Faster and further than taking billionaires on a short space trip, we are — and of urgent social and environmental necessity —going to see social transformation. Consciousness is growing just above and below the surface of conventional and certainly off and on in social media. It is not the ideas of the Trumpians; it is the spiritual ascent of our friends and relatives around the world and our country from the Dalai Lama to Greta Thunberg and back again to my immediate neighbors and political soul mates everywhere. You can feel it; you can see it if you look close enough. It is about to happen. Here it is. There we go. A complete non-violent revolution to save us and the planet. We have just got to do it. Fearing and defeating the Trumpanics or Voldemort Putin is not nearly enough. Real thorough change beyond the limitations of our narrow-minded political parties is in the offing.
Hop on board The Peace Train! Read on, tune in, drop everything and do it!
What is blocking the tracks?
My Facebook friends often write political commentary about current events and trends. Some posts I like and some I do not. Mostly, I do not like what
Trumpsters post. That is just my personal political orientation; yet, if I find they can conduct themselves in a civil civic way, I am alright with sharing points of view with them. Of course, for the most part, Trumpsters do not like to conduct a civil civic discussion but to rant and rave once they hear that you have an alternative viewpoint. There is very little patience there. I have yet to test the patience and ability for civil civic discussion and disagreement of the other side of these arguments because I usually, at least in part, agree with the general orientation of the Left turn.
Yet, here is my bigger problem overall and why I believe that civil civic discussion has become problematic. Neither Left nor Right is saying much that is new. It is the same old rhetoric, the same old arguments, the same old same old, on and on. Even on issues as profound as gun violence in America that is, even by world standards, not very good at all, in point of fact and bullet, gross and out of control; or the right or the not right to have an abortion; or Ukraine (I actually had a couple of friends on Facebook who are Putin supporters) or lesser issues like the price of gasoline or the delays in getting baby formula that some have elevated to the level of profound issues in order to get rid of poor sleepy Joe — even on all that, all I hear is the same old reasoning or lack thereof.
It is all too predictable and divisive of American society. Lots of pointing of pointed fingers and very little ability to get past them all and into a better future. And the news media just reports all that in the most snarky terms and then focuses on who will win or not win the next election; although clearly even if there are winners and losers party to party, even so, very little will ever happen because the split is actually fairly even. And even if one party gets to win on an issue like abortion or gun violence or inflation or ... there is so little agreement society wide that the issues will be coming up again, ad infinitum or close to it. Nothing ever really gets settled. 50 years later and Roe v. Wade is getting reversed. And will it take 50 years to go the other way now? Guns and violence. We all know that this will continue, do we not?
So, what this substack.com newsletter-journal is all about is getting far and away beyond the current and endless divisive distress and into something — not just anything — that makes good sense. I could, of course, say makes perfect sense or whatever, but I not only am not that arrogant — egotistical maybe but not arrogant — but I, too, understand that these ideas that I hope you will read are not actually and factually perfect. They require your inputs. They require adjustments. Yet, they are a beginning, a beginning of profound change but however profound they are, they really are a beginning. It will still take a beginning that is a second American Revolution to get us started, beyond the old worn out Left and Right.
So, buckle up. As simple as these essays, long and short, are to read; as simple as these ideas may seem at first glance; they are, I assure you, big change and while we can begin right away to implement them, it will take much time to finish even these simple ideas off and to another stage of evolution of society. Yet, they also supply a framework for doing just that, to get even beyond these ideas.
And what values inform this? Human Rights. Democracy. Non-violence. That is; and the title of one of these essays is: Life, Liberty and Limitation.
Is America and the World fixable? They clearly are broken. Beyond help and repair? I really do not know. How about we give it a try and see where it gets us? Might surprise both me and you! I know it can be done, but will it? We need all to do it, not the latest dictator fool, like Putin, like Trump, like Bolsanaro, like ... We need us to take control and make it work!
Enlightenment Finale
The Beatles had a song about Revolution. "So, you say you want a Revolution ...." It was a song with a double edge; and, in the end, appeared to doubt whether we should have another Revolution.
