I wish I didn’t even think about these things. It gets me nothing but a splitting headache short-term, and long-term it frustrates and terrifies me. But I’m a fairly well-informed, caring human being, not an ostrich. Really, really need some help figuring this out.
The message here is grass roots…plant seeds! Start small, network and grow. Tiny pebbles that will create ripples in the pond. All that is fine and good, but my greatest fear is that the progress that has been made will be slowly strangled by the powers that be. WE need to keep it alive. How? A little help, please?
It’s been a natural evolution: information flow via the internet; transportation; global trade and economic interdependencies; mobile populations. The world has shrunk. We cannot avoid or stop globalization. Sure, there are issues-big ones. But we can’t retreat, can’t hide from them. Yet, there’s a huge groundswell of nationalist reaction, notably Trump and Brexit. Supporters of neither appear to really understand what and who they are supporting.
Two opposing world-wide camps—for lack of better terms, global thinkers vs. nationalists. “Nationalist” doesn’t reference a country allegiance in this respect, nationalist allegiance is to power, control, $$$. “Vs” because it truly is a monumental battle. Now in power: the nationalist establishment elites. Big business and unfettered capitalism, politicians, the filthy rich. Splinter religious groups, including radical Islamist terrorists are “our way or off with their heads”. Me-first, short-term view, instant gratification, work the system for political / personal / corporate gain. No concern for people or planet, only profit and more power.
Then there are global thinkers…We the People of the Planet. Grass roots, a growing consciousness of no-borders connectedness among the masses. Sustainability of humanity, and the environment. Social AND economic well-being and prosperity for all. Long-term view.
It would be interesting-no, scary-to compare the occurrence of mental health / emotional problems, maybe even the suicide rate between….
- Global thinkers who can’t save the world or even impact positive change; and
- Nationalists who don’t have the money, bombs or other clout to get their way.
Just my opinion, the nationalist perspective will force us into a non-traditional world war three. What am I saying?! We’re already fighting WWIII….
Just one tiny piece of the puzzle was noted in a recent Forbes article Unless It Changes, Capitalism Will Starve Humanity By 2050
“Fund managers at global financial institutions own the majority (70%) of the public stock exchange. These absent owners have no stake in the communities in which the companies operate. Furthermore, management-controlled equity is concentrated in the hands of a select few: the CEO and other senior executives.”
The problem: the only focus is a relentless drive toward profit, short-term at that. If a company doesn’t “perform”…aka make insane quarterly profits…fund managers move investors’ money to another entity that doesn’t mind selling humanity down the river for Big Bucks NOW. And the CEO doesn’t get a fat bonus. No thought of sustaining the company much less humanity or the planet.
Democracies around the world are failing and the masses are beginning to notice. From an insane level of corporate media influence over current affairs to science denial and rigged political elections both driven by deep-pocket special interests….control lies with the nationalist elite power brokers. People are more aware and are flat-out fed up. Is all-out class warfare next? If so, we’re David with a slingshot going up against a regiment of Goliaths.
Yes, it’s a battle. Bitter, winner-take-all, the future of the world and humanity are on the table.
A global thinker feels a deep sense of moral responsibility. If there is a crisis in one corner of the world it must be addressed with a concerted effort from the rest of the world. We have an abundance of resources and ingenuity yet the refugee crisis, genocide, epidemics, widespread famine, climate change are allowed to go unchecked.
On a localized scale the US is (allegedly) the most prosperous, powerful, affluent country in the world. Yet poverty, hunger, medical and mental health care, homelessness are major domestic issues. Why can’t just some of our abundance of resources and ingenuity be dedicated to at least partially alleviating those problems?
Because we’re in the grips of a nationalist / me-first mindset. And that nationalist perspective is a global force. And the nationalist keeps the suffering many conveniently out of sight.
We’re not talking Robin Hood or embracing socialism or some weird spirituality. We need a shift in perspective. But unfortunately that requires a shift in power from the nationalist establishment elite to a broad base of global collaboration, cooperation and above all….consciousness. HOW can we tip the scales?
Two major areas we must exert influence over–the education and communication systems: what we learn and what is constantly reinforced. Big problem. “They” control both. “We” need to start impacting even little slivers of what we can in these two systems for starters.
- Education reform: push for curriculum enhancements, adding coursework that builds environmental and civic savvy and global citizenship; human values-based attributes like acceptance and inclusion and other social-emotional competencies. DANGER: the establishment powers are dead-set against it, obsessing over STEM which only prepares cannon fodder for the establishment machine;
- Challenge mainstream media disinformation with social media. Don’t discount the power of starting local, growing scope and a network of support. Awareness fed by real, credible information is an incredibly empowering thing. But again, establishment media rules supreme. So we need to dredge out alternative channels. Less reach means more “little” effort needed.
Just my thoughts on the fly. Need yours—how can WE change the world?
Plant Seeds! Grass Roots, Critical Mass
Bernie’s social revolution mobilized and somewhat organized millions of people around the world. Imagine if only some of those people were to continue following…better yet, leading… the call?
If the movement continues, what will it look like? Bigger is not necessarily better. My most active, passionate FB friend complained that it’s impossible for contributions to be recognized on Bernie’s official FB page. You need connections, need to “be somebody”. “Big” cannot survive in anarchy. Big requires some sort of structure, a hierarchy of organizers and decision-makers. Structure calls for defined roles and rules. Individuals easily get lost in the bigness, and there is a danger of a grass roots organization becoming what it despises….the establishment.
It’s probably a bad correlation, but look at how terrorist networks are organized. Or if you prefer, consider the CIA or your favorite clandestine operation that engages in black ops stuff. Typically small cells of operatives connected by a common vision and shared values that carry out their mission independently, often even without awareness of other cells’ specifics.
The only chance we have of taking our world back is to become the irresistible force that may stand a chance going up against the immovable object. It’s a Herculean task, the Nationalist elite establishment has a tight grip and is scary bad powerful. We don’t even know the extent.
The older you get the less time you have to piss away. I’m impatient as hell, I want change yesterday. But just one perspective at a time can do wonders. I love Humans of New York. This came from one of HONY’s global excursions, to Hunza Valley, Pakistan.
Before education, we knew only how to work. It was always very quiet in our home. My grandfather was a laborer, but he paid to send my father to a tutor so that he could learn to read. He told my father that, if nothing else, he should begin by learning how to read and write his name.
When I was born, my father taught me how to read. I started with local newspapers. I learned that our village was part of a country. Then I moved on to books. And I learned that there was an entire world around this mountain. I learned about human rights. Now I’m studying political science at the local university. I want to be a teacher.
The first of many great reader comments: “Imagine what he will pass on to his own children.” Imagine, indeed.
One Pond-Ripples 