The cartoon superhero, The Phantom, once said: “Anything impossible is worth trying.” Is the near impossibility of awakening and saving humanity worth trying? Could the Substack media have an unexplored potential role in this? Suzanne believes a wealth of thought-leaders on Substack could collaborate to more vigorously and compellingly project ideas that give people hope, vision, empowerment, and solutions.
It was such a pleasure to speak in real time with Suzanne in Gaia's Zoom Room tonight! Our subject was the second State of the World Forum (SOWF) set for December 14-17. Thank you, Sue, for sharing this post/thread! How DO we wake people up to our shared existential crises? How DO we find answers that will work? Watch Parties for the State of the World Forum are being set up all over the world. Find out more here: https://ourheartgardens.com/state-of-the-world-forum-kamloops-watch-party/ and register to join us. I'm the moderator of the AfterChat of Humanity Rising and Gaia's Zoom Room. Let's have those conversations you're wanting to have!
It’s extremely disappointing to see so many large, successful companies act as poor corporate citizens. Apple, for example, has benefited enormously from America’s laws, infrastructure, and past public investments in technology, yet it claims Ireland as its home base to avoid paying U.S. taxes. They take from the system that enabled their success but give very little back, except for millions to Trump. If they applied their “creative genius” to solving problems for the common good instead of to increase stockholders profits, the world could be a happier place to live.
I am very interested in this effort. Personally, I do not want to focus my energy on the crises, though obviously I’m aware of them. Only all too well. But I am excited by the myriad possibilities we could envision and put into practice, and there are many many of us on Substack. So do keep me in the loop.
Here I was, making my way through my emails, seeing Greta's name in your subject line, wondering who you thought carried Greta’s message here on Substack, thinking I'd surprise you by passing along the post I made a while back about Greta and me and hoping I also could be recognized in juxtaposition to her, and lo and behold, the Greta Thunberg of Substack turned out to be me!
Here’s my post that makes yours strangely synchronistic:
Scroll down to the picture. “For alerting us to the danger we were in Greta Thunberg became our youngest Person of the Year, and Suzanne Taylor, our oldest, is this year’s Person of the Year for doing what it took to get us beyond it.”
For "steps humanity can take to change course," you'll get the invite I’m sending in the next few days to people who are savvy about the danger of collapse, for them to think with each other about how to get humanity wised up to the peril we are in. Knowing it’s life or death should get everyone cooperating!.
I so appreciate you picking up on what I’m doing. A la islands of coherence, big results start with small alignments.
Here’s last week’s Substack, where I talked about my collapse choir as a way to wise humanity up:
If you don’t know what's happening you won’t respond to what's happening
A way to wise humanity up to how endangered we are
I assume that when you send out your invite to "the people savvy to the danger of collapse" I'll be able to see who the other people and sites are that you've been tracking. This would have educative value for me.
I didn't get it. Perhaps I'm not on the list of recipients. If not, again, it would be educative for me to become aware of the people and groups that you've sussed out that are kindred spirits.
Thank you, Mr. Logan! That is a lot for me to wrap my head around. I do agree; however, I cannot see past what is happening right now in this moment. It seems to me that everyone is so caught up in the horrors that are occurring daily, they cannot think beyond it! I firmly believe this planet is big enough for all of us to basically "fit" and live harmoniously with one another. That won't be possible if we continue to destroy the planet and have nowhere to fit! While everyone is screaming, pointing fingers and blaming over things that in the long run amount to choice, our planet is suffering the most. I am sure there are many open to working on solutions like you and Suzanne discuss in your posts, but my question is how and when could that happen? How do we get humanity to wake up and work to prevent what is coming for all of us? It is a lot for me to think about. I do hope thought-leaders such as yourself and Suzanne can collaborate and find answers. Thank you for this post.
Peggy, there aren't a lot of people working on solutions except long-range -- even too long when it's the next election given the threat that nature presents now, where everyone should be focused on that. I so appreciate linking up with Ronald Logan at a time when relationships are in short supply, and that's what has accounted for all of evolution.
The Crisis and Transition Substack collective has been paying attention to your championing the importance of developing relationships. And we appreciate that you walk this talk.
