Stressed-out America
By Wade Lee Hudson

Shortly before leaving on my expedition to Alaska, I wake up with a dream that is so vivid, I write it down and interpret it. It goes:

I am arrested for criticizing an elected official I formerly supported. While detained I am questioned and brutally beaten. I refuse to answer their questions. Eventually a well-connected female Catholic co-worker bails me out. I go to a meeting of my cohort to discuss next steps. A large contingent is critical of me. It is unclear who is going to facilitate the meeting. I consider whether I should do so myself. I think about the speech I want to make. But I remain silent, calm and relaxed, waiting to see what will happen.

As I learned from the Gestalt method of dream interpretation, I ask myself if the various elements of the dream represent various aspects of myself. I quickly answer that the dream is about my tendency to beat myself up with harsh judgments prompted by concerns about what others think about me. But as the dream suggests, I'm learning to worry less about what others think, forgive myself and accept myself for who I am, and stop trying to make things happen.

Rather, I've decided to actively wait and prepare myself to better respond in the future when opportunities for action emerge, without assuming that I will play a leadership role. For one thing, given the fact that Americans are so biased against old people, co-equal collaboration with younger people is difficult.

So, for now, I’ll learn as much as I can by reading and observing, engaging in authentic dialog whenever I can, ask questions, try to better understand the people I encounter, spend more time enjoying myself, be available to talk about myself if and when others express interest, and accept it when others are not interested in anything other than superficial conversation.

My experience on the Amtrak train suggests that Americans may be even more self-obsessed – for understandable reasons – than they were 20 years ago, the last time I rode the train a considerable distance.

When one goes to the dining car, one is assigned a seat at a table with strangers. Not once did I have a  meaningful, mutual conversation. The most memorable meal included a recently laid off woman, another woman who had to sell her house and cars when her husband suddenly died and take a job as a Walgreen's manager, and a young male child care worker who talked about his troubles at work. I asked them questions to probe a bit deeper and they seemed to welcome the chance to talk. But other than one superficial question, they never asked me anything. Par for the course. But this time I shook it off quickly and moved on.

My take is that they, like many Americans, are understandably worried about their own situation and feel they don't have energy for others. I'm not sure they are right. Being more present to others might help them as a by-product. But that's not for me to judge. I certainly have often been very self-centered myself.

The Vancouver Folk Festival was incredibly soulful, with musicians from 18 countries. Sharing it with Brandon, Kristen, Azure, and Theo was a wonderful experience. I hope to write about it more here later. Music transports me into a meditative state. I need to listen to music more. Maybe this event will prompt me to do so.

But the best moment was when The Family said goodbye. Kristen told the boys, "Tell Wade bye." And Theo ran up to me, jumped on my leg, and wrapped his arms around my leg.

I may never forget that moment!

Zimmerman, Celebrities, Heroes, and Villains

Zimmerman, Celebrities, Heroes, and Villains

By Wade Lee Hudson

The prosecution blew it. The police and their associates united behind the “blue wall of silence.” The jury will go home welcomed by their own tribe in a racially divided community. And, as I discussed last week in “America’s Celebrity Complex,” George Zimmerman, a victim of our ego-driven society, will bask for years in the glory of celebrity (and no doubt cash in).

Rather than presenting a rational step-by-by step narrative based on the facts of the case and honestly analyzing when it is justified to use deadly force, the prosecution relied on an emotional attack on Zimmerman’s character. They didn’t even emphasize that when Zimmerman shot Martin they were on grass far from the concrete that the defense claimed was Martin’s weapon. They didn’t emphasize that Zimmerman could have driven to the back gate where recent burglars had escaped. They didn’t emphasize how few minutes remained before the police arrived after receiving Zimmerman’s phone call. They didn’t discuss whether, if he feared for his life, Zimmerman could have shot Martin elsewhere than in the heart.

Chris Serino, the chief investigating detective, recommended a manslaughter charge shortly after the incident. But the police chief overruled him, and then removed him from the detective squad and forced him to work the graveyard shift in uniform. Message received. After being forced into a trial by the state’s special prosecutor, Serino and most of his associates in the system protected the Chief and offered testimony helpful to the defense while testifying for the prosecution. Whether consciously or not, they protected their colleagues, apparently hiding behind the “blue wall of silence.”

Zimmerman wanted to “hunt fugitives” but couldn’t get a job in law enforcement. He wanted to be honored by his neighbors. Like Nora in Claire Messud’s novel, The Woman Upstairs, Zimmerman could have said “There’s no telling what I might do…. I could become the best-known fucking [crime watch volunteer) in America, out of sheer spite…. I’m angry enough to set fire to a house just by looking at it....” By becoming a vigilante, he succeeded.

But most of us, I suspect, are afflicted with similar anger-driven passion to defeat “the enemy” and motivated by wanting to be widely praised for being the hero in a white hat. But as Michael Shaughnessy commented in response to “America’s Celebrity Complex,” heroes and celebrities are two different creatures.

