Aikido Activism's topics - tribe.net

SUPPORTING WOUNDED WARRIORS - action alert Dan Millman the Peaceful Warrior

ToxicReverend — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 22:51:21 GMT

Please forward & post the attached message from
Dan Millman, "The Peaceful Warrior"
http://www.danmillman.com/ :>
_____________________________________________

SUPPORTING WOUNDED WARRIORS

MOST OF US share a love of peace, and are saddened by
war in Iraq or elsewhere. We look forward to an end to violence,
hunger, cruelty. But the reality of today's world is that thousands
of young men and women have returned home with physical,
emotional, and mental wounds.

If you feel a personal connection to support our wounded
soldiers, check the following link to a website fully dedicated
to this cause:
http://www.veteransandfamilies.org/WarriorTransition.html

A SIMPLE WAY TO HELP: Last week the Presidents
Commission on Returning Wounded Warriors issued
their recommendations, which include:

1. The immediate creation of comprehensive recovery plans
to provide the right care and support at the right time in the
right place;

2. Completely restructure the disability and compensation
system;

3. Aggressively prevent and treat Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI);

4. Significantly strengthen support for families;

5. Rapidly transfer patient information between DoD
and VA; and

6. Strongly support Walter Reed (WRAMC) by recruiting
and retaining first-rate professionals through 2011.

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Whether you are a
liberal or conservative, a Republican, Democrat, Libertarian
or any other political affiliation, CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
to send President George Bush an email in support of enacting
all of the recommendations of the Presidents Commission on
Returning Wounded Warriors.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

Good journeys,

Dan Millman

The Peaceful Warrior
http://www.danmillman.com/

posted in Aikido Activism - 1 reply

Sonic Soul Fri March 7 @ Fat CIty SF

Master TAJ — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 01:32:42 GMT

~Friends and family~

Do you want to heal the world but need a RECHARGE?

Is some serious PLAYTIME in order?

How would you like to discover, learn, and practice the ancient art of Rump Shakin’ …in a comfortable environment?

Are YOU ready for a wild sonic adventure!?

Then, WELCOME!

From LA to The Bay, and all points beyond…

SONIC SOUL: DANCE OF THE SPIRIT

Friday MARCH 7 @ Fat City 314 11TH Street SF

Tune in to forever through rhythm and sound pleasure!
Look within and reclaim who you truly are!
This will be a solid night of eclectic and uplifting music from all over!

...Serious Playtime?

YES!!!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!!

Come and relax into a whole new dance experience

at SONIC SOUL
know that you are WELCOME
…to be who ever you are!
In honor of International women’s day there will be some heavy hitting FEMALE DJ’s blowing your mind with Goddess Power right beside the men. DJ’s will be spinning DUB STEP, TECH HOUSE, JUNGLE, and BREAKS! Yes, Really!
Come through and witness!
Friday March 7, 2008 @ FAT CITY 314 11th street, SF
$10 b4 11 so come early and play late!

“To those who are receptive, the heavens open wide.”
~Master TAJ (Pisces)

posted in Aikido Activism - 0 replies

Dennis Kucinich: The Aiki Presidential Candidate

yogi4peace — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 02:13:04 GMT

I think he is the ONLY presidential candidate we have available that lives Aiki principles and would bring them to the oval office.

What do you think?

posted in Aikido Activism - 1 reply

Aikido and The Actor's Work

Theatre Dojo — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 19:27:19 GMT

Conventional plays are built on combat. Two or more characters are in conflict; individual actors are engaged in internal conflict. There are goals, and characters struggle to achieve those goals, working on one another to change a person who get something they need, and succeeding or failing. Success and failure both bring consequences. This is the structure of drama.

Thus when actors rehearse a scene they are practicing combat.

Aikido students have to learn to work with complete commitment, yet also include consciousness of their partner. Before every exercise, there is a bow, and a promise to care for the flourishing of one's partner. Drew says the punch is real, and at the same time you are responsible to watch for your partner's safety and well-being. Soon, students are working hard on one another, encouraging each other to work with real commitment and courage, and caring for one another's progress.

This is how our acting community will operate. A little bit of technique, and a lifetime's worth of commitment and bravery. By getting this into our bodies with our martial arts practice, we can awaken to the same relationship in the psychic workings of a scene, and play out the conflicts of human existence with conscious awareness and fearless honesty.

The most dangerous knife in the drawer is the one that isn't sharpened.

-Mu Mun

posted in Aikido Activism - 0 replies

Criminal Homeless Vets Fwd: The Plight of Damaged Iraq War Vets

ToxicReverend — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 01:06:17 GMT

Please forward and post.

People need to be aware of this tenth annual National
radio show, that will be broadcast across our entire
country and thearticle "The Plight of Damaged Iraq War Vets".

You can count on the national trend to criminalize
homelessness tto be a topic of discussion.

The Homeless Marathon
February 20th & February 21st, 2007
http://www.homelessnessmarathon.org/

*The Plight of Damaged Iraq War Vets*
By Andrew Weaver and Ray McGovern February 5, 2007
http://www.consortiumnews.com/2007/020507a.html

I highly recommend the Gulf War Vets web page and their
posting of "Beyond Treason" at :>
http://www.gulfwarvets.com
The vets have posted information about biological
weapons and chronic illnesses.

Support our troops, bring them home.

The Criminalization of Homelessness
http://www.angelfire.com/hi/soberskidrow/parkh.html
The above page will be edited with *The Plight of Damaged
Iraq War Vets*, added, asp.

There is a toll free number for the show at their web page,
with listings of which radio stations will be airing the show, in
which cities. People are encouraged to call in, during the show.

There are so many homeless Vets with issues that effect
the health care system of entire country. I am sending out
this e-mail in the hopes of "raising public awareness" to some
of the issues that have been censored from the main news media.

Ironic as that is, since journalists have also been deemed
criminals and or "enemies of the state", in some instances.

What the Vets are going through when they return home
and seek medical care and or a disability evaluation is more
than just a shame. It does appear to be more of a "cover-up".

To think that Vets go to serve our country and become sick
and disabled is one thing. To be denied adequate care and
declared a criminal for the crime of becoming homeless
because of it is," unacceptable".

Blessings,

The Toxic Reverend
aka
Justice Is Homeless

Who's a Criminal ?
http://people.tribe.net/toxicreverend

No More Red Collar Crime
Homicide Charges For Corporations
http://www.angelfire.com/nm/redcollarcrime

posted in Aikido Activism - 0 replies

Aiki Extensions

Mark — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 19:34:49 GMT

Hi folks,

I do a lot of work and play with these guys:

http://aiki-extensions.org

Have a look and tell me what you think.
Cheers,
Mark

posted in Aikido Activism - 0 replies

A living essay introducing Aikido Activism

spidey — Wed, 31 Mar 2004 02:40:00 GMT

The aim is to make this a "living essay" by encouraging comment to help focus and simplify the articulation. The essay I have already begun posting in various online forums, which encourage anyway else to do as well, and please let me know which forum so I can follow the ripples and comments and feed them back to modifying the original, and supplementing the list of active progressive online forums taking part in the discussion. What else should happen? Anyone? Thanks for reading. Thanks for sharing.

-------------essay------------------

Get Ready for Aikido Activism
The Most Meaningful Progress Advances The Center

March 30, 2004
Contributions (w/attribution) to this “Living Essay”: aikidosphere@earthlink.net

To reach society’s perpetual goal – a healthy, happy and sustainable community – individuals and the community must make healthy, happy and sustainable choices. Community choices come from a community’s consciousness. Aikido Activism aims to advance the center – especially the center of community consciousness.

CONCISE PROBLEM-SOLUTION STATEMENT

Three interrelated traditions are quickly becoming antiquated: Adolescent Capitalism, spurred to great excesses by Free-Market Fundamentalism, flourishing unopposed in a predominantly “Not for Aikido” activist culture. The most potent mode of community consciousness – the mobilization of free independent thought via the Internet – must inspire and be inspired by Aikido Activism to advance a newly evolving progressive meme: the Noble Corporation in an age of Individual Empowerment Capitalism.

TRAGEDY TO TRIUMPH
This essay aims to reveal the natural simplicity of a solution already beginning to happen. With the components of the solution already at hand, we actually stand poised for mobilization against the seemingly insurmountable inertia of errant tradition. Understanding this problem and pursuing its solution is all that is necessary to turn Tragedy of the Commons into Triumph of the Commons.

BASIS OF ANY SOCIAL CHANGE IS IN COMMUNITY CONCSCIOUSNESS
Society is the sum of its parts. Individual choices sum up to empowering society – or to inhibiting progress. Making better individual and collective judgments requires greater awareness – so greater fidelity in community consciousness is fundamental to health, happiness and sustainability.

PROBLEM PART 1: ADOLESCENT CAPITALISM
The first dimension of the problem, Adolescent Capitalism, is about expanding capability and authority while minimizing responsibility – privatizing profit while socializing (often ignoring) cost. Adolescent Capitalism decreases awareness and inhibits society by influencing government, media and popular opinions to a narrower, self-promoting view, professed to be in the interest of society, yet often concealing tragic consequences counter to that interest. Perhaps the most consequential irresponsibility of Adolescent Capitalism is its undermining of reason by corrupting our community consciousness. Adolescent Capitalism is synonymous with myopic focus on profit.

Adolescent Capitalism has lead to such Tragedies of the Commons as: the tobacco industry’s exploitation of human health for profit, Wall Street’s exploitation of misinformation (human informational health) for profit, the petroleum industry’s unsustainable exploitation of the environment (that supports human life) for profit, and government’s exploitation of misinformation and the office of power (which should support human life) to advance the interests of military industries. In each of these cases, the exploitation was known by some in society who pursued that exploitation because of a popular sentiment that greed is good, and because people felt they could get away with it. Community consciousness was insufficiently conscious (aware) to curb the abuse. Adolescent Capitalism promotes community ignorance, rendering Adolescent Capitalism all the more effective.

