Iraq War Ends? Patriot Act Repealed? Bush Indicted for High Treason?!?

It may be a hoax, but the New York Times paper and website being distributed and posted today has some shockingly simple and beautiful ideas.

With tongue planted firmly in cheek, the paper has this to say, on George Bush’s indictment for treason:

“The death and economic collapse that resulted has been completely devastating to our nation and, most of all, to me,” read Mr. Bush’s indictment. “I want to make amends, and it is for this reason that I am requesting that I be indicted for high treason. I thank the court for allowing me to right my grave wrongs. Bring it on!”

On holding nationalizing oil to fund climate change projects:

“The private oil interests have been involved in theft for decades,” responded Deputy Under Secretary of the E.P.A. Gavin Newsom. “They’ve stolen our air, our oceans, our health, and our land. They’ve proven they can’t run their business without massive theft.”

“If we’re going to give corporations the same rights as people,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, “then we need to hold them accountable like people. When parents abuse their children, the government takes over. When oil companies abuse the planet, the government needs to take over too.”

And on NYC’s greatly expanded bike lanes:

Over the next two years, every other avenue will also receive a full bike lane, blocked off from traffic, while every fifth crosstown street will be opened exclusively to bicyclists and pedestrians beginning next month.

Mark Blair, a transit worker from Queens, was busy re-timing traffic lights for bicycle speed. “Riding your bike up or down the avenue, the traffic lights are going to change in sync,” explained Blair. “You ride 10-15 miles per hour, and you’ll be hitting all greens.”

“Now that our country is taking its rightful place among the world’s developed nations,” said Mayor Bloomberg, “it is time for our greatest city to take its place among the world’s great cities.”

You should go read it all yourself. The ads are pretty funny too.

And while it is all done in good humour, there is not just a small amount of poignancy and hope. The paper is written from the point of view of our country (the people, institutions, government and corporations) actually having a conscious.

It’s about approaching the world from a people first (not convenience or money – which is what rules it now) and long term thinking. Actually leaving the world a *better* place for the next generation.

In the print version there is an HSBC add (you know the ones where they use three images with three different points of view written over them) of Barack Obama pictured three times with the words: “epoch-making” “pivotal” “squandered.”

So bring on the massive transportation infrastructure rebuild, the closing of guantanamo, and the maximum wage law.

It would be refreshing.