Revolutions since the English, then American, then French, and Russian then all kinds and manner of national and extra national Revolutions have, yes, been two edged. The Enlightenment and those revolutions may have helped humanity inch our way out from the medieval feudal aristocratic knights in violent armored political-social-economic Church and State hegemony. And true, in that formal sense, the old knights have fallen; yet really and truly, it is not over yet; and nuclear weapons and tanks and missiles are just the modern version of armored knights.
The Enlightenment is still with us as are its rationales for opposition to irrational oppression and oppressive governments and societies; that is, the organization of human beings by a self-perpetuating societal controlling elites of ego, wealth and power. The evil still exists, only reconfigured as industrial billionaire capitalists and the Trump. They sell armor instead of wear it. And, they get you to fight for them. Make Trump great again; no?
Moreover, revolutions themselves, enlightened as they were at first, could over time create their very own murderous totalitarian elites. They said they were for a utopian new world order and held it up for the naive proletarian or Germanic masses to exult in, yet one kind of revolutionary or another created anything but. Pick up a history book or twelve or take college courses and you will see. If the presentation is honest, you should be in tears.
How many of his own Bolsheviks as well as Ukrainian kulaks did Revolutionary Stalin order killed? And Robespierre of Terror and guillotine fame, killing even his buddy in revolution Danton? The Enlightened English still became the greatest opium drug dealers in history in China as well as becoming colonialist’s par excellence? The Belgians in the Congo? And in the U.S.A. the genocide of millions of native peoples as well as African slaves. And that is even after the American Revolution freed Americans from England. And on and on and on. Mao? About 30 million died in The Great Leap Forward famine debacle.
As if out of the bowels of the worst in America, there was/is Trump making America great again by excluding anyone of even vaguely darker skin than he. And then attempting on the 6th to overthrow what little democracy we have left.
Putin? What revolution is he following in Ukraine? Maybe the Devil's revolution. Putin thinks he is Alexander-Ivan the Great-Terrible.
Here then is a prime criteria, to my mind, for real Enlightenment change. Look to the leader who wants to give away centralized power. Look to the leader who wants to enshrine not themselves or "America" or "Russia" or "China" or "Turkey" or .... Look to leaders who want to pass on what power there is down to you and all your neighbors. Do you see anyone doing that? Joe Biden?
Look to the leader who wants to truly enshrine democracy and human rights. Look to the politician and businessperson who wants to create an equitable system where you are in charge and that actually works for EVERYONE, not just one class or another, one nationality or another — even if it is yours — or one ethnic group or another. Look to the Enlightenment leader who wants enlightenment, not their personal very own ego and perverse utopian vision or established religion.
Trump wanted to make America great.
And every American President will tell you how wonderful we are and the future will be better. Hilary thought we were exceptional and the exception.
Hitler wanted to make Germany great. Mussolini Italy.
Xi wants to make China great.
Putin wants to make Russia great.
Bolsanaro wants to make Brazil great.
North Korea great.
Turkey great.
Iran great.
Israel great.
Musk?
...
Great is great or is it? Just know what exactly they mean by that? They use supposed grievances to suck you in and promise beyond promises. Great for them; not necessarily for you.
What about this: you and every human being are great. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all people are created equal, that all people are endowed with the rights of life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness." All. Everyone. Everywhere.
Yes, and you still can be proud of the ethnic group or area of the world, the nation, you are from. Yet, and still and all, what is first and foremost is that all people are created equal and have an equal right to rights and an equal right to pride in their group without making it dominant or predominant. Therefore, you should not in any way shape or form be oppressing others with your group identity, be it Russian, American, Chinese, Israeli or Taliban Afgani.
This could be The Revolution; and I am quite positive that John Lennon would have no problem with that, even as Lenin might. I think it is in the works. Maybe!
And it is possible that even another Enlightenment Revolution could come to ruin and oppress the whole planet of all people. Yes, it is possible. However, not to want or make this Revolution; do nothing; and just let the oppression continue as if were the most natural thing in the world; and we get back to our ordinary lives in a privileged area of our suburb, to allow this country and the rest of the world to go down the tubes to an earthly hell of authoritarian illusions and climate disasters, is that really alright?