SUE, if we could show that long-range vision, could it possibly help people respond to what needs to be done short-range? I probably sound like an idiot, but I just feel that somehow everyone needs to get on the same page for addressing what is happening 'right now'. There are so very many great substacks, PACs, organizations and groups working hard every day but their messages aren't linked together. I have learned so much from Mr. Logan and Marc Nevas and you. Thank you for your response.
Like Suzanne, Crisis and Transition sees the need for a paradigm shift -- which is a big evolutionary undertaking. But, yes, there is also need to have a strategy that addresses our immediate conditions.
Much like Marc Nevas, I feel that our priority demand should be for economic democracy. So long as economic power is so skewed toward the uber rich the drift will continue to be toward oligarchy and a political system in which its virtually impossible to make progressive change.
So short answer as to what should unify us: the demand for economic democracy.
Ever since Marc Nevas talked about economic democracy on one of Professor Reich's post, I have researched it and learned about it. Yes, I want economic democracy and I say it as often as I can. It would truly unify us. It is hard because when I speak of it, there are those who say, 'I don't know what that is' or 'what is that, we have a democracy'. I try to keep my explanation short and simple; however, I don't know if others agree with me. I feel it needs to be discussed more and explained so that everyone understands the difference between what we have now compared to economic democracy.
I just finished the draft of next Tuesday's article. It will likely be the first of a series of articles that give more depth to the concept of economic democracy.
You are right about this. It's a subject that I've done a lot of work on. (I was the initiator of a national conferece on economic democracy in 2012.) There's a particular framework that we have been using on the Crisis and Transition Substack which in my view gives the most holistic and empowering expression to economic democracy. I've covered this in two or three Substack articles. See, for example:
Thank you, Mr. Logan. I will read these and hopefully find better ways to express myself when talking to people about economic democracy. I see it as the way forward right now.
Long-range vision isn't a motivator to get beyond our stuckness. Something more dramatic and immediate is called for. I'm going with the idea of getting that it's life or death that would do that job. Maybe there are other ways that will emerge from people who know the danger we are in putting their heads together about what would tune all of humanity into saving us.
I agree that the reality of "life or death" will ultimately give humanity the focus it needs to make the shift toward a life-centered society.
But the more who wake up and act, and the sooner they do so, and the vision and values that they bring, will greatly determine how great will be the collective pain.
When people are desparate, they will grasp for what will save them. Will we be there with the vision, models, policies and leadership that they will need?
Who is "they?" There's just us. When everyone knows it's over for all of us if we don't work together to try to save civilization, my premise is that that's what will change what we do. All the time we'd be getting our new, cooperative act together, new models would be springing up -- as they are now -- but my focus is on that big crossover that will get all hands on deck to design a new system that serves everyone.
Peggy, you are correct. It is the big question, how do we get from here to there?
This morning I got an insight on the first step. That first step is to envision and define what we mean by “there.” We have to put forth a compelling vision of what we will achieve both personally and as a collective.
Once we are clear on a vision, then we have a motivational factor and something to unite us in forward progress.
I love the word “courage,“ for it has as its root
the French word “Couer” which means Heart. We must take Heart, big Heart for the task ahead is immense. Right now everyone is flailing And no one is pointing the way to a cogent solution, certainly not the politicians. So, we will have to do it ourselves. How did the anti-war demonstrations and marches come together in the 60s? People just got up and did it. We can do it too and all of us have something to give in the collective effort.
I’d say first is to get people tuned into being in danger in order to get everyone cooperating before overshoot does us all in. We need a vision, where I see humanity being tuned into how wonderful our species was designed to be – divine creatures in a sacred universe, where the vision would be a cooperative world serving Earth.
“Just doing it” I think needs a coalition, many millions already united who can boycott and march and be a force behind whatever would change the way things are.
On the courage front, I love the start of Robert de Ropp’s The Master Game: “Seek, above all, for a game worth playing. Such is the advice of the oracle to modern man. Having found the game, play it with intensity – play as if your life and sanity depended on it. (They do depend on it.) Follow the example of the French existentialists and flourish a banner bearing the word ‘engagement.’ Though nothing means anything and all roads are marked ‘NO EXIT,’ yet move as if your movements had some purpose. If life does not seem to offer a game worth playing, then invent one. For it must be clear, even to the most clouded intelligence, that any game is better than no game.”