PROBLEM PART 2: FREE-MARKET FUNDAMENTALISM
The second dimension of the problem, Free-Market Fundamentalism, is a theory produced and supported by Adolescent Capitalism to expand its “commons” – its range of influence – to all countries via international treaties. Free-Market Fundamentalism purportedly argues that the greatest economic efficiency is when markets are self-policing. The expansion of Free-Market Fundamentalism serves Adolescent Capitalism’s goal: maximizing corporate Laissez Faire, permitting greater exploitations and greater profit.

No doubt there are quite a few who truly believe in the free-market extremist viewpoint of Free-Market Fundamentalism, but its potency arises more from its ability to be used as a tool to obscure greed (the myopic-profit motive), enshrouding a campaign of economic hegemony in the veil of “lifting all boats”. It is a debilitating hegemony that expands the influence of corporations from Free-Market-Fundamentalism-oriented national governments to all governments, from Free-Market-Fundamentalism -oriented media to all media, and from Free-Market-Fundamentalism -oriented communities to all communities – promoting Adolescent Capitalism, globally expanding capability and authority while globally minimizing responsibility.

Free-Market Fundamentalist Adolescent Capitalism is better than unjustly exploitive communism, and it is good that the former achieved hegemony over the latter as long as the latter threatened to engulf the world in an unjustly exploitive form of communism; but in a globalized world the new enemy is not the enemy without but the enemy within – the unjust exploitations of our own ascendant Adolescent Capitalism, seeking global expansion for its Free-Market Fundamentalism: expanding global capability and global authority while minimizing global responsibility. In an age of increasingly immense global capabilities, global irresponsibility is global risk of immense proportions, especially when combined with the race to the bottom of international labor and environmental arbitrage!

PROBLEM PART 3: “NOT FOR AIKIDO” ACTIVISM
The third dimension of the problem, “Not For Aikido” Activism arises in the tradition of segregating “not for profits” from “for profits.” This tradition, true to the pattern – is about expanding capability and authority of “for profits” while minimizing responsibility by marginalizing activism. Conscientious mobilization (i.e., mobilization aiming to advance responsibility) is marginalized and inhibited when it is relegated to the “not for profit” sector. Apache web-server software (with nearly 70% market share) stands as a Pyrrhic success story of majority adoption of “not for profit”, “open source” information technology. It is interesting to imagine that the open source community’s altruistic leanings might have been largely behind Apache’s success – achieving greater functionality, utility, and applicability (especially to programmers by opening access to the source code). But it is equally interesting to note that its authors gave it away, but it did not have to be this way.

In the future, a similar exploit might instead become the basis for a “moderate profit” initiative, opposing Adolescent Capitalism’s myopic focus on maximizing profit. Such a “moderate profit” initiative can make broader impact by not relegating itself to impoverishment and economic marginalization in the “open source”, “not for profit” sector, but instead advancing a new vision of Individual Empowerment Capitalism directly into the “for profit” sector. “Not for profits” supporting independent thought and community discourse will continue to have keen relevance; but reason, truthfulness, trustworthiness, transparency and accountability will be far more real – more realized – when advanced into the mainstream of commerce. Activism that uses the full power and weight of corporations and governments to achieve transformative progress for the very center and essence of corporate and government culture and behavior is referred to as Aikido Activism.

SOLUTION PART 1: INDIVIDUAL EMPOWERMENT CAPITALISM
Individual Empowerment Capitalism stands in stark contrast to Adolescent Capitalism: in the former, capability, authority and responsibility are retained together while also advanced to constituents; whereas, for the latter, capability and authority are the focus, with responsibility often avoided.

Individual Empowerment Capitalism means that the only sustainable collective empowerment has individual empowerment as its goal – avoiding unjust exploitation of the masses.

Is greed good?

Scenario 1: Define greed as "getting more than others" and define good as "good for me". Then I believe the majority of individuals would say that greed is good because they see getting more than others is good for me. But this is a sparking point for global conflict and unjust exploitation.

Scenario 2: Define greed as "getting more than others" and define good as "good for us". Then I believe that the majority of groups (and perhaps the majority of nations) would say that greed is good, because they see getting more than others is good for us. Again this is a sparking point for global conflict and unjust exploitation.

Scenario 3: Define greed as "getting more than others" and define good as "good for all of us" (all humans). Then I believe that the majority of aware individuals and societies would say greed is not good, because they see getting more than others as being unjustly exploitive rather than good for all of us.

When collective empowerment has the goal of individual empowerment, then individual, group and community objectives harmonize, and only ambition that is not unjustly exploitive of others is seen as good, while greed (or the tendency towards unjust exploitations) is seen as bad. But this is an ideal. Practically-speaking, it is society’s conscience – knowledge and information sharing in society – that helps society approach such an ideal by gradually rejecting bad and embracing good ideas and models.

SOLUTION PART 2: DEMOCRATIC MEDIA – COMMUNITY DISCOURSE
Free-Market Fundamentalism, via its myopic focus on profits, imposes the inertia of tradition on progress by penalizing responsible and sustainable choices by corporate managers when those decisions adversely affect profitability. It is little coincidence that the opportunity to reverse the imposition of Free-Market Fundamentalism awaited a major inflection point in community awareness – recently made possible by the Internet.

Tragedy will turn to triumph in the commons when – through truer community dialogues enabled by revolutionary democratic media technologies (the Internet, et al.) – community consciousness is raised to awareness of:

How we have been collectively duped into following Adolescent Capitalism’s model of Free-Market Fundamentalism,

How this has weakened society’s immune system – its active watchfulness,

How “not for profit” vs. “for profit” segregation is an inhibiting fallacy,

How global capability and global authority require global responsibility – watchfulness – to avoid immense risks to global society’s health, happiness and sustainability,

Embracing tools of democratic media can unleash tectonic forces of progress and restore society’s immune system: an aware, watchful community consciousness. To do this, a new model is needed, and is already beginning to appear (Individual Empowerment Capitalism). In the new form of capitalism, a Noble Corporation – operating not only responsibly but also accountably – will become celebrated in society and preferentially treated in law.

The basis of Individual Empowerment Capitalism is a culture of active, engaged, watchfulness (democracy in capitalism and communication) leading to truer, more pragmatic knowledge in individuals, empowering individuals and expanding their influence in commercial, governmental and environmental affairs. Noble Corporations are just one, very important, result.

Many corporations already behave responsibly – with due consideration for humanity and environment. To the degree that Adolescent Capitalism is alive and well, even its excesses are impelling new initiatives that constitute the beginnings of Individual Empowerment Capitalism and Aikido Activism: Socially Responsible Investing, Triple Bottom Line accounting, and Total Corporate Responsibility [add attributions to their inventors and practitioners].

LEVERAGING TRANSFORMATIVE MEDIA TECHNOLOGY
Which industry segment is ripest for revolution? One clear option is democratic media technologies. Transformative technologies offering intellectual property (IP) protections can build huge defensible enterprises. Is it possible that such power could be turned in another direction beside the myopic-profit objective? In addition, democratic media can also act to catalyze further social and environmental literacy and activism/responsibility.

AIKIDO ACTIVISM
Kevin Danaher, in his book “Insurrection” explains how Global Exchange and other progressive organizations are beginning to use corporate practices, such as public relations campaigns (PR), to influence corporate behavior – as Aikido aims to leverage the total momentum in any engagement towards a positive outcome. In some cases, simply the threat of using such PR Aikido Activism impelled progressive change.

The opportunity to use variant forms of Aikido Activism (especially IP Aikido Activism) in high-tech with an empowering result to individuals and society is huge. High-tech industries are known to have occasional major inflection points – a vast shifting of emphasis stemming sometimes from basic innovations – elegant and axiomatic innovations with broad implications. IP Aikido Activism will employ the massive empowerment of IP protections, but instead turn that power into curbing the pressure to conform to exploitation or unsustainability – to build a Noble Corporation with the goal of transforming corporate objectives and culture.

Could Aikido Activism be a sustainable light growing amidst the darkness of resignation to the expansion of Free-Market Fundamentalism, human exploitation, and environmental destruction?

GET INVOLVED
This essay was written not just to reveal the new frontier of Aikido Activism – but also represents an effort to bring together fellow pioneers of the Aikidosphere and to mobilize new campaigns within the new model. Please share your thoughts either within this forum ____________ , by emailing the author directly (Aikidosphere at Earthlink dot net), or by responding to any of the other forums where this essay has been posted (see below).

Forum/URL Post Date
Doug Henwood’s LBO-Talk
http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/pipermail/lbo-talk/Week-of-Mon-20040329/007090.html
March 30, 2004
Tribe.net, Utopian Research & Design
http://www.tribe.net/tribe/servlet/template/pub%2Ctribes%2CViewThread.vm?threadid=8d72beb9-09d8-437c-b429-ab0d39ac43b7&tribeid=4507deb6-eb9f-4445-8847-9f4a6f7ecd8b
March 30, 2004
International Network of Engaged Buddhists (No Online Forum)/ http://www.sulak-sivaraksa.org/network22.php
March 30, 2004

posted in Aikido Activism - 8 replies

Non-violet-Resistance

Fri, 17 Feb 2006 17:28:14 GMT

First I would like to introduce myself. My name is Nick. I have some backround in various martial arts, including Aikido...I am currently training in a mixture of Aikido and Taijutsu. I do believe there are appropriate times to fight, though I also believe it is best to subdue conflicts befor they begin, or at least befor they escalate.

