Globalized Decentralization - a Brave New World.

[Falc'man]

Originally Posted by Jim Goose

Ok.. as an example, your country is ruled by a dictatorship... no elections.
What choice does one have?

Another is your invaded... and the defence forces of your country cant subdue the enemy...

Or... you have the perception of democaracy... you have 2 polictical parties which everyone votes for, both parties are much the same, neither of which makes any different when in power.

At the end of the day what choice does the population have?

You could try the approach which ghandi did against the British.. Peaceful sit ins etc... non-violence. But that takes a stronger will to sit there and not fight back when your being shot at with rubber bullets, or gas, or water cannon.

Im not saying its the "right" thing to do, but more like.. the only thing to do when you run out of options?

Change can happen, but it seems our spirit have over the year diminished to the point where we shrug our shoulders and go back to work.

Look at the Qantas strike as an example.. how many travellers all whinging about ME ME ME... im late for work, i missed my holiday blah blah blah...
But watch them whinge when a QANTAS plane is delayed because it breaks down because its servicing is shoddy because they go overseas now.
But still the CEO of Qantas got a 78% pay increase just recently?

Look at QLD health... 2 yrs down the track and nurses and docters still dont get paid correctly... where is their support from the greater public? There isnt any.. no one cares.
Its a sad fact.... And just last week a senior fat cat public servant in QLD health left the job with his $200 000 hand shake!

Protesting in Australia is a thing of the past, unlike the 70s wheres thousands would show up, you barely see any huge protests anymore about anything.

At the end of the day... what choice do you have?

Your earlier point of focusing on what is right and what is wrong is indispensable, but if we can't change them up top then lets see what happens if we do it the other way and start with our own. ....I strongly believe change starts at ground level and works it's way up, not the other way around.

As an analogy if there are drunkard parents who are not imitated by their own children - children that realise the error of the parents and thus seek influence from the upright family down the street for example - you know straight up there will be change, if not right away then by default when the oldies move on.
The parents may despise and resist their kids "twisted" new patterns but it's up to the kids to persevere and not throw the parents out. When the objective and end result is so high, ie, parents could wake up from their stupor and lead a proper life, perseverance becomes a lot easier and well worth the effort.

This goes much further than being just an analogy, it's a real life example. It's at the ground level.
Apply the same to all the major problems faced in families across the country, where the end result means peace in your own home, then the battle is all but won.

This doesn't need technology - there's enough focus on internet/games/music in the household that it's left very little bond within families. The vast majority of users have little care or worry for the truth when the "sweetness" of time-wasting activities seems a whole lot more pleasurable. It doesn't require technology (as it's just a tool), it requires the knowledge and realisation there's something wrong, and just as importantly, the will to make a change and break free from the lifestyles of the "rich and famous". And doing that, as pointed out in the example given earlier, requires some hardship and sacrifice.

[Jim Goose]

Falcman couldnt agree with you more...

change will only occur when all us "plebs" start asking for change... or start acting in a manner which may influence others.

There seems to be a quiet discontent among people that I have spoken too all over the place, different jobs etc.. that things (both locally, federally and globally) arent right with them.

Eventually we all get to the point where we have a gutfull of it all... something will snap.

And it slowly is... rightly or wrongly...

[wulos]

The real question is - how BEST to manage that change...
People the world over HAVE had a gutful of things.
In years gone by the answer, or more correctly? the catalyst for it seemed to be open violence, and in some cases warfare, needless death, destruction, and suffering.
The real solutions came in when people got sick of the destruction, and suffering and decided to call a cease to hostilities, and THEN work towards finding lasting solutions.
I would like to believe that we have progressed past the need for that violence step in the change progress. Perhaps the violence is a necessary part of 'filtering out' those that don't believe a solution can be found without it?

[Raptor]

It could be happening right now.

Wall Street sit-in goes global

[wulos]

I find the following quote lifted directly out of that linked article has relevance here...

"Fleshing out ideas into living reality has always been the bugbear of radical politics."

Advocating civil disobedience, right the way through to radical extremist actions, by itself is not a long lasting solution. The simple fact that people strike, and get nowhere, people protest, yet nothing changes is the reason people get disillusioned & lose interest.
Simply saying, yep, it's a problem all right. Tell ya what, let's yell, & scream, but do nothing practical about fixing it won't change a thing.

[flappist]

I see the problem as too much biased information available to people who have no idea what they are talking about but are hell bent on controlling everyone else (for their own good of course) instead of just minding their own business.