I am with you on this journey, Marc! I will be out on October 18 and I hope with all my heart there will be millions out there, too! I believe not just Democrats should fight back and resist. It must be republicans and Independents and anyone who wants to stop this march to authoritarianism. I know that I believe in Economic Democracy as a way forward. I believe if everyone is determined to hang on to capitalism, then we must return to a system where stakeholders and not shareholders have ownership, control and decision making power. We had that when we were strong with unions, but I also know that many are against unions. Economic power must be distributed equally. I truly do not know what message will bring our fractured party back together fighting together with a common goal in mind. I appreciate this Crisis and Transition substack because the posts help me determine the course our country needs to take. I do know that we can not go back, no matter how hard the heritage foundation wants us to. We must continue our forward progress and learn how to adjust with the changing times. Thank you for your clear, concise explanation of what all of us need to do.
Peggy and Sue, I believe our country and our society is going through a series of “stress tests.“ As far as our economy is concerned, it’s a “fail.“ Our government and political system.is a “fail” and the Supreme Court is a “fail.“ But I do believe our American society and the ideals articulated in the Declaration of Independence will prove itself to be a “pass.“
I believe that we must be prepared to leave the two party system in the dust bin of history. It has been failing and when ultimately tested by Trump and the Supreme Court, it has not been up to the task. Without having a clear picture of how it will look in the near term, I see some trends beginning to develop.
Generally it is easier to organize individuals to move together when they are unitedly against the same short term goal. It is much more difficult to organize them around a common vision, at least In the near future. The anti-war movement grew into one united front against the Vietnam War, albeit slowly. However, when the war ended, there was no longer that single issue that united nm disparate groups.I would note that out of the Vietnam war movement several other very positive progressive movements began. Most notably was the large and powerful ecology movement and also a strong movement towards a deeper, truer spiritual experience than what was being provided by most established religions at that time.
Some potential future movements may also include a movement towards world peace and a universal bill of human rights likely led by jurists from around the globe.
Another possible major movement of the future might be a united thrust to end world, hunger by overseeing, rational distribution of foodstuff and agriculturally fruitful land throughout the planet. There is no reason why one country’s ability to grow all the food necessary for itself be aborted in order to grow one crop such as coffee or bananas for the world’s wealthy elites. From these various identity groupings for positive change could there be an evolution towards a worldwide positive effort at planetary governance that would serve all.
Marc, I truly wish I could be alive to see that vision come to fruition; however, I am in my "golden years" and won't be around that long. What brings me peace and joy is knowing that future generations will benefit from such a vision. I can only hope that my grandkids have learned from me the necessity to keep fighting for all that you have laid out here. I hope that I have taught them that we must always resist the evil forces at play in our world and try to keep the commitment to honor Mother Earth. Our environment should actually be the main issue we should be fighting the oligarchs over. They don't care how much they ravage the planet in pursuit of that almighty dollar so we must defend and protect it right now.
If we woke our oligarchs up to their life or death being at stake, that could be a way to turn their tide. And, If we can snare just one of them, we could do wonders, like funding an advertising campaign, Make Humanity Great Again. We are so good at selling things, so sell the world we want to be in, where we are a cooperative species, figuring out the best path for humanity to be on.
Could we do that, SUE? It seems the oligarchs are responsible for quite a bit of the mess we are in now! I would love to be able to sell them on what a wonderful world it would be if only they would use their wealth for good rather than their own selfish greed! I guess I wouldn't be a good salesperson as sometimes I speak too directly and lose the sale! As it stands right now, I will keep doing what I am doing to fight and resist this awful regime and hope the outcome will be beneficial for all of us!
It was such a pleasure to speak in real time with Suzanne in Gaia's Zoom Room tonight! Our subject was the second State of the World Forum (SOWF) set for December 14-17. Thank you, Sue, for sharing this post/thread! How DO we wake people up to our shared existential crises? How DO we find answers that will work? Watch Parties for the State of the World Forum are being set up all over the world. Find out more here: https://ourheartgardens.com/state-of-the-world-forum-kamloops-watch-party/ and register to join us. I'm the moderator of the AfterChat of Humanity Rising and Gaia's Zoom Room. Let's have those conversations you're wanting to have!
