As our body politic tries to make sense of a most contentious and least substantive national election process, let me suggest we need more than jobs. What the world needs now, more than ever, is learning how better to live in community.
There is no need to argue that struggling, middle class people need good jobs. Yet, our visceral contentiousness keeps us and our leaders from finding solutions to the real threats to human community and life itself.
Here is a list of urgent threats facing society: 1. Devastating poverty; 2. Slow dismantling of U. S. public education; 3. Decreasing U.S. health rankings; 4. Financial industry and corporate control of local, state, national, and international economies; 5. Rapid disintegration of manufacturing industries (with exceptions for those that produce military hardware and guns); 6. The all too human fear response to adverse weather events from climate change with too little attention for cooperation in response to their causes; 7. Public denial of existing nuclear weapon risks; and 8. Public under-appreciation of the positive democratic energies at work in the 21st century “Arab Spring”.
There are no simple answers to these substantive challenges, but there is abundant scientific knowledge and accumulated folk wisdom that can bring us together. We are, all humans and other life forms, indeed an obligate community on our “single space ship” Earth. Rachel Carson, Carl Sagan, Jane Goodall, E. O. Wilson, and now the millions of Facebook and Twitter users make our interdependence vividly clear. They even help us overcome our fear and mistrust.
I expect the renewed nightmare of Columbine in Aurora and hourly exposure to the violent revolution in Syria will prompt more of us to overcome fear and join in finding solutions. We can make commitment to reducing violence, in our hearts, homes, and communities. These responses will make us better informed voters. And they may even influence our elected leaders to follow our lead. Once again “America” can demonstrate selection of leaders and guiding national directions through our ballots.
I even believe we will slowly make plough shares out of swords, improve public education, share health care resources, and help coastal communities near rising oceans as well as improve food production and distribution for our neighbors living in poverty and starvation. Fear is our enemy, not Democrats, not Republicans, not Libertarians, not taxes, not immigrants, and not even terrorists and “axis of evil” countries. Community participation and open problem solving are our friends. We have rich experience and wisdom for this work. Our “First Nation” neighbors have even more.
We are fully capable of living together in community. Indeed, that is how we continue to survive. Remember, you count and so does your vote. And, remind yourself daily that persons and communities are more powerful than money and corporations.
• Dr. Brown is a resident of Douglas.
Comments (30)
Add commentE.O. Wilson recently sullied his otherwise illustrious legacy
as the world's authority on ants with his unfortunate support of group selection nonsense. Nevertheless, it was great to come across his name along with Goodall, Sagan and Carson in my local paper. To the matter at hand:
I'll take a turn at responding with my answers to the eight listed threats:
1. Allow the females of our species to have control over their own reproductive health
2. No tax dollars for faith-based education at any age
3. Consider adoption before playing chromosomal roulette
4. One person, one vote instead of one dollar, one vote
5. Slave labor needs international condemnation
6. Critical thinking courses in elementary school, not just as college electives
7. Not sure how to answer this one
8. Support secular humanistic values
Oh, and "folk wisdom" is a ridiculous meme, or should be, inasmuch as there is no such thing as rural algebra or urban cosmology.
A welcomed letter.
Mike
Good letter, Dr. Brown
I fear that what will undo that quest for community is another base human impulse: greed. And technology will augment it.
Most people are unaware of the revolution that's happening in the manufacturing and processing industries. Technology is allowing robotics and other computer-controlled tools to advance rapidly...and cheaply. Where it used to be cheaper to hire a bunch of low-wage workers instead of an expensive automated assembly line...not anymore.
And those systems are moving up the skill chain. Our workers aren't just competing against low-cost foreign workforces - they're also competing against silicone microprocessors.
The rate of change is accelerating. In another ten years, many more jobs will be at risk. In areas no one dreamed of except in the movies - why have a human taxi driver when a driverless car will be much faster, safer, and cheaper?
This will make corporations vastly more productive and profitable. And the few at the top will do outrageously well. There'll certainly be some jobs tending to the robots, but only a fraction as many jobs as there once was.
Where will that leave everyone else? What will they do? I see a large number of low-skill unemployed people in the future. And that won't be good for community.
Local...
When it comes to local and state elections, that is where a lot of the change is needed. Many of the regulations that exist are at the local/state level. I believe street venders need to be located within a block of a certified kitchen which they use, even though they are fully mobile. People who go to school for a trade can work on the equipment, but not perform an instillation because of local businesses encouraging locking out others from the field. Oh, unless they take a test offered once every 6 months, upgrade their license and double their bond. If you sign an elementary school student into a program and notify the parent if they leave you are no longer a recreational program, you are a daycare provider and must be certified for such.
I could go on and on. Why don't we let the consumer decide what they want? Make that street vendor post the location of that certified kitchen. Make the business display qualifications. Allow recreational programs to contact parents if children walk out to make sure your children aren't walking South Franklin taking up smoking.
