The Power of We - Blog Action Day Post

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The Power of We

Preamble - Ramble?

Blog Action Day has struck me as being somewhat soft-focused - essentially too aspirational and diffuse. That is why I gave it a miss for a couple of years. The subject this year took my fancy, as it is something about which I hold very strong opinions and beliefs. That is why I have decided to give it a twirl again this year.

So - I guess that I am supposed to write something on the 2012 Blog Action Day theme – “The Power of We”  Right then - I will have a go at it, and in the interest of the "conservation of energy", I will borrow a few bits here and there from some of my previous posts which touched on concepts and principles aligned with the general idea OK?

Start from Here!

The title of the book and movie “The Power of One” flashed into my mind when I was confronted by the Blog Action Day request e-mail asking me to produce something that could fit under the title “The Power of We”. While I fully accept that whereas we need the trail blazers, the leaders of thought, the example givers, I know that without collective, co-operative, unified, and sustainable action - nothing much will ever be attained.

We could learn a lot from bees and ants. Like ants humans possess little power when acting alone as individuals. Not until our individual powers are aligned and synchronised with others do we, the collective human race, become really effective.

The simplest illustration of co-operative reciprocal action is that of two woodsmen cutting a large log with a two handed saw. The task would be very difficult if not impossible for one but with co-operation and reciprocity it can be readily achieved.

Define Reciprocity? 

Reciprocity is: mutual or cooperative interchange. One historical and proverbial example says; one hand washes the other.

The Principle of Reciprocation

In 1768 James Watt (1736 – 1819) Scottish inventor, applied for a Patent for his more efficient reciprocating engine. It was a huge improvement on existing designs, and defined the principles of reciprocity in engineering science.

The technical application of the principles of reciprocating action was one of the major factors that gave birth to the industrial revolution and indeed to nearly all of modern technology.

Watt's Engine Drawings

Today, nearly every piece of machinery and electronic equipment uses the scientific principles of co-operation and reciprocity. Cars, computers, jet planes, satellites, etc. simply would not function if these principles were not active. Physicists have come to understand that the same principles apply from the sub-atomic to the astrophysical levels of the universe.

However, unfortunately human beings, while understanding well the essential principles of co-operation and reciprocity when applied to technology and physics, have failed, almost completely, to appreciate the benefits of these principles if applied to human dynamics.

The Principle of Unified Action

“The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.” A man called Bahá’u’lláh wrote this truism one hundred and fifty years ago. Its essential truth is easily understood and accepted by most scientists, especially physicists and mathematicians. However, when it comes to the science of human affairs as applied to everyday life situations such as government, finance and banking, commerce and business, even education, the principle of unity is conveniently forgotten and utterly discarded.

The day to day function of our technological world is fully governed by and depends on reciprocal balance, co-operation of elements, and unity function. It is just a shame to observe that, in the current structures that govern human functional principles, the reciprocity, the co-operation, and the unity are replaced, for the most part, with the pole opposite principles

Current Functional Principles Governing Society

The generally unstated but actual operating principles that govern most of Politics, Business, Finance, Banking, Legal Process, even Education are:

(1) Competitiveness, 

(2) Adversarialism, 

(3) Cronyism, 

(4) Exclusivity,

(5) Win at any cost, and 

(6) Dishonesty.

Take the principle of competitiveness, you might say that it is needed in business and sport. 

However, consider what it does in our education system? It acts as a filter – like grading stones in a quarry – once the stones are graded there is no going back. The useless stones are discarded as junk – right? And that doesn't lead to a multi-tiered society?

The saying; "there can be only one winner" should put you on alert immediately. The recent world-wide financial collapse has been a major winning for some and misery for most.

Adversarialism (them and us, and we are going to win) ; a most obvious quantity in our legal system and in our governing bodies. 

Here is one definition of our political system: Party Politics, one good on-line definition expresses it thus, “political acts and principles directed toward the interests of one political party or its members without reference to the common good”

And who would argue that our legal and court systems serve the people truly, honestly, efficiently, and produce equity and justice in the true sense? And you don't think the person or corporation that can afford the best legal team won't win even when they are clearly at fault?

We all Want "The Power of We" - BUT

We truly do in our hearts - want the Power of We, but as yet this truly amazing faculty of the human species has eluded the general grasp of the people. 

We want to trust - but who can we trust? 

We want to co-operate - but will we be reciprocated in our efforts.

We all - well most of us - want to give, be generous - but we want to hold on to it too!

We all want unity - but will some take advantage of that aspiration? 

We all want equality - but will some demand to be more equal than other?

We Can Achieve it

We can achieve a united world where all the forces are directed to the common good. It would be a world with few if any arms and armies!  It would be a world with few litigation lawyers - they would not be needed! It would be a world with few tax inspectors - people would want to pay into the common good in the secure knowledge that much of the tax money was not being squandered.

If we could make as much progress with the science of human affairs as we have with technology, we could see a very different world emerge in a few short years.

What Will it Take?

Too big a subject to go into in any sort of depth here. I will list just a very few points that I believe are vital elements of the changes needed in order to achieve, anything other than diffuse aspirations, a realisation of the Power of We within the human race.

(1) The global first step has already been achieved; an instant, world-wide inter-communication system by means of which cultures can mix, new ideas can be discussed, and progress in human consciousness can be achieved.

(2) A fundamental shift in human perceptions is needed. We are so embedded in our faulty, limited, and outdated social, ethical, moral, and political systems, that we cannot, for the most part, see much beyond them. Indeed, rather than a forward movement, there is a large and dangerous retrograde fundamentalist trend sweeping the world which is narrowing human vision.

(3) The development and spread of education, to the mass of humanity, with principles that include; (a) equality of sexes, religions, ethnics groups, etc. (b) The ethical distribution of the world's resources. (c) The universal right to education.

(4) That I, and you, and you, and everyone else, attain to the point where we see service to the common good as more important than, and taking precedence above, service to our selves, our families, or our country.

Basically, we need to (a) run a virus and mal-ware checker, (b) install a new operating system, (c) re-write many of the current files and systems, and (d) re-boot the machine.

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