June 8, 2015

Word Wars

“Language and song, to me, apart from being pure vibrations, is just like trying to describe a dream. And because we don’t have telepathy, we try to describe the dream to each other, to verify to each other what we know, what we believe to be inside each other. And stuttering is right -- because we can’t say it. No matter how you say it, it’s never how you want to say it.”
-- John Lennon


There has been a great deal of discussion in the past few days about the use of words in communicating on DU:GD. Although I cannot say that I’ve read most of the OP/threads regarding an incident involving the use of one offensive word, it has got me thinking about words.

“The pen is mightier than the sword,” it is said. Yet, like the sword, words can be used carefully, or recklessly. Words can be harmfully or helpfully. Words can wound, or heal.

Some people, like myself, are not generally offended by certain words. They are a stick that I don’t feel. But I understand that a lot of people -- some that I know, many more that I don’t know -- are offended by specific words. This often has to do with the historical context of the word. No matter if the said word bothers me or not, I can respect that it offends others.

Some of those offended may be people I don’t like. That has no bearing whatsoever. There are slurs about sex, sexual preference, skin color, ethnic identity, and many other things, that I chose not to use. My children don’t use them. You won’t hear them said by anyone in my house.

I do, however, find some people offensive. It’s generally more a result of what they do, than the individual words they use to communicate. For example, the people associated with the Westboro Baptist church strike me as toxic.

I admire Lenny Bruce. He understood the necessity and benefit of offending certain segments of the population with words. George Carlin did a similar thing, too. Both seemed to have an instinctual ability to pick their battles at the right time -- even though Bruce in particular did opt for battles he was aware he wouldn’t “win.”

That is distinct from, for example, arguing about the power of such words in a format where you really have no chance -- and not simply no chance to advocate for a position that is sure to result in one being removed from the venue, but even of attempting to discuss context. Pick your battles. There are numerous examples of people’s not honing this skill on DU:GD.

One of the funniest examples of people not grasping concepts of “free speech” -- a valuable topic -- is when someone on DU:GD asks, “Yeah, but what about my right to free speech?” This question illustrates a shallow grasp of both the Constitution, and of this forum.

Saying certain words, or expressing certain opinions, can lead to a post being deleted, a thread locked, and a person being temporarily suspended, or tomb-stoned. One may not agree with the rules here, or may not think they are evenly enforced. But that isn’t a battle they are ever going to “win.” More, they aren’t going to look good trying.

By no coincidence, the DU:GD “word wars” increase in frequency and intensity during presidential primary seasons. Thus, they often play out in the context of a group of people who support candidate A versus supporters of candidate B. This is unfortunate, because sincere beliefs can be mistaken for insincere agendas. Yet, it is easily avoidable.

Let’s consider, for example, if there is a discussion about NJ governor Chris Chistie. There is no possible value to pointing out that he is male, nor his ethnic heritage, nor his weight. None of these things should be mistaken for an important factor. Society’s prejudices against “over-weight” people could be, in a limited context. Yet, it is ripe for abuse, much in the manner that a female’s running for president too often is.

Rather, Chris Christie’s policies, personality, and beliefs are all worthy of discussion. The same holds true of any politician, be they Democrats, republicans, or other affiliations. These are valid topics. We shouldn’t allow other issues to distract our discussions of these things.

June 6, 2015

The Thunder Storm

A few years ago, a Clan Mother told me that when the “world” begins spinning with greater momentum, it is important to take time to step out of it, and to go into the natural world. To rest, re-invigorate, and to assess, before stepping back into the world as humans experience it.

I thought about that last night. About an hour after the sun went down, the thick clouds of a thunder storm began to darken the night sky to the west. The night birds went silent. I put the fire out at the pit near my pond, and prepared to head inside. My dog Kelly was focused entirely upon the hot dogs and rolls that I had planned to cook over the fire. As he devoured them, I had the impression of his being a four-legged land shark.

