Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

CRESTFALLEN

—

by

James A. Bacon
in

“Crestfallen” is the only way to describe the feeling.

After ALL THE WORK on AntiPartisan action and AntiPartisanism, and then not get invited to the “No Labels” kick off on Monday at Columbia University!!

There is no question about the need to stop Whack a Mole Politics and to stop Tossing Rocks at Empty Pigeonholes (TRAPE).

Yes politics IS broken. It has been for at least three decades and becomes more broke with each passing campaign cycle.

BUT how to fix politics?

The “Founding Leaders” and the invited guests said all the right things…

BUT WAIT:

1,000 people in the audience?

A slick web site already up?

They have raised a million dollars BEFORE it was a public activity?

The “Founding Leaders” are primarily agents and shills who have worked for the two dominate political Clans.

The only ‘name’ from the Commonwealth has been described as the most craftily partisan politician in the large municipality where he lives and from which he was elected to congress and served as the chair of the Elephant Clan fund raising committee in the House.

It was pointed out on another Blog that the ONLY ‘senior’ Elephant Clan personalities were FORMER office holders who recently lost a primary to the WingNut / Anger of Ignorance Crowd.

You have to know ‘the system’ to dismantle ‘the system’ but is this just an attempt to preserve the 19th Century ‘Grand Old Two Party System’?

Is there a way forward that does not involve articulating an AGENDA?

Does it make sense to just raise money to ‘protect’ Clan candidates from Right WingNut and Left WingNut attacks?

After all, the primary DRIVERS of civilization’s dysfunctions are:

Unsustainable human settlement patterns,

A governance structure that does match the economic, social and physical structure of contemporary society, and

An economic system that lives on Mass OverConsumption, speculation and debt AND

WAS ALL CREATED AND IMPLEMENTED WHEN THERE WAS A FUNCTIONING AND CIVIL TWO PARTY SYSTEM – 1950 to 1990.

How will No Labels produce “what citizens want” when the vast majority of citizens have no idea what the real options are or what would be in their best interest as individuals, for their Households or as members of the hundreds of ‘communities’ (small ‘c’) in which every citizen is trying to exist?

The answer will be the Agenda No Labels articulates and how well they integrate those who do not care how ‘the system’ worked before it FAILED.

Perhaps it was not such a bad thing not to be invited…

EMR

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25 responses to “CRESTFALLEN”

  1. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    AND

    WAS ALL CREATED AND IMPLEMENTED WHEN THERE WAS A FUNCTIONING AND CIVIL TWO PARTY SYSTEM – 1950 to 1990.

    Perhaps this should read:

    And was not fixed when the agrarian socited of 1800 transformed to an Urbna society in after WWII.

    Observer

  2. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    “The answer’ is how well "No Labels" integrates the programs of groups such as DeGrowth and the New Economics Institute. But it will take more than that.

    For example a prime mover of the New Economics Institute James Gustave Speth gave an inspiring summary of the current economic, social, physical (and political) ‘condition’ at VPI in April of 2010 but ended by saying that the answer is a new ‘progressive’ party.

    Protecting the two major Clans or just creating a new ‘party’ is not ‘the answer.’

    The first step is, as Professor Risse suggests Fundamental Transformation of the governance structure – along with the other two Fundamental Transformations.

    AZA

  3. E M Risse Avatar
    E M Risse

    Observer:

    Point well taken BUT the change in governance structure should have started soon after 1820 when the first stages of Industrialization started to change the bais of the Northwest Ordinance.

    Instead citizens got the Andy Jackason version of early Reaganism.

    The key is that in 1950 there were still resouces to support the shift to a sustainable trajectory.

    Now? Open to debate…

    EMR

  4. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    This "no labels" movement will likely be hijacked, probably in a manner to preserve unsustainable growth in government spending.

    Look at then Governor Mark Warner. He obtained a tax increase that was to fix a structural deficit. Warner also cut back on state government, but Tim Kaine undid most of the cuts. So why would anyone ever believe that a tax increase would ever patch the hole in the budget when whatever is raised is spent?

    We need some type of constitutional limit on spending. The money again needs to be the citizens' money.

    TMT

  5. Hydra Avatar
    Hydra

    Truth is the only agenda that matters. It will never be popular because it is not an easy, one slogan answer, and it suffers no preconceived notions.

