What is to be done?

[ouroboros]

I would imagine that the vast majority of people who are interested in the topics with which this forum is concerned already share an intense distaste for what is happening in contemporary Western society, so we can take that as a given. The war against the individual which we've been witnessing in America over the last two years is just a new phase in a process that began long ago, in fact, long before "America" even existed as a nation. The question is, once one sees the situation around us with clarity, what is the right way to deal with it? Must we all become revolutionaries? Should we all drop out of society and form communes in the mountains? Or should we follow Julius Evola's advice to "ride the tiger," remaining engaged with the everyday reality of postmodern society whilst trying to keep its debilitating spiritual effects at bay? I'm curious to hear what others think about this.

[Argon Steele]

recent political events in this country make me consider a move to Mexico

[Anita]

I don't think there is a "one size fits all"philosophy or way for us.We are like snowflakes,all unique yet fitting perfectly into the whole of what "G-d"is.I would recommend prayer,and also a book by Gregg Braden,The Isaiah effect Decoding the lost science of prayer and prophecy.Thom Hartmanns stuff is always good.
Theun Mares Toltec Teaching series is helpful in getting a discipline going.And of course Miguel Ruizs' Four agreements.
These are all fairly easy reads and I mention them because these authors and their writings have helped strengthen my "knowledge"of the power Love has to transform not only ones own life but also those whom we "touch"in our daily life.
Daniels DPT experience was interesting,For me,my own horror experience totally changed my life.I know that pure evil exists now,but I also know that love is real and it is the only thing that can break the hold that these programing tendril
{gross yuck retch}things have on us.
The coolest thing is that once love and grace comes into our life it aquires a life of its own,it just grows and grows,eternity shows us little glimpses of the utter perfection of ? G-D?
Time slows down a little,beauty is all around us.
Reading through the other posts I see David Ickes name mentioned.I choose to stay away from his writings,not because I am at odds with his theory,don't know enough about it,but simply because my intent is to stay within the loving spirit and what little I have read by him is so cold and there is so much fear there.
I have found that it is of utmost importance to keep a clear discipline in what we choose to feed our consciousness.

[daniel]

ouroborus writes: " The question is, once one sees the situation around us with clarity, what is the right way to deal with it? "

I think that is the big question right now, the one that is haunting me. I was inspired by attending the last Bioneers Conference (www.bioneers.org), which seeks practical solutions and alternative paradigms for many of our ecological and social problems. The visionaries who spoke at the conference included Paul Hawken, Frithof Capra, John Todd, Naomi Klein, Jeremy Narby, and many others. Check out their website to learn about amazing initiatives and ideas.

Their newsletter noted a 3 part program offered by Buddhist writer Joanne Macy, which I have adapted:

1. Fight to slow down the current level of ecological and military destruction. Work inside and outside the system to do this.

2. Develop alternative paradigms, ideas, and even technologies that can be tested and implemented.

3. Work toward cultivating a change in heart and consciousness in yourself and those you are capable of influencing.

I think this is a logical way of breaking down what needs to be done. The first part includes NGO work and local activism. The third part -- cultivating a change of heart -- is the least tangible, but crucial.

The second part interests me the most right now. It obviously includes the necessity of developing alternative energy systems, local community supported agriculture, distribution systems for independent media and news sources. But it also includes more radical and transformative ideas.

One of these, developed in Bernard Lietaer's book "The Future of Money," is the implementation of new types of currency. Lietaer, formerly a big-shot currency speculator, notes that money is, ultimately, an agreement. Our current monetary system is based on agreements that wire in competitive and Darwinian values. He is trying to develop supplementary currencies that create different value structures based on connectedness and exchange. Some of them are already working - such as Ithaca Dollars, a time-barter currency.

There are many incisive ideas for transforming business models and practices in the book, Natural Capitalism by Paul Hawken and Amory Lowins. However, Hawken's speech at the Bioneers was very pessimistic. He basically feels that it is not possible to work with the corporations anymore, who take "sustainability" as a buzzword without changing their real destuctive practices. Many of the Bioneers felt this way, suggesting that only a real collapse of the current system, difficult as it is to imagine, has the possibility of leading to constructive social and environmental change.

