We Need to Grow Our Souls-Building Next American Revolution

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We Need to Grow Our Souls-Building Next American Revolution

Postby seemslikeadream » Tue Mar 13, 2012 7:01 pm

Grace Lee Boggs: 'We Need to Grow Our Souls'
Boggs: The "secret to visionary organizing" is a "combination of philosophy and activism"

- Common Dreams staff
At an event to celebrate the work of Grace Lee Boggs, the long-time activist says that "we need to grow our souls" and emphasizes that the "secret to visionary organizing" is "a combination of philosophy and activism."


The Chinese Progressive Association in San Francisco held the event on March 3 titled Building the Next American Revolution: A Celebration and Tribute to Grace Lee Boggs.

In this segment, Boggs explains how the east-west dynamic is changing. Speaking of immigrants like her own parents who came from China, she says, "You came for this golden mountain of the American Dream, but now people are going east -- Apple, General Electric" are going to China. But, she says, "they make a mess of things. They poison the water. They poison the air. They exploit the workers and we envy them because we think they're growing economically and we owe them a lot of money."

In this segment she also gives "the secret to the future." She states that the "secret to visionary organizing" is a "combination of philosophy and activism."
(Boggs begins speaking at around 13:30.)


As Grace Lee Boggs continues she encourages us to "grow our souls."

"We need to grow our souls. We need to find that balance of life that respects each other, that thinks that the most important thing at this time on the clock of the world is not our accumulation of things, is not economic growth which threatens and imperils all life on this planet including ourselves, that the time has come to grow our souls, to grow our relationships with one another, to create families that are loving and communities that are loving, to bring the neighbor back into the hood... There are so many ways in which we can grow our souls and the souls of those around us."

This segment also takes a tender look at pictures from Boggs' childhood and early start in activism.


With hope and wisdom, Boggs says that the "older I grow... the more I feel that young people are the solution rather than the problem" and explains how that perspective has helped transform Detroit.

Mazars and Deutsche Bank could have ended this nightmare before it started.
They could still get him out of office.
But instead, they want mass death.
Don’t forget that.
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Re: We Need to Grow Our Souls-Building Next American Revolut

Postby seemslikeadream » Mon Jul 28, 2014 8:03 pm

could we?...Bring it on

Path To The Mind And The Soul And The Spirit
Last edited by seemslikeadream on Mon Jul 28, 2014 8:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Mazars and Deutsche Bank could have ended this nightmare before it started.
They could still get him out of office.
But instead, they want mass death.
Don’t forget that.
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Re: We Need to Grow Our Souls-Building Next American Revolut

Postby Wombaticus Rex » Mon Jul 28, 2014 8:12 pm

Grace is dope.

I also recommend the genuinely centrist and beautifully strange Fabius Maximus, who is frequently accused of being an Alinsky liberal as well as a jackbooted Fascist for his relentless appeals to common sense and the common good.

http://fabiusmaximus.com/

Another sane elder voice is Charles Hugh Smith, who has recently been syndicated by Washingtons Blog, which is good.

http://www.oftwominds.com/blog.html
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Re: We Need to Grow Our Souls-Building Next American Revolut

Postby Elvis » Mon Jul 28, 2014 10:38 pm

seemslikeadream wrote:"We need to grow our souls. We need to find that balance of life that respects each other, that thinks that the most important thing at this time on the clock of the world is not our accumulation of things, is not economic growth which threatens and imperils all life on this planet including ourselves, that the time has come to grow our souls, to grow our relationships with one another, to create families that are loving and communities that are loving, to bring the neighbor back into the hood... There are so many ways in which we can grow our souls and the souls of those around us."


This sounds like a bunch of hippie-spiritual pie-in-the-sky kumbaya woowoo...

and I am all for it.
“The purpose of studying economics is not to acquire a set of ready-made answers to economic questions, but to learn how to avoid being deceived by economists.” ― Joan Robinson
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Re: We Need to Grow Our Souls-Building Next American Revolut

Postby 82_28 » Tue Jul 29, 2014 12:05 am

This makes me wonder about myself. Because I actually am a centrist but identify as "anarchist" who gives the time of day to wingers who I should "hate". I am just me and as should we all be ourselves. I remember when (and I still get it from people) that I have "too big a heart" -- whatever. Her wisdom runs deep within all people who 100% wish no harm 100% of the time for any reason all across our planet for any entity.