  6. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    “Truth is the only agenda that matters. It will never be popular because it is not an easy, one slogan answer, and it suffers no preconceived notions.”

    Perhaps the most useful comment Mr. Hydra has submitted.

    Correct on all accounts.

    Now if he would just pay attention to the parameters for determining the truth.

    NERE

  7. E M Risse Avatar
    E M Risse

    EMR agrees with two of the most thoughtful participants at BR – Groveton and TMT – the only clear path to Fundamental Transformation of governance structure is a Constitutional Convention that yields a Constitution that reflects the economic, social and physical reality of contemporary Urban society without sacrificing any of the basic freedoms provided by the current Constitution.
    Recall that when the current Constitution was written, ratified and the first amendments adopted it did not provide full protection for the vast majority of humans living in the original states – Women, servants, slaves, et. al.

    For a summary of what has changed since 1800 see the ANTIPARTISAN VOTERS GUIDE – YEAR ONE (24 October 2010)

    Note: The AntiPartisan Voters Guide was first published on 8 October (same title) and posts related to AntiPartisan actions were posted on 24 Oct (THE BOTTOM LINE IN 500 WORDS), 26 Oct (TEA LEAVES IN THE WIND), 1 Nov (ONE MORE DAY) and 8 November (ANTIPARTISANISM A WEEK AFTER 2010 MIDTERMS) .

    But how to choose the delegates for a Constitutional Convention intended to propose a Fundamental Transformation?

    One would have to start with a prohibition against anyone currently holding office. Perhaps no office holder or anyone ever removed from office for cause?

    As luck would have it there is a process spelled out in THE SHAPE OF THE FUTURE. It starts at the Cluster scale and works up with a democratic AND competitive process. See Chapter 29.

    To get to a nation-state scale Constitutional Convention would require about a decade. That is not bad since it would require that much time for citizen education. As noted above:

    “ … the vast majority [of citizens] have no idea what the real options are or what would be in their best interest as individuals, for their Households or as members of the hundreds of ‘communities’ (small ‘c’) in which every citizen is trying to exist?”

    The transition would require ‘caretaker’ interim state Agencies for 8 years and ‘caretaker’ interim nation-state Agencies for a decade. A pause to achieve a sustainable trajectory.

    At least one modern democracy has undertaken such a bottom up, nation-wide rethinking. Sweden with its commitment to a sustainable future via ‘The Natural Step.”

    What are the alternatives to a pause to get on the right track.

    With dwindling resources, it might be a good time to kick back a decelerate for a lot of reasons. Cut consumption, retool education, a vast CCC program to reclaim unneeded and badly urbanized land, the good that come from such a pause would be incredible. A lot better than another 10 year war.

    EMR

  8. E M Risse Avatar
    E M Risse

    We all need to acknowledge that the obstacles to a rational process to create a new Constitution are great.

    Niccolo Machiavelli said it best.

    Look no farther than the tinfoil hat / black helicopter WingNuts that see the UN Agenda 21 as a threat to good old US ‘values.’

    They even have the convinced some of The Anger of Ignorance Thundermouth Troopers that ‘smart growth,’ ‘smarter growth’ and ‘sustainable development’ – to say nothing of functional human settlement patterns – are an extension of Agenda 21 – a plot to herd freedom loving Americans into crowded camps.

    It will take 10 years at a minimum to get the majority to embrace rational, science-based truth.

    However that brings up the Bottom Line Question:

    Will the genetic proclivities toward competition, acquisition, consumption and xenophobia that got Homo sapiens to this point in their evolution prevent the emergence of an Urban society with a sustainable trajectory?

    And when a majority of citizens agree, will there be resources left to create a just, equitable and sustainable society?

    EMR

  9. Larry G Avatar
    Larry G

    I'm reminded of communes – which still exist and still conceptually hew to the principles espoused.

    The Amish and the Hutterites as well as other groups live, work and play apart from the world of over-consumption et al.

    The one thing they don't try to do is to try to force others and the rest of the world to live the way they want to.

    So.. there ARE alternatives to living in a world you think is wrong.

  10. Larry G Avatar
    Larry G

    .

  11. Hydra Avatar
    Hydra

    are an extension of Agenda 21 – a plot to herd freedom loving Americans into crowded camps.

