[discuss-dan] Re: Matrix

[allenbutcher@netzero.net]

Doug
A few more quick thoughts in response to your comments (realizing 
that what is quick for me may not be for you!):

--- In discuss-dan@y..., "Doug Bohm" <doug@d...> wrote:
> Allen,
> snip <
> The inherent dilemma I see is a white male with
> his elaborate plan (which I am not judging the content of) to save 
the
> world, attempting to shape the debate in a very confined, narrow 
way.  
> snip <
> We CAN escape the Matrix, but I'm not gonna pretend that a white
> savior-Jesus-Neo individual (and I'm not suggesting you are) will 
come up
> with an end all, beat all solution to our predicament.  


Since you mention the issue of spirituality, I can say that that has 
been one of my concentrations, as a way to relate spirituality to 
community, or to give nominally secular intentional community a 
spiritual context.  It is simply the idea that since monetary 
economic values of possessiveness and competition represent 
materialistic values, then in contrast, the time economy values of 
sharing and cooperation represent spiritual values.  The idea is that 
in community we use material resources not for materialistic values 
but in support of the spiritual values inherent in communitarianism 
(i.e., sharing and cooperation).  Thus, I coined the term "material 
spirituality" to refer to that concept of sharing material wealth.


> snip <
> It is going to take
> a mass collective effort and that starts with mobilizing the masses 
toward a
> common goal.  If that common goal is a just, sustainable & creative
> environment free of oppression, THEN we can start having an open,
> consensus-building dialogue en masse about how to get to that goal.


I think that arriving at "a common goal" is important, but that a 
"common goal" is only half of the requirment for "mobilizing the 
masses."  

For the common goal requirement I offer the basic idea of cooperation 
and sharing, what I call the "plenty paradigm" as a replacement for 
the capitalist goals of possessiveness and competition, or what I 
call the "scarcity paradigm" (i.e., the capitalistic goals of 
monopoly, and of placing a price tag on everything and restricting 
the supply, creating artificial scarcity, price inflation and profit 
maximization).  The effort here is to get to the most elemental, most 
fundamental issue that, when understood, permits people to make the 
change in awareness (like a cognitive toggle switch) from one way of 
living to another, more positive lifestyle.  

What is required is being able to express that more positive 
lifestyle in ways that people can accept, such that they can 
internalize those new values, making them their own.  For some that 
may be through spirituality, for others through philosophical ideals, 
and for others through the basic material concerns of having our 
needs met and the potential for enjoying various luxuries (like a 
shorter work week, for example).  I often refer to the benefits of 
sharing and cooperation as being forms of "communitarian luxuries," 
and the systems of sharing and cooperation as being processes of 
"rational altruism."

Given that different people are motivated by different things, I 
think that it is just as likely that the "mobilization of the masses" 
may happen through a plethora of different goals, such as the Ten Key 
Values of the Green Party, which essentially include the entire range 
of liberal and progressive concerns.

And I suspect that you agree that the "mobilization of the masses" is 
best carried out in a decentralized manner.  This would involve a  
primary emphasis upon affinity groups, rather than some monolithic 
organizing principle, although of course, there is a role for basic 
principles, as I suggest above.  Various affinity groups would 
organize around different concerns (spiritual, dietary preference, 
philosophical concepts like "sustainability," sexual preference, 
political ideals like "anarchism," ethnic ancestry, skills and 
professions, or whatever).

And I think that the Green Party is illustrative of the mass movement 
dynamic of needing both a diversity of issues and goals and, at the 
same time, an overall focal point.  The Green Party struggled for 
over 20 years in this country, with all its 10 values pulling in 
different directions, then suddenly with Ralph Nader's candidacy in 
the Presidential Election the Green Party shot up to the largest 3rd 
party in the country.

The role of the Direct Action Network, I tend to think, would be to 
find and maintain that balance between simple, basic cognitive 
understanding of and education about the vision of a positive world 
view or paradigm, and the diversity of issue campaigns that motivate 
people to work toward that vision.

So what do you suppose is the chance that the Denver DAN could 
develop a process for arriving at a common vision ... wait, the 
Denver DAN does have a vision or mission statement, doesn't it?  
Where is my Denver DAN brochure ....


> snip <
> I commend you on your well-researched work.  But it's a little 
dry.  It
> lacks the usual inclusion of humor, quotes, examples and dramatic 
license
> that other literary-types utilize to hold our attention.  
> snip <
> dougRANTula


Yes, of course, the skill of entertaining while educating is one that 
I greatly respect, but have not adequately cultivated.  I'm aware of 
the need, and do a little here and there, but not enough.  You are an 
inspiration!

Making the world safe for the Plenty Paradigm, 
in service of Material Spirituality,
through Rational Altruism,
Allen


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