Progressive Participatory Enaction

[Edward theurj Berge]

After much extended consideration I changed the name of my blog from Integral Postmetaphysical Enaction to the above. (Former blog postings in this thread.) It will still be at the same link. I've decided to change the name largely due to no longer having much interest in integral theory. Still some, but not enough to justify it in the name. I'm still interested in postmetaphysics, but who the hell has heard of that outside a select few eggheads? I am much more interested in motivating myself and others into participating with progressive ideals and enacting those policies in all domains. Keeping the old blog name was more than a bit off putting for that broader agenda. I'll keep the old name as a subtitle for now for those familiar with and searching for it. But my intent is to get more people involved in the hope of actually changing things for the better instead of engaging in interesting but mostly armchair speculations.

I retained the word enaction for a few reasons. It relates to specific philosophical models of embodied cognition (and/or realism) in which I'm still interested and will continue to write about. It is a progressive evolution over previous models highlighting our participation with co-creating our realities. Note the prefix co, indicating that though we participate the Real grounds and delimits that participation. But that's still egghead. Mostly because the word means creating law, which to me is the most effective way for us to implement our values in society. Hence a lot of my focus is on motivating us to participate in changing or creating laws aligned with progressive ideals.

The blog will still be the same except that the name will more accurately reflect what I've been doing here for the past several months. I hope the current audience will continue to read. And I hope the new name will attract new readers who are motivated to join me in participating in progressive ideals and enacting laws and structures to express that agenda.

[Edward theurj Berge]

See this article on energy democracy. Energy generation and conservation are critical issues to 1) saving the planet from climate change and 2) moving to the next phase of socio-econnomics that 3) empowers people to evolve their consciousness toward a postmetaphysical spirituality. This project has significant impact for all quadrants, levels, lines, states and color coordinating (one's clothing with their skin type ;/).

[DavidM58]

Disclaimer that I haven't read any of Greg Pahl's books, but my hunch is they are worth checking out. His most recent is the similarly titled "Power From the People: How to Organize, Finance, and Launch Local Energy Projects."

Blurb: 

"Pahl uses examples from around the nation and the world to explore how homeowners, co-ops, nonprofits, governments, and businesses are already putting power in the hands of local communities through distributed energy programs and energy-efficiency measures.

Renewable, community power is a necessary step on the path to energy security and community resilience, particularly as we face peak oil, cope with climate change, and address the need to transition to a more sustainable future.

"Greg Pahl's superb guide to community energy and how to unlock its potential is essential reading for anyone interested in the economic future of the place they live. As a Community Resilience Guide it is just that--a powerful guide showing how enhancing your community's resilience is a key form of economic development. And there is nowhere better to start than with rethinking our relationship to energy. You will find yourself waking up at 3 a.m. to scribble down the ideas and actions that this book has inspired. Make sure you keep a pen and paper by the bed." —Rob Hopkins, author of The Transition Companion"

 

[Edward theurj Berge]

MoveOn previously endorsed Senator Warren, who isn't running. So how about they now endorse Sanders, who is running? Sign the petition if interested.

Note: This is a MoveOn petition that petitions MoveOn. I like the irony.

[Edward theurj Berge]

Maher's Pope on interfaith commonality.

[Edward theurj Berge]

TPP text leaked. Please take action by signing the petition and donating if you can spare it. Thanks.

[DavidM58]

Yes, this is just...beyond the pale, whatever that means. "Absolutely terrifying."  

theurj said:

TPP text leaked. Please take action by signing the petition and donating if you can spare it. Thanks.

[andrew]

I suffer a type of cognitive  dissonance in my somewhat integral mind when two streams of behaviour coincide : integral minutiae juxtaposed to the TPP. The same thing happened with Gore and ACP when the primary  focus was how much money can I (Gore) make off of it . It's not that integral minutiae is not important; but I side with Ed when he suggests the primary goal of integral consciousness today should be to stop the mean orange meme ( which the TPP certainly is )-mean . And frankly, I believe Hilary is lying when she says she is opposed to it . 