    ===================================

    Well, EMR, you have done a bettter job of convincing me of this than any of the other wingnuts.

  12. Hydra Avatar
    Hydra

    Will the genetic proclivities toward competition, acquisition, consumption and xenophobia that got Homo sapiens to this point in their evolution prevent the emergence of an Urban society with a sustainable trajectory?

    =================================

    Genetic proclivities aare not what is going to prevent this. What will prevent it is ths simple fact that an Urban society has no sustainable trajectory.

    Urban society has a footprint that includes most of the non-urban areas, and they need equal support and promotion in order to make each other viable.

  13. Hydra Avatar
    Hydra

    Now if he would just pay attention to the parameters for determining the truth.

    ==================================

    S = k ln(W)

    Everything else is just variations on that theme. The more complicated a system is, the more work you have to do to keep it in order.

    With a little bit of effort the direct economic result is

    TC = PC + EC + GC

  14. Hydra Avatar
    Hydra

    Prior to the industrial revolution, the biosphere, in combination with the physical systems of the planet, has always been capable of maintaining a net positive balance in the current account of energy flow. This is due to the WORK expended by all the the organisms in the biosphere.

    The primary product of the industrial revolution has been urban spaces. Urans spaces are highly ordered and therfore require more work and more energy to keep them from disolving in entropy.

    Therefore the idea that urban spaces are somehow going to make us more sustainable is total scientific bunk.

  15. Hydra Avatar
    Hydra

    "…a Constitutional Convention that yields a Constitution that reflects the economic, social and physical reality of contemporary Urban society without sacrificing any of the basic freedoms …."

    =================================

    That constitution is not going to achieve much if it only reflects the current realities.

    It appears that what you really mean here is that a new constitution is going to have to manage those realities, especially the physical ones. that will affect the social and economic realities, soon eneough.

    But there is simply no way to manage those realities AND maintain all of our current basic freedoms.

    By itself, a new constitution that limits existing freedoms in order to manage our physical realities is highly unlikely. And you are going to need hundreds of similar constitutions for other nation states.

    It's a pretty big job.

  16. Larry G Avatar
    Larry G

    there's a problem that both the settlement pattern folks and the right-wing zealots share and that is both seem to think that major changes can be made to our Constitution and the way we govern if they can get enough power to basically impose such changes.

    Nope.

    In a Democracy – even in a representative Constitutional Republic – you have to convince a majority of people to vote in favor of such changes.

    The correct answer to "governance" is not to have someone get into power and then dictatorially impose their vision of governance and settlement patterns.

    There are several "groups" … "out there" that think they know what needs to be done – but they also know that they don't have majority support from the populace – so they dream of ultimately gaining some kind of a dictatorial authority to do "what needs to be done".

    So far – even though we have a ton of people who can and are easily fooled by slick TV ads and disinformation campaigns – enough others remain with half a brain to understand that one of the most precious freedoms that we have is – the vote.

    The ONLY WAY for "us" to realize that we are on an unsustainable track – is to convince enough people of that fact – and until you do – you're just whistling different variants of "Dixie".

  17. Accurate Avatar
    Accurate

    EMR –
    It's no secret that I disagree with much of what you say, but I do want to know this. In a comment/reply you said "…a Constitutional Convention that yields a Constitution that reflects the economic, .."

    Realisticly, what do you think the chances are of having a constitutional convention in the first place. And what do you think the chances would be of anything substantial (and I know we would probably disagree as to the definition of that word in this context) happening would be?

    For the record, I rate the chance of a convention happening at zero and if it did happen the chance of anything substantial coming out of it at also zero.

  18. Hydra Avatar
    Hydra

    A sustainable track is going to require much more use of solar resources. Since we are only using about .03% of solar flux now, that ought to be possible, eventually, when the price is right.

    But solar energy is diffuse and so it makes sense to plan the use of energy by the population in the same way – diffuse. The argument for a sustainable economy argues against the idea of a massively urban and centralized soiciety.

  19. E M Risse Avatar
    E M Risse

    Accurate:

    I think already know the answer to how ‘easy’ EMR believes that Fundamental Transformation will be.

    It will be very hard, but what is the alternative?

    What is your solution?