The last two rolls will be left as an offering. Clearly, if left upon the ground, Kelly will consume them. Although I’d fed the koi earlier, I can hear other fish feeding on the insects at the water’s surface. So I begin to tear the rolls, and toss the small pieces into the pond. As I finish, a white bolt streaks by me, almost knocking me off the stone retaining wall into the pond, and there is a loud splash. I’m unsure if Kelly was diving after a bread crumb, or a fish. Even the frogs on the far side of the pond become silent.

I begin the journey back towards the distant light that is my house. Along the path through a swampy area, I see the tiny lights of a few fire-flies, as they begin climbing the tall grass, before flying into the sky. A very wet dog, overcome with sheer pleasure, jumps up on me to get his head petted, before racing around the fields, in the most indirect path to the house. The chorus of the frogs and toads becomes louder and louder, with a variety far greater than when the peepers announce spring’s arrival.

By the time I reach my driveway, the wind has picked up, and the leaves on the trees make their whispering sound. Lightening is flashing through the sky, and the sound of the thunder is much closer. When I look at the outline of my house in the quick flashes, I think of how it used to be: my driveway was part of an early turnpike, and the house the first stage coach station in this region, west of the Fort Stanwix Treaty Line after the Revolutionary War.

In our world, “time” is a straight line, much like my driveway; in the natural world, there isn’t “time” as we experience it, only cycles. I find myself thinking of how, in the distant past, other people have stood where I now stand, and looked at this same building when lightning brightens the sky. For whatever reason, I’m reminded of Old Fred, who once lived here; he told me not to believe the saying that lightening never strikes twice, as the house and trees around it had been struck six times since the early 1800s. That had officially become seven times since I’ve inhabited the place.

In utter defiance of claims that I am not smart enough to come in out of the rain, I enter my house. I turn the light off, light a couple of candles, and walk out onto the enclosed porch to experience the thunder storm. My trusty friend Sam -- Kelly’s brother -- jumps up on the couch with me, and attempts to climb onto my lap. I’ve lived here longer than anyone else in the 220+ years the house has been here. More, I’m certain that I’m the first inhabitant to consume Guiness Blonde lager inside or out.

The past two years have been the most challenging. One former inhabitant moved out unannounced, leaving me the single father of two teen-aged daughters. It goes way beyond the financial difficulties I’ve encountered -- though that stress is increased, when one parent fails to accept financial responsibility for their own children -- because all teens, especially girls, need a stable mother at that age.

Obviously, I cannot be both a father and mother. However, I have stepped back from almost all of my outside activities, and focused my attention upon being there for my daughters. The older one is in her twenties now, and in her third year of college. She was recently here for a few weeks, which were largely fun. There was, of course, some stress related to her mother’s contact with her. She deals with that by talking with her older brothers, not me, which is good. The four of them provide a great support system for one another.

It’s been hardest on my youngest daughter. Her siblings are fully aware of this, and I’m mighty proud of how they are there for her. She and I have also grown closer. A high school student should always have a parent there for school sports, band, chorus, and award ceremonies. And it’s also fun for us to work on carpentry projects, building stone walls, gardening, cooking, and shopping. On Mother’s Day, she made me a wonderful card, along with a beautiful letter saying how much she appreciates me.

In two weeks, she’ll graduate from high school. She plans to spend most of the summer up north with her sister, who has a fantastic summer job with her university. Then it will be off to college for her -- and she has a great head start on that.

The rain slows down, then stops. There is still some flashes of lightening, and the sound of the thunder becomes further away, to the east. Soon, the only noise I hear is Sam’s snoring. This cycle in my life will soon end, and I’ll be entering a new one.

Peace,
H2O Man

http://www.wbng.com/news/local/Three-HS-seniors-complete-associate-degree-306224701.html

June 3, 2015

Robert Kennedy: In His Own Words

My favorite politician is the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy (D-NY). As we approach the anniversary of his death, I like to look through the numerous RFK books in my library, including those written about and by him. This year, I thought I’d share some information on one of those books, as it is as important as it is overlooked by both historians and the general public.

