Tankebanken

Artiklen, der linkes til, er tredie side i en længere udredning om, hvilken lære vi kan drage af de udfordringer russerne stod i efter Sovietunionens sammenbrud med deraf følgende sammenbrud i alle aspekter af systemet, hvilket medførte ophør af institutionel ansvars varetagelse på stort set alle områder; økonomi, energiforsyning, fødevareforsyning, sikkerhed etc. Man kommer til at tænke over, hvilke livsfornødenheder man selv ville kunne tage ansvar for at varetage, såfremt en disintegration, af det system man selv indgår i, skulle indtræde.

"In the U.S., there is an industry of political commentators and pundits which is devoted to inflaming political passions as much as possible, especially before elections. This is similar to what sports writers and commentators do to draw attention to their game. It seems that the main force behind political discourse in the U.S. is boredom: one can chat about the weather, one's job, one's mortgage and how it relates to current and projected property values, cars and the traffic situation, sports, and, far behind sports, politics. In an effort to make people pay attention, most of the issues trotted out before the electorate pertain to reproduction: abortion, birth control, stem cell research, and similar small bits of social policy are bandied about rather than settled, simply because they get good ratings. "Boring" but vitally important strategic issues such as sustainable development, environmental protection, and energy policy are studiously avoided. Although people often bemoan political apathy as if it were a grave social ill, it seems to me that this is just as it should be. Why should essentially powerless people want to engage in a humiliating farce designed to demonstrate the legitimacy of those who wield the power? In Soviet-era Russia, intelligent people did their best to ignore the Communists: paying attention to them, whether through criticism or praise, would only serve to give them comfort and encouragement, making them feel as if they mattered. Why should Americans want to act any differently with regard to the Republicans and the Democrats? For love of donkeys and elephants?"

Naomi Kleins vurdering af Obama

Jeg har gået og ventet på, at han kom på banen. Og så er det faktisk ret apropos noget af vores snak i dag, om hvad der gør, at "man" handler.

The author of the world wide best-seller, Small Is Beautiful, now tackles the subject of Man, the World, and the Meaning of Living.Schumacher writes about man's relation to the world. man has obligations -- to other men, to the earth, to progress and technology, but most importantly himself. If man can fulfill these obligations, then and only then can he enjoy a real relationship with the world, then and only then can he know the meaning of living. Schumacher says we need maps: a "map of knowledge" and a "map of living." The concern of the mapmaker--in this instance, Schumacher--is to find for everything it's proper place. Things out of place tend to get lost; they become invisible and there proper places end to be filled by other things that ought not be there at all and therefore serve to mislead. A Guide for the Perplexed teaches us to be our own map makers. This constantly surprising, always stimulating book will be welcomed by a large audience, including the many new fans who believe strongly in what Schumacher has to say.

Den bog, som Henrik anbefalede på dagens møde. Det er efter min mening altid interessant at læse anmeldelser på Amazon. Især kan det være givende at læse de anmeldelser, der er kritiske (meget apropos - Sylvester!). Se f.eks. http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Perplexed-E-F-Schumacher/product-reviews/0060906111/ref=cm_cr_dp_synop?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending#R6FI9QGNM0L5T

"We are a nonprofit organization that provides inspiration, encouragement, support, networking, and training for Transition Initiatives across the United States. Transition Initiatives are part of a vibrant, international grassroots movement that builds community resilience in response to the challenges of peak oil, climate change and the economic crisis. Together we can make the transition to a more fulfilling, equitable and sustainable world."

"Transition Towns (also known as Transition network or Transition Movement) is a movement that was created by Louise Rooney[1] and popularized by Rob Hopkins. It was founded in Kinsale, Ireland and was then spread to Totnes, England by environmentalist Rob Hopkins during 2005 and 2006[2]. The aim of the project is to equip communities for the dual challenges of climate change and peak oil. The movement currently has member communities in a number of countries worldwide."

"Blå bog: Nancy Fraser *Født i 1947. Professor ved New School i New York City. Hun er en af de kendteste amerikanske kritiske teoretikere og feminister. *Blandt hendes vægtigste værker er 'Unruly practices - Power, Discourse and Gender in Comtemporary Social Theory' fra 1989, 'Justice Interruptus - Critical reflections on the Post-Socialist Condition' fra 1997 og 'Feminist contentions', som er en udveksling med Seyla Benhabib, Judith Butler og Drucilla Cornell fra 1994. *Sammen med den tyske socialfilosof Axel Honneth udgav hun i 2003 'Redistribution or Recognition?' *Hendes seneste værk er 'Scales of justice: reimagining political space in a globalizing world fra 2008'. *Aktuelt arbejder hun på en studie af kapitalismen."

ransition Towns er en positiv og konstruktiv metode til at skabe modstandsdygtige lokalsamfund. Der er en del erfaringer, som andre har gjort sig og man kan drage fordel af de redskaber, de har fundet frem til som virker. Helt overordnet drejer det sig om at et lokalsamfund beslutter sig for at finde svar og løsninger på dette STORE spørgsmål: På alle områder som dette lokalsamfund behøver for at fungere godt, hvordan kan vi markant øge vores modstandskraft overfor de olie- og klimamæssige forandringer, der kommer og drastisk reducere udledning af CO2?

"It would be tragic indeed if the defeat in Massachusetts continues to be grossly overinterpreted by Democrats, causing a fatal loss of nerve when courage and steadfastness are required. After nearly one hundred years of struggle to establish the principle of universal health care, the Democrats have finally reached the one-yard line. Opportunities like these are rare, and if the Democrats - with control of the White House and with substantial majorities in both the House and Senate - cannot get the ball into the end zone, they will justifiably lose the people's confidence in their capacity to govern. Democrats simply must find a way to get this done. Failure to do so will cost them grievously at the polls, but the real casualty will be a growing loss of faith in the very possibility of progressive social change."

Obama gør altså i den grad en forskel bare apropos vores snak. Health care er bare én af de rigtig betydningsfulde sager.

Jaron Lanier about how in the short devolopment of the internet it became fashionable to aggregate expressions of people into dehumanized data.

About our adoration of information into a kind of a new religion. About the living and the dead information on the net.

En ret vittig kommentar fra Rune Engelbreth.

Lidt rodet affære af en artikel, men måske antologien er interessant.

Nummeret af International Ideale der handler om utopi.

INTERNATIONALISTISK IDEALE (I.I.) is a journal on contemporary art and culture created and edited by artists and theorists alike. The aim with I.I. is to engage with ongoing debates within the field of fine art and aesthetic sciences by bringing together representatives of different viewpoints and positions in conversation.