This is what has been niggling at me - excuse length - this was my first reflection: After journaling my reflections what is still really nagging at me is what is missing from Ottos Iceberg model and most importantly the analysis presented. The fact that we live in a system of power which is pathological in its effect is missing. This system of power has colonised our minds through advertising and what can only be described as propaganda. Episode 1 of the documentary Century of the Self (vimeo/85948693) tells how the consumer mindset was cultivated. Most of you will be familiar with Noam Chomskys work on how the elite Manufacture Consent and some may have read Taking the Risk Out of Democracy: Corporate Propaganda versus Freedom and Liberty by Chomskys student Alex Carey (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Carey) which expose how the populations in democracies are domesticated and controlled so as to not upset the status quo. The best prison is the one where the bars are the illusion of freedom! The movie The Matrix is a very good metaphor for the current reality. Until we collectively take the Red Pill and see the system of power for what it is and seek liberation from the Matrix (and its dismantling) no social transformation towards sustainability and social justice/equity will be possible. Also missing is how the design of the financial system (where the money supply is created from nothing by private banks in the form of interest bearing debt) is a fundamental structural driver of both ecological unsustainability and the ever growing inequity gap. Because the money supply is interest bearing debt it is structurally locked into growing exponentially. Money is not wealth but a legal entitlement to wealth which ultimately derives from Natures capital. Thus there are exponentially growing claims against natural capital leading to its accelerating liquidation - hence ecological unsustainability. Regarding the growing gap between rich and poor David Korten explains we have a dual economic system - production in which everyone is notionally engaged and the financial system which determines who gets what of what is produced. Those who live by investment can grow their money mathematically via compound interest - the majority of humanity work hard to simply subsist. The design of the financial system explains most of the first two peaks of the iceberg. A shift to a different design known as 100% reserve can be a powerful step to addressing these issues. While the design of financial system is not the sole driver, it is probably the most significant driver. It has given rise to an elite (potentially anyone can end up in this elite). The elite over the past century or so have created the institutions and structures that serve their purpose (financial system, corporations, etc) and the mindset (Matrix) that make us accept and not challenge the system. They have transformed citizens into consumers thus effectively neutralising an active participation in, and defence of democracy. They have hijacked the political system by controlling the major political parties who serve the will of the elite. In my view the disconnect between self and Self is due to the fact we are socialised into the conventions of The Matrix as we grow up which require us to live very much at odds with the human nature that evolution endowed us with because it worked (caring, sharing, cooperation, etc were selected for because groups with the traits fared best). The purveyors of the Matrix would have us believe human nature is greedy, selfish, competitive, etc. Living within institutions and structures and mindsets that are at odds with our inner nature leads to a dissonance that manifests in the mental and physical diseases of civilisation (depression, addiction, personality disorders, meaninglessness, etc). Transformation towards a healthy civilisation that is ecologically viable, just and equitable; where the very best of every persons essence and potential can flourish; and where life is about being rather than having or wanting because material sufficiency is assured will require the conscientisation (Paulo Freireen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulo_Freire) of the majority of humanity in order that we can collectively liberate ourselves from The Matrix. This will require an ongoing highly visible globally coordinated process of dialogue that renders The Matrix visible, where we are empowered by both our numbers and our journey of deep discovery to liberate ourselves from and dismantle the Matrix that is so pathological to the web of life, people, planet and the realisation of the full human potential. That is why I am taking this course and I hope there are many like-minded souls amongst the 25,300 of us in the U.Lab and that together we can realise this vision. Does anyone resonate with this?
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 01:38:54 +0000
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