compassion, collaboration & cooperation iN transistion
THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
was NOT a social but a political one ...
said John Brewer in his introduction to the chapter entitled "Ideas of Revolution"
in the book which accompanied the "1776" exhibition in Greenwich, London,
at the National Maritime Museum during 1976. The raison d'etre of the exhibition
was to tell ... The British Story of the American Revolution.
.
John Brewer went on to say ...
" IT WAS NOT intended to bring a new class to power, and many of its leading ideals were neither novel nor socially subversive. Its chief concern was with individuals' rights and the political, not social, mechanisms designed to preserve them. But what was distinctive and revolutionary was the way in which familiar ideas were transformed from pious ideals into political action and European theories adapted to special, American conditions.
The Declaration of Independence began the process which only ended with
the American constitution of 1787. It was a watershed in the conflict between
the British Government and the American colonies. On the one hand the bulk
of its text looks back, surveying and recapitulating American grievances against
George III and his ministers; on the other, it looks forward, laying down in the
bold clear prose of Thomas Jefferson's opening paragraphs, the principles on
which any future American government would be based: the equality of men
and the existence of 'inalienable Rights'. "
In his inaugural address in 1941, President Franklin D Roosevelt said ...
"THE democratic aspiration IS no mere recent phase
in human history... IT was written in Magna Carta."
Magna Carta - Latin for Great Charter - was agreed at Runnymede in 1215 and sealed by King John after powerful barons had rebelled and captured London. Held up as the embodiment of freedom and equality, it is revered in the US and credited with justifying the resistance to the rule of George III and influencing the Declaration of Independence.
AS a NEW DAWN approaches for American politics, IT WOULD INDEED BE
APPROPRIATE that the principle of inalienable rights be extended by the
USA, as leader of the NOW GLOBAL COMMUNITY, to OUR SPECIES as a
.
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY
to one & ALL
.
Access: Public
Leave Your Wise and Insightful Comment
Views: 368
-
Comment by Michael Grove on February 15, 2011 at 16:46
-
-
What we need IS ...
SPONTANEOUS ORDER
-
-
NOW we the peoples of the UK, nay "THE WORLD" have Gordon Brown - the man who claimed "to have ended the cycle of boom and bust for the UK" - Didn't he also save the world as well from ALL of its financial woes? - HERE AGAIN at the penultimate moment of the Euro Crisis expounding the fact that IF the G20 doesn't get its act together to help keep the Euro alive we shall all be faced with potential bailouts for France and Italy as well.
Surely its the founding members of the Euro project - Germany, France and Italy - who should now be realising that the wheels are falling off the charabanc because they chose not to fit tyres to the wheels in the first place.
-
-
Here are 10 notable whoppers that affected hundreds,thousands, and in some cases, millions of lives.
-
-
For all the gravity with which the presidency is written about,
assessments of presidents are often at least partly based on
fluff more suitable for Hollywood than Washington.
For the president IS NOT a CEO. Except for managing subordinates, the business field has some of the worst guidelines one could choose for political office. One’s ability to turn a profit for one’s self or a company has nothing to do with running a country. The two better models would be, one, running a charity. Does a president possess the abilities to run an organization designed to rescue people from disaster, poverty, disease, crime, or war?
The other model one could use should be either unions or civil rights organizations.I can already imagine many conservatives blanching at the thought. But what both outfits share are their ability to work to unite masses of people in a cause, fairer treatment for people of a class, profession, or ethnic group. It is no coincidence that in Europe and Latin America, union organisers are far more often elected than in America, where the US tends to elect businessmen and lawyers. The practices come from and result in a far more unequal society. In fact, civil rights organisers are among the few American congressmen with a history of consistently putting popular concerns above elite ones.
Add a Comment
You need to be a member of Gaia Community to add comments!
About
© 2024 Created by Michael Grove.
