John's Blog: Transforming Globalism (Part 2 of 8)
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Transforming Globalism (Part 2 of 8)
David Korten - also involved with Yes magazine
www.yesmagazine.org, www.davidkorten.org
Usual choice is presented as global versus insulated. This is not the right
choice. Choice is:
Empire/Money vs. Life/Community
Traditional choice has been empire.
New conditions to the human experience:
Capacity to self-destruct ("global suicide economy")
- nuclear and biological technology
- ecosystem burden
OR
Achieve peace and justice for all
- view ourselves from space (vision)
- global institutions
- communication technologies (infrastructure)
- global civil society
"dynamic self-directed organism, shared consciousness"
ECONOMIC ISSUES AT HEART
Traditional measurement of economic success is growth and consumption
Richer for it?
+ Total capital has increased dramatically
- Living planet index (ecosystem health) way down (declined 37% in past
30 years)
Outcome of rich/poor gap growing wider is built right into the system, via
"return on investment", meaning the more you start with, the more you get
as a result.
- worldwide hunger is worsening (3.3M childen in US experience hunger)
Impossible to grow our way out of poverty by making the rich richer.
TO DO LIST FOR 21ST CENTURY
* Bring our lives into balance with the earth. To do that, we must
* Reorient our economic priorities. To do that, we must
* Complete the democratic transition. To do that, we must
* Create life-affirming cultures. ALl this means we must
* Reaffirm our spiritual nature.
THE CRISIS IS, AT ITS CORE, A SPIRITUAL CRISIS!
Instituitional centerpiece of global economic system is the Publicly Traded,
Limited-Liability Corporation. But to see them as merely groups of individuals
is a mistake, because they all are servants of the institution, subject to
dismissal, and must leave their values at the door. Artificial legal
personality in business of converting human effort into financial gain without
regard to consequences.
Alternative is the "Human Enterprise":
* human scale
* engaged owners
* accountable CEO
* broad mandate to all stakeholders
* normal liablity
* life-serving culture
These exist, but are mostly on fringes of corporate economy and dependent on
it. Imagine if they all linked together, separate from the corporate world.
Called "economic democracy". See Business Alliance for Local Living Economies
(BALLE), www.livingeconomies.org.
Corollary to the American experiment, where 5000 year of hereditary rule
argued whether goverment by consent of governed was even possible. And it's
taken a long time, as witnessed by slow progress of Constitutional amendments.
(shift to current political environment)
Power of right-wing is their power to define the stories that define the
debate. Stories of
- Prosperity: Economic growth depends on investment, so those who have more
to invest will grow the economy more. Private sector creates wealth and
rewards hard work. Gov't by taxes kills incentive to invest and to work
hard.
Lots of flaws, but carries the day because it's the only story in town.
This allows them to reframe the liberal agenda as killing the economy. We
need to frame our own prosperity story.
- Security: To legitimate use of military and police power, and private
propery owners. Basic Bush story. This draws attention away from justice
issues that lie behind the criminals and terrorists, but also away from
other problems, such as the environment.
Liberals and progressives tend to focus on disarmament, not going to war,
defending victims. This is important, but offers no comfort to those who
fear for the lives of themselves and their families.
- Meaning: Sacred story based on their reading of scripture. Nothing
happens except by the will of God, who demands obedience and favors the
obedient with wealth and power. Basically Job's friends. This
responsibilty of the righteous to guide others in political and legal
sphere. Indeed, basically preparing the world for the return of Christ.
People buy this because they are desperate for spritutally meaning in
their lives. Libs don't tend to talk about this much. Are we afraid of
being identified with the others?
In all cases, not enough to just point out the flaws. Like in science, only
way to discredit one is to come up with a more compelling one. We need to get
serious about crafting new stories that address the deep human needs that the
existing ones address, incorporating more communitarian and human values, and
spiritual values reflecting all the world's religions.
Bumper Sticker: Serve Jesus, End Empire
A new global civil society is emerging:
1. New planetary social organisms
2. Politics of hope, love, and healing.
3. Economy of service to life
4. Values consensus
5. Everyone is a leader in their own right
6. New cultural and spiritual consiousness
Never has human society been at such a moment of decision.
We are the ones we've been waiting for!
A question led to description of right-wing Christian stories informing their
work towards earthly theocracy, against democracy. What stories do liberal
Christians have to counter that?
Another comment led to observance that rather than sending Christians out as
missionaries to convert others, we go out to the rest of the world in order to
learn from others!
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