The 21st Century is a ‘Time of useful consciousness’—by guest blogger Cali Lili

Editor’s note: below is an edited version of Cali’s post, which appears in its entirety on her website. Cali Lili is an uber-talented actress and singer-songwriter who’s passionate about saving democracy from the clutches of rising fascism. This post has been updated with a revised headline and new YouTube link below. Post follows below!

We raised and released 42 monarch butterflies last season. During this year’s cycle, a returning, mommy monarch entrusted us with her eggs, and the fat caterpillar crawled into a chrysalis, magically launching in to flight. I always marvel at moments that represent a “time of useful consciousness.”

In essence, “time of useful consciousness” (TUC) is when living, breathing beings are able to function with inadequate oxygen. From Wikipedia: “The period of time from interruption of oxygen supply or exposure to an oxygen-poor environment to the time when useful function is lost, and the individual is no longer capable of taking proper protective action.”

If you’re a hiker going up Everest, for example, TUC gets shorter as you go higher.

Like many young Americans, I understand the short period between today and upcoming Midterm elections is indeed a “time of useful consciousness” for the ideas we cherish. A critical moment for human beings, wildlife, sea life, America, global democracy, and the survival of our mothership: our beautiful, blue planet and the multiverse in which we float.

“Losing consciousness” would mean losing democracy. Fascism, if we allow it, could shut down humanity and assassinate the constitution.

We’ve managed to avoid asteroids by billiarding them away from impact, using NASA pool cues. Now we must build ourselves a different kind of pool cue to divert impending asteroids hurled at us by a smelly old cult of authoritarians; that deadliest plague on humanity called fascism.

The root word of “fascism” is “fascia,” a thin casing of connective tissue binding together the internal structure of a body. Our choices in life, including a woman’s right to make her own decisions, will be subject to the will of the state, which will always usurp the will of every individual.

‘Losing consciousness’ would mean losing democracy. Fascism, if we allow it, could shut down humanity and assassinate the constitution

Not just HER choice. YOUR choice too. Every individual would serve the state. Not just the unfortunate, 10-year-old rape victim in some news story. You.

Are you a member of the LGBTQI+ community? A feminist? Are you Jewish? Muslim? Non-supremacist Christian? Are you a person of color? An environmentalist? A vegan?

They won’t stop at controlling women’s bodies. They’re coming for you next.

It’s been said that anti-Semitism is the oldest hatred. While those tropes are the face of the GOP, I’ve posited in my movie “Eve N’ God This Female Is Not Yet Rated” that the “independent female” characters “Eve” and “Lillith” from the Bible were the original “scapegoats” illustrating older hatred against the free female. Anyone feminine, who is vulnerable, wild and free—including wildlife, sea life and nature—are ostracized.

Film accolades: “Cali never allows us to look away. At times she gazed straight into the camera stating, defiantly and without fear or apology, that she knew we were there.”—Gary Swanson

Those hatreds function like a roaming virus seeking entry points in the body politic. That moment when a culture sleeps through her “time of useful consciousness,” relaxes into a slowly simmering bath, if only just to rest from the incessant drone of propaganda garbage pails spilling over into the street, courts, congress.

After closing your eyes to relax, you suddenly realize you’re a boiling frog.

From Thomas Paine:

Had we a place to stand upon, we might raise the world, the revolution of America presented in politics what was only a theory and mechanics. So deeply rooted for all of us, governments of the old world, and so effectually had the tyranny, and the antiquity of habit established itself over the mind that no beginning could be made in Asia, Africa, or Europe , to reform the political condition of man_, freedom has been hunted around the globe, reason was considered as rebellion and the slavery of fear had made men afraid to think.

 

As a country we never really processed what happened during that other “time of useful consciousness”: the candidacy of Hillary Clinton. As Paine wrote, don’t be afraid to think.

As decent Americans, let’s bind our connective tissue and use our “time of useful consciousness” to form a more perfect union. All decent Americans: women, persons of color, LGBTQIA, those who care about wildlife, sealife, nature, climate change, natural disasters, clean air and water, ocean life, Mother Earth—let’s all of us, together, finally use this “time of useful consciousness” to form the more perfect union.

Let’s beat the fascists at their own game, “binding” together, so we don’t fall for anything, and everything, anymore. 🦋

Actress-Director and Singer-Songwriter Cali Lili was skipped several grades (having been tested as reading at college level in grade school) took her first college course in the entire works of Shakespeare, at age 13, never graduated high-school, never even went to a prom, was swooped up, by NYU, then earned her Masters’ Degree on full scholarship with awards / stellar reviews for early works. Follow Cali on Twitter, YouTube and Instagram, and visit her website for more links. More details:

The Cali Lili ™ Band recorded Cali’s original Debut Album:

 “ this female is not yet rated ™️“

 which forms the core of the soundtrack for her debu

Oscars 2020 Contender feature film 🎬

‘eVe N’god this female is not yet rated ™️“  🎬 available on iTunes movies 🍎 Apple TV, Google Play Movies, YouTube movies & Vimeo worldwide. Album available on Apple Music 🍎 Cali sings all vocals, writes all the lyrics, produces & arranges her own songs. She co-writes the music with her partner, the movie  icon Wings Hauser.

Most Recently Cali was hired by award-winning producers to sing one of her songs on camera as the title track for an upcoming documentary. Cali’s on camera recording session was filmed at the legendary “Nightbird Studios” housed in the equally legendary Rock N’ Roll hotel the “Sunset Marquis” in Hollywood. There was thunder and lightning in Hollywood that night. ‘Nuff said.

Stay tuned for the release of that new single, lyrics uploads and more  upcoming movies & music by Cali Lili from her sustainable upcycled SustainableStudio™️  a SurfShackLoFt™️  green space in Venice Beach Los Angeles where Cali composes and releases sustainable movies & music.