Powered by
martha said
Oh my dear Michael! I felt I had been outside the circle of your creative consciousness for such a long time! It has been perhaps months since I connected with you. This creates a little “nagging” within some level of my awareness, that “I miss Michael, what's he doing? He's so wonderful and I haven't taken five minutes to go see his blog,” but then I get distracted and so it goes on and on like that, day after day. I know that from the perspective of Infinite Mind we have never lost contact, and with Lynnie too, but from my pedestrian perspective, I've missed you and hearing about your life! And the odd thing is, today I told myself, “Oh, look at Michael's avatar. You've just GOT to see him today! Do it!” And here, Michael, there are really tears in my eyes! Here is THE quotation that, probably in the WHOLE world I most needed to read today! Thank you! Thank you SO much! You have given so much to me! Given and given and given! How can I thank you?
Michael said
JUST continue the ACTION of zBlogging THE WORDS … AS YOU DO
Michael said
THERE IS definately a way …
which will require the establishment of …
“an understanding” of the inevitable consequences of past actions and …
an awarenesss of the need to ACT NOW to allay those consequences …
” The G8 states ought to be ideally placed to deal with such issues. They may account for just 14 per cent of the world's population, but they produce 65 per cent of its wealth and control 72 per cent of its military expenditure …
BUT THE WORLD NEEDS LEADERS NOT ROBOTS ”
Albert said
The Telegraph article about G8 sounds reasonable.
It does not offer the perspective rather lauding pramatic action in case of Canada. Which is ok .
So co-creating the right alliances in ones own house is a challenge.
Europeans especially are called to this understanding. No use of wanting to be galactic.
So the Spiral Wisdom is again confirmed:
Check the tectonic plates from global change from bottom up. Intitating Change and transformations from understanding of the first tier shifts . Here we go…
But how to do without crystal clear realization of verticality and complexity?
We have not even in France, UK and Germany a common understanding of leadership…
Now what?:):)
Albert
Michael said
EXACTLY … What NOW ??? … might I first suggest that we start by accepting that …
OUR SPECIES as a whole is comprised of …
Individuals - families of individuals a NATION of families & a FAMILY of NATIONS …
and that, as has been so since the outset of human evolution, the leadership of families, nations of families and the family of nations has itself evolved.
WE NOW NEED to evolve a set of leadership values, appropriate to the global community, embodying crystal clear realization of verticality and complexity, which will address the ” profit before people versus people before profit inbalance”, which has been established because of the lack of a common understanding of leadership … to which Albert, so rightly, alludes.
Perhaps, in the context of TOO MANY CHIEFS - NOT ENOUGH INDIANS …
we should let the people decide ?
Albert said
:):) Michael…..regarding the chifes and indians..thx for giving me lots to smile:):)
Even the Integral leadership Review is chewing and digesting about this.
Waht do you think about the themes of recent Kosmos Journal around connectivity , colaboration and collective intelligence?.
Would very much appreciate your honeast comments:)
Cheers,
Albert
Michael said
The Kosmos Journal has been on its own evolutionary journey for many years and has acted as a powerful conduit of ideas, for ALL the perspectives of the tripartite factions of business, government and the people, in the context of establishing a global community for our species as a whole.
Although generally very well intended it has only been successful in identifying the way to establish a top-down network of “islands of integration” rather than a totally integrated bottoms-up/top-down Global Commons solution … as is often the case when one tries to modify an existing mechanism to provide an appropriate answer to a new problem.
I have been much encouraged of late, however, by the journal's development of the themes of connectivity, collaboration and collective intelligence as precursor components of the process by which a Global Commons solution might be established. I am particularly enamoured with the Coalition for the Global Commons initiative, in the context of addressing the issue of TOO MANY CHIEFS - NOT ENOUGH INDIANS, but skeptical that this will itself become the catalyst of yet another members-by-invite club, which will not operate as an appropriate system for the “global common good” !
The wisdom of knowledge of understanding , to which I have made reference throughout my zBlogging@gaia and its supportive AlphaINDEX of stories, does NOT appear to have been subscribed to by the vast majority of the leaders of either the private or public spheres or indeed by many of the leaders of the commons sphere, as exemplified by John Schmidt's article on Living Leadership in a 2007 edition of Kosmos.
We must now take time to think about what the commons require of their tripartite leaders and which of the tripartite leaders would best serve those requirements.
Albert said
Thanks Michael!
