Integrating Deep Purposes of Occupy - Occupy Cafe2024-03-28T12:34:08Zhttp://www.occupycafe.org/forum/topics/integrating-deep-purposes-of-occupy?commentId=6451976%3AComment%3A22055&feed=yes&xn_auth=no"[R]eassertion of a common mo…tag:www.occupycafe.org,2012-01-29:6451976:Comment:220552012-01-29T18:35:40.148ZDavid Eggletonhttp://www.occupycafe.org/profile/DavidEggleton
<p><em>"[R]eassertion of a common moral purpose... can only be shown through example and the beauty of Occupy Wall Street was precisely its example of people living together in justice and respect for the movement above each person's private good."</em></p>
<p>The trouble is, it was theater, not sustainable community. In those hard, grey, cold places where life was affirmed, (most of) the lives and everything life-supporting came from off site. Same is mostly true at my house; we're shifting…</p>
<p><em>"[R]eassertion of a common moral purpose... can only be shown through example and the beauty of Occupy Wall Street was precisely its example of people living together in justice and respect for the movement above each person's private good."</em></p>
<p>The trouble is, it was theater, not sustainable community. In those hard, grey, cold places where life was affirmed, (most of) the lives and everything life-supporting came from off site. Same is mostly true at my house; we're shifting the ratio and mean to inspire and involve neighbors, in widening rings.</p>
<p><em>"The achievement was to bring people together to pursue a common purpose, politics, as the most important aspect of their lives."</em></p>
<p>Really? As my other remark suggests, I nominate sustenance and sufficiency for most important aspects.</p>
<p>Am I only splitting hairs? Because you conclude with <em>"</em><span><em>Through weekly or daily or monthly general assemblies or meetings or discussions that keep people talking and acting in public where their words and deeds matter and are listened to,"</em> I don't think so. You'd have us remain <span>dependents with attitude problems, clawing our way to majority status.</span></span></p> Hi Peter;
You call for Occupy…tag:www.occupycafe.org,2012-01-24:6451976:Comment:222332012-01-24T19:37:09.518ZHannah Arendt Centerhttp://www.occupycafe.org/profile/HannahArendtCenter
<p>Hi Peter;</p>
<p>You call for Occupy Wall St. to "facilitate the development of a common moral purpose." That is a pressing need and a tall order. Montesquieu understood that virtue was the very essence, the lifeblood, of a republic; he also saw that once virtue was lost, it was incredibly hard to restore. Virtue, in a republic, is the willingness to put the common good above your personal good. I don't think virtue is fully lost in the US, but it is in danger of being lost. What Occupy…</p>
<p>Hi Peter;</p>
<p>You call for Occupy Wall St. to "facilitate the development of a common moral purpose." That is a pressing need and a tall order. Montesquieu understood that virtue was the very essence, the lifeblood, of a republic; he also saw that once virtue was lost, it was incredibly hard to restore. Virtue, in a republic, is the willingness to put the common good above your personal good. I don't think virtue is fully lost in the US, but it is in danger of being lost. What Occupy stands for, as I understand it, is the reassertion of a common moral purpose. That can't be taught in maxims. It can only be shown through example and the beauty of Occupy Wall Street was precisely its example of people living together in justice and respect for the movement above each person's private good. The achievement was to bring people together to pursue a common purpose, politics, as the most important aspect of their lives. <br/><br/>Occupy needs to somehow institutionalize that practice and experience, a tall order. Through weekly or daily or monthly general assemblies or meetings or discussions that keep people talking and acting in public where their words and deeds matter and are listened to. That in itself would be a huge accomplishment.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.hannaharendtcenter.org/" target="_blank">http://www.hannaharendtcenter.org/</a></p> Kevin Annett speaks of eviden…tag:www.occupycafe.org,2012-01-23:6451976:Comment:222212012-01-23T20:54:43.617ZNDThttp://www.occupycafe.org/profile/NDT
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lWz8iWx2Ws" target="_blank">Kevin Annett</a> speaks of evidence of serious abuse of Canadian natives by Christian institutions.Unless this evil is addressed a common moral understanding is impossible, IMO.</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lWz8iWx2Ws" target="_blank">Kevin Annett</a> speaks of evidence of serious abuse of Canadian natives by Christian institutions.Unless this evil is addressed a common moral understanding is impossible, IMO.</p>
<p></p> I believe it would be practic…tag:www.occupycafe.org,2012-01-20:6451976:Comment:220092012-01-20T13:35:03.271ZDavid Eggletonhttp://www.occupycafe.org/profile/DavidEggleton
<p>I believe it would be practical as well as moral to shift the basis of our lives steadily from consumption in the anywhere economy (aka the big inhumane system) to production in our respective communities/regions. Without life-supporting interdependencies of our own making and in our care, we remain dependents with attitude problems, subject to discipline and/or manipulation.</p>
<p>Because such efforts are so far relatively rare, voluntarily simplifying and slowing our lives can have the…</p>
<p>I believe it would be practical as well as moral to shift the basis of our lives steadily from consumption in the anywhere economy (aka the big inhumane system) to production in our respective communities/regions. Without life-supporting interdependencies of our own making and in our care, we remain dependents with attitude problems, subject to discipline and/or manipulation.</p>
<p>Because such efforts are so far relatively rare, voluntarily simplifying and slowing our lives can have the most immediate and widespread effects, while creating space for learning from and with each other, and growing understanding of how best to arrange our unique communities for the high quality of life that will help us forget our former standard of living.</p>