Bcc: contributors
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Date: Sun, 13 Jul 2003 11:19:38 -0700
From: lynette <•••@••.•••>
Subject: Re: Total Despair & The Queen of Hearts
To: •••@••.•••
re: Denial
People who do not have the privilege of a university education and who still
have the capacity to critically think, are I think from my experiences,
quite cognizant of the corruption of governments, the media etc. They
however, also realize they still are part of a capitalistic system with few
safety nets any longer, and that they have to eke a living out within the
system. To attack their bread and butter openly would place themselves and
their families at imminent risk. Few are willing to do this because at some
level they recognize the precariousness of such action. Also, the blue
collar segment of society recognizes the power for one, of the police and
realize that the fairness of law really only subscribes to those with power
and money. If one has ever been poor, and few educated people have been,
then one can understand the major reluctance of people to jeopardize what
little security they possess. They will not do it, I believe, until the
bottom line is finally felt.
Further, I work with people who all have university degrees who will not go
where I will go in thought, at least out loud, simply because they are
afraid. 911 was a major shock for many people who were/are only too happy
to use the Arab world as the scapegoat without thinking too hard about other
connections. Most of us are constrained from political activity within the
workplace, and political correctness has been refined to ensure that nothing
be said that might upset anyone. So yes, I agree that people do not want to
hear anything that 'might rock their worlds'. So unless some major
ecological catastrophe happens, the elite may have their agenda for world
fascism fulfilled, and all my university educated colleagues will then wring
their hands and moan. There are also those who will 'pony up to the gate'
and get in line to see how they can integrate into the power structure. As
the spiritual visionaries say, the forces of darkness will align to fight
those of light. People will choose their sides when the time is right, and
it is not yet.
If one does not know they are in a prison, then how can one plan their
escape?
Re: Nuclear weapons- perhaps they are not the threat we should be worrying
about at this point. The ecological balance of this planet is more crucial
to our survival at this point. We cannot live without water, food or
shelter. Grandmother Earth may yet circumvent the plans for global
domination. I agree with you Richard, that we have no input into decisions
about development of anything that might be a hazard to us. I am not even
sure that I want to know what they play around with in secret laboratories,
etc. these days- or what has escaped- or will escape to our detriment.
The point I am trying to make, is that there are too many aspects to
conjecture about in relation to our current situation. It is uncomfortable
for many to even admit that the whole idea of democratic ideals they believe
still hold sway, no longer really matter or apply. We are only being
allowed to vote to give the illusion of democracy. Our governments have
been long bought and sold. We live in a world that is pretty much
corrupted. The only thing that I feel I have real control of at the end of
the day, is my decision to be as good a human being, as possible and to live
in balance with the earth as best as possible given the kind of societies we
have engendered.
Sincerely,
Lynette
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Dear Lynette,
You speak for many, and eloquently. The chances of changing
anything seem remote; we must each make an accommodation
with the system in order to survive; we strive to have a
happy life in the midst of all; our head aches if we think
too much about how things might change.
And yet many of us feel we have no choice but to be cheeky
-- to struggle for our collective liberation as best we can,
despite all odds. And there are some things to take
encouragement from. For one thing, the masses of people all
over the world are coming to realize the bankruptcy of the
current system and the fragility of our environment. Even
those of us in the privileged West are losing our illusions
and realizing that we too are on the chopping block for
accelerated exploitation.
I believe that the historical conditions are ripe for a mass
waking up. The anti-globalization movement, and the massive
anti-Iraq-war demonstrations are evidence of that. This
idea continues in the next item below.
thanks for your contribution,
rkm
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To: Tom Atlee <•••@••.•••>
From: "Richard K. Moore" <•••@••.•••>
Subject: re: Nice response
7/13/03, Tom Atlee wrote:
> I've just been exploring the nonviolent strategies that
preceded Lexington/Concord in the American revolution.
Interesting how close they came to success before the "shot
heard round the world" destroyed all the progress that had
been made. It seems a similar thing happened in Russia,
where the army was alienated from the Czar and siding with
the workers until the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks convinced
general strike leaders to get violent, at which point the
army turned against the workers and the rest is history.
> There are specifics about "the people waking up" that we
need to understand more about. ..
Dear Tom,
Yes, and there is much we already know that is useful. For
example: waking up, when it happens, is non-linear. By
that, I mean it comes as a surprise, happens all at once.
The conditions are there, certainly, but they were there for
a long time and nothing happened. It's like dry grass which
survives many hot days, but then one day catches fire and
hundreds of acres are burned.
Consider how surprisingly the sixties arose. There was the
war, and there was the vacuum of the fifties, but only a few
were waking up. Then came Joan Baez & Bob Dylan (among
others) and within a few years we had flower children,
Haight Ashbury, and massive demonstrations. Suddenly, "The
Times They Were a'Changin". The shift in spirit was
palpable and there was no real center or leader or party or
cadre. Non-linear in time; non-hierarchical in structure;
outside the system in spirit.
You say we only have 20 years before it's too late. I think
that's a very long time. And the grass is very dry. My
concern is less with "Will a fire start?" than with "Will it
be the right fire?".
Because another thing we know about the examples you cited, and
nearly all others like them, is that popular movements which
make serious headway usually get taken over by elites with
their own agendas.
My thinking goes like this:
(1) Assume there WILL be a mass waking up. Otherwise none
of our work can amount to anything.
(2) When that happens the important question will be: Are
the correct seeds available?
(3) By correct seeds I mean revolutionary ideas which:
(a) can resist co-option
(b) can deal with suppression
(c) envision a sustainable world
(d) envision a genuinely democratic world
(e) embody their goals in their revolutionary process
Reform ideas might help us in the short run, but in a mass
waking up they become dangerous distractions. They
encourage compromise when victory is possible. And
compromise with elites ALWAYS leads to an elite resurgence
further down the road.
So my focus is always on the moment of waking up: how to
encourage that moment and how that moment can become
transformative.
cheers,
rkm
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The system is the problem.
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