However, there are reasons to think that such a collapse is not at all unlikely. The essays in Jerry Manders' excellent anthology "The Case Against the Globalized Economy" show how divorced the current system has become from real human needs and possibilities. The transformation of currency speculation into a feverish "global casino" has already ruined the economies of many countries. The excesses of global corporate rule are unsustainable, even in the short term.

More on this topic later...

[daniel]

ouroborus writes: " The question is, once one sees the situation around us with clarity, what is the right way to deal with it? "

I think that is the big question right now, the one that is haunting me. I was inspired by attending the last Bioneers Conference (www.bioneers.org), which seeks practical solutions and alternative paradigms for many of our ecological and social problems. The visionaries who spoke at the conference included Paul Hawken, Frithof Capra, John Todd, Naomi Klein, Jeremy Narby, and many others. Check out their website to learn about amazing initiatives and ideas.

Their newsletter noted a 3 part program offered by Buddhist writer Joanne Macy, which I have adapted:

1. Fight to slow down the current level of ecological and military destruction. Work inside and outside the system to do this.

2. Develop alternative paradigms, ideas, and even technologies that can be tested and implemented.

3. Work toward cultivating a change in heart and consciousness in yourself and those you are capable of influencing.

I think this is a logical way of breaking down what needs to be done. The first part includes NGO work and local activism. The third part -- cultivating a change of heart -- is the least tangible, but crucial.

The second part interests me the most right now. It obviously includes the necessity of developing alternative energy systems, local community supported agriculture, distribution systems for independent media and news sources. But it also includes more radical and transformative ideas.

One of these, developed in Bernard Lietaer's book "The Future of Money," is the implementation of new types of currency. Lietaer, formerly a big-shot currency speculator, notes that money is, ultimately, an agreement. Our current monetary system is based on agreements that wire in competitive and Darwinian values. He is trying to develop supplementary currencies that create different value structures based on connectedness and exchange. Some of them are already working - such as Ithaca Dollars, a time-barter currency.

There are many incisive ideas for transforming business models and practices in the book, Natural Capitalism by Paul Hawken and Amory Lowins. However, Hawken's speech at the Bioneers was very pessimistic. He basically feels that it is not possible to work with the corporations anymore, who take "sustainability" as a buzzword without changing their real destuctive practices. Many of the Bioneers felt this way, suggesting that only a real collapse of the current system, difficult as it is to imagine, has the possibility of leading to constructive social and environmental change.

However, there are reasons to think that such a collapse is not at all unlikely. The essays in Jerry Manders' excellent anthology "The Case Against the Globalized Economy" show how divorced the current system has become from real human needs and possibilities. The transformation of currency speculation into a feverish "global casino" has already ruined the economies of many countries. The excesses of global corporate rule are unsustainable, even in the short term.

More on this topic later...

[daniel]

In a further response to Ouroburus’s plea, I have sketched out briefly my model of an alternative paradigm for our future. Anyone in any community or professional strata in the US could choose to work on some elements of this paradigm through local organizing, reading or discussion groups, etcetera. All of the parts are linked together.

If anybody is interested, they can critique this, make fun of it, add more details, or ask me for clarification.

1. Energy

Move quickly toward renewable, localized energy systems that will decentralize "power" on all levels.

We need an immediate call for a "Marshall Plan" or "Apollo Project" for clean non-fossil fuel-based energy. This plan must also call for free sharing of new energy technologies with the developing world for purposes of reducing global warming.

If you don’t comprehend how dire the climate and energy situation is, read Gelbspan’s "The Heat Is On," Ed Ayres’ "God Last Offer," Duffeyes’ "Hubbert’s Peak," or Thom Hartmann's "The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight."

2. Economics and environment

Test new currencies that create different values. Bernard Letaier’s "The Future of Money." Letaier writes, "Money is an agreement." The ultimate model is an altruistic or gift-based economic system.

