Previously, I have written that I desire a radical redistribution of power, and now it’s time to say more about that. After all, why should anyone be concerned by the balance of power? Well, basically, because some people carry way to much power and a lot more people have way to little. It’s unhealthy. But if power is the ability of a person or system to influence other people or systems, than clearly everyone has at least some power. We are influencing one another all the time and often in ways that we remain unaware of. This has led some ’spiritual’ types to mistakenly proclaim that you can create your own reality. I prefer the more complex analysis that we are constantly co-creating each other’s reality. I just say that we should be doing it with more intention and consciousness. It’s one reason why I am always interrogating my own organizing. I want to manifest my ideals, but for me it’s very important to do that in a way that develops power inside of those folks who don’t have a lot of it.
I give that question so much consideration because one of my foundational ideals is everyone getting to influence the decisions that affect their lives. Some people would call this democracy. So if democracy is vital to me then I’ve got to work in a way that models democracy.
I’ve asked you to consider a certain definition of power; now let me ask you what decisions your society or community has been making lately. How do you expect to be affected by them? Did you have much opportunity to shape those decisions? Simply knowing the answers to these questions is valuable information, and valuable information is a form of power.
When societies get together to make decisions a lot of them have to do with how resources will be collected and distributed (or hoarded as the case may be). Resources ultimately come from the Earth, hence my conviction that vibrant human communities survive by being in harmony with the wider ecological community. Some people would call this sustainable democracy.
Threats to sustainable democracy change over time. I believe that one of today’s biggest and most unique threats is the growing power of corporations. As a North American who wants to see power spread out, I spend a fair amount of time challenging the practices of various corporations. Corporate dominance has stripped many communities of self-determination and ability to make beneficial choices. If you’re not yet convinced of this then I encourage you to check in with this web log periodically. I’ll be offering plenty of compelling examples. And if you want to aid the transition from corporate dominance to sustainable democracy, check back here for various resources, suggestions and even networking.
