...that government of the people, by the people, for the people, 

shall not perish from the Earth. -- Abraham Lincoln



From _The New Field Guide to the U.S. Economy_, by Nancy Folbre 

and The Center for Popular Economics; The New Press, N.Y., 1995,

ISBN 1-56584-153-0:



  Share of total value of family-owned assets in 1989

  

  The richest 1% of families held:

  

    45% of all nonresidential real estate

    62% of all business assets

    49% of all publicly held stock

    78% of all bonds



  The richest 10% of families held:

  

    80% of all nonresidential real estate

    91% of all business assets

    85% of all stocks

    94% of all bonds



Is this the best way for human society to function?



Are war, genocide, bigotry, exploitation, and the destruction

of our planet really necessary?  Is this the natural way for

humans to be?  Are we born wanting to act this way?



Or are we living under the influence of cultural traditions

that *teach* us to hurt each other, and to waste our energy

in conflict instead of using it for cooperation and 

creativity?



Here are some very informative Web pages.  Descriptions of 

five excellent books appear afterward.






  _The Chalice and the Blade_, by Riane Eisler, 1988, ISBN

  0-06-250-289-1, HarperSanFrancisco, $16.  An overview of the 

  archaeological work of Marija Gimbutas and others.  It explains 

  the macro-history of human culture, and proves that domination, 

  patriarchy, and war are culturally programmed, rather than 

  biologically innate.



  _Sacred Pleasure: Sex, Myth, and the Politics of the Body_, 

  by Riane Eisler, 1996, ISBN 0-06-250283-2, HarperSanFrancisco

  In the spirit of _The Chalice and the Blade_, Eisler passionately 

  envisions a future when women and men face each other as equal 

  partners, and sex and spirituality are once again entwined.  

  

  _Reich for Beginners_, by David Zane Mairowitz, Writers and

  Readers Publishing Cooperative (New York, London) and Unwin 

  Paperbacks (London), 1986, ISBN 0-04-921032-7 or (U.S.) 

  0-86316-031-X, $6.95.  Order from W&RPC at 212-982-3158.  

  Wilhelm Reich discovered that most people are afflicted 

  with a contagious psychological/physiological illness, which

  causes (in various circumstances) anxiety, bigotry, hatred,

  depression, sexism, exploitation, militarism, genocide, etc.

  These phenomena are *not* natural to human beings.  This book 

  is currently out of print until 1999; however, the publisher 

  may move it up on the reprinting schedule if they get requests 

  for it, which should be made to Deborah Dyson at 212-982-3158.  

  Other books by and about Wilhelm Reich can be found by searching 

  www.amazon.com .



  _Killing Hope: U.S. Military and CIA Interventions Since World 

  War II_, by William Blum, ISBN 1-56751-052-3, $19.95, 458 pp.,

  Common Courage Press (Monroe, Maine), ph. 207-525-0900.  

  Organized as dozens of concise chapters, each on the destruction of 

  democracy in a particular nation by the U.S., through military and 

  covert means.  A superb and very readable resource, with copious 

  references.

  

  _It's a Conspiracy!_, 1992, ISBN 1-879682-10-9, $9.95. EarthWorks 

  Press, P.O.Box 1117, Ashland OR, 97520.  ph. 541-488-4642.  

  This book covers, among many other topics, the financial and

  industrial aid and cooperation rendered to the Nazis by Hearst,

  ITT, GM, Ford, Standard Oil, Curtiss-Wright, and Chase-Manhattan

  Bank; also the Reinhard Gehlen story.  It provides a quick intro-

  duction to dozens of covert Nazi/Fascist/Republican operations

  carried out over the last 70 years, with a concise and readable

  style and a good bibliography.



  Please address comments to Mark S Bilk -- msb@netcom.com