As the world's only remaining superpower prepares to vote for its next president, a clear ideological divide has emerged between the two sparring parties. Fascinatingly enough, each party's platform can be-- more or less-- summed up in one word. For the conservative right, led by George Bush and the neocons, the word is "FREEDOM."

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Acutely aware in the "enlightened" West (at least since the time of Milton) that Homo Sapiens have been banished (forever?) from the Garden of Eden of pure rationality by our Original Sin of self-consciousness, is it possible to find global legitimacy exclusively in secular law? If not, what should be our goal? My guess is that we need to construct "laws" such that they foremost address the neglected Epicurean equilibrium that is possible between Pacha Mama and our global collective consciousnes. These, curiously enough, are the Laws of Thermodynamics.

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The science of cosmology -- the study of the origin, structure and space-time relationships of the universe -- has recently caught my attention. First, I read in the New York Times a story about a group of scientists who postulate that the universe is finite (i.e. with definite borders) and most likely has the shape of a dodecahedron -- a complex pattern of twelve pentagonal shapes. When geometrically aligned into a sphere, the scientists explained, the dodecahedron forms a universe that resembles a soccer ball.

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On November 25, 2002, Ecuadorians awoke to find that the landscape of their country had changed. No, El Reventador had not erupted to once again blanket the country in white ash. This time, the root of the change was a result of human political activity--the democratic election of Col. Lucio Gutierrez as president. Gutierrez, a military man of humble origins and an ex-golpista (coup leader) had been elected President on the backs of Ecuador's indigenous people. Suddenly, the "invisible" (indigenous peoples) became "visible," and for the "visible" (the ruling white minority), their reality became a crowded one.

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On the surface, capitalism is the economic model which most resembles the basic operating force of nature- cut throat competition and survival of the fittest. Given this parallel, many economists point to capitalism as a "natural" economic model and therefore applicable globally. There are several fallacies with this reasoning.

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Living in the 21st century is a complex predicament for the human psyche. Technology and globalization have put us in uneasy contact with everyone in the world. "Deprived" of isolation, our self-identity is threatened. Furthermore, "pop" culture, "pop" politics and "pop" markets swamp our already saturated neurons. Not only is our identity in chaos, but the reality of our world is hidden behind an industrial propaganda fog.

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