I would like to hear some of your opinions on non-violent Diect Action, as opposed to symbolic protest...Actions which are illegal and disruptive, but do not in any way cause harm to another living being...actions that are geared to inflict economic losses, but pose no risk to human life (Except that the police often attack those who engage in civil disobediance).

What is your perspective on the morality of these actions, and what principles would guide your own actions should such a situation unfold in front of you?

Also, how do you deal with police brutality in a non-violent way, when any contact with an officer, even one that is not intended to cause harm may be concidered assult.

posted in Aikido Activism - 2 replies

Aikido Activism Wiki

spidey — Thu, 04 Nov 2004 20:10:35 GMT

There is a Wiki up to augment the discussion of Aikido Activism. This could be very helpful by providing a living reference database to see what a growing community of watchers, investors and entrepreneurs are observing as:

- the pioneers of "business-as-part-activism",
- the opportunities for further work, and
- the range of world problems solvable through Aikido Activism.

My question for anyone is how best to magnetize people to such a dialogue -- given the dialogues purportedly great promise? Word of mouth? The clarity of information presented? Perhaps both and more... Thanks everyone who continues to work strategically for progress.

posted in Aikido Activism - 9 replies

New Activity

spidey — Thu, 26 May 2005 16:47:18 GMT

An increasing range of discussions with philanthropic thinkers, philanthropists, foundations - even moviemakers working on nearly identical themes - probably means that interest is building.

At the very least, activity is building out of which a variety of specific projects might be advanced in a surer fashion.

There is a new essay entitled "Integrated (Aikido) Entrepreneurship" at http://home.earthlink.net/~reedburk/reedburkhartcentral/id1.html

posted in Aikido Activism - 0 replies

More Concise Story of Aikido Evolution via Aikido Activism

spidey — Tue, 11 Jan 2005 21:23:40 GMT

http://aikidoactivism.xwiki.com/xwiki/bin/view/Main/AikidoEvolutionviaAikidoActivism

Enviro-Socio-Economics

All world problems today are traceable to singular focus on financial profit to the exclusion of stewardship

A growth-based organism/species always shifts to fruition-based (cyclical/sustainable) behaviors, or kills itself by killing its environment … as a cancer

Consumption-based growth is the meme of singular focus on financial profit underlying all of capitalism

Hence, globalization of capitalism is globalization of consumption-based growth is a cancer on our planet

There are three things to do about this…

What to Do

Understand where we are and why/how we got here

Understand our alternatives at this point and the associated consequences

Choose the best alternative

Vision of past and current

Humans always seek/have sought opportunity and reason

Human choosing leads to groupings and leaders

Leaders can either be leaders of current, or of new, tradition

The first oppressive tradition was based in physical power

Capitalist leaders evolved to economic instead of physical oppression … economic power maximized physical potential while also offering restraints on the application of physical power

This evolution substantially replaced physical warring with economic warring … based on the competitive meme of consumption-based growth

Vision of future

Aikido – the art of peace – is also the art of fruition, or sustainable “growth”, which demands that consumption-based growth conform to cyclicity (net zero physical growth, which to achieve requires net positive growth in self-awareness and coherent intention).

Unrestrained leadership power (including consumption-based growth oriented leadership power) can only be subverted by Aikido leadership

Adolescent capitalism subverted feudalism by presenting a more powerful model that restrained the regressive powers of feudalism

Aikido capitalism must today be practiced to subvert adolescent capitalism by presenting the more powerful model of restraining the regressive powers of capitalism
… or we die (most and perhaps all) by killing our environment

Aikido Evolution

Life is the diffusion of (coherent) inspired choosing
More powerful models are more powerful life models, and so must diffuse more inspired choosing

Aikido leadership is always choosing less inspired choosing – but only to realize an objective of more inspired choosing – playing the game of current tradition and winning it in order to consciously (and coherently) evolve tradition

Subversive evolutionary change-makers are Aikido Activists
Physical-to-Economic Aikido Activism evolved feudalism (physical winning) to adolescent capitalism (economic winning)

Economic-to-Reasoned Aikido Activism is need to evolve adolescent capitalism to sustainable competition (reasoned winning)

Economic-to-Reasoned Aikido Activism

A work in progress viewable at http://aikidoactivism.xwiki.com/

posted in Aikido Activism - 0 replies

Positive comments on essay .. plus repost of essay with minor updates

spidey — Tue, 25 May 2004 00:50:48 GMT

One leading thinker and author on media (with a website at www.rushkoff.com) has suggested to me that Aikido Activism "is the obvious next step."

Thanks to those who have provided comments or suggestions about the essay, many of which led to some of the recent mods. New version follows -- as usual, if you'd like an MSWord copy with intact endnotes and graphics, please ask for it to be emailed to you!

Aikido Activism

– Changing the world one corporation at a time –

May 20, 2004
aikidosphere@earthlink.net

1. INTRODUCTION
Imagine applying the resources of powerful “For Profit” corporations to the great needs of today. Imagine more and more small and large corporations – not just niche salad dressing, ice cream, or vegan food companies here or there, but also the largest businesses commanding the greatest market power – reorienting their objectives to promote transparency, the honest study of their social and ecological impacts, accountability, moderation, inclusion and the like. And imagine that doing anything less in a global age will lead to catastrophe.

In a time noted by widespread deceit and abuse by corporate executives, such a suggestion appears dreamy. But powerful progressive corporations (and their consequences) are only a dream until they arrive. The need for them will speed their coming – and with them will come a new reality.

Movement towards the new reality – a more progressive, sustainable status quo – has already begun. This essay reveals the simplicity and power of the new reality, and shows how by going to the root of the problem, Aikido Activism will succeed in redirecting the massive influence of corporations away from regressive, unjust social and harmful ecological exploitations, and toward progressive developments of society and remediation of environmental problems. Lacking the strategy of Aikido Activism, uncountable previous attempts at activism against corporations and their costly behaviors have only had modest, temporary successes.

The components of the solution are already at hand. Society is poised for mobilization against the seemingly insurmountable inertia of errant tradition. It requires but a few who understand the problem who begin pursuit of the solution to catalyze a shift from Tragedy of the Commons to Triumph of the Commons.

2. THE PROBLEM OF ADOLESCENT CAPITALISM

The primitive forces of greed, deception and duplicity lead to a Tragedy of the Commons whenever corporate hegemony is used to unjustly exploit humanity or the environment in the myopic pursuit of profit – to advance capability and authority while minimizing responsibility . Money power has used communication, education, information and media – as well as money itself – to attain political power by influencing policy and public perception to advance Free Market Fundamentalism and to compromise market fairness in the attempt to effect persistent control. This state of affairs is called Adolescent Capitalism – capitalism that is not yet sustainably mature.

Adolescent Capitalism flies the banner of Free Market Fundamentalism. Free Market Fundamentalist theory is promoted by Adolescent Capitalism to expand its “commons” – its range of influence – to all countries via international treaties. Free Market Fundamentalism aims to cloth greed in “lifting all boats” populism. But all boats are not being lifted. The deceptive banner of Free Market Fundamentalism threatens to expand the influence of corporations from Free-Market-Fundamentalist-oriented national governments to all governments, from Free-Market-Fundamentalist-oriented media to all media, and from Free-Market-Fundamentalist-oriented communities to all communities, thus advancing the grip of Adolescent Capitalism globally – i.e., globally expanding capability and authority while globally minimizing responsibility.

Some go so far as to say that absolute power corrupts absolutely . Globalizing Adolescent Capitalism threatens global society and the global environment with a Tragedy of the Global Commons of unprecedented, cataclysmic proportions – stimulating increased need for opposition, and stimulating increased oppositional activism.

Corporations commonly use deception and concealment to minimize opposition to unjust exploitations of humanity and the environment. Their strategy engenders ignorance to social and ecological issues. When companies use media and advertising to weaken or distort awareness of truth in order to sell soap, cereal, or cigarettes, then those companies and their media partners weaken society’s immune system against deceit. All kinds of problems can come from a weak social immune system: especially the ignorance of potential environmental or social cataclysms.

Corporate executives, earning 10 to 1,000 to 100,000 times as much as a laborer, are paid to maximize profit – often looking out for employees, customers, society at large, or the environment only when those interests align with corporate profit making, which is closely tied to their personal profit making. The system works fairly well for what it was designed to do (although the culture of deceit and unjust exploitations often permeates, including leading executives to deceive and unjustly exploit stockholders).

Unfortunately the objective is wrong. A myopic profit view ignores many important issues and assumes that the greatest power comes from maximizing corporate profit . This is wrong. If by power we mean total national production, then the United States stands as example that it is the diffusion of individual empowerment (via individual liberties) that nets the greatest aggregated power. The maximizing of corporate profit has been a natural – yet unsustainable – temporary by-product. We must ask the question, “To what end is power maximized?”

Diffusive individual empowerment will always net to the greatest aggregate power, no matter how power is defined. The mass diffusion of ideals to individuals aggregates to the most empowered aggregate ideals. The myopic focus on profit exists because it succeeded in simplicity but it is failing because the ideals it diffuses are not sustainable and joyful.

The following graph of the profitability of several well-known companies (as measured in $K gross annual profit per employee ) is thought provoking. Why is there such variability in profitability per employee? Because of economic policy and because there can be. And if money is a type of power, what commensurate responsibility is society associating with the most profitable companies?

Profit maximizing strategy often employs profits to rent public policy and public perception away from the public interest – a sad and unsustainable ideal. Working against the public interest is a huge Lilliputian clue that maximizing dollar profit does not in actuality achieve the greatest power!