Non-human intelligences. Very nice.
It’s extremely disappointing to see so many large, successful companies act as poor corporate citizens. Apple, for example, has benefited enormously from America’s laws, infrastructure, and past public investments in technology, yet it claims Ireland as its home base to avoid paying U.S. taxes. They take from the system that enabled their success but give very little back, except for millions to Trump. If they applied their “creative genius” to solving problems for the common good instead of to increase stockholders profits, the world could be a happier place to live.
I am very interested in this effort. Personally, I do not want to focus my energy on the crises, though obviously I’m aware of them. Only all too well. But I am excited by the myriad possibilities we could envision and put into practice, and there are many many of us on Substack. So do keep me in the loop.
Here I was, making my way through my emails, seeing Greta's name in your subject line, wondering who you thought carried Greta’s message here on Substack, thinking I'd surprise you by passing along the post I made a while back about Greta and me and hoping I also could be recognized in juxtaposition to her, and lo and behold, the Greta Thunberg of Substack turned out to be me!
Here’s my post that makes yours strangely synchronistic:
SAVING THE WORLD (work in progress)
What can get us beyond a lot of woe-is-me
https://suzannetaylor.substack.com/p/saving-the-world-work-in-progress
Scroll down to the picture. “For alerting us to the danger we were in Greta Thunberg became our youngest Person of the Year, and Suzanne Taylor, our oldest, is this year’s Person of the Year for doing what it took to get us beyond it.”
For "steps humanity can take to change course," you'll get the invite I’m sending in the next few days to people who are savvy about the danger of collapse, for them to think with each other about how to get humanity wised up to the peril we are in. Knowing it’s life or death should get everyone cooperating!.
I so appreciate you picking up on what I’m doing. A la islands of coherence, big results start with small alignments.
Here’s last week’s Substack, where I talked about my collapse choir as a way to wise humanity up:
If you don’t know what's happening you won’t respond to what's happening
A way to wise humanity up to how endangered we are
https://suzannetaylor.substack.com/p/if-you-dont-know-whats-happening
.
I assume that when you send out your invite to "the people savvy to the danger of collapse" I'll be able to see who the other people and sites are that you've been tracking. This would have educative value for me.
I went out yesterday!
I didn't get it. Perhaps I'm not on the list of recipients. If not, again, it would be educative for me to become aware of the people and groups that you've sussed out that are kindred spirits.
See my answer in email and get back to me asap so I can figure out what to do if I need to do something else.
For some reason I've not gotten your email.
rlogan@igc.org
Thank you, Mr. Logan! That is a lot for me to wrap my head around. I do agree; however, I cannot see past what is happening right now in this moment. It seems to me that everyone is so caught up in the horrors that are occurring daily, they cannot think beyond it! I firmly believe this planet is big enough for all of us to basically "fit" and live harmoniously with one another. That won't be possible if we continue to destroy the planet and have nowhere to fit! While everyone is screaming, pointing fingers and blaming over things that in the long run amount to choice, our planet is suffering the most. I am sure there are many open to working on solutions like you and Suzanne discuss in your posts, but my question is how and when could that happen? How do we get humanity to wake up and work to prevent what is coming for all of us? It is a lot for me to think about. I do hope thought-leaders such as yourself and Suzanne can collaborate and find answers. Thank you for this post.
Peggy, there aren't a lot of people working on solutions except long-range -- even too long when it's the next election given the threat that nature presents now, where everyone should be focused on that. I so appreciate linking up with Ronald Logan at a time when relationships are in short supply, and that's what has accounted for all of evolution.
The Crisis and Transition Substack collective has been paying attention to your championing the importance of developing relationships. And we appreciate that you walk this talk.
SUE, if we could show that long-range vision, could it possibly help people respond to what needs to be done short-range? I probably sound like an idiot, but I just feel that somehow everyone needs to get on the same page for addressing what is happening 'right now'. There are so very many great substacks, PACs, organizations and groups working hard every day but their messages aren't linked together. I have learned so much from Mr. Logan and Marc Nevas and you. Thank you for your response.
