I've tended to blame people more than the system, but now that Republicans rule, the system is getting more corrupt.

For most of my life, I have blamed people, in mass, for most of society's problems rather than blaming leadership. Problems come from our culture and mass behaviors, for the most part. Other people seem to blame leadership.

Having said this, I do feel, today, that leadership has gotten a lot worse now that Republicans control national government. Now it can be more truthfully said that leadership is corrupt. Wealth inequality continues to get worse.

In my past, basically the post World War II era, there was always some corruption, but the system was making an attempt at fairness. We had diversity, equity and inclusion along with attempts at environmental stewardship. It didn't always work, but I think most people didn't understand the deep cultural basis of the problems.

It wasn't just the system that was the problem, it was also the people. It wasn't necessarily individuals, who are just surviving given the momentum of everything around us. For instance lifestyles effect city planning which, in turn necessitate certain lifestyles; the vicious cycle of our automobile based transportation system.

Politicians campaigned based on finding who's to blame. That's the way campaign contributions are raised. Even before the era of social media, outrage sells.

In some ways, people didn't appreciate how good we had it. Gratitude and patience were in short supply. Of course I don't expect everyone, who has been wronged, to have gratitude. Gratitude is in short supply for those who have it mostly good, but not everyone is on the same page, of course. Oppression can come from those in power, but also from individuals participating in abusive relationships and so forth. Oppression can come from the grassroots. Critiques of the "system" usually doesn't take individual responsibility into account.

Now that the system seems to be crumbling, we may be in for harsher realities, though if people do come to their senses, we still can create a better world.

About climate change, in years past, we had establishment folks in business and government who realized the need for change to greener energy, but also understood the difficulty of the logistics.

Meanwhile some populists wanted change faster. They demanded more should be done. Protests and so forth.

I miss the more innocent times when it was more of a battle between idealism and just being realistic. Slowing the pace of change was mostly due to being realistic, possibly overly so, but at least not saying climate change is a total hoax and forcefully rededicating us to fossil fuels.

Photo of protest a few years ago against oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean. Climate change could mean less snow at Mount Baker during Bellingham's Ski to Sea race.