Firstly I want to say I am very torn on much of this. I have spent a lifetime campaigning against much of the abuse of power that goes on, in the UK we suffered terribly from the particularly the Norman conquest that put the ownership of 95% of the land in a hands of a handful of people and it remains that way, with their descendants still in place in our unelected House of Lords. I oppose the financial system and debt based money, tax havens, many aspects of capitalism and the militarisation of the West in particular. I hated colonialism, Empire, slavery etc.
However, there are things I do like. I like our social contract offering free health care, education, social services etc, many of our rules of law, the EU which has created 80 years of peace in the European countries that are part of it and the freedom to move around without restriction it has given us. I went out with a woman who was actually an elected member of the European Parliament and it was amazing to see the brilliant work that went on first hand . A crying shame that the UK has withdrawn.
I personally thought the scientists did really well with Covid, to see it coming, prepare and stop it pretty much dead in its tracks, I saw a number of people die in the early days with blood clots, respiratory issues etc and it was awful. Many others have not recovered fully, Forging a bit of personal freedom to save others seemed like a great shared collective issue.
I guess I have been to a number of events and talks about WHO WEF UN etc. I do agree some have way to much power, like the WEF who I have zero support for. I worked with the UN for ten years on the millenium goals and they were actually a huge success in reducing maternal mortality, providing basic education, clean water and so much more. I do think the follow on Sustainable goals were less focussed and successful but they are trying to provide the very basics of live.
I guess my problem is with the use of the words freedom and sovereignty. It seems to be used with a very limited meaning, often the freedom to do what I want regardless of anyone else, Ecosystem damage is a good example. It generally seems that this movement sees any individual constraint as fake news and controlling, It echoes Donald Trump, Steve Bannon and the extreme right wing libertarians. I can't think of anything more from the way Indigenous Native Americans would believe. 7
I don't know how to square any of this. I am I guess something like a democratic socialist but I often see in this movement a hatred of all things socialist, almost to a McCarthyite level. I don't sense much social contract and I guess that as much of this movement is from America it makes sense as you don't have one really. Not sure what to do, The World seems to be evolving pretty well, so much of the Far East, India, Africa is getting its act together now Empire has somewhat gone (clearly not fully in asset and land plunder and ownership) and we in the west seem to be outraged we have lost some buying power and have limits on us.
I live in Europe's biggest intentional community, in fact we are affiliated to the UN as an example of community in action. The picture on the cover of the last COP meeting was of our community housinghttps://scontent.fgla3-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/277731174_5355568214466866_3128751690537089559_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_p180x540&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=hAved7t0N0AQ7kNvgEB42Ez&_nc_ht=scontent.fgla3-2.fna&oh=00_AfDDbgL2ODuVOWl9D0OC4Mn24sysVmzbZEuTtOwH0pKEvw&oe=6635E8AE
Thoughts welcome
Chris
Findhorn Community (largest intentional self organising community in Europe)
Firstly I want to say I am very torn on much of this. I have spent a lifetime campaigning against much of the abuse of power that goes on, in the UK we suffered terribly from the particularly the Norman conquest that put the ownership of 95% of the land in a hands of a handful of people and it remains that way, with their descendants still in place in our unelected House of Lords. I oppose the financial system and debt based money, tax havens, many aspects of capitalism and the militarisation of the West in particular. I hated colonialism, Empire, slavery etc.
However, there are things I do like. I like our social contract offering free health care, education, social services etc, many of our rules of law, the EU which has created 80 years of peace in the European countries that are part of it and the freedom to move around without restriction it has given us. I went out with a woman who was actually an elected member of the European Parliament and it was amazing to see the brilliant work that went on first hand . A crying shame that the UK has withdrawn.
I personally thought the scientists did really well with Covid, to see it coming, prepare and stop it pretty much dead in its tracks, I saw a number of people die in the early days with blood clots, respiratory issues etc and it was awful. Many others have not recovered fully, Forging a bit of personal freedom to save others seemed like a great shared collective issue.
I guess I have been to a number of events and talks about WHO WEF UN etc. I do agree some have way to much power, like the WEF who I have zero support for. I worked with the UN for ten years on the millenium goals and they were actually a huge success in reducing maternal mortality, providing basic education, clean water and so much more. I do think the follow on Sustainable goals were less focussed and successful but they are trying to provide the very basics of live.
I guess my problem is with the use of the words freedom and sovereignty. It seems to be used with a very limited meaning, often the freedom to do what I want regardless of anyone else, Ecosystem damage is a good example. It generally seems that this movement sees any individual constraint as fake news and controlling, It echoes Donald Trump, Steve Bannon and the extreme right wing libertarians. I can't think of anything more from the way Indigenous Native Americans would believe. 7
I don't know how to square any of this. I am I guess something like a democratic socialist but I often see in this movement a hatred of all things socialist, almost to a McCarthyite level. I don't sense much social contract and I guess that as much of this movement is from America it makes sense as you don't have one really. Not sure what to do, The World seems to be evolving pretty well, so much of the Far East, India, Africa is getting its act together now Empire has somewhat gone (clearly not fully in asset and land plunder and ownership) and we in the west seem to be outraged we have lost some buying power and have limits on us.
I live in Europe's biggest intentional community, in fact we are affiliated to the UN as an example of community in action. The picture on the cover of the last COP meeting was of our community housinghttps://scontent.fgla3-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/277731174_5355568214466866_3128751690537089559_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_p180x540&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=hAved7t0N0AQ7kNvgEB42Ez&_nc_ht=scontent.fgla3-2.fna&oh=00_AfDDbgL2ODuVOWl9D0OC4Mn24sysVmzbZEuTtOwH0pKEvw&oe=6635E8AE
Thoughts welcome
Chris
Findhorn Community (largest intentional self organising community in Europe)
Scotland