Oh, I'm sorry, did this offend those members of the good 'ol boys system? So instead, we have a monopolized local market in many areas. Government lock-out causing extraordinary daycare prices, businesses that use government to keep the competition at bay, etc. These are decissions the customer should make, not the government.
The best thing elected officials could do to stimulate jobs is to vote against regulating everything!
Tell ya what Dr. Brown -
Tell ya what Dr. Brown - crawl back under your rock from the 1960's and when it's safe to come out, we'll let you know.
Holy cow - there really are "educated" people that think like this.
And as he's wringing his hippy hands over the state of humanity, his wife is busy killing "masses of tissue" out at Planned Parenthood.
2+2=5
Wouldn't it have saved a whole lot of ink just to write in big capital letters - VOTE FOR OBAMA?
I'm going to have to start drinking early today...
I’d say naiveté is the greater threat.
Aspirations are great; so are ideals. Who doesn’t want their kids to grow up in a better world? But it appears that Dr. Brown’s Urgent 8 can be broken down into two categories: things we can change and things we have no control over. [we = Americans]. Also, all of our priorities have global impact, but they are not global priorities. We cant expect to move forward toward solutions to our urgent issues without flexing our influence, and that means some feelings are going to get hurt along the way. We cant have it both ways – if we say we avoid intervention in foreign affairs, then we relinquish control (but not responsibility).
this sums it up....
When the country is ruled with a light hand
The people are simple.
When the country is ruled with severity,
The people are cunning.
Happiness is rooted in misery.
Misery lurks beneath happiness.
Who knows what the future holds?
There is no honesty.
Honesty becomes dishonest.
Goodness becomes witchcraft.
Man's bewitchment lasts for a long time.
Therefore a wiser man is sharp but not cutting,
Pointed but not piercing,
Straightforward but not unrestrained,
Brilliant but not blinding
Would you believe??
At least 90 percent of what is listed here as "bad" could be laid at the feet of the democrat party. No other idealology has harmed the poor and uneducated quite as much as they have, and the poor still thinks help is just around the corner! Reminds me of a loyal dog that gets beat, then fed, beat, then fed and keeps coming back for more.
@alaskabobc: yeah, the U.S.
@alaskabobc: yeah, the U.S. was a veritable utopia before the New Deal and other Democratic institutions took hold.
Man, I'm still trying to
Man, I'm still trying to digest this piece of "work". It's quite disturbing when one is privy to Brown's stature in the community. On the other hand, it's really just the musings of an ideologue stuck in the 60's, probably. Hopefully, there are more of us than them at this point.
These statements jump out - "We are fully capable of living together in community. Indeed, that is how we continue to survive. Fear is our enemy."
To me that reeks of a citizenry thought process in a communist society. Don't you think?
Freaking scary...
Dr. Brown
Interesting article, thanks.
Throughout human history people have divided themselves as groups, bands, tribes and nations into "we" and "them."
Today, we see this even more when many people insist that "my way or no way", everything is either dark black or glaring white (gray does not exist), everything that those I don't agree with say are blatant lies. These extreme opinions can be seen even in the posted comments.
With millions and billions of dollars being spent in political advertising through the media, often distorting what other say, quotes out of context, fictitious "facts" it is hard for people to sort out the truth when it comes time to vote.
Few, like Mike Dziuba at least try to sort things out and make suggestions that could be discussed and debated, but not if one says "My mind is made up - don't try to confuse me with facts."
Staggering.
Calypso has cognitive dissonance, bad memory, or is just plain insane?
5/7/12
We must not allow the progressive way of thinking - 'them vs us' - to continue to rot our society or we will fail as a democratic republic. We are ALL Americans...
7/23/12
@ah ha - Don't give up. We can beat them - there are more of us than them.
7/15/12
wally - you write "We're in this (meaning life) together".
Oh my gosh, you've just made my case for being a conservative. That's exactly what we believe. We use religion, community, family, neighbor, etc. to solve our problems and to help each other.
Above
"We are fully capable of living together in community. Indeed, that is how we continue to survive."
To me that reeks of a citizenry thought process in a communist society.
There you go again, dust.
There you go again, dust. Why don't you join in the discussion and give us your opinion?
Whatever you're trying to prove by digging through old posts, which IS creepy, I don't get.
Progressives divide America into racial, gender, religious, age, income, etc. defined groups. What does that have to do with living in communes and living in fear?
The leftist ideology has to be crushed and stuffed back in the box for atleast another generation when they'll probably raise up their heads again. History repeats...
Ok, now get back to scrounging through old posts.
@Calypso: the point of his
@Calypso: the point of his posts is to show that you are a serial liar who argues for the sole purpose of opposing anything you perceive to be "progressive."
The only thing "creepy" here is your apparent lack of integrity.