Good stuff. Thanks for sharing!
There is no me. There is no you. There is all. There is no you. There is no me. And that is all. A profound acceptance of an enormous pageantry. A haunting certainty that the unifying principle of this universe is love. -- Propagandhi
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Re: We Need to Grow Our Souls-Building Next American Revolut

Postby 8bitagent » Tue Jul 29, 2014 6:25 am

82_28 » Mon Jul 28, 2014 11:05 pm wrote:This makes me wonder about myself. Because I actually am a centrist but identify as "anarchist" who gives the time of day to wingers who I should "hate". I am just me and as should we all be ourselves. I remember when (and I still get it from people) that I have "too big a heart" -- whatever. Her wisdom runs deep within all people who 100% wish no harm 100% of the time for any reason all across our planet for any entity.

Good stuff. Thanks for sharing!


People mostly know me as the goofy, young looking 80's obsessed kid on facebook; but man I went on an epic rant about everything I feel is fucked up and wrong with this world....prolly got "defriended", but I don;t care. Shits not right. Yes I use words like "when words stop working", "revolution", and "personal jihad" but it's all just words to accentuate a point. I'm more a pacifist then Jesus. But shit definitely is not right.
"Do you know who I am? I am the arm, and I sound like this..."-man from another place, twin peaks fire walk with me
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Re: We Need to Grow Our Souls-Building Next American Revolut

Postby coffin_dodger » Tue Jul 29, 2014 7:02 am

I'm not convinced 'revolution' is the best word to use. Revolution originally mean't literally 'to roll back' and still means 'to return from a point of starting'. New ways of doing things requires new thinking requires new words to describe those states of mind - and as the socially observable time thread amply demonstrates, (especially including the latest Curtis blog), we are locked in a non-event horizon.

There is an inordinate amount of irony present in this reality.

I love RI. It constantly changes my perception.

No change, I can change
I can change, I can change
But I'm here in my mold
I am here in my mold
But I'm a million different people
from one day to the next

I can't change my mold
No, no, no, no, no


The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony.
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Re: We Need to Grow Our Souls-Building Next American Revolut

Postby Sounder » Tue Jul 29, 2014 7:52 am

Well said dodger.

I am reading a book right now called Facing the World with Soul by Robert Sardello.

He may have a few dodgy markers, but the book is great and we all could do well to cultivate more soul based relations to our surroundings.

However, some folk here would blow their corks if they were forced to read such tripe.
All these things will continue as long as coercion remains a central element of our mentality.
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Re: We Need to Grow Our Souls-Building Next American Revolut

Postby Belligerent Savant » Tue Jul 29, 2014 12:19 pm

.
Good points by Dodger above Re: concept of 'revolution'.

I work within a corporate environment -- no different than many others, regardless of industry -- and was recently informed by a high-up that I'm a 'genuine' person with certain standards/expectations.

It was conveyed as a negative connotation.

sociopathic/psychopathic behavior is encouraged/reinforced/pervasive within corporate culture, and increasingly (given rising 'infestation' of corporate culture into the current American zeitgeist) across contemporary Western reality.

In order to participate, one must be indifferent/apathetic to others. Must be self-serving. Above all, must not challenge status quo. There is no room for empathy or altruism in this environment. Or true courage.

Came across the below in the comments section to this: http://fabiusmaximus.com/2014/07/25/jim ... ing-70098/ , which can easily apply to most (if not all) corporate entities of notable size/growth:

It is management who has no concept of the abilities of their workers. It is management who does not listen; too arrogant to learn from their people. Of course when you don’t come up from the ranks what do you really know? Managements (sic) concept of leadership is to brow beat their employees into submission, licking the boots of your senior manager is the way to get ahead. Managements (sic) idea of success is, I’m out for myself. This is what management teaches. However you get there is okay, just don’t get caught.
Some people think I might be kidding or over-the-top! But it’s true. This company does not want your input, except in a chorus of yes sir. A real leader is not afraid of criticism or challenge. A real leader seeks a different opinion, a different view.


A real leader, indeed.

