Saturday, August 20: Chile's Fresh Start
Chileans are in the process of rewriting their constitution
For the first time in decades, Chile has the opportunity to take full control of its future and decide what opportunities there are to improve the lives of all Chileans. The new constitution is being composed by a representative democratic convention, including Indigenous voices. In the very first article of the drafted constitution, Chile is recognized as a plurinational state, recognizing the many Indigenous nations and people that make up Chile. There is also a codified right to self-determination among the Indigenous tribes, reserving seats in the elected bodies to ensure their representation.
Some of the major proposed changes include providing extensive climate protections, improving the education system, prioritizing the defense of nature, and establishing the right to a healthy environment. If these concepts sound foreign to your eyes and ears it’s because most countries have no such protections in place. Biden actually spent months lying through his teeth saying there would be no more drilling for oil on federal land, but the Inflation Reduction Act he just signed provides just that, more chances for environmental degradation in pursuit of that delicious dinosaur juice.
Obviously only the Chilean people can decide if this constitution meets their expectations, but watching from this country I’m struck by what their continued hard work and determination has achieved. Here’s hoping that all the private interests with something to lose (mining companies, logging companies, foreign opportunists and enemies of progress generally) sit this one out and let the democratic process play out. (Spoiler alert, they will do no such thing)
Side Items
Sometime in the coming days (or past days) the human population will pass/already passed the threshold of 8 billion people on the planet. I remember as a kid in school back in 1999 we were told when the global population hit 6 billion, which at the time seemed an unfathomable number. Truly remarkable to think that there are 8 billion individuals out there, every one of them equally complex, equally valuable, equally worthy
Housing Crisis Game! Find out what $2 million gets you in Nashville, San Antonio, and Bethel, Maine
***Correction: In yesterday’s edition I mentioned that the worst nuclear disasters happened in Chernobyl and Fukushima. What I failed to mention is that truly the worst nuclear disasters in human history took place in 1945 and they were intentional shows of force from the United States that killed tens of thousands of people***