Four individuals responded to last week’s “America’s Celebrity Complex,” One commented, “Thank you Wade,” and another said she looked forward to discussing the following passage, which I briefly addressed earlier in “The Pursuit of Beauty,” when we visit soon:

…the pursuit of Truth, Justice, and Beauty – three sides of the same Reality. The experience of one leads to the experience of the other two. In my case, I hope that by finding more Beauty, I will better understand Truth and Justice, moment by moment.

“America’s Celebrity Complex,” opened with “The glorification of celebrities disempowers ordinary people. We learn to believe that success requires being widely recognized for some remarkable achievement.” On Facebook, Linda Lorah responded, "Now Wade, most of us are not that dumb - we know that just isn't so. Give ordinary people some credit.”

I replied, “May be. I certainly am that dumb myself. After a brief search I found no good data. So I am not sure if the problem applies to most or only to many. Thanks for the feedback.”

In “The Revolt of the Invisible Woman,” which prompted my reflections, Claire Messud stated, “Perhaps as a result of all this, today more and more of us seem to be afflicted by a kind of celebrity complex.” Her qualified formulation may be more accurate. And Lorah may be right: “most of us” may not be caught up in the egocentric celebrity culture.

I’d be interested in your thoughts. Are most of us disempowered because we place others on a pedestal or try to be placed there ourselves, resulting in grandiose fantasies that undermine our ability to have a positive impact?

All I know is that I believe that I have been.

The fourth response to “America’s Celebrity Complex” was Shaughnessy, a high school teacher, who wrote:

Thanks for the thoughtful reflection and the reference to the book review. Working with adolescents for so long has made me notice that many of them cannot distinguish heroism from celebrity. While I wonder whether the concept of heroism might conflict with your "self-less" focus, I believe (young) people do need to pay attention to what kind of person they want to become, and looking at people who have stood up for truth, beauty and justice can be an important part of that.
A second reflection that came to me as I was reading the book review segment is the incidence of eating disorders among "successful" young women. In my experience, many/most are high-achieving, affluent young women. I'm not sure how this connects with your premise, but thought I would share the proposition.
You can identify me, but I don't need to be named.
peace,
shag

When I replied, “Good to hear. Thanks much. How do you define ‘hero’?” Shaugnessy said, “People who have stood up for truth, beauty and justice. I also use the term ‘Upstander’ (from Facing History) as opposed to the ‘Bystanders’ who didn't stand up in the face of slavery, the Holocaust...”

Is it heroic to kill someone who is 40 pounds lighter, while fighting on grass knowing the police are on their way? I think not. But it certainly has made Zimmerman a celebrity. And I sense each of us should ask ourselves if we have some Zimmerman inside us.

America’s Celebrity Complex

The glorification of celebrities disempowers ordinary people. We learn to believe that success requires being widely recognized for some remarkable achievement.

Children are told, “You can be anything you want to be.” The latest trend in schooling is to give all students a “You Are a Winner” badge regardless of their performance – because if one is not a “winner” one is a “loser.” And losing is terrible (supposedly).
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My grandfather raised me to be a professional baseball player. I was not only convinced I would play in the big leagues. Until I was thirteen, I was certain I would be first string shortstop for the New York Yankees. Once that dream was shattered, my mother repeatedly told me, “You’re going to be a great man,” which I took to mean that I would be so acknowledged by others.

As a young adult, I agreed with The Doors: “We want it all and we want it now.” During my 45 years of community organizing, most of my projects focused on unrealistic goals. these grandiose efforts did bear some fruit, often as unexpected byproducts. We shot for the moon and hit some stars. But like Don Quixote I tilted at windmills and fought unwinnable battles (though my opponents were real).

In retrospect, I feel this work was too ego-driven. Down deep, I really wanted others to consider me to be “a great man.” I was seduced by the dominant culture. In this regard, I am far from alone.

In “The Revolt of the Invisible Woman,” a New York Review of Books commentary on Claire Messud’s novel, The Woman Upstairs, Alison Lurie writes:

“The celebrity culture” now separates us into a privileged minority who are recognized as fully and triumphantly human, and a majority who are not.... The very title of the popular journal People implies that only those featured in it are real; the rest of us, by definition, are lesser, more shadowy beings.... 

Perhaps as a result of all this, today more and more of us seem to be afflicted by a kind of celebrity complex.... In advanced cases of celebrity complex, the afflicted persons feel that fame is necessary to self-esteem; if they cannot achieve it themselves, they may define and value themselves most importantly as fans.... 

In the past it was usually enough to be capable in your own life.... 

People with a celebrity complex...call attention to themselves through eccentric behavior, or volunteer to be humiliated on reality TV shows. Sometimes they manage to shove their way into the company of a celebrity.... Even apparently successful people can suffer from a lethal celebrity complex. 

When The Woman Upstairs begins, Nora has become convinced that she is a nonperson. She is not only oppressed by her own insignificance, but scornful of everyone who is equally cut off from fame.... In fact she is acknowledged and admired and thanked by her students and their parents, but somehow that doesn’t count.... 