3. WHERE DOES ADOLESCENT CAPITALISM BUILD OPPOSITION?

When Adolescent Capitalism unjustly exploits a working wage class or the environment, oppositional sentiments tend to arise. When perceptions of a ruling owner class become disconnected from the realities of a working wage class or from the environment, unjust exploitations heighten, and oppositional sentiment may increase to spark changes in policy and practice . Sometimes scientific investigation – usually funded by corporate interests – discovers corporate deceptions, creating scientific opposition. Part of the problem of corporate hegemony and money power is that, by design, each of these forms of opposition is usually weak and lacks comparable money power.

With globalization, corporations are increasingly using distant workers and environments – potentially heightening unjust exploitations. The working class in developed countries finds itself less employed as corporations shop globally to find or create the most favorable terms of employment. Offshoring may create a more potent force of opposition against Adolescent Capitalism – in the form of many replaced developed-country workers .

4. EFFECTIVENESS OF CURRENT OPPOSITION TO ADOLESCENT CAPITALISM?

Current activist opposition to the problem of Adolescent Capitalism and all its manifestations is inhibited by lacking money power. In some cases, opposition has actually been subverted by money power, with the opposition ceasing or merely continuing as a charade. Opposition is inhibited in all the ways that Adolescent Capitalism inhibits it – in communication, education, information, media, influence of policy and public perception. This state of affairs is called Adolescent Activism – not yet substantially able to remedy the unjust exploitations of Adolescent Capitalism.

The traditional model in activism is the forming of a group for political action to lobby for change. But the lobbying voice of corporations has a different tenor to regulators who may later find great remuneration via employment at these same corporations, or who – because of the cost of media relations – may find their very electability comes via donations from corporate circles.

5. AIKIDO ACTIVISM AND THE PROGRESSIVE TRANSFORMATION OF CAPITALISM

It is easy to focus on all the terrible problems corporations are causing to humanity and the environment, but such one-sided diatribes lead to little progress. Instead, a balanced perspective is needed. Yes, corporate excesses have caused terrible problems in society and the environment, but many corporate activities have led to vast improvements in protecting the environment, peace, and quality of life. Promoting the improvements and curbing the excesses – ending the myopic focus on profit – is what is needed to bring progressive transformation to Adolescent Capitalism.

The following definitions of Aikido and activism help to introduce Aikido Activism – which promises to catalyze such progressive transformation.

Aikido (noun): a Japanese art of self-defense employing locks and holds and utilizing the principle of nonresistance to cause an opponent's own momentum to work against him (Merriam Webster).

Activism (noun): a doctrine or practice that emphasizes direct vigorous action especially in support of or opposition to one side of a controversial issue (Merriam Webster).

Aikido Activism (noun): a new form of activism combining corporate reform and entrepreneurship leveraging Aikido’s principle of beneficent locks and holds in the “For Profit” competitive arena to empower activism and accelerate the shift from a global myopic profit agenda to a more progressive global agenda achieved through corporate transparency, responsibility, accountability and moderate profitability.

Melding the best of “For Profit” corporations with the best of “Not for Profit” activism, if unconventional, can certainly be seen to overcome the problems faced by traditional activism discussed in the last section. Corporations are traditionally known for their discipline and money power, while “Not For Profits” are traditionally known for their progressivism and weakness in money power. Both discipline and progressivism are needed to achieve progressive power .

From which side will the gap first be bridged? Is it easier for the pragmatic, disciplined, monied corporate warrior to adopt a progressive approach? Or is it easier for the idealistic, money-lacking progressive to adopt a corporate warrior approach? This abstraction is an oversimplification, but a useful oversimplification, because it shows how corporate reform could come from either side – and that the most pragmatic progress may actually come from within corporations themselves through the development of Noble Corporations .

Aikido Activism will use the full power and weight of corporations and governments to achieve transformative progress for the very center and essence of corporate and government culture and behavior.

Understanding progress and power is important. It is often heard that “absolute power corrupts absolutely” (Lord John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, 1834-1902), but this statement is obviously incorrect . The greater the abuse of power, the more inclined are people to rebel against it. So no abusive power is absolute, certainly no power that corrupts absolutely – as amply evidenced by countless historical uprisings against unjust exploitations.

An Aikido Activist corporation would shun unjust exploitations, but when competitors employ unjust exploitations in a competition being judged by Wall Street analysts and investors on the basis of bottom-line financial profit alone, perhaps the only way an Aikido Activist corporation can surmount unjustly exploitive competitors is by employing another type of Aikido Activist hold against them in order to preclude losing market share and disappearing into irrelevance.

Although corporate power is far from absolute, adolescent corporate hegemony presents great inertia to inhibit progressive activism. Yet corporations have established free markets, and it is the free market that presents the greatest opportunity to practice Aikido Activism.

A progressive salad dressing company here or a progressive ice cream company there is insufficient to overcome the inertia of adolescent corporate hegemony. Aikido Activism must become established at leading corporations within each industry – those corporations defining business practices by their own behavior – in order to generate widespread transformation.

In this way Aikido Activism will develop a superior form of power – progressive power or collective empowerment whose objective is individual empowerment, while promoting the understanding that progressive power is superior to so-called absolute power and its absolute corrupting influence. Eventually, Adolescent Capitalism’s excesses will be moderated and replaced by a superior form of capitalism: Individual Empowerment Capitalism .

Individual Empowerment Capitalism depends on a reasoned meaning of power and empowerment. Giving everyone a shovel may empower a lot of digging. Giving everyone a seed may empower the planting of a more beautiful environment. But giving everyone free will and understanding through promoting education and communication is the best way to help each of us learn when to use shovel or seed. It is possible that the current trend of thinking – that bigger houses and more toys is empowering – will again shift to economy cars and efficient living; but regardless, the trappings of power tends to be an education in itself, so when a new meme of power arises, the popularity of its trappings will propagate as trappings always do.

In a Free Market, Aikido Activism would easily succeed on the basis of its superiority. As in Aikido, Aikido Activism can still surmount competitors even in markets less free, so long as the Aikido Activist activity understands the nature of a competitor’s power and refocuses that power in progressive directions.

Advanced thinking regarding sustainable capitalism has introduced Natural Capitalism , Socially Responsible Investing (SRI), Triple Bottom Line accounting (TBL – looking at the three bottom lines of economics, sociology and environment), Factor Four or Factor Ten goals (efficiency improvement goals for material and energy consumption), and Frank Dixon’s Total Corporate Responsibility (TCR). Each of these represent measures and methods that will only be effective at bringing unaccountable business practices into conformity when the halls of power are truly opened to progress, not just adorned with a progressive façade. Aikido Activism may hold the best chance of opening the halls of power to such progress.

The problems presented by Adolescent Capitalism to humanity and the environment – its unjust exploitations – quickly reached global proportions. In addition to playing a key role in transforming corporate behavior, Aikido Activism can be key in promoting the further requisite global remedies of globally inclusive communications and dialogue – the prerequisites for global democracy and sustainable, joyful, global living.

Applying Aikido Activism to traditional activities of activism is one important subcategory of Aikido Activism – e.g., promoting educational, humanitarian and environmental technologies and processes. But applying Aikido Activism to ALL commercial activities is equally important.

If for example Aikido Activism were to avoid the area of exploring, refining and distributing fossil fuels, permitting the continuation of the myopic profit motive in that activity would enable the continued subversion of major environmental and sustainability issues. One possibility for Aikido Activism is always the laboratory – if powerful cost savings or efficiency producing innovations (e.g., in the refinement or application of petroleum) can be channeled into campaigns of Aikido Activism (and not “sold out” to Big Oil).

And if for example Aikido Activism were to avoid the area of military technology, then that activity might promote (continue to promote?) conflict-engendering international policy, which is likely found complicit with the goal of economic imperialism and the deadly ambition of entrenching the myopic profit motive globally. Progressive arms and security innovators should employ Aikido Activism to build large businesses (even acquiring weapon making firms) whose profits counter policies of destabilization.

The cycle of deceit in power structures being leveraged for private profit, further power, then achieving even greater capability of deceit – is the enemy of healthy civil societies. A culture of truth and integrity is required for peace. In order to reach greater peace in global society we need greater truth and integrity in culture and in power structures. Education and truthfulness are the best friends of a healthy, civil global society. Placing interest and investment in the advancement of education and truthfulness promotes global integrity (global sustainability). Consequently, some of the greatest investment vehicles towards sustainability are global democratic communication tools and technology like the Internet – especially if the business model itself is based on Aikido Activism.

The articulation of the idea of Aikido Activism appears to be so new that envisioning the many possible avenues for it will surely take further thinking, discussion, and experimentation. But we should remember that bringing about substantial change in global society requires but a few who understand enough about the problem to begin pursuit of a solution that can catalyze a shift from a Tragedy of the Global Commons to Triumph of the Global Commons.
6. THE SPECIAL CASE OF DEMOCRATIC MEDIA AIKIDO ACTIVISM
Industries that are reliant on intellectual property – e.g., biotechnology and communications technology – are perhaps the most auspicious industries for the introduction of campaigns of Aikido Activism due to the Aikido-like enablement of intellectual property protections. Interest is growing by a number of parties in the area of activism through the commercial development of democratic media tools and technologies , but applying Aikido Activism to these activities can make them doubly effective.

Media concentration among a few large corporations (Big Media) is a byproduct of Adolescent Capitalism that is a key component of the engine advancing Adolescent Capitalism. Aikido Activism must engage this engine and redirect it. The serendipity of the Internet’s unlikely birth has led to the greatest ever transformation in media democratization – expanding media access, enabling more groups to coordinate, inform, and learn – but broadcast media has not yet been democratized (perhaps one of the first opportunities for democratic media Aikido Activism). As David P. Reed clearly shows, the value of Group Forming Networks such as the Internet depends on the number of groups supported – presaging an end to the current status quo of Big Media.