[DavidM58]

The problem is that "mean green meme" rhymes, but there are no words that rhyme with orange. Is there a clever theurjism that conveys the mean orange meme idea? I kind of like the ironic use of "CONSCIOUS capitalism," meaning the conscious use of predatory and exploitative practices of a rigged game. Unconscious capitalism is the more benign form of participating in the existing system and playing by the existing rules in a well meaning but somewhat naive way.

[andrew]

I get that my remark was a harsh thing to say about Hilary, but every mainstream government in N.A. for the last 40 years has endorsed Adam Smith's 18 century ideas in the form of neoliberalism . A side note : I am quite sure Mr. Smith should he be alive today would be horrified at the results of his theories . Now because it's a fact our leaders live in 1850 I think it not be too much to ask for written in advance assurance from any leader when they declare themselves opposed to something they've long been in support of . I believe this is called accountability . Should Hilary gain power and support TPP she should be fired under accountability laws :)

[Edward theurj Berge]

See this article for another key difference between Sanders and Clinton. During the debate Clinton emphasized what would change if she won. Sanders kept saying if we win. This is a huuuuuge (a la Trump) difference. Clinton is still caught in the old school capitalist individualism where great leaders must be in charge. Sanders is from the emerging Commons paradigm where autonomous individuals coordinate and organize to govern together. This is going to take a mass movement of we the people to vote for representatives that enact democracy, and for us to hold them accountable to the people's platform. Governmental 'leaders' are public servants, not the lapdogs of the oligarchs. Sanders understands this and is a people's candidate. Clinton does not and is going to keep the oligarchs in power.

[andrew]

We have a different system in this country . See this article : 

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/10/15/why-concern-for-the-e...

I don't think it's even a better system; perhaps at one point in time , but the main parties have been bought by the oligarchs for a 100 years. Once they bought the political status quo certain inevitabilities were put in motion . Which is why they had to create a global casino economy . To normalize risk ; now they play russian roulette with the planet and one possible outcome  simply becomes entertainment in the form of risk and odds. 

In Canada there is much awareness  on environment but much more concern and fear that the 20% well to do should loose any of their privilege; so the importance is placed on washing the plastics before they go into recycling creating a feel good I'm making a difference ; but of course, nothing short of a complete reworking of the system is needed, which renders that utility as next to useless , IMO. 

In the meantime about 80% of the people here have been sold into various types of barely getting by: two weeks or two months away from disaster. It's hard to be effective in the civil sense when the fight and flight responses of survival are constantly being triggered . The sickest thing to me personally today is the advertising blitz by the bankers. They are in complete denial that their policies over the last century have created much of the problems and their advertising campaigns are nothing short of contemptuous , IMO .

Student debt being in the news lately . This debt a creation of the bankers and completely unnecessary . A former UBC administrator suggested the elites contempt for students there is because UBC has become a research arm of the global corporation . And I immediately thought of the C.T. that asserts an alien race was stranded here and the whole of modern history is about that E.T. getting their technology back . On the very odd chance that were true ; very few people on this planet are who they appear to be . Although I've come up with my own unique theory on that topic:)

[andrew]

To be fair in my assessment there was a brief moment after WW11 (when the deaths of millions and millions of people) created a short term resurgence of fairness and hope . A new polity called NDP gained traction and universal health care and social assistance were implemented in Canada. But let's be clear : that only happened because of the engineering and reaction to two world wars ; those are long gone and neoliberal economics have taken over here . When I first came to B.C. in the 70's there was G.A.I.N. and cheap or free higher education . Those have been wiped out by neoliberalism . But really , those social implementations at the time were not really all that functional ; you can't just give someone 500.00 and expect a healthy society . That is why in my second economy ( the global commons currency ) welfare is tied to ecology . You have to volunteer to live economically green to receive G.A.I.N. ...Of course this can never be done under the monoculture of central banking /fiat currency with all its debt mechanisms ( neoliberalism is the inevitable outcome of that system ). 

In my first economy based more on todays status quo the major change would have to be eco laws implemented . By law the Koch Bro. would not be allowed to do what they do . In that economy if you can afford green tech ; by law you have to buy it . Sorry libertarians ! You don't get to kill the planet even if one part of your polity is correct . Liberty has to juxtaposed to ecology .