    Larry:

    You are right about the existence of small intentional communities based of beliefs.

    But these small communities (small ‘c’) rely completely on the current Mass OverConsumption driven economic activity.

    A favorite image depicting this reality is a photo we took in Lancaster County of an Amish man with an incredibly ornate jewelry display cabinet in his buggy. He was taking this commissioned work from his home shop equipped with tools not made in Lancaster county to a shipper / dealer for delivery to a fancy 5th Avenue jewelry store.

    Consider what would happen to the economy if a simple majority of the Households shifted to the Amish lifestyle. The Consumer driven economy would Collapse and so would the market for the products they make in Lancaster County and in China.

    What is the alternative to Fundamental Transformations?

    Lets get them on the table.

    Subsistence agriculture circa 1800 that would support perhaps half the earth’s current population?

    The New Bronze Age that would support the current population?

    Something like current first world Urban society with functional settlement patterns?

    Will there be enough resources left to support even an Old Stone Age society when a majority of citizens are ready for Fundamental Transformations?

    Take a look at this:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ-J91SwP8w&feature=player_embedded

    Notice the cobwebs on the cars. WHAT COMES AFTER THE CAR coming soon.

    EMR

  20. Larry G Avatar
    Larry G

    thanks for the videos EMR!

    very entertaining and pretty much on target.

    My understanding is that we currently have enough solar to replace fossil fuels but the cost is much higher.

    At some point the cost of fossil fuels will "cross-over" solar and when that happens – what will happen?

    How will settlement patterns be affected in a solar/wind/tides economy?

    Will we stop growing turkey's by the million under one roof?

    Will people stop driving cars?

    Will ships stop bringing cheap Chinese products across the ocean?

    Will airplanes stop flying?

    we'll see.

  21. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Larry:

    I am not sure who you were asking but these are some answers in my notes from a recent seminar by Dr. Risse.

    “My understanding is that we currently have enough solar to replace fossil fuels but the cost is much higher.”

    Right!

    That is why functional settlement patterns, sustainable agriculture, retooled manufacturing, serious recycling, durable design and intelligent pricing are so important.

    Between the elimination of wasted energy (e.g. scattered Urban land uses), more efficient use of energy (small, shared vehicles) and more efficient conversion of solar energy to useful products and other best practices, the current fossil fuel equivalent can be cut by a factor of at least 5 and perhaps a factor of 10 without reducing the essential utility of the activity.

    “At some point the cost of fossil fuels will "cross-over" solar and when that happens – what will happen?”

    Not much in terms of loss of comfort and amenity if the transformation is intelligently planned so it benefits all citizens, not just those who are now at the top of the food chain.

    “How will settlement patterns be affected in a solar/wind/tides economy?”

    Profoundly, but the good news is that the most efficient patterns are those that the majority have demonstrated in the market they would choose IF THEY WERE GIVEN A CHOICE. Not everyone, just the vast majority. Those who want a high cost settlement pattern can have it if they pay for it.

    “Will we stop growing turkey's by the million under one roof?”

    Without a doubt.

    “Will people stop driving cars?”

    There will ‘always’ be ‘cars’ of some size, for some uses but ‘everyone’ will not need one to do everything that they do off their lot.

    Today half the working adults in the US cannot afford to buy and maintain a fuel efficient vehicle that is safe to drive on the Interstate Highway System.

    “Will ships stop bringing cheap Chinese products across the ocean?”

    If the costs are fairly allocated then the products will not be cheap. However, there can be InterRegional shipping but the demand will be vastly reduced by fair allocation of costs, fair pricing of resources and resulting Regional Resiliency.

    “Will airplanes stop flying?”

    There will be high value cargo and trip demands but with Regional Resiliency there will be far less need or desire to fly.

    The question is will there be support of a majority for Fundamental Transformation to a sustainable trajectory before the resources run out to achieve those Transformations.

    And then there is Prof Risse’s recuring question:

    Will the genetic proclivities toward competition, acquisition, consumption and xenophobia that got Homo sapiens to this point in their evolution prevent the emergence of an Urban society with a sustainable trajectory?

    ACSGP

  22. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Larry:

    I am not sure who you were asking but these are some answers in my notes from a recent seminar by Dr. Risse.

    “My understanding is that we currently have enough solar to replace fossil fuels but the cost is much higher.”