Return to the local – reinvest in the local. Rebuild local communities and suport networks. (One fantasy: Create "deconditioning" centers in abandoned factories and warehouses on the outskirts of cities that offer workshops, with the "T-A-Z" ambience of Burning Man’s Center Cafe)

Take away legal rights and protections from corporations through state charters.
Tax and limit use of "natural capital" which businesses get for free.

Prioritize bioremediation and the healing of the biosphere. Accelerated climate change is going to necessitate a new way of thinking about natural systems, and very creative approaches. (www.bioneers.org)

"Ecological design": Mimicking nature to build systems and industries that create zero-waste (John Todd, William McDonogue).

Take the word "Conservative" away from the Republicans, who are leading us on a path of radical destruction.

Deconstruct the post-industrial notion of "Work." There is never going to be anything approaching full employment again. The whole point of automation was to reduce the amount of labor – yet Capitalism couldn’t handle that paradox, so we developed a system of "irrational rationality," institutionalizing false needs and suppressing real ones (Herbert Marcuse’s "One-Dimensional Man"). We need new values and social codes for constructing a meaningful "post-work" world.

3. Time

Change our conception of time. Escape the accelerating linear time of modern culture, which is speeding us to destruction. Arguelles’ calendar change movement. www.tortuga.com. (http://www.tortuga.com.) I take this as a metaphor, an art piece in a way, but a very effective one. Like money, time is an agreement – or, as Arguelles says, a "frequency."

4. Spirituality

Return to the shamanic/spiritual/ceremonial as a basic aspect of human existence. The natural and the supernatural, the physical and spiritual realms, are meshed together. (Rene Guenon: The Great Triad of "Heaven, Earth, Man.")

Integrate modern scientific knowledge and ancient spiritual wisdom.

Use of vision-producing plants and substances as catalysts for individual transformation. Ceremonial use to connect with "elemental beings" and "astral machinery." (Santo Daime and Unaio de Vegetales)

Other ways of expanding consciousness: Vipassana meditation centers, yoga, Chi Qong, reading groups, etcetera. A good aspect of globalization is the movement toward new, syncretic forms of spiritual development.

Take Christ back from the Fundamentalists. Christ says give away your possessions, go walking. Love your neighbor – love your enemy.

5. Culture

Change cultural values. Deglamourize the celebrity, the Ego.

Move to a culture of participation rather than representation or alienation.
(Inspiration belongs to everybody: "You are a genius all the time" - Kerouac).

Reverse the nihilistic polarity of this culture. "Reversal is the movement of the Tao."

Gregory Bateson: "Toward an Ecology of Mind": What we have now is an "ecology of bad ideas" that proliferate like weeds. How do we create a different "ecology of mind"?

Media: We need new structures of information that impart what is most important and has real value for the individual’s life. (Imagine the cultural impact if the Times had a daily "Ecology" section instead of a "Sports" section.). Sophisticated ideas must be presented in clear, comprehensible language.

Use shame and ridicule as tools to deflate the current ruling elite.

6. Technology

Reevaluate the effect of technologies on society.

Any new technology should be evaluated for its social and environmental effects before being implemented.

Instead of the "fast, cheap" nonrenewable technologies currently used, we are going to have to switch to a "cradle to grave" system, where companies are responsible for all of the components they use. (This is already being done in Germany – see Hawken’s "Natural Capitalism") Technology will be designed to create the minimal amount of waste. No more dumping of mountains of discarded computers on Third World countries! The Earth’s capacity for waste-absorbing "sinkholes" has already been exceeded.

Science has to become a science of total systems. (Frithof Capra’s "The Hidden Connections")

[K.J]

Daniel,

There's all sorts of great stuff in your Alternative Paradigm post. I'll take more time to ponder it and give my input.

My first thought is that the spirituality portion is the most important of the whole. The integration of the ideas on spirituality you present will naturally lead to a positive discourse on the other paradigm shifts you laid out.

I also wanted to ask, are you familiar with the Island Foundation? They are working towards building a culture similar to what Aldous Huxley imagined in his last novel "Island". Check out www.island.org. (http://www.island.org.)

