Re: [OCV Core] Re: What's OCV?

On 11/12/2013 8:31 AM, Brian wrote:
>
> I agree. There are always too many issues for any one group to deal with.
> We try to bring a unique perspective to all these activities, and
> sometimes succeed at that, but a more proactive focus would make it
> all more coherent. What might that look like (given limited energies)?
>
> I also agree w/ Steve re: OCV's positive role as a community of support for
> what we all try to do individually. I've not been able to make it to >
everything lately, due to many other commitments, but it's important >
to know we're still doing what we do.
>
> B.

Thanks Brian for commenting on my answer to Sue's question.

I'd like to emphasize that (I feel that) "as a community of support for
what we all try to do individually", our individuality is enhanced by
our community, just as our community is enhanced by our individuality.
It's important to me that I feel less alone in the world because I have
a community in which I can act on my values as much as on my concerns,
that there is this clutch of human beings who remain engaged with each
other as much as with the issues we share, that when I show up I feel
like people are happy to see ME. Our active dialog and the continuing
willingness to show up is really special and important to me. I didn't
have that before Occupy. Before Occupy we could all volunteer for
organizations, but they all had that hierarchy thing going and I felt
like an object, like only the labor part of me was important. Through
Occupy we are able to act, together, as an expression of our values and
of who we are individually.

(I want to multiply the number of Occupys, to conceive and birth them
across Vermont.)

I don't want to separate what we do (our activism) from how we do it
(the culture and community of Occupy). To me they are entwined. I guess
my point is that, if the actions we execute are the extroverted part of
who we are, and the community is the introverted part, it's all part of
one thing and that the inside is as important as the outside. Doing
things the way we do them, the commitment we have to the cultural
values, is as important as the things we do. It is the inside of what we
do.

How can we be more coherent? I would like to avoid the pitfall of
defining ourselves, in specific terms - The wisdom of the original
Occupy still holds. We stand for justice and democracy, for the
participation of all with equal opportunity. We fight the battles that
come to us, or we choose battles and go to them. Here is what I think:

The world is sick and getting sicker fast. The disease is a cancer often
called capitalism, alternately consumerism, materialism, selfishness.
But the defenses of the organism, people seeing what they are doing
wrong and acting to do things better, are activating. In the real world,
we are no longer asking "How long can things keep getting worse?". We
are asking "Can we make things better fast enough?" The tide is turning,
the forces of salvation are rousing from their natal slumber, but they
are stimulated by the crises, which means that the bad must be very bad
before the good will be activated. We may not have enough time. But we
don't know and we must plan, reach out, join our brethren, be strategic,
keep our eyes focused on the long-term goal: Survival.

There are many groups already functioning in the state of Vermont to
promote a sustainable and just society. Why are we not linking up with
them and building solidarity? Attending their meetings and discussing
our mutual goals? Here is my vision: A Vermont that is dedicated to
building the first Steady State economy in the United States. The First
Steady State Republic of Vermont!

Let us devote ourselves to visioning that community of Vermont, and
finding our partners, and engaging with them on how to create the First
Steady State Republic of Vermont, and then do that work. Let us build
the world we would like to see and live in, rather than spend all of our
time resisting the evils of the world we live in. Let us go to the
battle we wish to fight! (decrescendo on "Republic")

Stephen

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Dispolemic.blogspot.com
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