For her, Real Life means being a successful, famous, and glamorous artist. Anything else, by implication, is unreal.... 

Without success and fame one is a nonperson.... 

At the top of the imaginary pyramid they all hope to scale are a lot of rich, ambitious, successful people whose dominant quality seems to be selfishness.... 

To fail and fall back into ordinary “mediocre” life seems a terrible fate.... 

He is also occasionally haunted by his provincial middle-class origins, and by fears that his beautiful only daughter, Marina, may not be “entirely out of the ordinary.”... 

Nora Eldridge is a kind of Madame Bovary for our time, someone who dreams not of romantic passion but of personal fame, in which the envy of the less fortunate figures importantly. ... 

Nora is like Emma Bovary…in the conviction that she needs the love of glamorous and important individuals to give her life meaning. In her world, … there are a few thoroughly nice people, but they are not famous, and thus not interesting or useful to her.... 

Only famous and special people are fully visible and human, and…the world naturally revolves around these persons.... 

She [Nora] still believes in and longs for fame, only now she is looking for another path to it, through rage:

You don’t want to know how angry I am. Nobody wants to know about that. I am furious at both of them—at the lie of their friendship, their false promises of the world and of art and of love…. No longer young, no longer pretty, no longer loved, or sweet, or lovable,…There’s no telling what I might do…. I could become the best-known fucking artist in America, out of sheer spite…. I’m angry enough to set fire to a house just by looking at it....

There have been many cases of friends of the famous who have turned into enemies, of fans who have turned into stalkers. Like deranged, disappointed lovers, these people have attacked those by whom they felt, perhaps justifiably, slighted or betrayed. They have invaded their former idols’ homes, stolen and destroyed their work, and sometimes done worse. As a result they too have achieved a kind of horrible notoriety. 

It is possible that Nora Eldridge will follow this downward path. After all, her last words in the book are a scary distillation of the plea, or demand, that anyone who desperately wants to become famous always makes to the world: “Just watch me.”

How many recent incidents of mass murder have been motivated by this kind of rage?

To let go of my desire to be acknowledged as a great person, I remind myself that there is no Savior. Neither I nor anyone else is the point. The point is the person or issue I face. That should be my focus: How can I serve others?

Our first question often is: Does this relationship meet my needs?

But when that question is the starting point, true love evaporates.

Being “selfless” does not require self-sacrifice. It merely requires less self -- being less self-centered than is the norm.

Everyone is both special and ordinary. All of us are like leaves on an enormous tree. If we stay humble, remember that no one really knows for sure how we should proceed, and trust the wisdom of crowds, we can accept ourselves for who we are and be satisfied with whatever contribution we can make. Fortunately the universe will take care of herself.

Then we can accept compliments like icing on a cake, rather than being addicted to the sugar.

In the meantime, I plan to listen more. When I travel, I may video interviews with folks and share links to edited versions on Wade’s Weekly and Reform-Wall-Street.org. Maybe we can gain some insights about how best to proceed by being better observers.

After a long sabbatical from organizing, I may become inspired to initiate another project and try to help attract participation in that project. Or, better yet, I’ll be invited to participate in a truly holistic community.

Or I may just focus on writing, photography, and video as ways to connect, inform, enrich, and inspire. Regardless, my driving force shall continue to be the pursuit of Truth, Justice, and Beauty – three sides of the same Reality. The experience of one leads to the experience of the other two. In my case, I hope that by finding more Beauty, I will better understand Truth and Justice, moment by moment.

Kuttner on Debt

CONTENTS:
--Kuttner on Debt
--A Warm Response from Australia

Kuttner on Debt

In his illuminating “The Debt We Shouldn’t Pay,” a review of David Graeber’s Debt: The First 5,000 Years, Robert Kuttner offers some highly relevant insights. He states:

In Graeber’s exhaustive, engaging, and occasionally exasperating book, three themes stand out. One is the “profound moral confusion” in our understanding of debt. A second is the perennial struggle over debt forgiveness, and who receives it. A third is the function of debt in the politics of social class and social control.

In his book, Graeber concludes:

The struggle between rich and poor has largely taken the form of conflicts between creditors and debtors—of arguments about the rights and wrongs of interest payments, debt peonage, amnesty, repossession, restitution, the sequestering of sheep, the seizing of vineyards, and the selling of debtors’ children into slavery.

According to the classical historian Moses Finley, in the ancient world all revolutionary efforts had a single demand: “Cancel the debts and redistribute the land.”

Kuttner reports, “Two thousand years before kings began minting coins, there was credit.” Workers were loaned the means to survive and then worked to pay back their debts. When these obligations became too oppressive, the indebted often revolted.

To discourage revolt, societies made debt repayment a moral issue. “One should pay one’s debts” became a deeply embedded maxim. But according to Graeber, “A lender is supposed to accept a certain degree of risk.”

