The Cultural Ego.

Traditions, religions, institutions, political blocs and the like are examples of Cultural Egos. If an individual rebels against an ism, all kinds of punishments can be meted out by the group. Laws are written and established to maintain adherence to these artificial schools of thought and appropriate punishment is defined when violated. Moses, Confucius, Mohammed and others attempted to give guidance to the members of their society. Ten Commandments, Sharia, etc. Cultural egos are very difficult to change. That is because the individuals within them have little idea of what they could do by thinking "outside the box." Additionally, the reinforcement of the "group think" becomes powerful enough to overcome most individual thinking.

Society trains and domesticates its members. It is done by individual agreement of each member. It is done by propagating belief and tradition that once served to unify groups. We have the unique ability to stop a thought and think about it. To behold a thought and evaluate its meaning is the most powerful capability of human beings. To pass thought through the Corpus Callosum to the emotional hemisphere and gather meaning is a virtual miracle. In this age of constant belaboring by the cacophony of meaningless input, it is difficult to focus on what is truly important. We have to use this ability in order to change the path we have created. We have to prioritize our life by accepting what is important to each of us. We have to stop clicking on cultural icons to activate the apps that have been programmed into us.

What is/are our common goal(s?). Is it the knowledge of our existence? Is it the fact that we repulse hurting others? Is it that we wish to experience life with love and respect? Is it to find the source of our consciousness? Is it eternal life? We all want to know those answers and they are available in Utopian thinking. What is preventing us from thinking about these goals and placing them first in our list of things to do? Daily life, usually.

If we are not willing to admit we all want the same goal(s), it is hopeless to discuss anything. If we do not take personal responsibility to change this world for the better, we may as well be dead already. It begins with changing our own attitude. "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore" is the attitude we should all adopt. Take a stand. Be willing to sacrifice everything for that stand. It is not society that creates us - it is we that create society. Be responsible, seek others who have awakened, and be a driving force for change.

We are social animals. It is important for us to belong to a group. Interaction, communication, and sharing life with others are a great part of being human. There is no need for leadership in a close community. Everyone lives to contribute. Everyone feels better after doing a good deed for someone else. There is no reason why this concept cannot go global. Society is created by all of us. What we choose to do with this creation is up to each of us. If we do not come together to further our species in a common sense manner, we cannot change the current situation.

The current situation includes the doubling of the human population in the last fifty years or so. It includes the pollution of most, if not all, fresh water. It includes the pollution of the air we breathe to the point that chronic asthma and bronchitis flourish. It includes global warming, proliferation of weapons, drugs, crime, power and greed. How long we remain spectators instead of participants is yet to be known. We must be insane. We are like Nero fiddling while Rome burns.

Either we are insane or there is a conspiracy foisted upon us by those in power. If we are not insane, then we must wrest the power away from the few and return to sanity. After all, power is provided by the many to the leadership few. We must demand truth for their actions. We cannot have the ignorant and/or selfish define the future for the community. Self-education is absolutely necessary for this to occur. We can only know others as well as we know our own self. We are all in the same boat. It is time to grab an oar and row.

The corporate brain uses the same concept as human brains to manage the corporate "body." Incorporation means "creating a body" and, although it is imaginary, many think it is real. All systems work that same way; all systems are interconnected, and corporations are no exception. The base unit of corporations is not the dollar -- it is the employee. Executives would have us think otherwise, but that is the fact.

One reason the world is in chaos is the human ego and the lack of understanding most people have of it. It has its foundation in our animal instinct for survival and procreation, much as depicted in Maslow's pyramid, and gets modified by environmental experience. This artificial mind is fed values, beliefs, traditions, indoctrination and the like to enable it to compare its State of Being to its understanding of its environment. Beyond the socialization aspect of Maslow, are self-esteem and self-actualization. Egos cause the chaos by getting stuck in the self-esteem level. They value themselves above other life forms -- a monumental misconception.