I vote insane
to fdr and wally - i do not understand, for the life of me, why you engage calypso at all. s/he has never demonstrated any willingness or ability to have an intelligent or meaningful exchange of ideas, nor has s/he ever been civil to those she disagrees with. given the violent rhetoric ("the leftist ideology must be crushed"), the inability to recognize her/his own hypocrisy, and the constant victim mentality exhibited anytime someone does point out that hypocrisy using facts rather than opinion, it makes no sense to engage ... so maybe it isn't calypso that has mental health issues (kidding, of course).
in the long run, i do believe dr. brown is right and those who choose to come together for the benefit of humanity will outnumber those who would like to wipe off the face of the earth (ie "crush") all who don't hold the "right" views.
on the lighter side
dr. brown talked about fear being the enemy which put me in mind of this quote:
"No. Politicians don't wanna scare you, they wanna keep you stupid. Fear is just the smell when ignorance takes a [dump]."
@spiff - keep it classy...
@spiff - keep it classy...
Wally - again
well said, sir.
Fromdust - - - I also vote for 'insane' at this point.
Spiff - - well said - I think the only reason to engage is just to make sure outright lunacy doesn't go unchallenged.
I’d have to vote insane, too,
if that means Calypso is repeatedly attempting to persuade an audience pre-disposed to smug self-righteousness and gets easily excited into a feeding frenzy. Den of vipers.
swimmer
ha! i leave it to you and pp to continue that laudable goal as i don't have the patience (or interest) for it. i'll just sit back in my smug self-righteous viper den and wait for that special little mouse of an opportunity to wander by so i can demonstrate my superiority over those lesser creatures.
deep
Opinions &.......
everyone got one & most stink, but an open window ( mind) isn't a bad thing.
Thanks dust for exposing the
Thanks dust for exposing the intelligence on the left. I'll vote myself "insane" too for engaging such simple minds.
"Simple minds"?
Given the quality, depth, and continuity of your self-contradictions and dismissal of such, in combination with such confident assertions that the Founding Father established the two-party system, I think we might better say "And the smaller lights noisily proclaim the certainty of their delusions".
Reminds me of the late 60's & 70's when the 'communities'
landed on our Alaskan shores to forge a new future for America. At each winter's end more and more had returned to California to forge political PACs.
calypso, instead of wasting the time you
spend coming up with a wingnut attempt at sarcasm, why don't you just save us all the wasted time reading your trash and just post: "I hate Obama and any chance I get to direct the comment board towards this I will take it."
We can't get the time back we wasted reading your pathetic posts. Save us this trouble and just stick to fox news. And another note, I notice you have a habit of mentioning eduction in your posts... I can tell yours is limited. I'm guessing you're already aware of this, otherwise you wouldn't consistently mention it as though you are trying to convince someone you aren't the short-side, poorly informed dolt the rest of us can see.
Your hijacking of the conversations is evidence that you don't want to discuss the topics on here. You just want to sound off on typical tea party talking points. It only makes your cause less and less relevant. Same goes for rough cut... if indeed you two are not one and the same.
@ alaskabobc, democratic party is repsonsible for everything bad
really? What's the repubican party's motto? corporations are people too? Public unions, i.e., teachers, are destroying this country? Tax cuts for bringing jobs back home... you guys don't want that! Health reform? HA! Poor people are not the focus... they have a safety net, so they're fine. 20% of children under the age of 18 in America are under the federal poverty level. Ya, they're doing just fine.
I'm not sure what your problem is, but I'm certain you haven't looked at this issue beyond a talk radio session. Rush limbaugh probably would agree with you that 90% of our problems are because of the democratic party. A statement like that, however, suggests you aren't the smartest peanut in the turd.
Hey poofy - To what do we owe
Hey poofy - To what do we owe the honor of your presence? You are the one we've been waiting for!
You said it best - "I hate Obama and any chance I get to direct the comment board towards this I will take it."
calypso, thanks for the insightful comment...
Please, tell us more.
This isn't Brown town, unless you're a proctologist...
I would consider the following: Why does the UA system graduate people who can barely read and can't calculate 150% of 4?
This was in the Finance program- I graduated with people dumber than a box of rocks. Please welcome a new generation of students, it's just sad that degrees turned into HS diplomas.
Does higher productivity (and thus wages) come from a college education? Or are degrees just filtering devices to discriminate against people who can't afford to invest in their own human-capital?
I wrote a song about you Doctor, it's the only way to hide my disdain:
Hey there, people, I'm georgie brown
They say Im the cutest boy in town
My car is fast, my teeth is shiney
I tell all the girls they can kiss my heinie
Here I am at a famous school
Im dressin sharp n im
Actin cool...
I'm borrowin prosperity from the next generation.
Gonna screw them over- maybe later I'll rape them.
Oh wait, you already did... cool. My generation is tired of swallowing your self-righteous spoutings. We're just going to spit it out and let it dry ever-so-crustily on our faces- let everyone see how much you screwed us.
Sorry, I guess I didn't hide it... I just disdained all over your face.