Like Suzanne, Crisis and Transition sees the need for a paradigm shift -- which is a big evolutionary undertaking. But, yes, there is also need to have a strategy that addresses our immediate conditions.
Much like Marc Nevas, I feel that our priority demand should be for economic democracy. So long as economic power is so skewed toward the uber rich the drift will continue to be toward oligarchy and a political system in which its virtually impossible to make progressive change.
So short answer as to what should unify us: the demand for economic democracy.
Ever since Marc Nevas talked about economic democracy on one of Professor Reich's post, I have researched it and learned about it. Yes, I want economic democracy and I say it as often as I can. It would truly unify us. It is hard because when I speak of it, there are those who say, 'I don't know what that is' or 'what is that, we have a democracy'. I try to keep my explanation short and simple; however, I don't know if others agree with me. I feel it needs to be discussed more and explained so that everyone understands the difference between what we have now compared to economic democracy.
I just finished the draft of next Tuesday's article. It will likely be the first of a series of articles that give more depth to the concept of economic democracy.
Thank you, Mr. Logan, I will be looking for it!
You are right about this. It's a subject that I've done a lot of work on. (I was the initiator of a national conferece on economic democracy in 2012.) There's a particular framework that we have been using on the Crisis and Transition Substack which in my view gives the most holistic and empowering expression to economic democracy. I've covered this in two or three Substack articles. See, for example:
https://crisistransition.substack.com/p/the-rights-of-economic-democracy
Thank you, Mr. Logan. I will read these and hopefully find better ways to express myself when talking to people about economic democracy. I see it as the way forward right now.
Long-range vision isn't a motivator to get beyond our stuckness. Something more dramatic and immediate is called for. I'm going with the idea of getting that it's life or death that would do that job. Maybe there are other ways that will emerge from people who know the danger we are in putting their heads together about what would tune all of humanity into saving us.
I agree that the reality of "life or death" will ultimately give humanity the focus it needs to make the shift toward a life-centered society.
But the more who wake up and act, and the sooner they do so, and the vision and values that they bring, will greatly determine how great will be the collective pain.
When people are desparate, they will grasp for what will save them. Will we be there with the vision, models, policies and leadership that they will need?
Who is "they?" There's just us. When everyone knows it's over for all of us if we don't work together to try to save civilization, my premise is that that's what will change what we do. All the time we'd be getting our new, cooperative act together, new models would be springing up -- as they are now -- but my focus is on that big crossover that will get all hands on deck to design a new system that serves everyone.
Peggy, you are correct. It is the big question, how do we get from here to there?
This morning I got an insight on the first step. That first step is to envision and define what we mean by “there.” We have to put forth a compelling vision of what we will achieve both personally and as a collective.
Once we are clear on a vision, then we have a motivational factor and something to unite us in forward progress.
I love the word “courage,“ for it has as its root
the French word “Couer” which means Heart. We must take Heart, big Heart for the task ahead is immense. Right now everyone is flailing And no one is pointing the way to a cogent solution, certainly not the politicians. So, we will have to do it ourselves. How did the anti-war demonstrations and marches come together in the 60s? People just got up and did it. We can do it too and all of us have something to give in the collective effort.
In the book of Proverbs it says, "Without a vision, the people perish." This has never been more true.
I’d say first is to get people tuned into being in danger in order to get everyone cooperating before overshoot does us all in. We need a vision, where I see humanity being tuned into how wonderful our species was designed to be – divine creatures in a sacred universe, where the vision would be a cooperative world serving Earth.
“Just doing it” I think needs a coalition, many millions already united who can boycott and march and be a force behind whatever would change the way things are.
On the courage front, I love the start of Robert de Ropp’s The Master Game: “Seek, above all, for a game worth playing. Such is the advice of the oracle to modern man. Having found the game, play it with intensity – play as if your life and sanity depended on it. (They do depend on it.) Follow the example of the French existentialists and flourish a banner bearing the word ‘engagement.’ Though nothing means anything and all roads are marked ‘NO EXIT,’ yet move as if your movements had some purpose. If life does not seem to offer a game worth playing, then invent one. For it must be clear, even to the most clouded intelligence, that any game is better than no game.”