    Right!

    That is why functional settlement patterns, sustainable agriculture, retooled manufacturing, serious recycling, durable design and intelligent pricing are so important.

    Between the elimination of wasted energy (e.g. scattered Urban land uses), more efficient use of energy (small, shared vehicles) and more efficient conversion of solar energy to useful products and other best practices, the current fossil fuel equivalent can be cut by a factor of at least 5 and perhaps a factor of 10 without reducing the essential utility of the activity.

    “At some point the cost of fossil fuels will "cross-over" solar and when that happens – what will happen?”

    Not much in terms of loss of comfort and amenity if the transformation is intelligently planned so it benefits all citizens, not just those who are now at the top of the food chain.

    “How will settlement patterns be affected in a solar/wind/tides economy?”

    Profoundly, but the good news is that the most efficient patterns are those that the majority have demonstrated in the market they would choose IF THEY WERE GIVEN A CHOICE. Not everyone, just the vast majority. Those who want a high cost settlement pattern can have it if they pay for it.

    “Will we stop growing turkey's by the million under one roof?”

    Without a doubt.

    “Will people stop driving cars?”

    There will ‘always’ be ‘cars’ of some size, for some uses but ‘everyone’ will not need one to do everything that they do off their lot.

    Today half the working adults in the US cannot afford to buy and maintain a fuel efficient vehicle that is safe to drive on the Interstate Highway System.

    “Will ships stop bringing cheap Chinese products across the ocean?”

    If the costs are fairly allocated then the products will not be cheap. However, there can be InterRegional shipping but the demand will be vastly reduced by fair allocation of costs, fair pricing of resources and resulting Regional Resiliency.

    “Will airplanes stop flying?”

    There will be high value cargo and trip demands but with Regional Resiliency there will be far less need or desire to fly.

    The question is will there be support of a majority for Fundamental Transformation to a sustainable trajectory before the resources run out to achieve those Transformations.

    And then there is Prof Risse’s recuring question:

    Will the genetic proclivities toward competition, acquisition, consumption and xenophobia that got Homo sapiens to this point in their evolution prevent the emergence of an Urban society with a sustainable trajectory?

    ACSGP

  23. Larry G Avatar
    Larry G

    plain vanilla censorship is getting increasingly difficult in the internet world and disinformation is becoming the preferred way to manipulate public opinion.

    Too many people are just too lazy to vett information now days or if the information substantiates their own view – they readily accept it as truth – even if it is demonstrably false and they'll participate in disseminating it via blogs and the internet.

    There's a chain email – one of hundreds/thousands making the rounds – as an example – it shows several Presidents at a podium including Obama and asks the viewer to look to see any differences… then at the end of the email – it announces that all the other Presidents has the U.S. Flag in the picture while the picture of Obama did not.

    and this "demonstrates" that Obama is a secret Muslim who is really not an American.

    Now most folks will rightly dismiss this type of thing as idiotic….

    but several people I know that hew from the right have "shared" this with me to "show" the "truth" about Obama – and these folks are religious and they never miss an election.

    Of course the same folks have even more difficulty vetting other Disinformation that is clearly false but "plausible" to those who are predisposed to believe that if it appears in an email and they see it with their own eyes – it has to be true.

    When some politicians say that the cause of our EXISTING trillion dollar deficit and our EXISTING 14 trillion debt is entitlements – they take it as the absolute truth – never once taking the time themselves to look into it and discover what "discretionary" spending really is and what FICA really is compared to the Income Tax.

    So we have a flock of people who are unable and unwilling to deal with simple realities – but they do vote.

    I'm much more concerned about disinformation and the failure to vett info than censorship these days especially now that anonymous money can fund it.

  24. Hydra Avatar
    Hydra

    One way to promote disinformation is to censor the opposition so that it appears the protagonist argument is true by lack of opposition.

    Censorship has no place in a site that claims to support collegial discourse.

  25. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Neither does calling an old man with a distinguished career and accomplishments an “intellectual coward” and a “moron.” Especially when that person has demonstrated absolutely no understanding to the topic being discussed.

    As we understand it this is the second elderly person who ‘hydra’ has tried to trash in an attempt to get permission to build scattered Urban dwellings.

    ACSGP

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