Yes, you can save the world, but not by being a Stoic and retreating to the countryside. It is time for baby boomers, the babies of boomers, the grandchildren of boomers and everyone else to get up and finish what the Enlightenment started. Sign up; sign in. And, please, watch out, too!
So, what will presented here is a plan. What should society look like to be Enlightened and not oppressive. What is fair? What really is "life, liberty, equality and fraternity?" Certainly above all, it is non-violent. Violence unless in extreme self-defense is always wrong and oppressive.
What will be a work in progress is not only presenting and discussing these ideas and plans, but how to go about overthrowing the inadequate and nasty what is. That is, from being out of power — and a small minority ruling over us — to being in power and sharing it with all our fellow citizens. A tall order, indeed. Let's go.
So what will you see here in this Enlightenment journal? Values and plans. A set of short and longish essays that are a variety of plans for America and then everywhere. And then shorter essays more about day to day politics but also with plans within them as well. All the plans and commentary are flexible and need critique and/or approval from readers, from you the equal citizen. So space will be available for that as well. And then eventually there will be a plan for how to proceed to get it all done and finish the Enlightenment. It will be well worth the effort. Tune in. Turn on. Drop by.
No, You Can Save The World
Well, maybe you are right and you cannot save the world. It is just too big a place, even if the planet is small compared to Jupiter. And, who are you and I? You and I have very little power or influence it seems. The politicians in the established parties, the corporate executives who own the wealth of the world to great measure, the screaming media, well, they hold the door keys to a better world even as they create and keep an apocalyptic one behind door #2. So, maybe I can help save a person here and there, love my family and that is all I can do.
Yet, ask yourself this. Why is it that I seem to have no power and control? Why am I shut out from saving a world that is going down the tubes. How has that happened? And why is the media so negative and irrationally opinionated and hardly ever imitate Walter Cronkite from way back when news was news instead of hysteria.
And if I happen to express my opinion on social media, what happens? Instead of as on mainland China being censored and even arrested by the repressive government who has tens of thousands of live censors watching every word posted; here I will just be trolled by my fellow citizens who believe, with Frank Graham, that Donald Trump was sent by God. Now, that really is a vengeful God! Or was he out of locusts?
You and I know we are in big bitter trouble. We all know that even if you save one person, given the present and near future state of the heating climate and the present and near future state of the political authoritarian military-industrial juggernaut and its atomic weapons and armies, navies, air forces and bombs from the sky drones that kill ordinary people while targeting terrorists who too target ordinary people on the ground; you know that your grandkids will be dealing with it all and in desperation. Look at Ukraine!
So, we are going together to have to figure out how to get out of this before it all comes crashing down. Yes, good change all looks bloody impossible. Yet, the more we assume that it is impossible, the harder and harder it gets — not that it is not really difficult. We need to figure it out and now and how! The problems are obvious. The critique and criticisms are justifiably endless.
So in these talks and essays and over social media and places, I and we will be writing and talking it over. I believe I have pretty darn good ideas that I want to show you about what should be done. What I will need from you is for you to communicate what you think about these ideas, especially if you think they are good ideas and how these ideas can be improved or changed to make them better; and, most importantly, what other new ideas from you should be incorporated into The Big Change.
It is not that this is all just one more set of complaints. Although certainly we need to know what we should complain about in order to know what to fix. But this is as much about how to fix it to as what is the problem. There is far too little of that going around. All we hear is what is wrong, not what could be right.
Still and all, beyond just rebooting the social and political world, what I do not know how to do is exactly how to go about doing it. I have some preliminary ideas, but what we really need is a scheme, a plan, a plan of action for getting it done. In this and then getting it done, I need, we need, we all need Y-O-U! Yes, you and I and good hearted citizens here, there and everywhere need to step up and do it and now and how.
So, listen to the plans advanced here and step up with plans of you own and then plans with what to do; that is before it is too late, even if the hour seems a quarter past the time of the apocalypse.
Yes, you can save the world.
Right On! Read On!