I have been receiving some nice letters this week. My articles on Waking Up! and Leonardo Day have brought some new readers. Yesterday, Here is more of that exchange.
Arthur C. Noll: I see the answer as being made of both belonging, and separation. The current problem has come about because people have acted semi-independently of each other and of nature.
Bill Ellis: Arthur for a longer answer read Riane Eislers "
The Chalice and the Blade." For a less long answer read my chapter in "
Creating Learning Communities".
In short, accept you arguments in general for our current society. It has been organized under the "Dominator Paradigm" that is unique to the EuroAmerican cultures. Most other cultures were organized under what I call the "Gaian Paradigm." It sees life on earth as unified with the Earth. "Mother Earth" in some culture. This is now the understanding of most science. GAIA (The Earth and life on earth including humans) is a complex interdependence of all elements of Gaia. It has evolved in a steady unfolding of physical, biological and social entities.
The Dominator Paradigm was an aberration of unified evolution. From the story of Genesis to the current economic theory domination by man has been the guiding principle. The current economic system, based on self-interest, competition, and materialism. evolved in this aberration.
"Belonging" is the natural state of being. EuroAmerican humans are just discovering this.
If you've seen any of the Shakelton movies you get a feeling of how deep down this sense of "belonging" to one another is inherent in us all. It's another case of all surviving when there was not even enough food for a few.
IMHO, Bill Ellis
SZ, who wrote me on monday about Waking Up!, responds to some of my comments in my note back to him.
I wrote: Our reductionist science which tell us there is no God, no purpose, and no meaning to be found in the process of life has done us no favors. Add to that the belief that all opinions are equally valid and you have a system as Isaac Asimov used to say where my ignorance is just as valid as your knowledge.
SZ: Just as our reductionist religion tells us the earth is about 5,000 years old on one hand and that a second is about a thousand years to God and then goes on to deny that evolution happens or did happen. A sad situation. God and evolutionary science are not mutually exclusive.
I am 56, my twin brother Terry Wilken is a veteran of Nam. One tour in advanced infantry, 4.2 heavy mortars, exited as a Sergeant.
SZ: I was in a sort of different situation. The guys in our unit were called "psyops spooks" by the grunts. We stayed out of villes and base camps. Much safer in the bush. Those folks always in one place were just targets. I did not envy them. I would always prefer to be the hunter rather than the prey in similar situations. Also, Terry was there a little later than me. I was there in 64-65 and 68-69. Two extended tours. Early on it was a different war. The whole country was a free-fire zone for us. Just as I rotated out they started locking up weapons at night and such foolishness. Not in our unit of course. We were always armed to the teeth and ready to rock and roll.
Sometimes it almost startles me how easy it is to fall back into that mindset. I was raised a Friend (Quaker) and taught to do no harm. Non-resistant Christians. I left the meeting and spent 8 years in the service. Then I eventually returned to the church, saw the wisdom of their ways. I have been a recorded minister for 33 years in December.
But friend, in a heartbeat I can move from the Lord to the Nam and be right back in that mode. Once violence is learned it is difficult to unlearn, if not impossible. Sometimes I speak to students in a Viet Nam history class at the University of Toledo and tell them to think carefully about what they think about war and the military because the first and foremost duty of the soldier is to kill the enemy and once one kills another, even if it is done as a soldier in wartime or in self defense, that person is never "right" again. It takes something away or adds something. There is a change. I do not recommend war to anyone, particularly children. And we were pretty much all children at the time.
In response to Gustl's statement, "It is all about love," I wrote: Yes, I agree. In the finally analysis, we have to choose to trust each other. We have to choose to love each other. This is absolutely an act of faith.
SZ: I visited your website. Very nice brother. It was nice to see in your section on your beliefs that love and even the golden rule were mentioned. Most in the science field leave that out as though it was not something which needed to be considered in science, but it does of course. Very nice.
I wish you well with your efforts. All the small bits coming together and working together can be a mighty effort if love is an integral part of the equation. Everyone working where they are the most comfortable, giving of their expertise. Politics and creed left out.
As I see it one of our greatest problems is that we have given the government a lot more power than it can properly handle. We (and here I am speaking specifically of the churches) have washed our hands of our responsibilities and let the government take over. Families used to take care of each other and churches are nothing if not families.
The church (and here I call the individual believers the "church") used to take care of its poor, give work to those without work, educate its young. Loving service and support and cooperation. But we didn't just let the government usurp our duties. It seems we joyfully abandoned them to the government and went about the business of making converts and money. The rot had more than set in. Even among Friends. The Friends I am with at the moment are more like the older type. No paid ministry or staff. No will (programmed) worship. But...we still have a long way to go and it is almost always an uphill battle. Most still think in the "mine" mindset rather than the "our" mindset. But I ramble.
Thank you kindly for your reply. I wish you well in your endeavors and will remember you and yours in my prayers.
Sincerely, SZ
Another reader from Orgegon writes:
LOVED your Leonardo and Synergy message --
From ecological sin to Synergy!
GIFTegrity and
Ortegrity are unfamiliar terms with me though I've been through 43 hours with Bucky and had his personal address book in 1983 out at the Mandeville Canyon house hand-addressing invitations to his 88th birthday party -- which as you know was instead his and Anne's memorial.
Are you at all familiar with an alternative to the monetary pricing of debt system that was researched and proposed by Technocracy?
Having been involved with Bucky as well as Technocracy I think they can work together for Bucky proposed Daily Energy Income -- which is what a Technocracy energy accounting system would do -- if we don't postpone too long.
Do you have other Bucky people to communicate with there in my favorite Carmel-by-the-Sea?
I have long proposed a Citizens Ballot to change simply from our fake fiscal system -- especially now that it's $34 trillion in IOU's -- or more than the rest of the nations combined debt -- that we the people take charge ourselves with a direct democracy to declare a Technocracy and end the financial hypocrisy ASAP --
The BALLOT is available online -- essentially it states what would be feasible and possible via a Technocracy energy accounting system of eco-nomics -- which spells EASE for everyone -- no more debt and no more taxes --
It's the ONLY way to take off the handcuffs of debt -- trillions of debt and usury and taxes forevermore.
I totally concur with your Synergy message -- we now have to IMPLEMENT -- dieoff is not good enough to wait around for. . .
Do you also know about Technocracy's 4-day work week / 3 day week-end -- 2-1/2 months vacation which has been possible and feasible for the past 69 years -- if we co-operate our economy according to E N E R G Y
accounting system of ECO-nomics which would spell EASE for all of us -- debtfree and taxfree using synergy.
Yes I'm a Bucky person and I like his Daily Energy Income and that's what a Technocracy would allow us all to do -- and abolish all this debt system without hurting anyone -- if we don't dilly dally and get serious about the need to do it NOW.
Your
UnCommon Sense is where we all should be.
Thanks for Leonardo day 15 April --
Jacqueline Q. Scott
Oregon