Intellectual property – common in communications and media technologies – is promoted by many forward-thinking countries (including in the U.S. Constitution to “promote the progress of science and useful arts”), and in the case of patent law is structured generally to permit innovators who file patents the legal protection of using the court system to block others from using their patented innovation. This provides a potential barrier to competition that can be quite useful to associate greater value to a particular business, which power can be used to maximize dollar profit or, alternatively, to effect and sustain a campaign of Aikido Activism – via a progressive Corporation with a Heart (or Noble Corporation) promoting industry without ignoring responsibility and accountability.

Communications technology and policy is closely related to social policy. If Aikido Activism can gain a substantial position of power in the global communications industry, then its Noble Communications Corporations could promote inclusive communications policy such as global universal service, which itself would substantially advance the cause of global sustainability by advancing global dialogue and global democracy.
7. CONCLUSION
The current state of Adolescent Capitalism has done a great amount of good, but has also propagated many excesses and abuses. Our goal should be a better, more balanced, understanding of not only where capitalism is going and must go (Individual Empowerment Capitalism) but also how it will get there.

More times than not, entrenched power must be engaged via the very mechanisms originally employed to achieve or retain that power in order to reform its unjustly exploitive elements. By definition, Aikido Activism employs traditional power mechanisms to engage Adolescent Capitalism. Aikido Activism will be found complementing “Not For Profit” activism – augmenting it to enable the timely transformation of Adolescent Capitalism.

The goal is not merely sustainability. Sustainability is critical but sustainable joyful living is the real goal – turning Dr. Garrett Hardin’s Tragedy of the Commons into a Triumph of the Commons.

As the world evolves from brute force, to economic persuasion, to conscientious reason – progressively advancing the focus of society and law – Triumph of the Commons will antiquate Adolescent Capitalism, spurred to great excess by Free Market Fundamentalism, flourishing unopposed in a predominantly “Not for Aikido” (i.e., “Not For Profit”) activist culture. A new and potent mode of community consciousness – the mobilization of free independent thought via the Internet – will inspire and be inspired by Aikido Activism, which centers responsibility and empowers individuals by advancing the Noble Corporation in the new age of Individual Empowerment Capitalism.

8. GET INVOLVED
This essay is presented to the broadest possible active audience by leveraging online discussion groups, email lists, and the like – aiming to leverage the Internet’s access to many minds and bodies not only for discussion and criticism, but also to accelerate collaboration on Aikido Activism campaigns. These campaigns require ideas, investors, collaborators and supporters who understand and wish to advance the new model. I am seeking and identifying parties interested in the pursuit of Aikido Activism in order to catalyze consensual introductions between investors, projects, entrepreneurs and other co-participants. Please contact aikidosphere@earthlink.net to indicate your interest.

APPENDIX I

Lists of the forums where various versions of this essay have been posted.

Forum/URL Post Date
Doug Henwood’s LBO-Talk
http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/pipermail/lbo-talk/Week-of-Mon-20040329/007090.html
http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/pipermail/lbo-talk/Week-of-Mon-20040329/007178.html
March 30, 2004
Tribe.net (Aikido Activism and Utopian Research & Design)
http://tinyurl.com/29kpp
and
http://tinyurl.com/2pfng
and
http://tinyurl.com/2sakl
March 30, 2004
http://tinyurl.com/38gtl
May 12, 2004
International Network of Engaged Buddhists (No Online Forum)/ http://www.sulak-sivaraksa.org/network22.php
March 30, 2004
Solar PV (PhotoVoltaic) Forum of the United Nations Development Programme - Global Environment Facility
http://roo.undp.org/gef/solarpv/forum/viewmessages.cfm?Forum=19&Topic=59
March 31, 2004
Crisinfo -- Communication Rights in the Information Society (associated with World Summit on the Information Society)
http://quantum.liquidweb.com/pipermail/crisinfo_comunica.org/2004-March/date.html
http://quantum.liquidweb.com/pipermail/crisusa_comunica.org/2004-March/000066.html
March 31, 2004
LaborNet Forums (see Labor.newsline)
http://webboard.mediate.com/~labornet/
March 31, 2004
TakingITGlobal
http://www.takingitglobal.org/discuss/showthread.html?threadid=6703
March 31, 2004
Sociologists Without Borders Discussion Forum
http://www.sociologistswithoutborders.com/cgi-bin/guestbook.cgi
April 5, 2004
May 12, 2004
Progressive Economists’ Network
http://csf.colorado.edu/mail/pen-l/2004II/msg00176.html
April 6, 2004
http://csf.colorado.edu/mail/pen-l/2004II/msg01156.html
May 12, 2004
Marxism Discussion List
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/pipermail/marxism/2004-April/006365.html
April 8, 2004
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/pipermail/marxism/2004-May/008161.html
May 12, 2004

Idealist.org
http://tinyurl.com/3gswu
May 12, 2004
Kabissa African Civil Society Discussion Board
http://www.kabissa.org/members/bb/viewtopic.php?t=403
May 13, 2004
Environlink Forum
http://www.envirolink.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=438
May 13, 2004
The Irish Bank message board
http://www.theirishbank.com/BulletinBoard.asp
May 13, 2004

National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation (NDD) Forum
http://www.thataway.org/discussions/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8
May 17, 2004
Yahoo Groups: anti-capitalism
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/anti-capitalism/message/7504
May 18, 2004

Yahoo Groups: international-pupil-and-studentaction
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/international-pupil-and-studentactions/message/1471
May 18, 2004
Yahoo Groups: iydf_hq (International Youth Development Forum on Yahoo Groups)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/iydf_hq/message/85
May 18, 2004
Tribe.net (Progressives, IndyVoter, Enlightened Artist/Writers, SF Urban Alliance for Sustainability, the post-hippie movement)
http://tinyurl.com/ypu6v
May 18, 2004
http://tinyurl.com/246zvZ
May 18, 2004
http://tinyurl.com/yurle
May 18, 2004
http://tinyurl.com/2ksdu
May 18, 2004
http://tinyurl.com/2kbgc
May 18, 2004
Radical Middle Multilogue
http://www.radicalmiddle.com/logue_frm.htm
May 18, 2004
Media Venture Collective’s Media Burn BLOG
http://tinyurl.com/2dfwv
May 18, 2004
Yahoo Groups: diogenesthecynic
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/diogenesthecynic/message/1923
May 19, 2004
Yahoo Groups: PNGSA
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PNGSA/message/1235
May 19, 2004
Tribe.net (Social Software Intellectuals)
http://tinyurl.com/2lzj7
May 19, 2004

APPENDIX II

HISTORICAL WISDOMS CONCERNING CORPORATE POWER

"I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied incorporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength, and bid defiance to the laws of our country." – Thomas Jefferson. ca.1812

"We may congratulate ourselves that this cruel war is nearing its end. It has cost a vast mount of treasure and blood.... It has indeed been a trying hour for the Republic; but I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. As a result of the war corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed. I feel at this moment more anxiety for the safety of my country than ever before, even in the midst of war." – Abraham Lincoln, letter to William F. Elkins, Nov 21, 1864.

“What is the central problem of social relations? It is the question of power... But our task is not to learn where to place power; it is how to develop power. We frequently hear nowadays of ‘transferring power as the panacea for all our ills…’ Genuine power can only be grown, it will slip from every arbitrary hand that grasps it; for genuine power is not coercive control, but coactive control. Coercive power is the curse of the universe; coactive power, the enrichment and advancement of every human soul.” – Mary Parker Follett, 1924

"Capitalism has destroyed our belief in any effective power but that of self interest backed by force." – George Bernard Shaw

"We have always known that heedless self-interest was bad morals; we know now that it is [also] bad economics." – Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945)

"The two greatest obstacles to democracy in the United States are, first, the widespread delusion among the poor that we have a democracy, and second, the chronic terror among the rich, lest we get it." – Edward Dowling, Editor and Priest, Chicago Daily News, 28 Jul. 1941

"We must be the change we wish to see in the world." – Indian leader and peace activist Mohandas Karamchand (Mahatma) Gandhi (1869-1948)

“There is in America today, a confusion of minds, so tragic and misleading, that our whole thought and philosophy is distorted. At the very time that economics, that is the study of work and income, is of foremost importance to our well-being, economics as economics is not being studied in our schools. Either in the elementary schools, nor in colleges are students learning about the philosophy of money and exchange, production and trade, wealth and savings. Our university students are pouring into chemistry and physics, and deserting history and sociology. Why? Because to us, the basic problem is how large an income we can get—how much money we can control. What careers for our children will ensure them the most wealth? The object of our ambition is rising to higher and higher income brackets. And what we see as progress is escaping from manual labor—the white-collar jobs—thence to employing others to work for us.” – leading African-American activist-sociologist Dr. William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (1868-1963) in speech of February 23, 1953.

