Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ben Roberts on October 23, 2011 at 4:50am

I like the framing of "solutions" versus "demands," and the educational focus as well.  And I like all these suggestions as well.  There is an interesting thread going in the Core Conversations discussion about the whole question of "demands," by the way.  Your basic question of "what solutions should be offered" seems like a nice framing for a core conversation.  Personally, I prefer "might" to "should." 

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Permalink Reply by Paul Bernstein, Ph.D. on October 23, 2011 at 8:23am

Hi Ben,--  Yes, please feel free to transfer this thread into the "Core Conversations" basket.  It probably would be seen sooner there, and by more site visitors; and thereby could gather more concrete additions and high quality honing-revisions.

Thanks to you for setting up this site, which could result in much benefit to the planet.

Appreciatively,

Paul     

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Permalink Reply by David Eggleton on October 24, 2011 at 12:46pm

Turns and approaches to wholeness of all persons and all places, featuring community and bioregional systems that recognize, appreciate and nourish natural/given differences and uniquenesses.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Bernstein, Ph.D. on October 24, 2011 at 1:14pm

Thanks very much, David.  Can you point me towards any writings that describe cases where that has been implemented, please?

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Permalink Reply by David Eggleton on October 24, 2011 at 1:20pm

It's largely a vision, Paul.  Transition initiatives are many, by no means all, of the cases-in-progress.

Stephen R. Covey has been working on the person portion of it ("interdependence is a higher value than independence") for some time.  The 8th Habit (2004) is the best of his books concerning it.  The eighth habit is an upgrade of his better-known seven, stated as "find your voice and inspire others to find theirs."  The fit of that with Occupy is evident.

My extension of it (The 9th Habit, if I could) is "find your voice and place on the planet, and inspire others to find theirs."

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Permalink Reply by David Eggleton on October 24, 2011 at 1:50pm

A little more must be said in reply.  Changes of direction (turns) can be immediate, but approaches by entities of all sorts to wholeness will take considerable commitment, attention, energy and time.  We've been taking apart what we were given for a long time, and lately we've had help for that from ancient sunlight of which we'll have less and less as we proceed.

I agree with a number of your suggestions, by the way.  I wished to add to the nominees.

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Permalink Reply by Jitendra Darling on October 28, 2011 at 2:42am

Hi Paul - All powerful and necessary conversations.  The OWS General Assembly has constructed The 99% Declaration which is the most interesting concrete action plan I've seen to date.  The gist of this plan is to convene a National General Assembly in Philadelphia on July 4, 1012 to address the contents of a Declaration outlined in the link above.  Though this document fits into your post, I'm going begin a new thread in the Core Conversation section as it warrants a discussion in its own right.

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Permalink Reply by Pat on October 29, 2011 at 3:07am

I certainly agree that the Declaration be put in the Core Conversation section.  It being widely circulated, commented and debated.  Thank you, Paul, for sharing that link!

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Permalink Reply by Paul Bernstein, Ph.D. on November 12, 2011 at 12:49pm

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Permalink Reply by Paul Bernstein, Ph.D. on October 29, 2011 at 9:38am

And here now is MAJORITY USA support for several of the OWS concerns and demands -- (reported Oct. 25 from nationwide polls by CBS, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal): 

• 67 percent of Americans think it would be a “bad idea” to lower taxes on large corporations.
• 66 percent of Americans think the distribution of money and wealth in this country should be “more evenly distributed among more people.”
• 65 percent of Americans think taxes should be raised on millionaires.

A plurality of the USA explicitly supports the OWS/99% movement -- 

• 46 percent of Americans think the 99 Percent Movement “reflect[s] the views of most Americans,” compared to just 34 percent who say it does not.
• 43 percent of Americans agree with the views of protesters, compared to just 27 percent who disagree.

And a majority of even the WEALTHY support higher taxes on millionaires --

• 68 percent of millionaire investors support raising taxes on millionaires.
• 61 percent of investors with a net worth of more than $5 million support raising taxes on millionaires.

 

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Permalink Reply by Paul Bernstein, Ph.D. on October 29, 2011 at 9:09pm

Here is a fairly wide-ranging list of reform options being discussed nowadays at OccupyBoston --  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHhSSGl1dnVsVF...   It might be helpful to lend it to other Occupy locales.   As you see, it is phrased as a Survey, designed by Mr. Joshua Sager, to guage the community's current preferences, as he explains in the following disclaimer: 

                  NOTE: THIS IS NOT AN OFFICIAL OR BINDING SURVEY. I AM DOING THIS AS AN INDIVIDUAL TO PRESENT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SO THAT THERE CAN BE A MORE REFINED DISCUSSION ON OUR EVENTUAL GOALS AND PRINCIPLES.   As we have yet to decide upon a set mission statement or series of guiding principles, I am sending this survey out in order to gauge the views of the Occupy Boston protesters. I have attempted to represent every major issue that I have encountered while talking with the other Occupy Boston protesters over the past ten days and put them into a rating system.  Please use the below form to make your opinions on the issues known so that I can bring this to the GA in the future. If you know anybody who is unable to attend the protests, please send this to them because odds are, they are part of the 99% as well and deserve to have their voices heard.  Thanks, Joshua Sager   Contacts for suggestions: jsager99@gmail.com               

 

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Permalink Reply by Robert Riversong on October 30, 2011 at 9:04pm

Proposing "solutions" requires, first, that problems be clearly identified. It appears by your proposals, that you see the problem as an insufficiently responsive political system, which is a very narrow perspective that has failed efforts at real change for centuries.

Our current political system has self-organized to support our - now-global - economic system (with the military and police as the enforcement arm), which is based on the objectified, analytical and reductionist paradigm upon which all modern culture has been built. The problem is not who pulls the levers of power or whom they serve, but the very machine which we no longer question: the modern Deus ex machina which insists that all problems can be "solved" by technical solutions.

When global humanity is faced with the multiple, colliding perfect storms of a crashing economy, a corrupt polity, failed social support systems, an irreversibly changing climate, decimation of the life-support capabilities of the ecosphere, and a human-induced great extinction of species - it is way past the time to look for political or economic reforms. 

This Titanic ship of culture has hit the iceberg. We thought it was indestructible, but we need to abandon ship and get into more sea-worthy lifeboats. Otherwise, we're just re-arranging deck chairs.

 

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