Economic imperatives have often prompted governing elites to set aside moral concerns. Kuttner writes:

There are times when sound economics requires debt forgiveness....  In a general collapse, debt forgiveness may become necessary if the economy is not to sink further…. 

Before 1706, bankruptcy simply meant insolvency, and the bankrupt was packed off to debtors’ prison.... Once behind bars, a debtor had no means of resuming productive economic life, much less satisfying his debts. In this insight was the germ of Chapter 11 of the modern US bankruptcy code, the provision that allows an insolvent corporation to write off old debts and have a fresh start as a going concern…. 

But when the law was finally enacted, allowing a magistrate to settle debts with partial repayment, only substantial merchants could qualify for relief. Common debtors still languished in jail, since their penury had scant wider consequences. 

The struggles over what was called “the money issue” in nineteenth-century America were also about the terms of credit and debt.... Debt politics as applied to common people usually favored creditors.

The New Deal proved to be an exception (and remains so):

Not until the Great Depression and the Franklin Roosevelt era did the US government become serious about debt relief, with a series of policies that refinanced distressed home mortgages, reformed and recapitalized banks, extended relief to bankrupt consumers, financed a huge war debt at below-market interest rates, and wrote off some of the international debts of allies and enemies alike. (Britain, America’s closest ally, received near-total forgiveness of wartime Lend-Lease debt.)

The treatment of Germany after World War Two is also instructive.

In the 1940s, after a brief flirtation with World War I–style reparations, the occupying powers agreed to behave differently: they wrote off 93 percent of the Nazi-era debt and postponed collection of other debts for nearly half a century. So Germany, whose debt-to-GDP ratio in 1939 was 675 percent, had a debt load of about 12 percent in the early 1950s—far less than that of the victorious Allies—helping to produce postwar Germany’s economic miracle.

The current relevance of this history is clear. Despite the widespread preoccupation with government debt, Kuttner points out:

Public debt was not implicated in the collapse of 2008, nor is it retarding the recovery today. Enlarged government deficits were the consequence of the financial crash, not the cause…. It was private speculative debts—exotic mortgage bonds financed by short-term borrowing at very high costs—that produced the crisis of 2008. The burden of private debts continues to hobble the economy’s potential…. We should be discussing how to relieve the burdens of private debts and prevent future abuses of the power of the financial industry to create debt and engage in speculation. 

The double standard in debt relief that favored large merchants, present at the creation of bankruptcy law in 1706, persists today in many different forms.... Corporate executives routinely walk away from their debts via Chapter 11.... Even more galling is the fact that the executives who drove the company into the ground often keep control by means of a doctrine known as debtor-in- possession.... US Airways has gone in and out of Chapter 11 twice. In this process, all creditors are not created equal. Since banks typically have liens on the aircraft, bankers get paid ahead of others. Major losers are employees and retirees, since Chapter 11 allows a corporation to break a labor contact or reduce pension debts.

The so-called “private equity” industry uses tax-deductible private debt to shut down businesses and lay off workers.

In one arena after another, creditors have the upper hand. Kuttner writes:

Homeowners, however, are explicitly prohibited from using the bankruptcy code to reduce their outstanding mortgage debt.... A revision of the law signed by President Bush in 2005 subjects most bankrupt consumers to partial repayment requirements, while bankrupt corporations get a general discharge from their debts. Thanks to the influence of the same financial lobby, the rules of student debt provide that the obligations of a college loan follow a borrower to the grave…. 

The European authorities used a similar double standard in the case of Cyprus, condemning ordinary savers to lose up to 60 percent of their assets, in order to pay for the speculative sins of financiers…. 

Large banks, meanwhile, have benefited from extensive debt forgiveness thanks to governments.... Government simply made the banks whole....  

The earlier emphasis on sin lingers when it comes to common debtors....cloaked in the language of moral opprobrium and “moral hazard,”...

The privatization of Fannie Mae opened the door to more exploitation:

The original Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA), nicknamed Fannie Mae, was a public entity.... Public FNMA had no scandals, and when it was working effectively, from its founding in 1938 to its privatization in 1969, the US rate of home ownership rose from about 40 percent to over 64 percent. The trouble began when Wall Street invented complex, exotic, and easily corrupted mortgage bonds, and private Fannie began purchasing high-risk mortgages in order to protect its market share. The remedy is to restore Fannie to a public institution with high lending standards, not to kill it.

“Trickle-down economics” is the justification for this bias in favor of creditors. As Kuttner acknowledges, “The entire economy gains from the stimulus to demand” when banks are rescued. But little of value actually trickles down. Current public policy primarily distributes wealth upward. The postwar era, in contrast, with much different policies in place, witnessed “trickle up” economic growth.

Broad prosperity could be enhanced with less hypocrisy. Kuttner refers, for example, to a former IMF official, Anne O. Krueger, an appointee of George W. Bush, who “recently reiterated her call for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for indebted countries.”

