Dangerous Times

1. Israel hits civilians and civilian infrastructure in Lebanon and continues to terrorize the people of Gaza, as it threatens Syria and blames Iran.

2. Iran remains defiant as the world tries to prevent the rise of a nuclear power in the Middle East that might balance the power of Israel.

3. Iraq remains violent, deadly and unstable.

4. Afghanistan is no Mission Accomplished.

5. North Korea tests missiles and makes Japan rethink its abandonment of its imperialist past.

6. Mexico's election remains in limbo as the corporate media and free market politicians try to convince the world it is already over.

7. Wildfires rage in California as scientists say the first half of 2006 was the hottest half a year on record in the U.S..

Then there's the recent train bombing in India and the racist attacks on immigrants in the U.S. and a lot of other stuff. The point is this mess could all converge into a global crisis that could turn really ugly or (unfortunately less likely) present an opportunity for something much better as people lose hope in the institutions that have run things for decades and sometimes centuries.

The latter - the less likely scenario - will take a lot of work. So what should we do? What should I be doing right now?