Jeremy

[Argon Steele]

Sounds good but how to get there, how to get there?

unfortunatly I think the only way is through radical change. It will happen because the system is just unsustainable, but it's going to be ugly. The ruling elite isn't just going to hand over the reigns, and in case you didn't notice they have alot of weapons. Democracy doesn't work anymore...

actually the main problem is really just the stock market. By divorcing fincancial speculation from responsibility, in a culture like ours where materialism is really the only religion, we are dooming ourselves to massive environmental and social disaster. Maybe we could just shut it down, give everyone their money back and say, 'here, invest it in the REAL world." Right, and if any political canidate were to suggest that they'd end up in a small plane over minessota.

you know, each to their own ability. I've always felt art and religion were the best way to affect people, so i pursue that path, but it's very difficult. We all do what we can, I made a turn-on film, drive an electric golf cart, want to move back to the woods, but in my heart I still have some belief in the political process. Probably the most effective thing we can all do is work very, very hard in the next democratic primary.

[michael heany]

An important book to read is "The Skeptical Environemtalist". The basis thesis of the book is that the environment, contrary to popular opinion, is in many respects *getting better*. I cannot honestly comment on the analysis of the data therein, but I was impressed by the fact that the author had been for a long while committed to the current alarmist mindset; he purposed to his students that they ought take apart some of the objections proposed in a book he had found that was skeptical of many current claims of the dire status of the world; to his surprise, he found that the claims in the book were well-grounded. He discovered that his earlier fundamental pessimism was not based on the facts of the matter.

Even without reading the book, it is important to remember that the environemtalist agenda itself functions as an orthodoxy, and thus there is the ever-present danger that it will, albeit unwittingly, put forward claims that are highly speculative or just downright false in the name of a goal that they *know* must be achieved.

[Argon Steele]

ps, wanted to say Daniel that I did like your suggestions. I know you're working to be constructive and those are all excellent ideas.

also wanted to mention David C. Korten as excellent analysis of why the problem really is the stock market.

http://www.davidkorten.org/

[daniel]

michael,

I think The SKeptical Environmentalist has been pretty thoroughly debunked. Here is one place to read about it:

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=00000B96-9517-1CDA-B4A8809EC588EEDF

What happens these days is 100 books come out with reasonable arguments, one book comes out that supports the untenable industry position on the environment, and that book gets a huge amount of play.

It is the same tactic in newspaper articles on Global Warming: 2,500 climate scientists agree it is happening, is disastrous, may be accelerating or soon to cause a sudden "snap" in the climate. A few industry-supported scientists say the opposite, and their perspectives are given equal weight in every article. That is one of many ways real information is obscured in our system.

[michael heany]

Lomborg doesn't say that global warming isn't disastrous or won't be costly; but he does question the efficacy of the radical remedies now being proposed.

The problem with the review in Scientific America is that it is made by those who already have much invested (psychologically and maybe monetarily) in the orthodox view, and it's hardly suprising and actually quite predictable that what they say about the book is one-sidely negative.

I see a parallel with my recent reading of psychic phenomena. A man puts out a book that defies the orthodox view of things. If you read Scientific American, you read a negative review. If you don't read the book and you unquestioningly go along with the current view of things, you will see the review as just another objective dismissal of a crackpot idea.

But what happens when you read the book? You might see it differently. You might now see that review as a distortion and a polemic meant to stamp out the mere hint of heresy.

But I do think that when a book arrives on the scene and is a subject of much debate and it touches on themes that are central to a given reader's interests, he really ought to read that book, not looking some much at the numbers but at the argumentation, and then ask himslef anew: have I been thinking for myself or has the Orthodoxy been thinking for me?

It's difficult to do. For example, have I only exchanged one orthodoxy for another? In a way. Now that I see psychic phenomena as a real thing, I very eager to read those works that are sympathetic to this view, rationalizing to myself that "here is an open-minded scientist who has seen the light"; whereas when I come upon some debunking book, I think to myself "here's someone with a closed mind, afraid of radical change".

In these matters, where experts throw numbers back and forth, realy what can you do? Throw up your hands and put your tent down in the camp that's most comfortable.

[daniel]

With environmental matters, there is the question of the "precautionary principle." If it is possible that the current policies are causing the critical life support systems of the planet to collapse, as many experts in many fields now say, that should outweigh the concerns of industry.