Kuttner insists, “These debt traps are not immutable.” But for the near term, he’s not optimistic and concludes his review, “The sheer political power of creditors and the momentum of the austerity campaign suggest that more damage to the economy may be done before any large change takes place.” Regrettably the Obama Administration decided not to make homeowner relief a priority following the 2008 crisis.

It seems that, given so many uncertainties, most elites have decided to take the money and run. To hell with the future.

With less moralizing and more commitment to everyone’s long-term enlightened self-interest, we might shift this nation’s priorities and overcome the current obsession with short-term profits. To achieve that goal, however, we need massive grassroots pressure. And so far all we have are rumblings. Let’s pray those murmurs multiply soon.

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A Warm Message from Australia

Still reading your posts, somewhat irregularly and often belatedly, as time and my other commitments permit.  I can't always answer them as fully as I'd wish, but still: Every one of your messages has something to teach me!

Today, for example, I found your extracts about Camus'  "Algerian Chronicles". Surely that would be worth reading; I'll look it up.  Though if I can find the French original at a reasonable price, I'd prefer that, since it may have nuances one might miss in translation.

About "Transform America":  You're doing good work with that.  From my perspective as a citizen of an American client state, I'd perhaps change the emphasis slightly ... to something like "Transform America - and how she deals with the rest of the planet".

About you - I'm glad you've decided to devote some of your resources to your own needs.  Do please commit to that plan, because:

(a) you're worth it! (which I shouldn't have to remind you, eh?) 

and

(b) selfishly, I know that I - and the rest of the world influenced by the pebbles you cast into the pond - will benefit even more from a refreshed, reinvigorated and more purposeful Wade Lee Hudson. ;-)

Besides, I don't see why an activist, too, can't be happy?

June 24, 2013

Contents:

Reader’s Comments
Wade’s Journal – June 23, 2013
Quotes from The Bankers' New Clothes
Camus, Algeria, and Terrorism

Reader’s Comments

NOTE: Unless the author asks to be identified, I post reader’s comments anonymously and edit them to delete content that may be too personal.

Re: Wade's Journal – 5/25/13 

I cannot think of us as failures as we have inspired others to think, feel and respond to the "failings" of the government, institutions and corporations who truly do not care and be positively responsive to our vulnerable populations.

By touching one person to be aware of how we are duped, by touching one person to be kinder, to touch one person to help their community in any small way; we are successful.

We as a whole are stifled in fear, they succeeded by erasing hope. As I watch this City I see the Bike Riders as the organizers of today. And in their self-righteous attitude they forget about the common good without full awareness. They have the Sean Parker attitude.

Trust that you are a success - you have touched plenty of folks and sparked ideas and hopes. We can't do it all.

Enjoy your life - you will always be kind.
With love,

+++++

Good luck inventing the solvent version of yourself.

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Did not reply sooner because we are on a 6 week road trip. Now that you have money, how about a trip east. I know some people who would enjoy meeting you. We won't return home until around July 14, but I should have access to a computer between now and then.

+++++

Re: Transform America: A Declaration for Action (v1.0) 

Outstanding!

I look forward to discussing it with you.

If money is involved, you may want to mention creating, staffing, and running a non-profit.

Unmentioned is that power is the enemy. We face no greater challenge than giving individuals and institutions enough power to be effective, but not enough to be corrupted.

But congrats on a superlative effort. I hope it gets the visibility and response it deserves.

…See you soon, I hope.

Did I mention it's also an idea for a (e)book?

+++++

Re: Holistic Community

Excellent idea. Hope you find the nine you need and that I'll see you soon.

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Hi, Wade~~

Your work is always wonderful, and I'm responding because I have been one of the 'silent ones.'

The reason for my silence: Though I am technically retired from the LAUSD after 36 years, I am still teaching….

I like teaching, so I am doing this. In addition, both of my daughters and two of my grandchildren have lost residences during the bank fiasco. I am refinancing my properties, now that there is an Affordable Loan program, and using my extra income from teaching to help my kids and grandkids. I do not have extra time….

I am active on the computer politically, but I have no money to donate to causes….

I WANT to be in your holistic community, and I am, IN SPIRIT! Just don't know what I can do to get my flesh to participate, since cloning has not been perfected.

I have an idea there are many others like me who just have too much on their plates. Since we are making less money and working less time, we make up for it with more jobs! I'm not even attending a church, preferring to stay off the crowded roads and to spend time meditating, such a grounding and renewing of Spirit.

Please keep me on your list and send me whatever you send out. May you find the holistic individuals you desire! Are you familiar with Barbara Marx Hubbard and THE SHIFT? I have participated in the past. Michael Beckwith was once my Minister. But I don't have time right now. I continue to stay in touch with Dr. Deepak Chopra.

Love,

+++++

I agree with your aspirations yet disagree with your section below.

I'm in Ecuador for June and we can discuss another time.