I found the book in Boston, where I was staying for several weeks in late june-early July of 1988. Its title is “Robert Kennedy: In His Own Words (The Unpublished Recollections of the Kennedy Years)” published by Bantam Books (1988). I’ve rarely seen it in other book stores for sale, but I’m sure that in this day and age, one could find copies for sale on the internet.

In 1964, ‘65, and ‘67, Kennedy was interviewed by Anthony Lewis, John Bartlow Martin, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., and John Francis Stewart, for the John F. Kennedy Library. The series of interviews cover the “Thousand Days” that President Kennedy served in office. They go into great detail, not only about the issues the Kennedy administration was confronted with, but also the personalities of those in the administration.

Those who, like myself, hold RFK in extremely high regard, tend to separate his public career into two distinct phases: his career before November 22, 1963, and the relatively short span from 1964 until his death in June of 1968. While this is fair, reading this book reinforces the belief that Robert Kennedy had begun his transformation while serving as Attorney General: the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Civil Rights movement expanded his thinking on the conditions the United States was confronted with in both foreign and domestic affairs.

The majority of these interviews were conducted in that brief period between Dallas and his becoming the driven social-political activist between 1966-68, of which his 90-day run for the Democratic nomination for President stands alone in American history. It was that period that most of his biographers refer to as a time of severe depression. This book documents that Kennedy -- not surprisingly -- experienced the range of emotions that are known as the Kubler-Ross model for dealing with death and dying.

In his early career, Robert Kennedy earned a reputation for being “ruthless.” Indeed, that description is something he jokes about in the interviews. His public enemies viewed him as a self-righteous, hostile , vindictive prick. More than a little of this comes through in what Kubler-Ross identifies as the “anger stage” of grief -- in which an individual focuses rage upon proximate people in their surroundings. The mutual dislike between RFK and LBJ is, of course, legendary. However, in the early interviews, Robert attacks the reputations of the majority of those who played roles in the Thousand Days -- both inside and outside the administration. It’s only in the final, 1967 section that one encounters RFK’s acceptance of people and events, although it is clear that he has become re-focused on eventually reaching the goals that he and his brother shared.

For people of my generation, it brings up the two “political” questions that continue to haunt us: what if Dallas had not happened? What if RFK had not been murdered? What direction might our nation have gone in?

The book provides insight into the “everyday” workings of a White House. This includes the built-in tensions between the White House and State Department. It also details the difficulties a President has in exercising control over intelligence agencies, such as the FBI and CIA, as well as the military leadership.

Perhaps the most interesting part, at least for me, was Robert Kennedy’s description of events involving the Bay of Pigs. He tells of how military officers working with the rebel forces as they trained in Nicaragua were prepared to go far beyond the limitations that President Kennedy had laid out for the US military and the para-military forces they were training. His description includes the quote that what they planned was: “Virtually treason!” (page 245)

It was on this foundation, constructed during his pre-Attorney General days, and his experiences in the Kennedy administration, that Robert was transformed into a US Senator and presidential candidate who had the potential to make the United States a much better country. There are, f course, another dozen books that I would recommend to anyone who is interested in that era. RFK’s death in 1968 is part of the history of that period of time -- especially that year -- when our nation underwent a wide range of changes.

Peace,
H2O Man

June 2, 2015

Standard Blues Changes

There have been a few discussions regarding the differences between Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Martin O’Malley on DU:GD in the past month or so. Some of these include informative and valuable insights; others focus on the poster’s opinion; and at least two or three seem to be rather negative. Well, at least that’s my interpretation.

This morning, as I went on my daily walk -- and found a perfect flint arrowhead, circa 1300 ad -- I was thinking about what these three announced Democratic Party candidates have in common. I’m confident that the synergism of my being old and lacking in intelligence insures that my list is far from complete, but I thought it was important.

Each of the three is a superior choice, compared to the announced republican presidential candidates, or any potential republican who may enter the race.

Each of the three can win the national election; this is particularly true if the Democratic Party as a whole works for their election.

Each of the three could lose the election, if the party is divided.