“I have seen the enemy, and it is us.” – Cartoonist Walter Crawford (Walt) Kelly, Jr (1913-1973) via his comic strip character, Pogo

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Sociologist Margaret Mead (1901-1978)

“The new pluralism [a public sector of government, a private sector of business, and a social sector] has a new problem: how to maintain the performance capacity of the new institutions and yet maintain the cohesion of society. This makes doubly important the emergence of a strong and functioning social sector. It is an additional reason why the social sector will increasingly be crucial to the performance, if not to the cohesion, of the knowledge society.” – Peter F. Drucker

“Laissez Faire Economics is the theory that if each acts like a vulture,
all will end as doves. ” – Unknown

“The capital markets can create social change much more quickly than legislation or litigation because that profit incentive is in place.” – Social entrepreneur Thomas Van Dyck, Chairman of As You Sow, Founder of Progressive Asset Management and also of the Social Equity Investment Group of US Bancorp Piper Jaffrey

“I had the incredibly naïve assumption that educational institutions could be in the vanguard. In fact, they have the reverse function.” “Activists will need to do what corporate strategists have mastered: exploit the tensions of our federal system by creating crises of jurisdiction and authority between local, state and federal government.” – Ward Morehouse

“The average American home has more media gathering technology than a state of the art newsroom did ten years ago...The only place left for our civilisation to expand – our only real frontier – is the ether itself: the media. As a result power today has little to do with how much property a person owns or commands; it is instead determined by how many minutes of prime time television or pages of newspaper attention she can access or occupy. The ever expanding media has become a true region – a place as real and seemingly as open as the globe was five hundred years ago. The new sphere is called the datasphere.” – Douglas Rushkoff

“Big Media Uses Technology and the Law to Lock Down Culture and Control Creativity” – Lawrence Lessig (actually part of the title his book: Free Culture, How Big Media Uses Technology and the Law to Lock Down Culture and Control Creativity)

“The world will benefit when economy supports well-being.” – Robert Rubinstein

“Corporate scandals of recent years have clearly shown that the plethora of laws of the past century have not eliminated the less savory side of human behavior. Rules cannot substitute for character.” – US Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan April 17, 2004

posted in Aikido Activism - 0 replies

PlanetWork Conference

spidey — Wed, 19 May 2004 07:37:40 GMT

The topic of Aikido Activism might be one of the topics at the upcoming planetwork conference. The current topic rankings are at http://www.planetwork.net/interactive/rankings.html (w/ Aikido Activism in the No. 1 spot as of this posting, but it will likely shift around as people vote).

The conference will discuss Internet activism in a broad sense:

"Join innovators from the world of information technology, peace and social justice activists, environmental visionaries, independent media pioneers and many others to explore how social networks, information technologies and the Internet can play a key role in the 2004 election and beyond, to support emerging global democracy everywhere, including Florida."

posted in Aikido Activism - 0 replies

Update of Complete Rewrite

spidey — Mon, 17 May 2004 21:41:57 GMT

By the way, I am using Tribe.net to post this essay and updated versions in order to link to it from other forums that may not permit the complete essay to be posted, because I find that Tribe has a nice community-forming nature that permits open shared dialogue -- although so far the dialogue on Tribe has been less than that on other forums where I've posted the essay.

*******
Aikido Activism

– Changing the world one corporation at a time –

May 17, 2004
aikidosphere@earthlink.net

1. INTRODUCTION
Imagine applying the resources of powerful “For Profit” corporations to the great needs of today. Imagine more and more small and large corporations – not just niche salad dressing, ice cream, or vegan food companies here or there, but also the largest businesses commanding the greatest market power – reorienting their objectives to promote transparency, the honest study of their social and ecological impacts, accountability, moderation, inclusion and the like. And imagine that doing anything less in a global age will lead to catastrophe.

In a time noted by widespread deceit and abuse by corporate executives, such a suggestion appears dreamy. But powerful progressive corporations (and their consequences) are only a dream until they arrive. The need for them will speed their coming – and with them will come a new reality.

Movement towards the new reality – a more progressive, sustainable status quo – has already begun. This essay reveals the simplicity and power of the new reality, and shows how by going to the root of the problem, Aikido Activism will succeed in redirecting the massive influence of corporations away from regressive, unjust social and harmful ecological exploitations, and toward progressive developments of society and remediation of environmental problems. Lacking the strategy of Aikido Activism, uncountable previous attempts at activism against corporations and their costly behaviors have only had modest, temporary successes.

The components of the solution are already at hand. Society is poised for mobilization against the seemingly insurmountable inertia of errant tradition. It requires but a few who understand the problem who begin pursuit of the solution to catalyze a shift from Tragedy of the Commons to Triumph of the Commons.

2. THE PROBLEM OF ADOLESCENT CAPITALISM

The primitive forces of greed, deception and duplicity lead to a Tragedy of the Commons whenever corporate hegemony is used to unjustly exploit humanity or the environment in the myopic pursuit of profit – to advance capability and authority while minimizing responsibility. Money power has used communication, education, information and media – as well as money itself – to attain political power by influencing policy and public perception to advance Free Market Fundamentalism and to compromise market fairness in the attempt to effect persistent control. This state of affairs is called Adolescent Capitalism – capitalism that is not yet sustainably mature.

Adolescent Capitalism flies the banner of Free Market Fundamentalism. Free Market Fundamentalist theory is promoted by Adolescent Capitalism to expand its “commons” – its range of influence – to all countries via international treaties. Free Market Fundamentalism aims to cloth greed in “lifting all boats” populism. But all boats are not being lifted. The deceptive banner of Free Market Fundamentalism threatens to expand the influence of corporations from Free-Market-Fundamentalist-oriented national governments to all governments, from Free-Market-Fundamentalist-oriented media to all media, and from Free-Market-Fundamentalist-oriented communities to all communities, thus advancing the grip of Adolescent Capitalism globally – i.e., globally expanding capability and authority while globally minimizing responsibility.

Some go so far as to say that absolute power corrupts absolutely . Globalizing Adolescent Capitalism threatens global society and the global environment with a Tragedy of the Global Commons of unprecedented, cataclysmic proportions – stimulating increased need for opposition, and stimulating increased oppositional activism.

Corporations commonly use deception and concealment to minimize opposition to unjust exploitations of humanity and the environment. Their strategy engenders ignorance to social and ecological issues. When companies use media and advertising to weaken or distort awareness of truth in order to sell soap, cereal, or cigarettes, then those companies and their media partners weaken society’s immune system against deceit. All kinds of problems can come from a weak social immune system: especially the ignorance of potential environmental or social cataclysms.

Corporate executives, earning 10 to 1,000 to 100,000 times as much as a laborer, are paid to maximize profit – often looking out for employees, customers, society at large, or the environment only when those interests align with corporate profit making, which is closely tied to their personal profit making. The system works fairly well for what it was designed to do (although the culture of deceit and unjust exploitations often permeates, including leading executives to deceive and unjustly exploit stockholders).

Unfortunately the objective is wrong. A myopic profit view ignores many important issues and assumes that the greatest power comes from maximizing corporate profit . This is wrong. If by power we mean total national production, then the United States stands as example that it is the diffusion of individual empowerment (via individual liberties) that nets the greatest aggregated power. The maximizing of corporate profit has been a natural – yet unsustainable – temporary by-product. We must ask the question, “To what end is power maximized?”

Diffusive individual empowerment will always net to the greatest aggregate power, no matter how power is defined. The mass diffusion of ideals to individuals aggregates to the most empowered aggregate ideals. The myopic focus on profit exists because it succeeded in simplicity but it is failing because the ideals it diffuses are not sustainable and joyful.

The following graph of the profitability of several well-known companies (as measured in $K gross annual profit per employee ) is thought provoking. Why is there such variability in profitability per employee? Because of economic policy and because there can be. And if money is a type of power, what commensurate responsibility is society associating with the most profitable companies?

Profit maximizing strategy often employs profits to rent public policy and public perception away from the public interest – a sad and unsustainable ideal. Working against the public interest is a huge Lilliputian clue that maximizing dollar profit does not in actuality achieve the greatest power!

3. WHERE DOES ADOLESCENT CAPITALISM BUILD OPPOSITION?

When Adolescent Capitalism unjustly exploits a working wage class or the environment, oppositional sentiments tend to arise. When perceptions of a ruling owner class become disconnected from the realities of a working wage class or from the environment, unjust exploitations heighten, and oppositional sentiment may increase to spark changes in policy and practice . Sometimes scientific investigation – usually funded by corporate interests – discovers corporate deceptions, creating scientific opposition. Part of the problem of corporate hegemony and money power is that, by design, each of these forms of opposition is usually weak and lacks comparable money power.

With globalization, corporations are increasingly using distant workers and environments – potentially heightening unjust exploitations. The working class in developed countries finds itself less employed as corporations shop globally to find or create the most favorable terms of employment. Offshoring may create a more potent force of opposition against Adolescent Capitalism – in the form of many replaced developed-country workers .

4. EFFECTIVENESS OF CURRENT OPPOSITION TO ADOLESCENT CAPITALISM?

Current activist opposition to the problem of Adolescent Capitalism and all its manifestations is inhibited by lacking money power. In some cases, opposition has actually been subverted by money power, with the opposition ceasing or merely continuing as a charade. Opposition is inhibited in all the ways that Adolescent Capitalism inhibits it – in communication, education, information, media, influence of policy and public perception. This state of affairs is called Adolescent Activism – not yet substantially able to remedy the unjust exploitations of Adolescent Capitalism.

The traditional model in activism is the forming of a group for political action to lobby for change. But the lobbying voice of corporations has a different tenor to regulators who may later find great remuneration via employment at these same corporations, or who – because of the cost of media relations – may find their very electability comes via donations from corporate circles.

5. AIKIDO ACTIVISM AND THE PROGRESSIVE TRANSFORMATION OF CAPITALISM

It is easy to focus on all the terrible problems corporations are causing to humanity and the environment, but such one-sided diatribes lead to little progress. Instead, a balanced perspective is needed. Yes, corporate excesses have caused terrible problems in society and the environment, but many corporate activities have led to vast improvements in protecting the environment, peace, and quality of life. Promoting the improvements and curbing the excesses – ending the myopic focus on profit – is what is needed to bring progressive transformation to Adolescent Capitalism.

The following definitions of Aikido and activism help to introduce Aikido Activism – which promises to catalyze such progressive transformation.

Aikido (noun): a Japanese art of self-defense employing locks and holds and utilizing the principle of nonresistance to cause an opponent's own momentum to work against him (Merriam Webster).