Mother Earth and the rest of the Universe operate under two laws: Balance and Sequence. If an out-of-balance condition is communicated to the Universal mind, it activates a correcting sequence to regain balance. That's it! There is no more mystery about how the universe works. Every other consciousness within the universe must follow these two laws or become extinct. The only element on Mother Earth that causes out-of-balance conditions is the human ego. It must be understood for humanity to survive its insanity.

It's simple to know when the ego is in charge of decision-making because it resents information that makes it feel ignorant. It does not like feeling stupid. Whenever a new piece of knowledge threatens its belief and/or value systems, it goes into Cognitive Dissonance -- denial. If it ever let in too much truth, it would have to release its decision-making power and set the animal body free. The Plutarchy knows this.

All systems work the same way and all systems are interconnected and interdependent. As Da Vinci said: "Learn to see. Everything is connected." If this is true, then we all are connected to whatever else we are able to discern. Connected by WHAT?

In attending a stage play, if we are to enjoy the performance, we are asked to "suspend our disbelief." In order to accept any new discovery within ourselves, we must do the same. The truth lives in all its forms, no doubt. The true consciousness knows how to maintain the form we occupy, as well as all forms it occupies. When the ego sleeps, our bodily functions are maintained by the Universal Balance and Sequence laws. When the ego and its body arise from sleep, the world's ills are roused, as well.

The ego gets its consciousness from the five physical senses -- that is sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell. In the Rosicrucian study called "Mastery of Life," these senses are defined by the body's ability to differentiate the frequency and amplitude of "vibrations." The human body is a poor conductor of universal communication; eagles see better, dogs smell more, dolphins hear better, etc. That is one reason why using ego to make decisions is harmful -- it doesn't understand much of totality.

The human form, as all other forms, is comprised of atoms. These atoms come from Mother Earth and will be returned to her eventually. Each moment we live disseminates millions of atoms outward and we absorb millions of atoms in return. That is evolution in progress -- reshaping forms.

Each atom has electrons orbiting the nucleus. If we were able to collapse the electron orbits of Mother Earth, she would be the size of an average orange and the seven plus billion humans would easily be contained in a teaspoon. If we dig deeper into the structure of the atom, we eventually find the wave/particle nature of consciousness. The particle feels the wave and the wave thinks about the particle -- conscious thought is born.

When an electron orbits, it is impossible for it to complete an orbit and return to the exact spot it started because energy is always in motion. The orbit will create a circle or ellipse that will always be a bit off in replicating its path. That is probably why the value of PI will never come to a complete number. What this electronic orbit represents is a THOUGHT -- more accurately, a THOUGHT CYCLE. Since all things have atoms with electronic orbits that create thought cycles, this is the connection we have with the universe. There is no separateness.

In George Boole's "Laws of Thought," the ego mind identifies, categorizes, evaluates and prioritizes stimuli it encounters to decide whether or not to take action and, if it acts, what action is most appropriate for the existing circumstances. We internally vote on what is the most important thing for us to do every moment. You are deciding right now as to whether you will keep reading or go on to something you consider more important to you. All life is continually addressing its number one priority to act upon right here, right now and under the current circumstances. No exceptions. Boole's "Calculus of Logic" depicts how we reach decisions with formulaic definitions.

The Green Party

There needs to be a transitional period on the path to Utopia from the current system. A potential starting point is to adopt the Green Party mission statement:

1. Grassroots Democracy

All human beings must be allowed a say in decisions that affect their lives; no one should be subject to the will of another. We work to improve public participation in every aspect of government and seek to ensure that our public representatives are fully accountable to the people who elect them. We also work to create new types of political organizations that expand the process of participatory democracy by directly including citizens in decision-making.

2. Social Justice and Equal Opportunity

As a matter of right, all persons must have the opportunity to benefit equally from the resources afforded us by society and the environment. We must consciously confront in ourselves, our organizations, and society at large, any discrimination by race, class, gender, sexual orientation, age, nationality, religion, or physical or mental ability that denies fair treatment and equal justice under the law.