The new invitation from Nancy -see my blog from July9, is referring to your direction. And I have indices that SDi is awakening in some early adapters to these dimensions too. Even some voices from the global leadership meme…
A Totally integrated bottom up/Top down perspective is my personal burning desire too. And even more:
On a global large scale. Developed countries as much as developing ones.
G8 in Japan is justn over. Other giants already give their “Knock, KNock” at the doors of G8. This sound gets rapidly louder..
its no longer enough in the emerging strata of cultural creatives , small circles of second tier and powerful orange, blue and pre blue populations that the ususal front voices are dominating the stages and backstages of the world.
We need thousands and millions of people who say in the best sense of the word:
“I am the center of the world”
As Marianne Williamson did with her famous quote which was used by Nelson Mandela too. No narcissitic ego trip is meant.
But the full power of embodied, transformed, connected and laser like authentic self.
Michael said
SUCCESS - will depend …
cHAngeL said
Speaking of sense…success…children….a NEW DAWN
http://2senseworth.gaia.com/
:)
Michael said
… a NEW DAWN indeed
Michael said
… and SUCCESS has MANY PARENTS …
Michael said
IT IS appropriate, on this day on which Barack Obama will give his speech to the people of Berlin, prior to the 100th anniversary of the FBI on Saturday, that we acknowledge that OSHO was indeed, to a significant degree “a corrupt asshole”, but equally … that there is a propensity for all powermasters to be so, as is the wont of leaders in general, past and present, who control the lives of the people on a day to day basis.
Therein lies the problem & dilemma of our times, in respect to leadership, but as always, without suffering there can be no wisdom of knowledge of understanding of LOVE.
OSHO is my hero, however, because his own wisdom of knowledge of understanding of ZEN was as sharp as an arrowhead and best exemplified by his statement that – Zen means to be so alone that there is NO THING to meditate upon. No object, just subjectivity exists – consciousness without clouds, a pure sky. Zen is not interested in dogma. It is interested in helping you to contact your own being – a statement which Douglas Harding understood for many years before he had even heard of Zen !!!
All of which pre-dated OSHO being captivated by self-sophisticated arrogance, corruption & greed, as is the case with politicians & religious leaders, in particular, who fall into the category of those who are too full of their own importance, doing the wrong things,
for the wrong reasons.
Michael said
… but as one powermaster has stated …
” It's urgent that we begin to define a new moral, philosophical, and spiritual context that will, in its depth and breadth of vision, be able to embrace the multidimensional nature of the human predicament in all its complexity at the beginning of the twenty-first century.
Some bold pathfinders are already well along in that endeavor. But the most important part of this project, I feel, is actually being willing to transform ourselves, as individuals coming together for a higher purpose, so that more and more of us will be able to directly intuit the contours and parameters of this new context from the evolving edge of consciousness itself …
I am convinced that the awakening of the spiritual impulse in our own hearts and minds is actually an evolutionary trigger—an urgent whisper from the Self to Itself, God’s quiet voice imploring us to relinquish our attachment to our culturally conditioned ignorance, our materialism, and our pathological narcissism. Why are we being called? So we will take responsibility for the evolution of our own consciousness and culture, publicly, in such a way that raises the bar for all of us at the leading edge “
and another has juxtaposed before him …
and raised THE DILEMMA, which couldn't be better exemplified than by this !
Michael said
Masters of the Universe: we are ruled by naked emperors
Michael said
In this financial meltdown, who has the guts to govern Britain?
Michael said
How we have learned the limits to free markets - the hard way
Michael said
ARE US taxpayers being enrolled in an economic chain gang ?
… which now requires, in the prescient words of Thomas Jefferson, that …
banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies
and that the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity is but swindling futurity on a large scale thus necessitating the need to consider that the issuing power should be taken from banks and restored to the people to whom it properly belongs.
Michael said
Why propping up banks will not rescue a debauched financial system
Michael said
Financial Crisis !!!
Where were you when Europe's leaders had their cosy little chat ?
Whatever ever happened to the evolution of integral politics ?
Michael said
Dagur Eggertsson, a former mayor of Reykjavik, said: ”Someone called it 'bumblebee economics' because it is hard to figure out how it flies, but it does, and very nicely, too.“ The bumblebee, though, like the billionaires who thought they could buy up the British high street, is no longer flying high.
