[CRIS USA] Aikido Activism -- Communication Rights, a Global Network Era, and Globalized Consciousness

[Burkhart]

A couple key issues relating to communication rights -- media concentration, =
importance of communication-network inclusiveness in social inclusiveness and =
society's consciousness and=20
conscience -- are in the essay below that promotes advancing several themes at =
once to advance the state of society, environment and the economy worldwide. =
Please read, comment,=20
advance, etc....

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

March 31, 2004
Contributions (w/attribution) to this =93Living Essay=94: =
aikidosphere at earthlink.net


To reach society=92s perpetual goal =96 a healthy, happy and sustainable =
community =96 individuals and the community must make healthy, happy and =
sustainable choices. Community choices=20
come from a community=92s consciousness. Aikido Activism aims to advance the =
center =96 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=20
=93Not for Aikido=94 activist culture. The most potent mode of community =
consciousness =96 the mobilization of free independent thought via the Internet =
=96 must inspire and be inspired by Aikido=20
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=20
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=20
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 =96 or to inhibiting progress. Making better individual and collective =
judgments requires greater awareness=20
=96 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 =96 privatizing profit =
while socializing (often ignoring) cost.=20
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=20
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=20
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=92s exploitation of human health for profit, Wall Street=92s =
exploitation of misinformation (human=20
informational health) for profit, the petroleum industry=92s unsustainable =
exploitation of the environment (that supports human life) for profit, and =
government=92s exploitation of misinformation and=20
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=20
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=20
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 =93commons=94 =96 =
its range of influence =96 to all=20
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=20
Fundamentalism serves Adolescent Capitalism=92s 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=20
obscure greed (the myopic-profit motive), enshrouding a campaign of economic =
hegemony in the veil of =93lifting all boats=94. It is a debilitating hegemony =
that expands the influence of corporations=20
from Free-Market-Fundamentalism-oriented national governments to all =
governments, from Free-Market-Fundamentalism -oriented media to all media, and =
from Free-Market-Fundamentalism=20
-oriented communities to all communities =96 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=20
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 =96 the unjust exploitations=20
of our own ascendant Adolescent Capitalism, seeking global expansion for its =
Free-Market Fundamentalism: expanding global capability and global authority =
while minimizing global responsibility.=20
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=20
environmental arbitrage!

PROBLEM PART 3: =93NOT FOR AIKIDO=94 ACTIVISM
The third dimension of the problem, =93Not For Aikido=94 Activism arises in the =
tradition of segregating =93not for profits=94 from =93for profits.=94 This =
tradition, true to the pattern =96 is about expanding=20
capability and authority of =93for profits=94 while minimizing responsibility =
by marginalizing activism. Conscientious mobilization (i.e., mobilization =
aiming to advance responsibility) is marginalized=20
and inhibited when it is relegated to the =93not for profit=94 sector. Apache =
web-server software (with nearly 70% market share) stands as a Pyrrhic success =
story of majority adoption of =93not for profit=94,=20
=93open source=94 information technology. It is interesting to imagine that the =
open source community=92s altruistic leanings might have been largely behind =
Apache=92s success =96 achieving greater=20
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=20
be this way.

In the future, a similar exploit might instead become the basis for a =
=93moderate profit=94 initiative, opposing Adolescent Capitalism=92s myopic =
focus on maximizing profit. Such a =93moderate profit=94=20
initiative can make broader impact by not relegating itself to impoverishment =
and economic marginalization in the =93open source=94, =93not for profit=94 =
sector, but instead advancing a new vision of=20
Individual Empowerment Capitalism directly into the =93for profit=94 sector. =
=93Not for profits=94 supporting independent thought and community discourse =
will continue to have keen relevance; but=20
reason, truthfulness, trustworthiness, transparency and accountability will be =
far more real =96 more realized =96 when advanced into the mainstream of =
commerce. Activism that uses the full power=20
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;=20
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 =96 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=20
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=20
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=20
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=20
as good, while greed (or the tendency towards unjust exploitations) is seen as =
bad. But this is an ideal. Practically-speaking, it is society=92s conscience =
=96 knowledge and information sharing in=20
society =96 that helps society approach such an ideal by gradually rejecting =
bad and embracing good ideas and models.

SOLUTION PART 2: DEMOCRATIC MEDIA =96 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=20
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=20
=96 recently made possible by the Internet.

Tragedy will turn to triumph in the commons when =96 through truer community =
dialogues enabled by revolutionary democratic media technologies (the Internet, =
et al.) =96 community consciousness is=20
raised to awareness of:

How we have been collectively duped into following Adolescent Capitalism=92s =
model of Free-Market Fundamentalism,

How this has weakened society=92s immune system =96 its active watchfulness,

How =93not for profit=94 vs. =93for profit=94 segregation is an inhibiting =
fallacy,

How global capability and global authority require global responsibility =96 =
watchfulness =96 to avoid immense risks to global society=92s health, happiness =
and sustainability,

Embracing tools of democratic media can unleash tectonic forces of progress and =
restore society=92s immune system: an aware, watchful community consciousness. =
To do this, a new model is needed,=20
and is already beginning to appear (Individual Empowerment Capitalism). In the =
new form of capitalism, a Noble Corporation =96 operating not only responsibly =
but also accountably =96 will become=20
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,=20
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 =96 with due consideration for =
humanity and environment. To the degree that Adolescent Capitalism is alive and =
well, even its excesses are impelling new=20
initiatives that constitute the beginnings of Individual Empowerment Capitalism =
and Aikido Activism: Socially Responsible Investing, Triple Bottom Line =
accounting, and Total Corporate Responsibility=20
[add attributions to their inventors and practitioners].=20

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=20
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=20
literacy and activism/responsibility.

AIKIDO ACTIVISM
Kevin Danaher, in his book =93Insurrection=94 explains how Global Exchange and =
other progressive organizations are beginning to use corporate practices, such =
as public relations campaigns (PR), to=20
influence corporate behavior =96 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=20
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=20
occasional major inflection points =96 a vast shifting of emphasis stemming =
sometimes from basic innovations =96 elegant and axiomatic innovations with =
broad implications. IP Aikido Activism will employ the=20
massive empowerment of IP protections, but instead turn that power into curbing =
the pressure to conform to exploitation or unsustainability =96 to build a =
Noble Corporation with the goal of transforming=20
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?=20

GET INVOLVED
This essay was written not just to reveal the new frontier of Aikido Activism =
=96 but also represents an effort to bring together fellow pioneers of the =
Aikidosphere and to mobilize new campaigns within the=20
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=20
essay has been posted (see below).

Forum/URL Post Date
Doug Henwood=92s LBO-Talk
http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/pipermail/lbo-talk/Week-of-Mon-20040329/007090.html
March 30, 2004
Tribe.net, Aikido Activism, and Utopian Research & Design
http://www.tribe.net/tribe/servlet/template/pub%2Ctribes%2CViewThread.vm?thread=
id=3Ddcc39a92-9db3-4268-a1df-c365d51502ed&tribeid=3D8e5a3310-812c-4197-b2ec-6e2=
b3435b602
and
http://www.tribe.net/tribe/servlet/template/pub%2Ctribes%2CViewThread.vm?thread=
id=3D8d72beb9-09d8-437c-b429-ab0d39ac43b7&tribeid=3D4507deb6-eb9f-4445-8847-9f4=
a6f7ecd8b
March 30, 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=3D19&Topic=3D59
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.ht=
ml
March 31, 2004