Greetings.

I was slightly encouraged by the fact that Obama appointed Van Jones as a so-called "Green Jobs Adviser." Van Jones has been one to point out that it is usually the poorest communities that bear the brunt of dumping and environmental malpractice by society. He also had a pretty good idea of putting disenfranchised people to work in the newest technology related to creating a so-called more "green economy." In fact I would say that he was probably the first appointment by Obama that I didn't outright gawk at.

Here is what Van Jones said last year:

"The only reason that we have the unsustainable accounting that we have right now is because incinerators, dumping grounds, and sacrifice zones were put where poor people live. It would never have been allowed if you had to put all the incinerators and nasty stuff in rich people's neighborhoods; we'd have had a sustainable economy a long time ago... We don't want to be first and worst with all the toxins and all the negative effects of global warming, and then benefit last and least from all the breakthroughs in solar, wind energy, organic food, all the positives. We want an equal share, an equitable share, of the work wealth and the benefits of the transition to a green economy."

It is too bad though that overall the Obama administration is only increasing and building on the legacy of imperialism and shitting on more poor people world wide while making only what seem to be cosmetic changes to business as usual. Co-opting change.