As Paul Hakwen recently told a group of corporate execs: "How do you make a cost benefit analysis for being the last generation on earth?"

[sidecross]

"…As Paul Hakwen recently told a group of corporate execs: "How do you make a cost benefit analysis for being the last generation on earth?"

It may be necessary to assimilate that our efforts to prevent our species' extinction may fail. I by no means find this a desperate or a morbid outlook or an excuse not to do what has been said on these posts. Instead, understanding this possibility may act as an inoculation of our ego against attachment to outcomes. It is only after such inoculation that good intentions may contribute less to our current problems.

It is not hard to see that good intentions have caused much of the mess our species finds itself in. Daniel's book is a credit to those who will not stop investigating who we think we are.

[ouroboros]

Daniel, thanks for your thoughts...I think yours is one of the most complete "manifestos" I've ever read of its nature. I agree with most of what you said (on some points I don't really have enough knowledge to judge, but they sound good!). I guess, however, that I remain pessimistic about the possibility of seeing all (or even most) of these ideas implemented in any significant way. It's one thing to talk about taking on the corporations, and another to really do it. David, I think you were "right on" in your discussion of the meaning of the '60s in BOTH, about it being a rare moment of revolution as the West was caught in transition between economic systems. But by now the whole corporate structure seems so firmly in place...is really meaningful change possible? There's another magisterial book from the '60s, Jacques Ellul's "Technological Society," that I frequently refer to in my thoughts on our predicament. In there, he talks about how even resistance against the prevailing culture was being turned into a commodity. I think we see this manifest today in the teenage kid who believes he's actually striking a blow for resistance by wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt that he bought at the mall. Even most of the hippies I've known, who turned out to be just as full of prejudice as anyone else, were a lot more into the style than any greater meaning behind what they were doing. How do you get beyond mere image on a mass scale these days, where everything has to come prepackaged?

Perhaps I'm just trying to justify my own political apathy. I do vote and follow the news as best I can, but I've just never been able to motivate myself to volunteer for Greenpeace or the Peace Corps or whatever, just because I see it all as being like trying to seal up a bullet wound with a band-aid. I tend to think that what you said about "acting locally" and working on one's spiritual aspect as being the most important things one can do, in the hope that patches of light will survive the deluge. I think the present system can only end by burning itself out eventually, I really don't hold out any hope for meaningful change from within the system.

On a different subject, a couple of you made comments about the badness of the Republicans and the goodness of the Democrats. I really don't see much difference between them. On a few issues, the Democrats may be MARGINALLY more enlightened than the Republicans. But we just had 8 years of Clinton, the most successful Democratic President since JFK, and did he really do that much to halt the "radical destruction" Daniel mentions? I saw Gore interviewed recently and he said that he fully agrees with Bush's stance on Iraq and on the Department of Homeland Security. So I really wonder if we would be in a significantly better situation if Gore had won the 2000 election. The very process by which America develops its political leaders would seem to preclude the possibility of anyone truly revolutionary getting elected. You have to be a part of the "network" to get anywhere. Just ask the Greens and the Libertarians.

[ouroboros]

I was just rereading your posts, Daniel, and one of your statements struck me: "Take the word 'conservative' away from the Republicans." I was wondering what you meant by this. After all, in Europe "conservative" can often mean Julius Evola or Rene Guenon, two thinkers who are dear to the "New Right" (nothing like the supposed "neo-conservatives" in America, BTW) in most European countries. As near as I can tell, "conservative" in the Republican mind means preserving the status quo. Guenon and Evola were conservatives in the sense that they wanted to preserve and resuscitate the primordial Tradition on both the personal and social level, which had nothing to do with the preservation of the system we have. Is this what you were driving at?

[Charlie]

I would add one item to Daniel's list:

Grow your own food--from pollinating, non-hybrid seeds

Even if you live in a small, dark closet, you can grow at least one thing to eat in there. This will:
--Fill your closet with life and natural beauty
--Nurture your body with a food free of contaminants
--Connect you with nature
--Provide enough seed to double your production next year, and give seed to someone else, so they can enjoy items 1, 2 and 3.