One of the characteristics of bumblebees, that I have noted over the years,
IS that the have a propensity to suddenly “drop dead” and fall out of the sky !
Michael said
CHANGE the WORLD - indeed !
Michael said
“GOOD LUCK AMERICA on your ever continuing journey of discovery”
Michael said
… always BEING cogniscent of the fact that, as Russell Targ has recently said in an ElightenNext Interview with Tom Huston , about his latest book …
“for any event that happens, there is a complex series of previous events that cause it to turn out the way it does. So because we live in this continuity of cause and effect, we have a lot less free will than we often think. However, to the extent that you can step out of this stream of causation through psychic practices or meditation, for example, and gain an objective view on it, you can access information that gives you more choices than you might otherwise have.”
Albert said
Excellent hint from Russell Targ!
Michael said
… and maybe another from Peer Steinbrück ? particularly in the context of James Doran’s article in the December 2008 edition of SPECTATOR BUSINESS, entitled Paulson’s bail-out:a feeding frenzy for free cash in which he says …
the outgoing secretary’s $700 billion bank rescue plan failed to resolve market confidence, and its chances of success in revised form look little better. It is doubtful we will see any real progress towards recovery in America until the distraction of this giant free lunch has gone and ALL the greedy pigeons are forced to go back to finding their own means of survival.
Perhaps the US big three car makers should be forced into fending for themselves such that demand for cars is reduced even further and the oil giants will be economically forced into maximising their ”alternative energy agenda” ?
Michael said
T. A. R. P. Tearing Apart the Rescue Plan
Albert said
I joyfully disover, Michael you are reading portfolio.com too.):)
Even Conde Naste is a good publisher:):)
Reagrding Peer Steinbrück…he and chancellor Merkel have a hard time in European concert….but soon it will beomce clear that its about a PROCESS of new dimensions. No cheerful poses but new and deep European perpectives.
I am awaiting an exciting year 2009 for Europe!
Michael said
A PROCESS of new dimensions EXACTLY and 2009 will BE very exciting for Europe
Albert said
Even Peer Steinbrück and Angela Merkel will laugh more again:):) especially when FIFA 2010 qualfication for Germany goes well.):)
Michael said
ABSOLUTELY and despite ALL the problems which “EUROPE” has to address they pale into insignificance compared with those whom would aspire to be a superpower ! I would be fascinated to hear Andrew Cohen’s take on this.
BTW isn’t it Conde Naste that publish Vogue Magazine who were one of the first to move me off in this direction !
Albert said
However European leaders need to be more self assertive in the world.
I think Andrew has no special take on this.
He is very much an American guy. With a certain touch for stardom:):)
Michael said
WE ARE DEFINITELY of the SAME MIND-SET on ALL of the above Albert !
thank you for putting up with my sometimes tongue in cheek, toe in the water,
what do you think of that statements, tinged on occassion with raw British sarcastic humour.
Albert said
I like British sarcastic humor.) lol…..especially in the Bond Films….the best UK humor has to offer offer world.):)
Even when the Queen says:
“I am not amused.”
Michael said
I AM NOT AMUSED either … apart from the size of my parsnip of course !
Michael said
What was I saying about the US big three car makers being …
forced into fending for THEMSELVES ? …
harsh as job losses are, it was Margaret Thatcher who first realised that using taxpayer’s money to keep a car manufacturer afloat, because nobody wanted to buy its cars, was not a viable option. Particularly when the car workers unions refused to take a pay cut.
Better a job with lower pay than no job at all … BUT perhaps the US taxpayer’s money would best be spent at an even better place ?
Michael said
… or perhaps ALL of this IS the pre-cursor to a NEW CAPITALISM ?
Michael said
” The American government may be committing itself to a policy that is
economically unsound and even irresponsible, but its insistence on
maintaining the compact with its own voters – on putting their concerns
first – will at least ensure that democracy will survive there.
I am not at all sure that will be true in Europe. ”
Janet Daley
Michael said
Regardless of whether the American Revolution was social or political, however, was it not President John Adams who said, in some ways tragically, that …
THE true history of the American Revolution IS LOST.