Each of the three could be effective in getting meaningful legislation passed, if the party also works at electing/ re-electing good candidates to the House and Senate, and continues to put pressure upon our elected officials.

Each of the three could find it impossible to pass meaningful legislation, if we do not focus attention upon both Houses of Congress.

Each of the three has strengths and potential weaknesses, as all three are not only human beings, but are politicians.

I’m sure that there are more than this half-dozen common features. If you can think of more, I would appreciate it if you could list them.

Thanks,
H2O Man

June 2, 2015

Wow! (Your Opinion, Please!)

An associate just sent me the following link. It is to a news article, complete with an audio recording of Senator Ted Cruz. I read the article and listened to the recording; admittedly, I am only half-way through my first cup of coffee this morning, and can't be 100% sure, but I suspect that this could remove this pimple on the republican party's ass.

http://www.thestatelyharold.com/#!Exclusive-Ted-Cruz-calls-Obama-an-Nword-in-secret-audio-recording/cmbz/556c8bde0cf2312d7962f040

June 1, 2015

The Public Square

I was encouraged by Bernie Sanders’ call for an increase in the number of presidential candidates’ debates, and even more so by his suggestion that a more open, inclusive forum be used. It will be interesting to see two things: first, if any of the marginal republicans endorse the concept; and second, how the corporate machines behind both parties respond.

The republican machine, of course, is intent upon limiting both access to, and the number of, their primary debates. As Willard Romney has said, there’s no use in even talking to 47% of the voters. Rick Perry himself has noted there are three reasons for this. But there are plenty of others, such as Rand Paul, who appear eager to appear on any stage.

I suppose it is inevitable that some in the Democratic Party will insist that Sanders’ suggestion is foolish, and that there are established rules that make it impossible to seriously consider providing the American public with that more open and inclusive format to discuss the serious problems that we face. It’s possible that they will take a page from the republican book -- first, make fun of the idea; second, say its impossible; and then simply ignore it.

Every step towards bringing “politics” back to the Public Square is, in my opinion, a good thing. Indeed, that is what our constitutional democracy requires. It is, in essence, the opposite of having decisions made in what were once known as “smoke-filled rooms,” but now are plush, air-conditioned corporate offices.

The three announced democratic candidates -- Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Martin O’Malley -- are all capable communicators; each would have opportunity to appeal to a wider base by using such a format. It would be interesting to show the stark differences between reality-based candidates, and those who deny climate change. There are other extremely important issues to be discussed, from national security to the TPP. This format could only be “high risk” for a corporate candidate, such as Jeb Bush.

Malcolm X used to say that if you place a sparkling clean glass of water next to a glass of filthy sludge, you can trust a thirsty public to make the correct choice. I think a “water-taste-test” in the Public Square is a great idea.

Peace,
H2O Man

May 28, 2015

Food for Thought

This is a link to a short film that my daughter & two classmates made on food.

May 27, 2015

Real People

It seems lately that my attempts to become a full-time hermit, and cut off almost all contact with the outside world, keep getting derailed, if only temporarily. But what, a rational human being can -- and, indeed, should --ask is, “But what does this have to do with that fellow Bernie Sanders?” That’s a fair question. A little “off the wall,” but I’ll deal with it.

One of my favorite pastimes is sitting quietly, out near my little pond, and feed the fish, birds, and chipmunks. I have a one-room cabin there, as well as a great stone fire-pit my boys made me, plus my lodge is only a couple dozen feet away, hidden in the brush and edge of the woods. I love to hang out there with my dogs.

But recently, people call, to ask for my thoughts or assistance on some issues. Some are minor: an area school principal was attempting to prevent a 16-year old girl from attending her prom. The girl has had serious (brutal) health issues, and missed enough of the year that she couldn’t catch up. She’ll be “home-schooled,” with hopes she can eventually enter college. She’s a bright, good young lady.