When I was young, I watched my parents buy and plant tomato plants every year. As an adult, I started doing the same. Last year, someone gave me some tomato plants from a natural, local strain, that had been in his family for generations. These plants were hardier, needed less water, and yielded bigger, better tomatoes. The amazing part occurred the following spring: there were tomato plants everywhere, some quite far from my garden. Think of the global consequences...

[michael heany]

It is also a good idea to become a vegetarian (or vegan). Peter Singer in his book "Animal Liberation" has an interesting analysis of the impact of factory farming on the environment. (Think of the ratio of energy expended on feeding a cow compared to the energy it eventually provides to the people who eat the cow. There's a disparity there.)

[imported_saoirse]

thanks for the message board daniel, and thanks to eveyone here for their insightful contributions. although i rarely contribute, i want you all to know that the dialogue on this message board is a daily source of sustenace for me.i don't have much time, but i wanted to share this article i just read. I also just read a good article in this weeks 'Nation' by Jeremy Rifkin entitled "The Hydrogen Economy". btw, has anyone read "Parecon"by Michael Albert? Peace, kevin

Published on Monday, December 9, 2002 by CommonDreams.org
What Do We Do Now?
by Arden Buck


It's a discouraging and ominous time. On Nov 5, frightened voters handed our administration unfettered power: power to hasten environmental devastation, to increase the flow of wealth from the poor to the rich, to pack our courts with right wing ideologues, to subject Americans to invasive government scrutiny under the rubric of "homeland security," and to embark on a global military rampage, starting with Iraq. Our leaders haven't tried to conceal their glee.

And what do we do now? How can we keep our spirits up and our hearts open in the midst of all this, and what can we do now to make this a better world?

It's tempting to become cynical and bitter, or to pull back and await the onslaught, as many German citizens did in the '30s. But, as Bruce Mulkey has pointed out, cynicism, denial and hopelessness amount to victimhood. We can rarely control what life sends our way, but we can control how we respond to it. We can make ourselves miserable, helplessly wishing things were better. Or, we can do everything we can and feel the satisfaction of those efforts (regardless of the outcome).

Many have offered lists of how one can make a difference. Here is my contribution:

*Allow yourself to grieve. Accept the pain, frustration, and anger you feel about what is happening. It is a necessary step for healing and moving on. But don't get stuck there.

*Don't despair.

* Despair is a human notion - it doesn't exist elsewhere in nature, and it doesn't exist when one is immersed in the present moment. By simply doing one's work, one can move beyond despair, and also beyond fear.
* Taking a long term view can be comforting: "This too will pass." The world, albeit somewhat changed, will go on.
* Corporate/military power is vulnerable because it's large and monolithic, it has a single mindset (destroying anything in its path), and it relies on a few powerbased tactics to maintain control. It is vulnerable to creative, adaptable strategies. And it presents a large, clear target.
* We are dealing with an outmoded mentality based on raw power and greed - a dinosaur, doomed to die. Our job is to do what we can to limit the damage caused by its death throes.
* Surprises are everywhere - change may be just around the corner

*Keep on keeping on. Even when it seems hopeless, persistence often pays off in the end - sometimes when least expected, and sometimes in surprising ways. Patiently keep tapping away. Be willing to give it several years - plant seeds. Understand and use the tipping point concept: major changes often develop as undercurrents with little visible indication, and our actions may seem to be futile. But if one keeps pushing, things can reach a critical point and abruptly shift in the desired direction, seemingly out of nowhere. Examples: the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the transformation of Nelson Mandela from black prisoner to President. See "The Tipping Point," by Malcolm Gladwell.

*Help people become aware. This is especially crucial in the media-drugged US. Most Americans are good, well-intentioned people (albeit sometimes immature and self-indulgent), who have been herded into a fearful, self-protective state of mind by the mainstream media and official pronouncements of various threats. Make holes in this world-view.

Share thoughtful articles and magazines. Write letters and op-ed pieces (perhaps mentioning your representatives by name). Attend vigils and demonstrations. Encourage people and groups to join a fact-finding delegation to a critical area to see for themselves and report back to their friends, church groups, etc. (check out Witness for Peace or Global Exchange). And find other ways to help people understand what's going on.