I'm with Suzanne on the importance of having a vision of the nobility and divinity of humanity, as well as a vision of the sacredness of Creation.
We need a vision of full potential of humanity — not in a anthropocentric way, but in service to life.
I am with you on this journey, Marc! I will be out on October 18 and I hope with all my heart there will be millions out there, too! I believe not just Democrats should fight back and resist. It must be republicans and Independents and anyone who wants to stop this march to authoritarianism. I know that I believe in Economic Democracy as a way forward. I believe if everyone is determined to hang on to capitalism, then we must return to a system where stakeholders and not shareholders have ownership, control and decision making power. We had that when we were strong with unions, but I also know that many are against unions. Economic power must be distributed equally. I truly do not know what message will bring our fractured party back together fighting together with a common goal in mind. I appreciate this Crisis and Transition substack because the posts help me determine the course our country needs to take. I do know that we can not go back, no matter how hard the heritage foundation wants us to. We must continue our forward progress and learn how to adjust with the changing times. Thank you for your clear, concise explanation of what all of us need to do.
Peggy and Sue, I believe our country and our society is going through a series of “stress tests.“ As far as our economy is concerned, it’s a “fail.“ Our government and political system.is a “fail” and the Supreme Court is a “fail.“ But I do believe our American society and the ideals articulated in the Declaration of Independence will prove itself to be a “pass.“
I believe that we must be prepared to leave the two party system in the dust bin of history. It has been failing and when ultimately tested by Trump and the Supreme Court, it has not been up to the task. Without having a clear picture of how it will look in the near term, I see some trends beginning to develop.
Generally it is easier to organize individuals to move together when they are unitedly against the same short term goal. It is much more difficult to organize them around a common vision, at least In the near future. The anti-war movement grew into one united front against the Vietnam War, albeit slowly. However, when the war ended, there was no longer that single issue that united nm disparate groups.I would note that out of the Vietnam war movement several other very positive progressive movements began. Most notably was the large and powerful ecology movement and also a strong movement towards a deeper, truer spiritual experience than what was being provided by most established religions at that time.
Some potential future movements may also include a movement towards world peace and a universal bill of human rights likely led by jurists from around the globe.
Another possible major movement of the future might be a united thrust to end world, hunger by overseeing, rational distribution of foodstuff and agriculturally fruitful land throughout the planet. There is no reason why one country’s ability to grow all the food necessary for itself be aborted in order to grow one crop such as coffee or bananas for the world’s wealthy elites. From these various identity groupings for positive change could there be an evolution towards a worldwide positive effort at planetary governance that would serve all.
Marc, I truly wish I could be alive to see that vision come to fruition; however, I am in my "golden years" and won't be around that long. What brings me peace and joy is knowing that future generations will benefit from such a vision. I can only hope that my grandkids have learned from me the necessity to keep fighting for all that you have laid out here. I hope that I have taught them that we must always resist the evil forces at play in our world and try to keep the commitment to honor Mother Earth. Our environment should actually be the main issue we should be fighting the oligarchs over. They don't care how much they ravage the planet in pursuit of that almighty dollar so we must defend and protect it right now.
I find great nobility in fighting for a life-centered future for coming generations, even if we won't be here to see that future.
Wholeheartedly agree with you, Mr. Logan!
If we woke our oligarchs up to their life or death being at stake, that could be a way to turn their tide. And, If we can snare just one of them, we could do wonders, like funding an advertising campaign, Make Humanity Great Again. We are so good at selling things, so sell the world we want to be in, where we are a cooperative species, figuring out the best path for humanity to be on.
Could we do that, SUE? It seems the oligarchs are responsible for quite a bit of the mess we are in now! I would love to be able to sell them on what a wonderful world it would be if only they would use their wealth for good rather than their own selfish greed! I guess I wouldn't be a good salesperson as sometimes I speak too directly and lose the sale! As it stands right now, I will keep doing what I am doing to fight and resist this awful regime and hope the outcome will be beneficial for all of us!