Activism (noun): a doctrine or practice that emphasizes direct vigorous action especially in support of or opposition to one side of a controversial issue (Merriam Webster).

Aikido Activism (noun): a new form of activism combining corporate reform and entrepreneurship leveraging Aikido’s principle of beneficent locks and holds in the “For Profit” competitive arena to empower activism and accelerate the shift from a global myopic profit agenda to a more progressive global agenda achieved through corporate transparency, responsibility, accountability and moderate profitability.

Melding the best of “For Profit” corporations with the best of “Not for Profit” activism, if unconventional, can certainly be seen to overcome the problems faced by traditional activism discussed in the last section. Corporations are traditionally known for their discipline and money power, while “Not For Profits” are traditionally known for their progressivism and weakness in money power. Both discipline and progressivism are needed to achieve progressive power .

From which side will the gap first be bridged? Is it easier for the pragmatic, disciplined, monied corporate warrior to adopt a progressive approach? Or is it easier for the idealistic, money-lacking progressive to adopt a corporate warrior approach? This abstraction is an oversimplification, but a useful oversimplification, because it shows how corporate reform could come from either side – and that the most pragmatic progress may actually come from within corporations themselves through the development of Noble Corporations .

Aikido Activism will use the full power and weight of corporations and governments to achieve transformative progress for the very center and essence of corporate and government culture and behavior.

Understanding progress and power is important. It is often heard that “absolute power corrupts absolutely” (Lord John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, 1834-1902), but this statement is obviously incorrect . The greater the abuse of power, the more inclined are people to rebel against it. So no abusive power is absolute, certainly no power that corrupts absolutely – as amply evidenced by countless historical uprisings against unjust exploitations.

An Aikido Activist corporation would shun unjust exploitations, but when competitors employ unjust exploitations in a competition being judged by Wall Street analysts and investors on the basis of bottom-line financial profit alone, perhaps the only way an Aikido Activist corporation can surmount unjustly exploitive competitors is by employing another type of Aikido Activist hold against them in order to preclude losing market share and disappearing into irrelevance.

Although corporate power is far from absolute, adolescent corporate hegemony presents great inertia to inhibit progressive activism. Yet corporations have established free markets, and it is the free market that presents the greatest opportunity to practice Aikido Activism.

A progressive salad dressing company here or a progressive ice cream company there is insufficient to overcome the inertia of adolescent corporate hegemony. Aikido Activism must become established at leading corporations within each industry – those corporations defining business practices by their own behavior – in order to generate widespread transformation.

In this way Aikido Activism will develop a superior form of power – progressive power or collective empowerment whose objective is individual empowerment, while promoting the understanding that progressive power is superior to so-called absolute power and its absolute corrupting influence. Eventually, Adolescent Capitalism’s excesses will be moderated and replaced by a superior form of capitalism: Individual Empowerment Capitalism .

Individual Empowerment Capitalism depends on a reasoned meaning of power and empowerment. Giving everyone a shovel may empower a lot of digging. Giving everyone a seed may empower the planting of a more beautiful environment. But giving everyone free will and understanding through promoting education and communication is the best way to help each of us learn when to use shovel or seed. It is possible that the current trend of thinking – that bigger houses and more toys is empowering – will again shift to economy cars and efficient living; but regardless, the trappings of power tends to be an education in itself, so when a new meme of power arises, the popularity of its trappings will propagate as trappings always do.

In a Free Market, Aikido Activism would easily succeed on the basis of its superiority. As in Aikido, Aikido Activism can still surmount competitors even in markets less free, so long as the Aikido Activist activity understands the nature of a competitor’s power and refocuses that power in progressive directions.

Advanced thinking regarding sustainable capitalism has introduced Natural Capitalism , Socially Responsible Investing (SRI), Triple Bottom Line accounting (TBL – looking at the three bottom lines of economics, sociology and environment), Factor Four or Factor Ten goals (efficiency improvement goals for material and energy consumption), and Frank Dixon’s Total Corporate Responsibility (TCR). Each of these represent measures and methods that will only be effective at bringing unaccountable business practices into conformity when the halls of power are truly opened to progress, not just adorned with a progressive façade. Aikido Activism may hold the best chance of opening the halls of power to such progress.

The problems presented by Adolescent Capitalism to humanity and the environment – its unjust exploitations – quickly reached global proportions. In addition to playing a key role in transforming corporate behavior, Aikido Activism can be key in promoting the further requisite global remedies of globally inclusive communications and dialogue – the prerequisites for global democracy and sustainable, joyful, global living.

Applying Aikido Activism to traditional activities of activism is one important subcategory of Aikido Activism – e.g., promoting educational, humanitarian and environmental technologies and processes. But applying Aikido Activism to ALL commercial activities is equally important.

If for example Aikido Activism were to avoid the area of exploring, refining and distributing fossil fuels, permitting the continuation of the myopic profit motive in that activity would enable the continued subversion of major environmental and sustainability issues. One possibility for Aikido Activism is always the laboratory – if powerful cost savings or efficiency producing innovations (e.g., in the refinement or application of petroleum) can be channeled into campaigns of Aikido Activism (and not “sold out” to Big Oil).

And if for example Aikido Activism were to avoid the area of military technology, then that activity might promote (continue to promote?) conflict-engendering international policy, which is likely found complicit with the goal of economic imperialism and the deadly ambition of entrenching the myopic profit motive globally. Arms and security innovators should employ Aikido Activism to build large businesses (even acquiring weapon making firms) whose profits counter policies of destabilization.

The cycle of deceit in power structures being leveraged for private profit, further power, then achieving even greater capability of deceit – is the enemy of healthy civil societies. A culture of truth and integrity is required for peace. In order to reach greater peace in global society we need greater truth and integrity in culture and in power structures. Education and truthfulness are the best friends of a healthy, civil global society. Placing interest and investment in the advancement of education and truthfulness promotes global integrity (global sustainability). Consequently, some of the greatest investment vehicles towards sustainability are global democratic communication tools and technology like the Internet – especially if the business model itself is based on Aikido Activism.

The idea of Aikido Activism appears to be so new that envisioning the many possible avenues for it will surely take further thinking, discussion, and experimentation. But we should remember that bringing about substantial change in global society requires but a few who understand enough about the problem to begin pursuit of a solution that can catalyze a shift from a Tragedy of the Global Commons to Triumph of the Global Commons.
6. THE SPECIAL CASE OF DEMOCRATIC MEDIA AIKIDO ACTIVISM
Industries that are reliant on intellectual property – e.g., biotechnology and communications technology – are perhaps the most auspicious industries for the introduction of campaigns of Aikido Activism due to the Aikido-like enablement of intellectual property protections. Interest is growing by a number of parties in the area of activism through the commercial development of democratic media tools and technologies , but applying Aikido Activism to these activities can make them doubly effective.

Intellectual property – common in communications and media technologies – is promoted by many forward-thinking countries (including in the U.S. Constitution to “promote the progress of science and useful arts”), and in the case of patent law is structured generally to permit innovators who file patents the legal protection of using the court system to block others from using their patented innovation. This provides a potential barrier to competition that can be quite useful to associate greater value to a particular business, which power can be used to maximize dollar profit or, alternatively, in a campaign of Aikido Activism – via a progressive Corporation with a Heart (or Noble Corporation) promoting industry without ignoring responsibility and accountability.

Communications technology and policy is closely related to social policy. If Aikido Activism can gain a substantial position of power in the global communications industry, then its Noble Communications Corporations could promote inclusive communications policy such as global universal service, which itself would substantially advance the cause of global sustainability by advancing global dialogue and global democracy.
7. CONCLUSION
The current state of Adolescent Capitalism has done a great amount of good, but has also propagated many excesses and abuses. Our goal should be a better, more balanced, understanding of not only where capitalism is going and must go (Individual Empowerment Capitalism) but also how it will get there.

More times than not, entrenched power must be engaged via the very mechanisms originally employed to achieve or retain that power in order to reform its unjustly exploitive elements. By definition, Aikido Activism employs traditional power mechanisms to engage Adolescent Capitalism. Aikido Activism will be found complementing “Not For Profit” activism – augmenting it to enable the timely transformation of Adolescent Capitalism.

The goal is not merely sustainability. Sustainability is critical but sustainable joyful living is the real goal – turning Dr. Garrett Hardin’s Tragedy of the Commons into a Triumph of the Commons.

As the world evolves from brute force, to economic persuasion, to conscientious reason – progressively advancing the focus of society and law – Triumph of the Commons will antiquate Adolescent Capitalism, spurred to great excess by Free Market Fundamentalism, flourishing unopposed in a predominantly “Not for Aikido” (i.e., “Not For Profit”) activist culture. A new and potent mode of community consciousness – the mobilization of free independent thought via the Internet – will inspire and be inspired by Aikido Activism, which centers responsibility and empowers individuals by advancing the Noble Corporation in the new age of Individual Empowerment Capitalism.

8. GET INVOLVED
This essay is presented to the broadest possible active audience by leveraging online discussion groups, email lists, and the like – aiming to leverage the Internet’s access to many minds and bodies not only for discussion and criticism, but also to accelerate collaboration on Aikido Activism campaigns. These campaigns require ideas, investors, collaborators and supporters who understand and wish to advance the new model. I am seeking and identifying parties interested in the pursuit of Aikido Activism in order to catalyze consensual introductions between investors, projects, entrepreneurs and other co-participants. Please contact aikidosphere@earthlink.net to indicate your interest.

APPENDIX I

Lists of the forums where various versions of this essay have been posted.