*Build bridges - reach out to those who think differently rather than just preaching to the choir. People already know "something's wrong" but don't know exactly what. Those who believe differently can be softened by emphasizing common ground - hearing their concerns, and finding points of agreement. Then expose them to new thoughts

Form coalitions with other groups, even those with whom we don't agree on other issues. We can make our connections with them more solid by showing up at their meetings, helping them hand out flyers, etc. Choose a specific issue that has a good chance of success, that many people care about (e.g. loss of privacy), that appeals to a variety of potential coalition partners, and where opposition is vulnerable.

*Continue working on your representatives. Talk with them about the unanswered questions about this war and about other issues. Urge them to help stop the rush towards war.

*Work for campaign finance reform, and seek out worthy candidates to support. Maine, Vermont, Arizona and Massachusetts now provide public financing for candidates willing to follow stringent fundraising and spending guidelines. Bringing public financing to your own community and state is a project worth undertaking. We cannot allow our political representatives to continue to be bought and sold to the highest bidders. More information: www.publicampaign.org. (http://www.publicampaign.org.)

*Look for and support good things. There is plenty of bad news. But, although they don't often appear in the mainstream press, a lot of good things are also happening - thoughtful, caring, and compassionate words and deeds by ordinary and not so ordinary people and groups, locally, nationally, and internationally.

Add your weight to push for change - seek out and help support good ideas and programs that people can get excited about and involved in. Examples of successful actions can be found on www.dbsst.org. (http://www.dbsst.org.)

*Cut off the fuel supply. Giant corporations are fueled by money and profits. Withdraw your bit of energy from the bad ones. Whenever possible, buy from local vendors, and socially and environmentally responsible businesses. Avoid chains and megastores. Same for banking and investing. A good resource is www.coopamerica.org. (http://www.coopamerica.org.)

The most important item, by far, is food. Don't eat factory food, but seek out food that is produced locally or by small producers, that is free of chemicals, hormones, and genetic modification. You can help your community and the world, while enjoying healthier, more delicious food.

Buy less. Live more simply and develop a lifestyle based on other satisfactions than having lots of stuff.

*Think outside the box. Find creative new ways to deal with our situation, and help others implement their innovative concepts. Our thinking needs to be dramatic - unexpected - outside the box. It can be a creative new tactic, an unexpected response, or an unexpectedly quick response.

*Practice indirection. The war/greed machine is too powerful to confront headon, but grass roots efforts can make the road so muddy that the machine bogs down. Maybe we can put out some nails for the tires or slip aboard and put some sugar in the gas tank. We need to find our equivalent of the mud, nails and sugar. Perhaps we can find leverage points, vulnerable spots, or redirect its motion so it does less damage or self-destructs.

*Multi-pronged actions can have a synergistic effect. For instance, a combination of demonstrations, op-eds/letters, and legal action all happening together may produce better results than the same actions done one at a time.

*Use triage. Go for greatest possible effect. Spend time on people who might be energized or changed, rather than on the already committed or those who are hopeless. Zero in on one specific issue or target rather than everywhere at once. Savor small successes - they all help and they may lead to larger successes later on.

*Don't demonize your adversaries. Consider opposing points of view. While we may be correct in what we affirm, there is usually a kernel of truth in our opponent's viewpoint. And, we need to be especially mindful about what we deny, because this is often where our blind spots will be.

We are all in this together - there is no "enemy." We all want to be safe and loved. Any action that is fear-based - e.g. abusive language, intolerant behavior, or a violent act - is a cry for love and security, whether it's coming from George W. Bush or someone down the street.

*Put joy into your work. Share your joy and allow it to warm others. Move from anger and despair to compassion and love. This is not to deny the legitimacy of outrage at injustice; but it is more effective to work from compassion than to angrily fight against evil. The Dalai Lama says, "A positive future can never emerge from anger and despair."