3. Ecological Wisdom

Human societies must function with the understanding that we are part of nature, not separate from nature. We must maintain an ecological balance and live within the ecological and resource limits of our communities and our planet. We support a sustainable society that utilizes resources in such a way that future generations will benefit and not suffer from the practices of our generation. To this end we must practice agriculture that replenishes the soil, move to an energy-efficient economy, and live in ways that respect the integrity of natural systems.

4. Non-Violence

It is essential that we develop effective alternatives to society's current patterns of violence. We will work to demilitarize and eliminate weapons of mass destruction, without being naive about the intentions of other governments. We recognize the need for self-defense and the defense of others who are in danger. We promote non-violent methods to oppose practices and policies with which we disagree, and will guide our actions toward lasting personal, community and global peace.

5. Decentralization

Centralization of wealth and power contributes to social and economic injustice, environmental destruction, and militarization. We seek a restructuring of social, political and economic institutions away from a system controlled by and mostly benefiting the powerful few, to a democratic, less bureaucratic system. Decision-making should, as much as possible, remain at the individual and local level, while assuring that civil rights are protected for all.

6. Community-Based Economics

We support redesigning our work structures to encourage employee ownership and workplace democracy. We support developing new economic activities and institutions that allow us to use technology in ways that are humane, freeing, ecological, and responsive and accountable to communities. We support establishing a form of basic economic security open to all. We call for moving beyond the narrow 'job ethic' to new definitions of 'work,' 'jobs' and 'income' in a cooperative and democratic economy. We support restructuring our patterns of income distribution to reflect the wealth created by those outside the formal monetary economy -- those who take responsibility for parenting, housekeeping, home gardens, community volunteer work, and the like. We support restricting the size and concentrated power of corporations without discouraging superior efficiency or technological innovation.

7. Feminism and Gender Equity

We have inherited a social system based on male domination of politics and economics. We call for the replacement of the cultural ethics of domination and control with cooperative ways of interacting that respect differences of opinion and gender. Human values such as gender equity, interpersonal responsibility, and honesty must be developed with moral conscience. We recognize that the processes for determining our decisions and actions are just as important as achieving the outcomes we want.

8. Respect for Diversity

We believe it is important to value cultural, ethnic, racial, sexual, religious and spiritual diversity, and to promote the development of respectful relationships across the human spectrum. We believe that the many diverse elements of society should be reflected in our organizations and decision-making bodies, and we support the leadership of people who have been traditionally closed out of leadership roles. We encourage respect for all life forms, and increased attention to the preservation of biodiversity.

9. Personal and Global Responsibility

We encourage individuals to act to improve their personal wellbeing and, at the same time, to enhance ecological balance and social harmony. We seek to join with people and organizations around the world to foster peace, economic justice, and the health of the planet.

10. Future Focus and Sustainability

Our actions and policies should be motivated by long-term goals. We seek to protect valuable natural resources, safely disposing of or 'unmaking' all waste we create, while developing a sustainable economics that does not depend on continual expansion for survival. We must counterbalance the drive for short-term profits by assuring that economic development, new technologies, and fiscal policies are responsible to future generations who will inherit the results of our actions. We must make the quality of all lives, rather than open-ended economic growth, the focus of future thinking and policy.

The Green Party objectives are universal in their inclusion, not only for the United States, but for all countries. They are virtually perfect for unifying humanity. The founding fathers were pretty sharp. The three branches were intentionally designed as "Checks and Balances" and "Separation of Powers." Unfortunately, today's political environment does not reflect a working model. Racism, evangelism, sexism and downright hatred are evident in every corner of the country. The media are bought and paid for by corporate warmongers to broadcast lies and sugar-coated hope pills. Rupert Murdoch, Koch brothers, Disney, Pharmaceuticals, General Dynamics, General Electric, Dow Chemical, Monsanto, DuPont, the Rothschilds, BankAmerica, Chase, and numerous others all take part in bamboozling the public. They are the power regardless of administration. For the United States to return to a democracy, everyone must get involved.

Having served as an Election Coordinator during the Illinois primary, I can attest that many, many voters were angry. The Constitution is being interpreted according to special interests. That has to stop.

