From reader Frank. This article has some good thoughts but it's marred by 'progressive' ideals.

“For thousands of years we’ve been ruled by kings and emperors… ideological demagogues like Hitler, Mao and Stalin… lately by bureaucratic elites, financial engineers and omnipotent corporations… now we’re going to start calling the shots from below.” ~abillionpeople.org

Like Pavlov’s dogs salivating at the sound of a dinner bell, we keep going through the motions of being contained and domesticated humans within an unhealthy and unsustainable system while the world falls apart around us. We’re conditioned and controlled, habituated and hardened, terrorized and tyrannized. And the craziest thing is that we allow it to happen, unaware of our true power. Subconsciously we give into our indoctrination, just trying to get through the day. We call it “being civilized.” We call it “modern.” We call it “normal.” We call it “being responsible.” We call it “being well adjusted,” conveniently forgetting the words of Krishnamurti: “It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”

The question becomes: how do we inform a sick society to the level of its sickness, when it subconsciously denies the red pill of truth while comfortably swallowing the blue pill of deception? In short: how do we triumph over cognitive dissonance? How do we empower others? Wisdom just goes in one ear and out the other. Humor brings a temporary hiatus, but ultimately falls flat against practicality. Non-violent revolution is too scary and the majority of people are too cowardly to act. As H. L. Mencken surmised, “The one permanent emotion of the inferior man is fear – fear of the unknown, the complex, the inexplicable. What he wants above everything else is safety.” Indeed. So what should we do?

By far the most effective method of getting others to take notice of their unhealthy, unsustainable ways, is to live and lead by strong and healthy example. Those of us who are aware of the sickness of society must unapologetically step up and reveal our own updated, healthy, sustainable lifestyles, and then hope that people take notice. We can’t control people (that’s tyranny), but we can control how we act toward people by not trying to control them with our power but rather trying to empower them instead (that’s liberty).