Her father is employed in the media, and has covered a wide range of issues that I’ve been involved in over the decades. So he called me. I told him to approach the school correctly, going through the “appropriate channels,” and to repeat three sentences I wrote up, having to do with: [a] the state’s focus on inclusion vs. exclusion; that she’s not a “drop-out,” as the principal claimed, but rather a kid with medical “special needs”; and [c] that it was better to resolve this rationally, rather than have it become a news story. (Their superintendent and BOE over-ruled the principal this morning.)

A group of teachers and concerned citizens from yet another district requested my help in recent elections for three seats on their school board. Despite several “recounts,” their three candidates won. Convincingly. And an area District Attorney requested my help on his re-election campaign. (In upstate New York, every not every race involves a Democrat vs. a republican; sadly, some are republican vs. rabid tea party. Less often, it is republican vs. rabid tea party vs. Democratic Left. In a four county area, the candidates that I’ve assisted are 8 to 2 winners in the past five years.)

Now back to the question about Bernie Sanders. I guess what has impressed me the most recently has been listening to conversations that a fairly wide range, in terms of age and income, of people are having. Because it’s not just the same small group of people, going town to town, that are doing the grass roots organizing. I think it is like one of the cycles that Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., spoke and wrote of so often. More people seem to be waking up.

Let me give an example. I think it is an important one. Today, among the groups that is targeted for “blame” in American culture is public school teachers. I include those in K through 12, as well as those teaching in public colleges and universities. While that isn’t a new social dynamic, the intensity of it has increased in recent years. It is both fair and accurate to say that a large segment of the 1% are actively opposed to public education. And they use their lap dogs in political offices, and even in churches, to take cheap shots at public education.

Now, the teachers’ unions are relatively strong. But that isn’t the only way to advocate for quality public education. As I have studied systems for decades, I’ve long been aware of another option. And it’s funny how you can say something for years, and it seems like others don’t really hear you. Then, suddenly, they do. A teacher can’t serve on their school’s BOE, but not every teachers resides within the district that employs them. Hence, it is entirely possible to organize, and get one or more teachers on their community’s school board. That changes the tone of the conversations that BOEs have. (Two of the three new BOE members in the one school are public school teachers.)

Back in the Reagan era, the right-wing republicans became aware of the fact that school boards are the first step in elective office. They exercise -- to various degrees -- community control. So they started running candidates. More recently, in the northeast, energy corporations get employees to run for school boards. In some cases, quite literally, they advocate for “community support” for fracking of gas. I’ve seen this.

“Community control” is power. It’s not the only power, by any means. But it is the building block necessary to create a larger movement to bring about social justice. Well, at least in a constitutional democracy. This doesn’t mean one segment of the community speaks -- or makes every decisions -- for the entire community. But it does require bringing a variety of voices into that conversation, which is an important part of that decision-making process.

When people start to actively participate in the social-political process, they begin to understand that they have more power than they did as a cog in an industry. Their economic power might be slime, indeed, but that isn’t where their power resides. It’s kind of like a teacher serving on the BOE of their home community, but not where they are employed. It’s a group power, the Power of Ideas.

Now, back to this Bernie Sanders character. Quite a few people are talking about him, which suggests there is a very real possibility that most of them might actual listen to him. And I think that is a good thing. If a large segment of the population listens to him with an open mind, I think that they will hear him, and understand. That’s not to say that his current message is any different than it was, decades ago. Principles and ethics are constant. Rather, it is that we are at a time when more people are able to hear him.

Peace,
H2O Man

May 25, 2015

War

My younger son sent me the above link. This is among the most important things that I have ever encountered in my life.

We watched it last week, before going to a community college to watch my youngest daughter graduate. One of her high school classmates -- he and she graduate from high school next month -- just joined the US Marines. A young man from last year’s class, who recently completed “boot camp,” had convinced him it was the best option.

These young men are fellows I watched grow up. I walk the corn fields with one’s father, looking for artifacts. I’ve bought corn from the older one’s family, at their family farm stand, a quarter-mile down the road.

My son has considered joining the military. He said that this video changed his mind.

Today, all four of my children will be here. Some other family and friends, too. We will remember the service of family and friends.