Peace,

On Jun 16, 2013, at 7:31 PM, Wade Lee Hudson <wade@wadehudson.net> wrote:
> By “political” I mean realistic efforts to improve public policy. If one talks about politics without focusing on achievable goals, one is engaged in cultural work, not political action. That’s fine for those who are so inclined. But my interest also concerns making a positive difference with short-term reforms.

+++++

You are a dedicated, rare one of a kind...and i applaud your efforts to being a part of an active community of which you seek!

+++++

Wade; i've been invited to get involved with this community, which seems somewhere in the ballpark of what you're talking about… i've never been able to look into given my life situation but you might want to have a peek… tom ferguson

http://www.mariposagroup.org

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Good morning, Wade--I was so glad to read what I thought was an expansion of your vision for community......It was enriching to see that you have continued in that important pursuit.  I was then saddened, though, to read towards the end that it seems you will not continuing that search.  If I am understanding correctly, I am very sorry to hear that.

In my own life, I have always found that community grows organically and that like minded people find each other through shared work, faith practice, etc.......If the common shared values exist, and a deep appreciation for one another develops, then we have taken it to the next levels of on-going community...But that approach is only what works for me personally.

I truly hope you continue to share your vision....There are many ways to build community--not just the one I've described which has worked for me.....and your integrity and purpose are important.

Take care...all the best

Wade’s Journal – June 23, 2013

These responses and the others I’ve received recently are very heartening. I very much appreciate all of them. In particular, I found helpful the first comment, which includes: “I cannot think of us as failures…. By touching one person …  we are successful. … Trust that you are a success - you have touched plenty of folks and sparked ideas and hopes. We can't do it all. Enjoy your life - you will always be kind.”

Those words nudged me further along on my current path: learning how to be happier. That was my New Year’s resolution two-and-a-half years ago. I suppose I’ve made progress off and on, but now I may be over a hump, learning how to be more present and responsive.
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Not only is this beneficial for me. Hopefully it will also benefit future community-based projects, for “contagious happiness” is a valuable organizing tactic.

So I’m getting serious about traveling at least four months a year. To do that, I figure I need to drive a bit more taxi than I have been, probably five four-hour nights a week. I’ll still write some in the morning, follow banking news, and post a bit to Reform-Wall-Street.org in the afternoon. And on weekends I’ll play, relax, and commune with Mother Nature. But no community organizing, at least for a while. (Unless someone extends me an offer I can’t refuse!).

My first trip will be to Seattle to visit with Brandon, Kristen, Azure and Theo, go with them to the Vancouver Folk Festival, hang out in the Vancouver area, north to Alaska on the Alaska Marine Highway ferry from Bellingham, WA, and then back to Seattle for several more days.

Partly so I can share images with you guys, I'm looking for a camera that I can use to shoot video with an external mike and take photos. I figure I can spend $1,000. A passenger who's a professional photographer recommended a mirrorless camera (which uses new, more compact technology). Here's the wikipedia overview. If you have any advice, please share it with me.

Since I’ve recently learned I can easily copy and paste highlights from Kindle books (but alas not the magazines I read on Kindle), following are some quotes from the latest Kindle book I read.

Quotes from The Bankers' New Clothes, by Anat Admati, Martin Hellwig

The jargon of bankers and banking experts is deliberately impenetrable. This impenetrability helps them confuse policymakers and the public, and it muddles the debate.

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Banking is not difficult to understand. Most of the issues are quite straightforward. Simply learning the precise meanings of some of the terms that are used, such as the word capital, can help uncover some of the nonsense. You do not need any background in economics, finance, or quantitative fields to read and understand this book.

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Unborrowed money is the money that a bank has obtained from its owners if it is a private bank or from its shareholders if it is a corporation, along with any profits it has retained. Elsewhere in the economy, this type of funding is referred to as equity. In banking, it is called capital. Capital regulation requires that a sufficient fraction of a bank’s investments or assets be funded with unborrowed money.

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In fact, capital regulation does not tell banks what to do with their funds or what they should hold. It tells banks only what portion of the funds they use must be unborrowed.

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...there is a fundamental conflict between what is good for bankers privately and what is good for the broader economy.

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The deeper reason for the breakdowns, however, was that banks were highly indebted. When banks suffered losses, investors, including other financial institutions, lost confidence and cut off funding, fearing that the banks might become unable to repay their debts.

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The debts of the five largest banks in the United States totaled around $8 trillion. These figures would have been even larger under the accounting rules used in Europe.

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Much of the debt of banks is short-term debt, due within months or even days. Some borrowing even takes the form of overnight debt. Many of banks’ assets, however, are loans and other investments that extend over longer....

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Appropriate banking regulation is available that would reduce the potential for harm to the financial system without imposing any costs on banks other than the loss of subsidies from taxpayers.

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The incentives for banks to become large through mergers can be partly attributed to cost advantages from implicit subsidies they obtain by becoming too big to fail.

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...the problem has been one of too many to fail rather than too big to fail,...