Forum/URL Post Date
Doug Henwood’s LBO-Talk
http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/pipermail/lbo-talk/Week-of-Mon-20040329/007090.html
http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/pipermail/lbo-talk/Week-of-Mon-20040329/007178.html
March 30, 2004
Tribe.net (Aikido Activism and Utopian Research & Design)
http://tinyurl.com/29kpp
and
http://tinyurl.com/2pfng
and
http://tinyurl.com/2sakl
March 30, 2004
http://tinyurl.com/38gtl
May 12, 2004
International Network of Engaged Buddhists (No Online Forum)/ http://www.sulak-sivaraksa.org/network22.php
March 30, 2004
Solar PV (PhotoVoltaic) Forum of the United Nations Development Programme - Global Environment Facility
http://roo.undp.org/gef/solarpv/forum/viewmessages.cfm?Forum=19&Topic=59
March 31, 2004
Crisinfo -- Communication Rights in the Information Society (associated with World Summit on the Information Society)
http://quantum.liquidweb.com/pipermail/crisinfo_comunica.org/2004-March/date.html
http://quantum.liquidweb.com/pipermail/crisusa_comunica.org/2004-March/000066.html
March 31, 2004
LaborNet Forums (see Labor.newsline)
http://webboard.mediate.com/~labornet/
March 31, 2004
TakingITGlobal
http://www.takingitglobal.org/discuss/showthread.html?threadid=6703
March 31, 2004
Sociologists Without Borders Discussion Forum
http://www.sociologistswithoutborders.com/cgi-bin/guestbook.cgi
April 5, 2004
May 12, 2004
Progressive Economists’ Network
http://csf.colorado.edu/mail/pen-l/2004II/msg00176.html
April 6, 2004
http://csf.colorado.edu/mail/pen-l/2004II/msg01156.html
May 12, 2004
Marxism Discussion List
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/pipermail/marxism/2004-April/006365.html
April 8, 2004
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/pipermail/marxism/2004-May/008161.html
May 12, 2004

Idealist.org
http://tinyurl.com/3gswu
May 12, 2004
Kabissa African Civil Society Discussion Board
http://www.kabissa.org/members/bb/viewtopic.php?t=403
May 13, 2004
Environlink Forum
http://www.envirolink.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=438
May 13, 2004
The Irish Bank message board
http://www.theirishbank.com/BulletinBoard.asp
May 13, 2004

APPENDIX II

HISTORICAL WISDOMS CONCERNING CORPORATE POWER

"I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied incorporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength, and bid defiance to the laws of our country." – Thomas Jefferson. ca.1812

"We may congratulate ourselves that this cruel war is nearing its end. It has cost a vast mount of treasure and blood.... It has indeed been a trying hour for the Republic; but I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. As a result of the war corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed. I feel at this moment more anxiety for the safety of my country than ever before, even in the midst of war." – Abraham Lincoln, letter to William F. Elkins, Nov 21, 1864.

"Capitalism has destroyed our belief in any effective power but that of self interest backed by force." -- George Bernard Shaw

"We have always known that heedless self-interest was bad morals; we know now that it is [also] bad economics." – Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945)

"The two greatest obstacles to democracy in the United States are, first, the widespread delusion among the poor that we have a democracy, and second, the chronic terror among the rich, lest we get it." – Edward Dowling, Editor and Priest, Chicago Daily News, 28 Jul. 1941

"We must be the change we wish to see in the world." – Indian leader and peace activist Mohandas Karamchand (Mahatma) Gandhi (1869-1948)

“There is in America today, a confusion of minds, so tragic and misleading, that our whole thought and philosophy is distorted. At the very time that economics, that is the study of work and income, is of foremost importance to our well-being, economics as economics is not being studied in our schools. Either in the elementary schools, nor in colleges are students learning about the philosophy of money and exchange, production and trade, wealth and savings. Our university students are pouring into chemistry and physics, and deserting history and sociology. Why? Because to us, the basic problem is how large an income we can get—how much money we can control. What careers for our children will ensure them the most wealth? The object of our ambition is rising to higher and higher income brackets. And what we see as progress is escaping from manual labor—the white-collar jobs—thence to employing others to work for us.” – leading African-American activist-sociologist Dr. William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (1868-1963) in speech of February 23, 1953.

“I have seen the enemy, and it is us.” – Cartoonist Walter Crawford (Walt) Kelly, Jr (1913-1973) via his comic strip character, Pogo

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Sociologist Margaret Mead (1901-1978)

“The capital markets can create social change much more quickly than legislation or litigation because that profit incentive is in place.” – Social entrepreneur Thomas Van Dyck, Chairman of As You Sow, Founder of Progressive Asset Management and also of the Social Equity Investment Group of US Bancorp Piper Jaffrey

“I had the incredibly naïve assumption that educational institutions could be in the vanguard. In fact, they have the reverse function.” “Activists will need to do what corporate strategists have mastered: exploit the tensions of our federal system by creating crises of jurisdiction and authority between local, state and federal government.” – Ward Morehouse

“Corporate scandals of recent years have clearly shown that the plethora of laws of the past century have not eliminated the less savory side of human behavior. Rules cannot substitute for character.” – US Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan April 17, 2004

Footnotes (the numbers got lost from the MSWord version, so email me if you want a copy of the essay in MSWord)
“Freedom in a commons brings ruin to all” wrote Dr. Garret Hardin – observing that tribal herdsmen were often known to destroy community resources by their excesses (thus popularizing the phrase Tragedy of the Commons).

Free Market Fundamentalism argues that a party to a market trade (e.g., purchase or sale) will not make that trade unless it is in their interest to do so, therefore arguing that the best public policy is Laissez Faire regulation of corporations.

Lord John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, 1834-1902.

It is taken for granted by many today that more profit is good, but this essay puts that assumption on notice: greed may be good, but excessive greed is not. The basic assumptions regarding profit are changing. Consider:

Scenario 1: Define greed as "getting more than others" and define good as "good for me". Then I believe the majority of individuals would say that greed is good because they see getting more than others is good for me. But this is a sparking point for global conflict and unjust exploitation.

Scenario 2: Define greed as "getting more than others" and define good as "good for us". Then I believe that the majority of groups (and perhaps the majority of nations) would say that greed is good, because they see getting more than others is good for us. Again this is a sparking point for global conflict and unjust exploitation.

Scenario 3: Define greed as "getting more than others" and define good as "good for all of us" (all humans). Then I believe that the majority of aware individuals and societies would say greed is not good, because they see getting more than others as being unjustly exploitive rather than good for all of us.

The type of greed defined in scenarios 1 or 2 does not work for everyone, so if the future is to involve more democratic governing, we will have to be contending with greed as in scenario 3 – i.e., we must aim to render it unpopular.

These numbers are from publicly available information. The figures were obtained from Yahoo Finance, taking gross profit and dividing it by the numbers of employees.

As happened in the period leading up to the Great Depression.

Following the Great Depression, policymaking attempted to address root causes. The disconnects of today’s global capitalist excess involve the more challenging arena of global policy. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_depression for a nice discussion of how the excesses of capitalism (Adolescent Capitalism) led to the Great Depression. Some of the concepts behind corporate regulation following the Great Depression are presented at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Deal.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is studying the loss of not only blue and white collar jobs to lesser developed countries, but also R&D and executive jobs as corporations look for the lowest cost global venues for doing business.

In his book, Democratizing the Global Economy: The Battle Against the Work Bank and the International Monetary Fund, Kevin Danaher accurately points out that decentralized, grass roots activism presents a more resilient opponent to those who would defeat the type of activism that works to block World Bank or IMF meetings. This essay promotes a complementary type of activism empowered by leveraging the same diffused energy that wishes to oppose Adolescent Capitalism, but through developing a number of highly organized collective efforts.

I.e., progressive Corporations with a Heart – corporations that promote transparency, the honest study of their social and ecological impacts, accountability, moderation, inclusion and the like.

In due respect to the wise Lord Acton, whose complete statement was, “power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” I fully agree with him, only differing in the choice and interpretation of language – choosing to not attribute to the word “power” the sense of being “absolute” and “corrupt”. I interpret his use of the word “power” as meaning “exploitive power”, and I believe that the evidence bears out that “exploitive power” is ultimately impotent, while “non-exploitive power” is ultimately efficacious and superior to “exploitive power”.

Individual Empowerment Capitalism promises to be the only sustainable form of capitalism – the only form of sustainable collective empowerment because its fundamental objective is individual empowerment. In Individual Empowerment Capitalism, the objective of collective efforts and empowerment is inclusive individual empowerment and the objective of individual efforts and empowerment is inclusive collective empowerment.

The book Natural Capitalism (by Amory B. Lovins, L. Hunter Lovins and Paul Hawken) discusses the many environmental and social factors touching and touched by capitalism, suggesting that a bottom line of merely dollars is dangerously ignorant of the factors of humanity and environment. The following excerpts epitomize the sentiment of the book Natural Capitalism:

“Humankind has inherited a 3.8-billion-year store of natural capital. At present rates of use and degradation, there will be little left by the end of the next century. This is not only a matter of aesthetics and morality, it is of the utmost practical concern to society and all people. Despite reams of press about the state of the environment and rafts of laws attempting to prevent further loss, the stock of natural capital is plummeting and the vital life-giving services that flow from it are critical to our prosperity.” “There is no longer any serious scientific dispute that the decline in every living system in the world is reaching such levels that an increasing number of them are starting to lose, often at a pace accelerated by the interactions of their decline, their assured ability to sustain the continuity of the life process.”

For example, via global telecommunications and Internet universal service.

Including Brad DeGraf’s Media Venture Collective, http://www.venturecollective.org/, which is looking to catalyze the development of democratic media technologies, because of their vast power to transform dialogue, social awareness and progressive activism.

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