I can’t help but think of a kid who went to school with my sons and nephews. I watched him grow up, and I remember him on various sports teams, much like the two kids from my daughter’s school. He joined the service for entirely patriotic reasons. He died in Iraq. The biggest part of him that was returned for burial was one of his hands. And for what?

Fuck George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and the rest of those shitheads.

May 22, 2015

Authority

A former associate recently approached me about her working conditions. She is a public school teacher. Although the teachers union per se has organized power, the faculty at her school is inconsistent in advocating for themselves. She described people as “scared,” though there is no rational explanation for their fear.

This is an example of the type of general anxiety that a significant portion of our population feels. It impacts the manner in which individuals and groups behave. In my opinion, it illustrates why the majority of the American public accepts -- or becomes emotionally invested in -- a social-political system that exploits them.

Obviously, the current economic trends are a major factor; people fear being fired. Yet for people to fear that potential, when they know that they are doing a good job, So let’s examine a few “group dynamics” that come into play. We’ll start with “authority,” and how that translates in group behavior. Though I’ve written about this first part before on DU, I think a brief review is of value.

There are three general types of “authority” in human communities. The first is “traditional,” and as the name implies, tends to apply to older cultures. Things are understood to be done in a certain way, because “that is the way that we’ve always done them.” An example of this can be found in how I can identify what general cultural phase a specific projectile point I find dates to, for there was a “cultural compulsion” in which everyone, for perhaps several hundred years, made their spear points and/or arrowheads. There was no authority figure who demanded that they were made thus; rather, it was the way everyone did -- because they worked in helping that group meet their needs.

The second type is “charismatic” authority. This is generally that man or woman who the group recognizes has special insights and talents, and who others chose to follow. In the negative potential, of course, that leader can misuse his/her authority, to impose their beliefs and choices upon others. Charismatic leaders tend to be like meteors: they burn brightly, but for a brief time. For their ideas for social change to take deep root, they must be followed by the third type of authority.

That third type is “bureaucratic authority.” This is the type that deals with large groups of people. The general concept is that most people have similar issues, and this system identifies the easiest way to handle that common problem. If you have ever had the experience of going to the DMV for an uncommon problem, you’ve come face-to-face with the weakness of such a system.

Now, within each of these three types, there have long been easily understood rewards and punishments for various types of behavior. Generally, an individual knew where he/she stood. That does not mean that their status was good or bad, acceptable or unacceptable. But it was defined, with another type of “authority” to back it up.

This other realm of authority has two general sub-groups: “overt authority” and “anonymous authority.” Most of us are familiar with “overt authority,” which includes, among many others, when a parent disciplines their child; when a teacher kicks a student out of class; when a policeman arrests a person; or when a boss fires an employee Obey the rules, or face the consequences. In a relatively healthy society, these rules are enforced fairly. In a sick society, these are enforced in an unfair manner.

Let’s consider some examples. In a healthy society, more young black men would be enrolled in our colleges and universities, than in jail, or one parole or probation. For a healthy culture benefits from the education of not only all groups, but all individuals. An unhealthy culture involves a small group that benefit from the incarceration of a large group.

Or, another example: a healthy culture recognizes every adults human right to be married to the adult individual that they love. For a healthy society promotes the happiness and well-being of all of its members. In an unhealthy culture, a group with power attempts to impose its beliefs and values -- its dogma -- on other groups, to deny them basic human rights.

In a healthy culture, the legitimate purpose of discipline is to instill self-discipline. In unhealthy cultures, those who administer “discipline” tend to be undisciplined individuals, acting out their frustrations, anger, and sense of inferiority. By no coincidence, the American experience in the 20th century per public education provides numerous examples -- good and bad -- of how “discipline” and “respect for authority” took root in our culture. As the twig is bent …..

In the post-WW2 period, two dynamics were changing in the United States: public education was being recognized as more important than it previously had been, and the capitalist economic system began placing more emphasis upon encouraging consumerism. The two were, of course, closely related. Yet, there were some significant tensions between the two.

