypassing CNN
Democracy Now! calls for people to email their cell phone numbers so that they can report on the massive global resistence to war

Millions of people around the world came out to demand peace the largest demonstration of people in support of a single cause in history
they symbolically joined hands
and watched in real time (via webcams, weblogs, cell phones, free speech radio and tv)
a chain of humanity stretch around the Earth as the day progressed citizen reporters phone in to Pacifica Radio from around the world
indymedia.org published comments from participants the whole world is watching
and no coca cola is being sold

Governments begin to fear the voters
how refreshing
Old Europe urges restraint of New World Order Germany France and Russia unite as allies - imagine in Rome Italians chant "vive la France"

A manifestation of the great turning
the Tibetan prophecy of Shambhala foretells that when the world is on the eve of destruction the nation of Shambhala will spontaneously arise everywhere
its "warriors" wear no uniforms
recognize no borders
using insight and compassion
they will dismantle the war machine
in the belly of the beast
and begin healing the world

"Not only is another world possible, she is present. If you listen carefully you can hear her breathing." --Arundhati Roy