We can take solace knowing that this movement -- as with all things -- will be fleeting (relatively speaking), and will have its end. Perhaps even within some of our lifetimes, if enough of us refuse to comply.
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Re: We Need to Grow Our Souls-Building Next American Revolut

Postby peartreed » Tue Jul 29, 2014 3:10 pm

Growing one’s soul is counter-productive to the corporate prime directive of maximizing profit. Therefore, efforts to advance spirituality, ethics and moral imperatives will ultimately conflict with economic enterprise and will be attacked ruthlessly under various guises, slogans and excuses while waving the flag of freedom.

Ultimately and ironically, dangerous altruistic individualism must be crushed so that corporate control prevails.

The other best-kept secret is that true democracy is, in its purest form, the enemy of the corporation and the corporate world. Conglomerates operate totalitarianism. Soul epitomizes the dangerous, uncontrollable aspiration of individual self-actualization in non-material fulfillment. Thus companies must stifle souls.

Even organized formal religions are structured on a corporate platform preventing individualized expression in opposition to the organizational hierarchy and rote.

So a true revolution powered by individual souls will be up against a formidable opposition entrenched in all aspects of daily life, and will require great sacrifice.

It will require a catalyst of incredible compulsion to even ignite and unite soul forces on the scale needed to challenge the universal social status quo.

A messianic arrival.
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Re: We Need to Grow Our Souls-Building Next American Revolut

Postby Sounder » Tue Jul 29, 2014 7:11 pm

We can take solace knowing that this movement -- as with all things -- will be fleeting (relatively speaking), and will have its end. Perhaps even within some of our lifetimes, if enough of us refuse to comply.


I hope many share the same sentiment, I know my dad did. Buts his attempts at noncompliance were clumsy and did not produce a ‘winning’ personal strategy. He was a great man yet when he told stories I (and the other eight kids I presume) saw the pain of seeing ideals crushed and ideally non-existent, (even while making big talk about ideals), in the context of working for the railroad, just like his dad, executive level. The stories came out during the early seventies recession, one of those generational events designed to flush out the ones that never learned the rules of the game. Simple conclusion; monopoly situations are incubators for some very bad behavior.

So I commiserate with you Belligerent Savant in regard to issues you may face.

I could go on as this is a trigger issue for me, but must stop for now.
All these things will continue as long as coercion remains a central element of our mentality.
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Re: We Need to Grow Our Souls-Building Next American Revolut

Postby seemslikeadream » Tue Jul 29, 2014 7:44 pm

A hope to dream a hope that I can sleep again
And wake in the world with a clear conscience and clean hands


all you have is your soul





just a taste of justice
Mazars and Deutsche Bank could have ended this nightmare before it started.
They could still get him out of office.
But instead, they want mass death.
Don’t forget that.
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Re: We Need to Grow Our Souls-Building Next American Revolut

Postby seemslikeadream » Wed Jul 30, 2014 1:39 pm

Awake my soul

Lend me your eyes I can change what you see
But your soul you must keep, totally free


In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die
And where you invest your love, you invest your life

Mazars and Deutsche Bank could have ended this nightmare before it started.
They could still get him out of office.
But instead, they want mass death.
Don’t forget that.
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Re: We Need to Grow Our Souls-Building Next American Revolut

Postby stillrobertpaulsen » Tue Apr 07, 2015 7:39 pm

Thanks for this, seemslikeadream. Looks like something to clear the binary cobwebs currently stunting my vision!
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Re: We Need to Grow Our Souls-Building Next American Revolut

Postby Twyla LaSarc » Tue Apr 07, 2015 7:53 pm

peartreed » Tue Jul 29, 2014 12:10 pm wrote:Growing one’s soul is counter-productive to the corporate prime directive of maximizing profit. Therefore, efforts to advance spirituality, ethics and moral imperatives will ultimately conflict with economic enterprise and will be attacked ruthlessly under various guises, slogans and excuses while waving the flag of freedom.

Ultimately and ironically, dangerous altruistic individualism must be crushed so that corporate control prevails.

.


I would say that that is part of the impetus behind the kind of extreme liberterian atheism that labels just about any unquantifiable human experience as 'woo' and browbeats any consideration of what the corporate state feeds us, both literally and with Burrough's 'long newspaper spoon'.

Scientism sounds so logical and seems such an enlightened stance to some, I doubt the majority realize what they are serving to themselves and the rest of us.
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