Progressive advocates for public education recognized the benefits of relaxing overt authority within the schools. There was European influences on concepts of instilling self-discipline in children and youth, much of that based upon insights in the field of psychology. These were sincere attempts to improve students’ experiences and futures.

Industry viewed schools somewhat differently. Since public schools are, in a sense, not-for-profit businesses, this applies to some administrators, but more so to the local corporate leaders and the politicians who serve them. The “elite” male students (many of whom attended private schools) were destined to go on to college, as were a smaller percentage of the females. But the majority of the public school graduates were going to be finding employment in factories, or jobs connected to the local factory or the construction industry. Female graduates might go on to, for example, nursing school, or become public school teachers, but the majority went on to become housewives.

Now, while we know that the greatest growth was in the military-industrial complex, the country grew in other ways, too. This included those things such as “the suburbs,” and cars to drive on the new highways, for the expanding middle class. A high school diploma allowed a father to work in a factory, and support his family in a more comfortable style than before. At the same time, there was a growth in other unhealthy areas, such as depression, substance abuse (primarily legal drugs, such as alcohol), and family violence (including suicide). Although other industrialized nations showed some growth in these areas, the United States was #1.

There are numerous valuable insights on the nature of how the middle class economic experience impacted our society. These include important thoughts on how, when our economy went from industrial to high-tech, the human experience -- in relation to one’s self and others -- has also changed. Still, in order to understand “today,” we need a grasp of “yesterday.” And some of the articles and books that were written back then are essential; my favorites include Durkheim and Fromm.

Durkheim wrote of the phenomenon of “anomie,” in which traditional bonds and institutions give way to the power of the nation-state. He famously spoke of citizens in modern society becoming a “disorganized dust of individuals.” Fromm built upon this, and noted how consumerism had led to a uniformity in the middle class. More, he spoke of how individuals increasingly found it difficult to be either alone, or different than the mass-produced modern middle class citizen.

That discomfort with being alone, and fear of being different, is the essence of unhealthy “anonymous authority.” No person -- boss, cop, teacher, or whoever -- has to enforce a code of conduct upon the individuals that make up a group, for they police themselves.

The dynamics of this type of conformity is distinct from the cultural compulsion that results in almost all projectile points resembling each other in days of old. Those cultures used specific types of projectile points for everyone’s benefit. In our culture, a small sub-group is capitalizing upon that anonymous authority that produces conformance.

Because the true nature of the beast of anonymous authority is not visible to some, or appears “too big to change” to others, society has created various outlets for those energies that should be invested in over-turning the system. People who want to be part of a team for identity are free to become fans of the Yankees, Celtics, or the Cowboys -- or all three. They can even buy shirts, hats, and banners that identify them with that group.

Or, they might identify their life experiences in a group context, be it religion, political party, or similar club. Or, for young adults, there is that opportunity to “be all that you can be” by joining the military. In all of these instances, however, we can see that some corporation or another is profiting financially.

But what is more important to the 1% is that those sports’ fans and religious folks are available to work in the factory -- or school, or office, etc -- most of their time. And to be sure they do their jobs, while feeling uncomfortable for unidentified rational reasons. To get out of work, slam down a six-pack, and to be ready the next day.

The victims of this system become alienated from their own being: they complain about work conditions, but never take meaningful steps to address the real problems. The fill their “off” time with activities that, while intended to be fun, are un-fulfilling. They avoid “alone time,” even if they lie to themselves, and believe they enjoy it -- but just can’t set aside the time. For they are too busy. Busy, busy, busy people.

“It is beneath human dignity,” Gandhi told us, “To be a mere cog in the machine.” Clearly, cog-ism is one human potential. But it is not the only one, nor the most desirable. In order to change the current reality, society needs a group of people to rise above the cog status. To reach a higher ground than that which allows people to know that “climate change” is a reality, and one that poses definite negative consequences -- for Mother Nature practices a type of overt authority that doesn’t consider if one is from a wealthy family, as everyone suffers -- but still be stuck in place, heading down a self-destructive path.

We need a revolution in our thinking, and our behavior.

-- H2O Man