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Even if the largest banks become smaller, the interconnectedness of the financial system and the danger of contagion will still be likely to create excessive fragility unless more is done to control this fragility.

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...if the bank is safer, it will be in a better position to make good loans and provide other services.

Camus, Algeria, and Terrorism

Having long believed that Albert Camus’s position on the Algerian struggle for independence has not received the appreciation it deserves, I was intrigued when I saw Algerian Chronicles (Harvard University Press, 2013) prominently displayed at City Lights Bookstore, scanned the book, and bought it.

The front flap reads:

More than fifty years after Algerian independence, Albert Camus’s Algerian Chronicles appears here in English for the first time. Published in France in 1958, the same year the Algerian War brought about the collapse of the Fourth French Republic, it is one of Camus’s most political works – an exploration of his commitment to Algeria. Dismissed or disdained at publication, today Algerian Chronicles, with its prescient analysis of the dead end of terrorism, enjoys a new life in Arthur Goldhammer’s elegant translation.

“Believe me when I tell you that Algeria is where I hurt at this moment, as others feel pain in their lungs,” writes Camus, who was the most visible symbol of France’s troubled relationship with Algeria. Gathered here are Camus’s strongest statement on Algeria from the 1930s through the 1950s, revised and supplemented by the author for publication in book form.

In her introduction, Alice Kaplan illuminates the dilemma faced by Camus: he was committed to the defense of those who suffered colonial injustice, yet was unable to support Algerian national sovereignty apart from France. An appendix of lesser-known texts that did not appear in the French edition complements the picture of a moralist who posed questions about violence and counter-violence, national identity, terrorism, and justice that continue to illuminate our contemporary world.

The back flap reads:

Albert Camus (1913-1960), Algerian-French novelist, essayist, and playwright, won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957. Alice Kaplan is John. M. Mussey Professor of French at Yale University. Arthur Goldhammer received the French-American Translation Prize for his translation of A Critical Dictionary of the French Revolution.

The back cover reads:

“Giving speech to anger and helplessness and injustice is the task Camus set for himself in publishing the Algerian Chronicles. His sense of impending loss, his horror of terror, even his vacillations, endow the book with many moments of literary beauty, and with an uncanny relevance.”
--Alice Kaplan, from the Introduction

So I look forward to reading this book.

Holistic Community

I seek a community of like-minded individuals who clearly support each other in the pursuit of open-ended personal, social, and political growth.

This holistic community of ten or so like-minded individuals might merely gather once a month to check-in with each other and bolster spirits. By sharing meals, having fun together, developing close friendships, reporting on their efforts, listening to each other, acknowledging mistakes and resolving to avoid them in the future, and exploring how to improve the world politically, socially, and culturally, members of a holistic community could attract new members with contagious happiness, while becoming more fully human.

Ideally, such a community would be connected to other similar communities, with members convening occasionally to compare notes and reach out to potential new members.

Being clear, explicit, and intentional enhances effectiveness. Articulating and agreeing on written goals deepens commitment. When I circulated an online survey about community, the only respondents who said they did not seek a deeper sense of community were those who already belonged to a community with a written statement of purpose.

Given the frantic pace of modern life, setting aside special time for providing mutual support is important. This support might simply consist of each member reporting on their efforts with regard to personal, social, and political development.

A monthly ritual could help remind members of their commitments. Articulating one’s thoughts and feelings can be valuable. Being heard by close friends enriches the experience.  Following these formal meetings, members of a holistic community would naturally enhance their friendships informally.

Simple structures, or formats, can enable all participants to better draw on their spontaneous intelligence and innate compassion, without relying on facilitators who’ve been through extensive training.

“Open-ended” growth is key. The more we have a set destination, the less we are open to unexpected opportunities. Trying to know or control the future is counterproductive, whether it concerns personal, social, or political growth.

Each individual needs to define her or his own personal development objectives. Each community needs to be open to the community’s unpredictable collective wisdom. Political projects need to be open to surprising allies and unforeseen compromises.

By “political” I mean realistic efforts to improve public policy. If one talks about politics without focusing on achievable goals, one is engaged in cultural work, not political action. That’s fine for those who are so inclined. But my interest also concerns making a positive difference with short-term reforms.

The personal has political ramifications. And the personal involves power dynamics in relationships. But the personal is not political, because politics concerns public policy.

Political action is distinct. So I seek a community whose members regularly engage in political action, whether collectively or individually, and support each other in this work.

A commitment to growing a holistic community implies a desire to foster holistic community throughout society.  Each of us can live as we would like others to live, while accepting that others do the same by making their own decisions.

We can aim to transform American into a compassionate community dedicated to the common good of all humanity. A series of incremental reforms can lead to fundamental transformation.

Transforming America is probably not achievable in the short term. But we can move in that direction. And who knows? Almost anything is possible. These days, sudden changes frequently surprise us.

When I articulate these thoughts to others, in person or in writing, I rarely receive critical feedback. When people respond, their comments are generally positive. For example, feedback on “Transform America: A Declaration for Action,” as reflected in the Comments section, has been supportive.

