When we examined the issues in 2003 in the Florentine Symposium. What we came up with as the beginning of the Problematique was that the most aggravating of all problems (to even beginning) was a lack of vision about what it was that America actually wanted. Americans just reused the same old clichés and when we examined them closely they disappeared like sand flowing through the fingers. The big problems that we all assumed Time, Resources, Access etc. were secondary to underlying assumptions that prevented our working together in any long term fashion on the problem. The society was simply in love with novelty and diversion and unable to create an order of development because the vision was bad. Because there was a tiny opening at the top (about 2%) the rest of the society endlessly amused themselves with junk.
Its my contention on this list that the underlying social, economic and manufacturing assumptions are old, out of date, irrelevant to the present and will no longer work. That to just keep digging will never get you to China. REH From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Arthur Cordell Sent: Monday, July 19, 2010 9:38 AM To: [email protected] Cc: 'RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, EDUCATION' Subject: Re: [Futurework] [Ottawadissenters] timesizing not downsizing David has quite correctly diagnosed why suggestions for change are not taken up by govts and often not taken up by any institution .or even, perhaps, by individuals. Challenging the existing order as David suggests is likely to bring forth defensive rhetoric and actions which aim to buttress things. Only when cracks appear and danger is imminent will new voices be heard. But it seems that change will only finally be accepted when the existing pattern of behavior (by govt, institutions, individuals) has run out of options. As has been said it is only when we hit the wall will suggestions for labour reform, finance reform, energy reforms etc., etc., be considered and possibly adopted. It could even be something as personal as going on a diet for an individual (one of these days, ..and then the heart attack brings about a sudden change in dietary habits). Arthur From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of David Delaney Sent: Sunday, July 18, 2010 5:54 PM To: [email protected] Cc: Arthur Cordell; 'RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, EDUCATION' Subject: Re: [Ottawadissenters] timesizing not downsizing This project shares a failing common to most Utopian visions of reform. It envisions correctly that a society that implements its vision would be a much better one, and that many of the improvements would be a result of the re-jigging they advocate. But it is naive to proceed from that (IMO) correct analysis to directly advocating the vision. The direct advocacy ignores that things are the way they are because of deeply held ideologies and myths. They cannot be finessed. To propose something like this without beforehand explicitly challenging (battling, defeating) the paradigmatic, or ideological, or mythical foundations of the elements of society it is proposed to reform, is to trigger instantaneous dismissal when the conflict with the underlying ethos is recognized. Dismissal results from uncritical acceptance of the current foundation ideas, which have received inadequate supporting criticism by our advocates (and which could not in any case be adequately criticized within the context of advocacy of a specific detailed reform) or because, as by this note, the proposal is seen to put the cart before the horse. On 10-07-17 8:09 PM, Arthur Cordell wrote: http://www.timesizing.com/2ts.htm The standard response to technological innovation today is downsizing, rationalized by the myth that "technology creates more jobs than it destroys." The myth is belied by companies' repeated success in getting taxbreaks by threatening to take their jobs elsewhere, by the huge increase in makework <http://www.timesizing.com/1mkwkegs.htm> in both public and private sectors, and by mounting numbers of people on welfare, disability <http://www.timesizing.com/3disab.htm> , homelessness <http://www.timesizing.com/1homless.htm> , prison <http://www.timesizing.com/2jailvu.htm> , forced retirement <http://www.timesizing.com/1retire.htm> and forced "self-employment" with no clients. Globally, downsizing has turned the goal of competitiveness into a race to the bottom and darkened the world's economic and ecological outlook. But the good news is that very few changes in approach can stop the downturn and get everything spiralling UPward again. __._,_.___ <http://geo.yahoo.com/serv?s=97476590/grpId=15209059/grpspId=1705083512/msgI d=12581/stime=1279490099> Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional Change <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ottawadissenters/join;_ylc=X3oDMTJnMmY2OWtvBF 9TAzk3NDc2NTkwBGdycElkAzE1MjA5MDU5BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA4MzUxMgRzZWMDZnRyBHNsaw NzdG5ncwRzdGltZQMxMjc5NDkwMDk5> settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) Change settings via email: Switch <mailto:[email protected]?subject=email%20delivery:%20 Digest> delivery to Daily Digest | Switch <mailto:[email protected]?subject=change%20deliv ery%20Format:%20Fully%20Featured> to Fully Featured Visit <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ottawadissenters;_ylc=X3oDMTJlMDg4dGF2BF9TAzk 3NDc2NTkwBGdycElkAzE1MjA5MDU5BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA4MzUxMgRzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNocGY Ec3RpbWUDMTI3OTQ5MDA5OQ--> Your Group | Yahoo! Groups <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> Terms of Use | Unsubscribe <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe> __,_._,___
_______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [email protected] https://lists.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
