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From: "Kay Hempsall" <•••@••.•••> [previously known as Y]
To: "Cyber Journal" <•••@••.•••>
Subject: Thanks
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1999 14:41:25 +1100
Dear RKM
Thank you for your response to my questions (raised from the New Dawn
article part 4). I do appreciate the distinctions that you made re the
'isms' etc and I have no trouble taking them on board. I agree that we need
either different terms altogether or perhaps none. Thanks also for the
website address - I can access it just fine. I will keep up todate with
your information.
Thanks again
KH
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Date: Wed, 3 Mar 1999 07:58:12 -0800
From: •••@••.••• (Joe Ferguson)
To: •••@••.•••
Subject: Re: cj#908> New Dawn readers write in...
Hi Richard,
I'm moved to comment on CJ#908.
I think this comment by 'X'
> I believe that I will see my children starving in gutters
shows that he or she has a grasp of the stakes we are playing for.
X's stark pessimism is disturbing enough to make me re-examine my
retreat from involvement because my marriage has crumbled. I think X
is right about what humanity _has_ been
> i believe [the above] because the human race as a whole is an easily
> herded mob who just want to get on with their lives
but I have some optimism that we can evolve or develop into something
more. Maybe I've just watched too many Star Treks, where the premise
is exactly that humankind did survive this era and become a better race.
Actually, I've seen some really good philosophy in other science fiction.
For example, the hero in "Red Mars" (by Kim Stanley Robinson) speaks of
the notion that each of us should live our lives in a context of seven
generations before and seven generations hence. The whole book's
political perspective on the role the huge conglomerates in the
exploitation of Mars is completely in line with CJ's perspective on
their role in the exploitation of Earth.
...
Y's questions suggest he or she is looking for a _system_ to fix our
problems. I think this is misguided. I don't think any system will
fix the problems, but rather a modified model of human behavior/nature/
attitude where we coalesce into interconnected communities, accepting
leadership and leaders as our strengths and limits suggest, based on the
facts that the stakes are worth it and that we can make a difference.
I think your reply to 'Y' straddles the two notions of "silver-bullet
system" versus a worldwide community-based movement. Clearly you are
moving toward the latter in your philosophy:
> As for "a more appropriate (system) to human happiness and well-being", I
> don't really mean one system, but rather whatever system is appropriate to
> each given community and society.
But when you say:
> The question, I suggest, is what kind of economic/political system we
> want. If it's not capitalism, as we know it, then let's figure out what
> we want and make up a name for it.
I feel you're getting distracted.
Is it a worthy cause to try to find one word to describe what's needed?
Do we really need a sound byte? In previous CJs you started inquiring
about "movements" and what constitutes a mass movement. I think nothing
less than a worldwide movement is needed, but if we try to label it, the
label will be picked up by the rulers and used against us. Let's let
the historians name our age -- sum it up in a sound-byte.
For us, now, I think the job is to educate ourselves and each other and
as our eyes open, to modify our attitudes, our relationships and our
habits.
Consistently, I think CJ is making excellent use of the internet as it
does exactly this. As always, thanks!
Regards,
Joe
Oh, and I forgot:
> as our eyes open, to modify our attitudes, our relationships and our
> habits.
With the recent awareness of Monsanto's propagation of the terminator
gene, why isn't anybody calling for a worldwide boycott of Monsanto
and it's parents/children corps?
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