But silence has been the primary response. And even among those of us who seem to agree, we don’t practice what we preach. An undercurrent of fear seems to prevail. I have yet to find a holistic community of the sort described here that I can join and my efforts to initiate one have not borne fruit.

In our hyper-specialized world, few people seem inclined toward this holistic approach. Most political activists aren’t interested in providing mutual support for personal development or growing communities that meet unmet personal needs. And most people who focus on personal or spiritual growth, including those who foster alternative communities, aren’t interested in political action.

Some political organizations conduct “leadership development” programs to help members develop specific skills. Others conduct training to address specific issues, such as fear when faced with violence. But these methods (which can be valuable) tend to be top-down. The organization predetermines the agenda and experts provide the training. I’m more interested in peer support.

So I’ve decided to stop initiating new efforts, Instead, I’ll support specific actions from time to time, discuss my concerns when opportunities emerge, be available to respond to any invitations that I receive, read, write, travel, and keep my eyes and ears open for a holistic project to join.

Regardless, I trust the universe will take care of herself.

Reader's Comments

If no one responded to my writing, I might write anyway. But when I receive heartwarming responses like the following replies to the last Wade’s Weekly, “Wade’s Journal – 5/25/13,”  I am greatly encouraged to persevere.

After deleting some personal information, I post these comments without identifying the author. If you would like me to identify you and/or include the entire comment when you send me a reply, please let me know and I will.

I very much appreciate everyone’s interest and support.

Wade

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I have read, and always do, each of your emails. Your efforts are effective...more than you know. Please know that many of your points have found there way throughout conversations in many places. I know more about you and your life than I know about many of my friends I have spent time with. Yes, many paradigms must change. Yes, compassion and love are not central concerns as much as they should be the only concerns. Survival is truly overrated as we all travel our journey so quickly. I am amazed that there is so little emphasis on harmony and beauty in culture these days. I applaud your efforts to celebrate what you can.

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What exciting adventures you share and my happiness for you in your decision is bountiful.

You have an enormous heart, brain, energy and curiosity with the wish for social and economic justice laced throughout all you endeavor.

You were never alone in your hope; and, if I had an 1/8 of who you are........

Wishing you the safest and greatest adventures. Perhaps, a book some day!

Always in appreciation of you.

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This current correspondence of yours has a more positive vibe than most of your posts. Not sure why.

Congratulations on your new financial situation. I would suggest that you make a real effort to be a good steward of your finances. No matter how much money you have, be aware that you can lose it faster than you aquired it. Because of my "sixties" mindset, and as an artist, I have always felt guilty when I got close to being affluent. I never wanted to be "The Man." But, I have been without money and I've had money, and for me, in our society, having it has proved to be much better than not.

And as much as you might feel inclined, do not loan money to friends. I know this sounds conservative and insensitive, but it always leads to trouble. If you feel inclined to help someone financially, make it a gift, and not a loan, to avoid the strain it can put on a friendship. And if it comes back to you, well, consider it good karma.

Neither a borrower nor a lender be;  
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,  
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.  
This above all: to thine own self be true,  
And it must follow, as the night the day,  
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
Polonius in Act I, Scene 3 of William Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Don't lose focus on all the things you want to do with your new status. JUST DO IT.

Stay healthy, be engaged with life, keep writing...and be frugal.

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Thank you for the update, Wade!  "Stranger in a strange land..." is very appropriate for these transition times.  There are many of us - mostly isolated, I suspect - that are finding our way slowly to others, at least for linking.  The fact that you are a writer, will allow you to always "go public," "participate" and "initiate" dialogue...  The fact, too, that you are a self-actualizing person who continues to grow means that you are doing about "the most" that you can do at this particular time.

Am glad for your financial "underwriting" and it will allow you to "take yourself, your ideas, and your inspiration" to others, as well as receive a great expansion of your understanding of others and the world-at-large.  Glad I am still on your 100 list for I, too, would like to keep in touch...  I suspect that 2013 and 2014 will see more of what we are seeing now and our occupying ourselves with worthwhile isolated tasks (and linking where that is possible) will keep us "on the move AND in place for future action" where we will be ready to link up and create "new" forms when the time is right. Thank you for the work on the banks issue - you put into motion what many had only thought about doing.

Glad our paths have crossed.  Will enjoy whatever you share in the future...
Namaste!

p.s. You stand out to me as one who is both working on himself and opening to the kind of integrative approach which will be necessary in transforming each and every part of our future work....  You are one of "the few" people who acknowledges that as a priority!  I AGREE!

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Congratulations...didn't take long to sell the Mexican property...things must be looking up down there.

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Thanks for the personal news, Wade.  Best of luck on your adventures and finding the work that suits your Soul.

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Congratulations on your leap into your new adventure...what a life-changing decision...sounds great!  Onward...

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nice weekly Wade!
would love to see yer 5 foot TV
Glad to have you relaxed
you deserve it