john courtneidge wrote:
>
> Dear friends, all,
>
> ** 'Creating A Fair, Safe and Peaceful World' : a step by step
> commentary: Part 1 (of 7) **
>
> A little while ago, Bill Bradford (I think it was?) suggested that I offer
> a step by step walk through the 'Seven Point Action Plan of 'The Fair World
> Project' (which is fully reproduced at the end.)
[snip]
I think john's 7 points are very constructive.
Take point #1:
> 1) Convert competitive, market-based activities into workplace co-operative
> partnerships and remodel monopoly activities as stakeholder co-operatives
There is a huge amount of "work", in multiple constructive senses
of that word, including: (1) production of useful things, and (2) cooperative
social organizing activity... that begs to be done here -- surely a lot
of which can be done in gradual/graduated ways within the present
economic order, i.e., without requiring some miracle of a revolution.
What I have heard referred to as the "Scandinavian model" of
workplace organization surely is one relevant item here.
But the [perhaps too obvious] point I want to add here is that
"things will never be so simple", and that competition and conflict,
while surely they are ubiquitously intensified by "capitalism"
(and its fellow-travellers like education based on grade-competition...),
may not altogether disappear with the elimination of
what one might call pro-agonistic social structures (forms of
social life which *encourage* competition and conflict) --
especially in a world that (1) is crowded by too many people
[crowding itself being a source of frustration and conflict],
and (2) has far more poor than satisfied people and peoples in it.
To what extent are coercive social structures necessary to
keep our overcrowded and very leaky (and in places mutinous, etc.)
"spaceship earth" from catastrophic breakdown, and
to manage the orderly dismantling and replacement of
ecologically destructive systems which are today often
essential (from Chernobyl to private automobiles, etc.)?
Jay Hanson's http://www.dieoff.com/ has not yet itself died off,
nor has the importance of its message.
We need to do what we can, and make sure that the way we do it
itself provides some of the satisfactions at which the doing
aims (in case we fail "in the end", and in case our ends
prove unattainable).
I think some of john's 7 points are more obvious
candidates for concern here than others, e.g.:
> 5) Abolish money-lending for profit and, so, operate banking as a public
> service
This in no way addresses the issue of what projects should be
funded (where there are generally far more resource seekers than
resources to distribute), and also how to stop throwing
good money into projects that prove bad or unworkable.
--
Somewhat different, but no more cheerful topic: I am beginning
to wonder if I personally have so far *underestimated* the
potential dangers of the Internet. I don't think I ever was
"starry eyed" about it, but I did entertain such fantasies as
eliminating a lot of the waste in the current distribution system
by persons ordering all the things they need (esp. staples like
food) on the Internet and some sort of computer system figuring
out what needed to be produced and thus eliminating much
wasted production. But now I read that some e-nthusiasts'
fantasy is that people will increasingly purchase things through
on-line auctions -- which alternative idea looks all too much
to me like my fantasy gone mad in a very plausible way.
One last personal confession: In my own workplace, I keep
looking for ways to introduce aspects of john's first
point, even at the basic level of "the Scandinavian model",
and I don't find any. At best I find occasions for
interpersonal empathy to help things a bit. I work as
a computer programmer, and I would find it paradoxical indeed
if one of the most advanced "industries" (post-industry?)
had among the *least* opportunities for hopeful social
transformation.
I don't think the few who become
e-zillionaires are a social vanguard, although, I
do entertain the fantasy that some of them might
decide to invest their freedom from the need to work
in experimenting with creating more enlightened
workplaces (imagine Bill Gates deciding to try to
apply john's points to Microsoft as his attempt
to really make a name for himself in [a better]
history!).
Best regards to all!
+\brad mccormick
--
Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works.... (Matt 5:16)
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thes 5:21)
Brad McCormick, Ed.D. / [EMAIL PROTECTED]
914.238.0788 / 27 Poillon Rd, Chappaqua NY 10514-3403 USA
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