America's Failing System

Hello, My name is Cedar, (yes, like the tree). I’ve probably heard all of the tree jokes already, lol. Anyways, I started this blog as a way to reach more people to help better their lives. I am a walking contradiction. I am an investor, but also an activist. A lover and a fighter, I’ve considered suicide before, and want to help people grow up in a system, where you’re not screwed if you’re parents weren’t rich. I think that humanity as a grown industrial system has run it’s course.

One of my inspirations has been Chris Hedges. He is an independent, he’s a journalist, minister and author, as well as progressive commentator. I hope to one day to be as brave as him. He was let go of his job writing for the New York times for his beliefs, because he believed in what needed reporting on. Our current system leads me to believe we need more independents in politics to help even the balance. We need people in politics that don’t come from money, and who have been around what those less fortunate have been through. Wanting to gain empathy and make myself more attractive to others if I want to run for office, I spent 2 years in AmeriCorps on poverty wages ($1.5/hour), and went around on teams helping communities in need for 2 years, and I run a mutual aid table on the Saturdays.

I myself am an author and a journalist, having published a self-help/self-experience book on depression, as well as being published in Real Change. I empathize with the mental health issues people are dealing with during the Pandemic and from overwork culture. It is not a sign of weakness to ask for help, and makes you no less of a man. In fact, to be in touch with your emotions and vulnerabilities is to be human. I am a strong supporter of unions, as our current system is out of control and needs balance. People are quitting, because it is not worth their time to work. They are suffering from health issues (both mental and physical), being overworked, (because we refuse to pay a living wage in the U.S., which unions would help with).

I am a strong supporter of also trying to help our habitat. The world will survive our greed, humanity will not. We need to move away from fossil fuels, and ironically, oil oligarchs, in their greed, are making this more appealing. Ironically, oil companies price gouging, will more people going away from oil. I am also becoming more and more dissuaded from capitalism. I instead see communal living as the best chance for survival. If the rich aren’t going to pay for societal aspects that benefit everyone, than I see no reason that we should try and work ourselves to death to compete. They depend upon the rest of our culture to work for them, yet treat us like shit so we don’t realizes our values as people.