Small communities rise to the occasion

GUEST: Sarah van Gelder, co-founder and editor-at-large of YES! magazine, talks about her brand new book: The Revolution Where You Live: Stories from a 12,000-Mile Journey Through a New America.

This gem of a book takes a quick look at many small revolutions that are happening in America. Each emphasis is slightly different, but they all involve some sort of local community building. Are you reading this on a computer? Well, according to Sarah, you are not really a part of this movement until you are working shoulder to shoulder with those down the block or on the next floor of the local factory. Decisions are made collectively and courage begets more courage in these miniature, alternative worlds. 

Can enough people of the US begin acting outside of the capitalist juggernaut to really make a difference. It is too soon to judge that, since education is really the first step. Let enough workers know how the system works, and someday the corporate owned, two party system grinds to a halt. 

A nightmare, or a chance for small communities to rise to the occasion through farming and manufacturing co-ops that take care of most local needs? Whatever the chances of success, these mostly rural initiatives show us how to start chipping away at the empire's endless wars and wanton destruction of our collective planet.