We may be talking at cross-purposes here (wouldn't be the first time). When I speak of changing values, I am always speaking in the context of changing both individual behavior and institutional structures. I simply do not believe one can be done with any effect unless both are done and in no way believe any of this can be done effectively through violence.
Selma ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, July 05, 2003 3:07 PM Subject: RE: [Futurework] Crowds and power (was: Why men succeed at work) > Selma, > > As long as we all tell ourselves there is nothing we can do to change any of > the prevailing values in this society we, of course, guarantee that nothing > will ever change. > > arthur, > > I think we may do better changing behaviours than changing values. In the > long term you may be right but changing values can be messy: Remember Pol > Pot and the Khmer Rouge. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Selma Singer [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Saturday, July 05, 2003 2:50 PM > To: Brad McCormick, Ed.D. > Cc: Salvador R. S�nchez Guti�rrez; Harry Pollard; > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: [Futurework] Crowds and power (was: Why men succeed at > work) > > > It's an important consideration, Brad, no question about that. > > But I'm not sure it's a defining limitation on the changes that may be > possible if enough people begin to think that we need to do something > differently than what we are doing now. > > I know that, under the present circumstances, when we are faced with the > overwhelming power of corporate money and a bought media, etc. etc, it is > very hard to hope that there can be changes. Whether I am just holding out > false hopes or not, I believe there have been other times in history when > the powerful have reigned supreme and changing that seemed to be hopeless > and, nevertheless, it has changed. The powerful in this country have used > every means at their disposal to try to prevent the adoption of a number of > measures that have come to pass (which the powerful are now trying to > dismantle), such as the income tax, unions, medicare, social security, etc. > etc. > > As long as we all tell ourselves there is nothing we can do to change any of > the prevailing values in this society we, of course, guarantee that nothing > will ever change. > > I don't believe that the prevailing values of power, glory, material > possessions, etc. are bringing a lot of people a lot of satisfaction or > fulfillment. I believe those values can be changed. So I will continue to > nitpick as much as I can, whether it makes any difference or not, it is > something I have to do. > > Selma > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Brad McCormick, Ed.D." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Selma Singer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Cc: "Salvador R. S�nchez Guti�rrez" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Harry Pollard" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Saturday, July 05, 2003 1:54 PM > Subject: Re: [Futurework] Crowds and power (was: Why men succeed at work) > > > > Selma Singer wrote: > > > > > So you guys don't think it's possible to conceive of a human social > system > > > in which power would not be the prevailing value? > > > > > [snip] > > > > I think the difficulty of constraining (etc.) the role of > > power in a human social system varies more than > > linearly inversely with the number of persons > > in the system. > > > > In a face-to-face colonial/Federalist period > > American town, or a classical Greek polis, or > > a native tribe (or maybe Norway today???) > > I think the chances are > > far better than in "The Middle Kingdom" or > > classical Maya civilization or > > today's USA or China or India or Indonesia > > or whatever. > > > > A second consideration is universal abundance. > > As one of the guru Bubba Free John's book's title > > goes (I have mentioned this before): > > > > The Feeding Gorilla Comes in Peace > > > > Keep 'em hungry ("lean and mean"), and crowd > > 'em in -- the Pearl River basin area of > > China, which most recently gave us SARS, > > may become the first 100 million person > > metropolitan area!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! > > > > TMTC ("too many to count") > > > > Also, read Elias Canetti's fine book: > > > > Crowds and Power > > > > \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) > > > > <![%THINK;[SGML+APL]]> Brad McCormick, Ed.D. / [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > > Visit my website ==> http://www.users.cloud9.net/~bradmcc/ > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Futurework mailing list > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework > > > _______________________________________________ > Futurework mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework > > _______________________________________________ > Futurework mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework > _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