*Broaden the circle of caring. Most of us care deeply about our small circle of friends, family, etc. We usually also care about our neighborhood or community. Some care deeply about the well being of their country. However, our circle of compassion must expand beyond the familiar to include human and non-human, living and non-living - to match our expanded influence in the world. Find ways to encourage concern about the life of a little girl in Baghdad or a coral reef in the South Pacific as well as about one's own loved ones.

*Be kind to people everywhere, the good and the not-so-good. The world needs role models for kindness as never before. Nurture others, and surround yourself with those who nurture you and who understand and respect your hopes and dreams.

Be especially kind to yourself. Keep yourself grounded and burnout-free by giving yourself down-time: meditation, a quiet walk, exercise, music, time with a friend, creative time, etc. Self-renewal is an essential part of your work.

Detach yourself from the results of your efforts. Make the commitment, do the work, follow through as needed, and then let go. Let the universe make of it what it will. Do it for the doing, not for the outcome. Do it simply because it's the right thing to do, and because it's good for your soul. This is a lighter, freer, and more effective way.

As an added bonus, your good work may in fact produce unexpectedly good results, it may inspire others, and it will almost certainly expand your own capabilities and wisdom.

Enjoy life. An ancient parable tells of a Buddhist monk who is chased by tigers to the edge of a cliff. As they close in, he spots a small bush growing at the very edge, grabs it, and jumps over. As he hangs there, the tigers paw the ground above but can't reach him. Looking down, he sees more tigers below. Then he notices a mouse gnawing on the slender root that holds the bush. As the bush slowly gives way, the monk spots a berry on it. With a delighted smile, he picks the berry with his free hand and eats it slowly, enjoying every morsel. In reality, we are all caught between tigers above and tigers below, but like that monk, we can and should live fully and with delight in this moment, in spite of it all.

As Will Keepin tells us, we can serve as hospice workers to a dying culture, and also as midwives to an emerging culture. These two tasks call for us to maintain an open heart, offering our light and joy, and being present for grief and pain. When we root our actions in both intelligence and compassion, we reach a balance of head and heart that combines the finest of human qualities.

Discover your unique gifts - what you can do most effectively - and share them where they're most needed. You have much to offer - your time, energy, money, talents, possessions to share, etc. Our task is not easy - but we must do it anyway.

We do make a difference - individually and collectively. Every loving thought and compassionate action changes the world we live in, and therefore changes the fabric of our own existence.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." -- Margaret Mead

"It always starts with a small group of committed people. They raise their feeble voice. The media ignore them, the politicians laugh at them, the respectable parties distance themselves. But slowly, with persistence, they start to have an impact. This finally compels the leaders of the mainstream organizations to respond, and the message spreads." -- Uri Avnery, Israeli activist opposed to the oppression of the Palestinians

A cloud of mosquitoes can send a rhinoceros running.

Arden Buck (abuck@igc.org) is a writer, founder of a scientific instrument company, and creator of www.dbsst.org, (http://www.dbsst.org,) a database of successful strategies. He and his wife live in the mountains near Boulder, CO.

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[daniel]

What I meant by "conservative" is the ongoing assault on the environment could be seen as a very "radical" action - the opposite of preserving any status quo as the dioxins and radiation and CO2 smeared across our little sad planet hangs around for a very long time and change our bodies and shorten our future.

The radical environmentalists are 'conservative' for wanting to conserve something of the natural world.

[sidecross]

"What is to be done"

I have found when communicating with the "other" dimension, the one with the small letter "o", that being our common culture, that using a two pronged argument has been effective.

The first part is reciting statistical information from the recent book, Wealth and Democracy: A Political History of the American Rich by Kevin Phillips. The author was the chief political analyst for the 1968 Republican presidential campaign. This one fact alone acts as a Trojan Horse to help let in the book's information to those who are always on guard against the left or even worse in their eyes, the psychedelic community.

The second part I use is the argument of Capitalism for the greater good, but where I define Capital as leisure time. Leisure time can be defined as that time after securing in a Gaia model, shelter, food, and Shamanistic or medical care. The maximum leisure time anyone could have as capital is 24 hours per day. The solar system itself acts as a deterrent for anyone with the greed need for more than 24 hours per day of leisure.