The political system in the U.S. has two major parties -- democrats and republicans. Efforts have been made to break up this unholy marriage but failed. They use the "Divide and conquer" principle to maintain power and brainwash the population. Liberals are normally identified as democrats and conservatives are referred to as republican. They comprise the Left and Right Wings of an airplane that doesn't go anywhere. We the people are sitting in the cabin, arguing about whose point of view is right while the politicians have a drunken barbecue party on their respective wings. We need a good pilot to get us off the tarmac and into a better future.

The Green Party is the answer to breaking up the corruption. Many states are trying to keep them from federal elections for no other reason that they are gaining support from many disgruntled voters.

The above objectives are echoed to some degree by the Sierra Club. (Michael Bloomberg donated one hundred million dollars to this organization to help it stop coal-burning energy.)

The Sierra Club

Sierra Club Strategic Plan Overarching Visionary Goals:

Goal #1: Achieve Ambitious and just climate solutions

Solve the climate crisis in a way that protects the environment and also is enduring, fair, and equitable

Strategies:

Transition to 100 percent clean energy.

Maximize energy efficiency across all sectors, including transportation, urban design, and land use.

Return greenhouse gas concentrations to a safe level below 350 ppm.

Address non-energy emissions such as agriculture and methane.

Protect and rebuild the capacity of forests and other lands to absorb excess carbon dioxide and provide more robust climate resilience through supporting biodiversity and natural system functions.

Goal #2: Explore, Enjoy and protect our nation's lands, waters, air and wildlife 

Steward our natural resources to safeguard them for present and future generations.

Strategies:

Protect and restore wildlands and waterways to provide large and connected habitats in all ecosystems that will withstand climate change, and also provide suitable habitat for the protection and restoration of rare and endangered species.

Defend our wild heritage, onshore and offshore, from extractive energy development. Put an end to damaging mining, logging, and other highly disruptive resource exploitation practices.

Protect our air, water, land, and communities from pollution. Promote environmentally sensitive land use and urban design to minimize sprawl, provide a healthy environment for all, and minimize resource use.

Ensure that all who live in the United States have access to natural areas, including in or near their communities, as well as the opportunity to experience the natural world through Sierra Club outings or in other ways.

Goal #3: Engage and support a broad, diverse, inclusive and powerful movement

Attract and empower a base of supporters and activists strong enough to challenge the status quo and accomplish our ambitious programmatic goals.

Strategies:

Engage the public, civil society, the business community, and other partners who share our values.

Lead in diversifying the environmental movement to reflect the demographics of our society.

Have the clout to influence public perception and public officials on our core issues, and to elect and hold accountable environmentally committed leaders at all levels of government.

Help our activists, local communities and allies win on the environmental issues most important to them. Engage in strategic alliances on broader issues if this can help further environmental causes and remain consistent with our values.

Goal #4: Become an ever stronger, high performance organization

Function as a high-performance environmental organization by building on our legacy and embracing innovation.

Strategies:

Build powerful, capable, diverse, and inclusive volunteer leadership nationally and in every state and major metropolitan area. Diversify the staff at all levels and develop and support within all staff clearly defined values, leadership, and core competencies to excel in their field. Build a strong partnership and mutual respect between volunteers and staff.

Foster an organizational culture that promotes results, accountability, learning, transparency, and good governance.

Enhance the democratic and grassroots nature of the Sierra Club in a manner that balances centralized and decentralized power, on-the-ground and online mobilizing, and bottom-up, top down decision-making.

Maximize the effectiveness of our campaigns at the local, state, national and international levels. Leverage all of our capacities, including communications, digital strategies, policy, organizing, and legal.

Goal #5: Ensure our financial strength and sustainability

Ensure that the Sierra Club and its entities have a combination of diverse, secure, sustainable, and flexible funding that will enable us to:

Win on our priority work and, where feasible, leverage our resources to help our movement allies win, too.

Adapt to change as new opportunities and challenges arise.

Invest in organizational capacity.

Ensure that all of our chapters and groups have the financial resources and opportunities to succeed.

Adopting these goals as our own individual priorities has the power to dethrone the Plutarchy