Steve, this is an interesting question, and since it falls in some ways within my domain (i.e., organizational structure and planning) I'll offer a couple of suggestions:
Since Friam doesn't have (to the best of my knowledge) an explicit social impact goal or mission, I think it would be difficult to enlist it in this type of action. On the other hand, a generic "political action" group seems to broad and diffuse. So we might consider a subset that wants to focus on this area (Monam, anyone?), and as Gus points out, utilize the notable assets and resources we have here in NM and Santa Fe. I'll join. And I know Merle is listening ;-) I'll also mention that I developed a concept paper for "The Center for Social Enterprise Technology" last year, which is designed to work in exactly this way. If anyone is interested in seeing the CSET paper, let me know at [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hope this is useful, David dba | David Breecker Associates, Inc. www.BreeckerAssociates.com Abiquiu: 505-685-4891 Santa Fe: 505-690-2335 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Stephen Guerin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 9:23 PM Subject: Re: [FRIAM] Can you guess the source. > Gus, > > As I was reading through the full Port Huron statement at > http://history.hanover.edu/courses/excerpts/111hur.html I was thinking, > hmm, > maybe if we actually developed some of the distributed net tools we've > been > talking about it could help. But then I cam across this passage near the > end: > > "Loneliness, estrangement, isolation describe the vast distance between > man and > man today. These dominant tendencies cannot be overcome by better > personnel > management, nor by improved gadgets, but only when a love of man overcomes > the > idolatrous worship of things by man." > > So I thought, ah, technology may not help...it's a bigger problem. > > Then you write: >> There were even technohippies that believed that the new >> computers could really form a basis for communications and >> analysis--and this was pre-internet. > > This made me think that maybe there is a technological angle... > > In your opinion, where's the leverage for a group like ours? Is it what we > can > offer in technological / ideological realm, or is it local political > action? > > -Steve > > > > > >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Gus Koehler [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >> Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 9:59 PM >> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; 'The Friday Morning Applied >> Complexity Coffee Group' >> Subject: RE: [FRIAM] Can you guess the source. >> >> >> Lets see, patriot act, >> citizen phone taps without knowledge, bank taps without >> knowledge, Bush manipulation of fear by terror buggy man, >> electronic voting subversion resulting from subversion of two >> presidential elections, "privacy get over it" as the creed of >> the internet and of all the new video, voice, body fluid MEMS >> sensors that feed into it, world domination by US navy that >> controls the seas, air and land preferably with autonomous >> killer robots (none of our men on the battle field), torture >> as an acceptable activity without shame for a greater good >> like the Spanish Inquisition but no saving in an American >> heaven and supported by our president, pictures of our >> soldiers in coffins forbidden to be taken, no count of the >> number of Iraqis or Afghanis killed, loss of most Americans >> of a retirement, of health care when they are old, and >> loading up with extreme debt, students graduating from >> college so in debt that all they can do is work for the man, >> VA that can't figure out after 4 years that head injuries >> will be a problem and that urban warfare screws with people's >> heads, movie marquis that trumpet the most horrible tortures >> and attacks on women, the disappearance of a black led >> movement for freedom and dignity replaced with woes and >> gangsta rap belittle the life and voice of their own people a >> future dominated by the destruction of our sea side cities, >> heat waves, death of 30 percent of the world's species, >> Africa and the poor sent to suffering the most, diseases out >> of the cut down rainforests that we never expected to emerge >> because people eat bush meat, a plague that is global and is >> cutting the foundations out of African societies..... >> >> These are all things that the Port Heuron Statement could not >> anticipate but saw the foundations emerging for. >> Santa Fe probably won't be much of a place to live in 30 >> years and neither will Sacramento. >> >> I remember the Port Heruon Statement well having been a >> member of the SDS. >> We, for a short while, saw the beast naked and what it could >> do. We even had a vision of wholeness of what men and women >> could become. Read the rest of the statement. >> >> There were even technohippies that believed that the new >> computers could really form a basis for communications and >> analysis--and this was pre-internet. >> >> I think the big difference is how subtle all of this has come >> about without the direct intervention of 1984 like social >> structures, even right in our faces. >> >> At least we could see our soldiers being wounded, sent home >> in boxes, and watch the people suffer on fire with napalm or >> being shot in ditches whom we were killing so effectively. >> >> In my view the vision came true and we are even more asleep >> than we know. >> >> >> >> Gus Koehler, Ph.D. >> President and Principal >> Time Structures, Inc. >> 1545 University Ave. >> Sacramento, CA 95825 >> 916-564-8683, Fax: 916-564-7895 >> Cell: 916-716-1740 >> www.timestructures.com >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Stephen Guerin >> Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 8:22 PM >> To: 'The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group' >> Subject: Re: [FRIAM] Can you guess the source. >> >> > Does anyone remember the Port Huron Statement? I'm >> reaching here, and >> > I don't remember the date. Hell, most of you probably weren't even >> > BORN yet! >> >> I cheated with Google and still didn't know who it was. Yep, >> 6 years before I even saw light. >> >> Thankfully, things have turned out nothing like what was >> described there ;-) >> >> -Steve >> >> >> >> > > > ============================================================ > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org > > ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
