[Oe List ...] [Dialogue] Wal-Mart and the weapons of massdestruction

Thu Apr 10 13:32:42 EDT 2008

Thanks George, Diann, Jack and all.  Identifying trends then contradictions is a critical need.  Otherwise good things we're doing are just dealing with pieces, with no big picture context. We know there's something better!  Others are hungry for it too. 

Abe and I met the Institutes and Order after the year of reading 1,000 books (1971?) and getting that wisdom into the social process triangles.  It may be time for that kind of comprehensiveness again.  This time the future of the planet is obviously at stake - not just the future of the church.  A great web site seems just the way to do it, with a facilitation team.  If $ are in the way, I can help with a few hundred.  Can we take up a collection?

Janice Ulangca
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Jack Gilles 
  To: Order Ecumenical Community 
  Cc: Colleague Dialogue 
  Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2008 12:32 PM
  Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] [Dialogue] Wal-Mart and the weapons of massdestruction

  Dear Colleagues,

  This question of a friendly web site for in-depth dialogue and research on issues and contradictions is one we discussed at the Denver Springboard meeting.  We are presently working on such a web page design.  Since it will be more complicated, or should I say sophisticated, than our present repository page it will take some amount of time and work as well as a bigger server to accomplish.  We are presently looking at how to raise the money to do this and would appreciate anyone's help in this regard.

  Jack Gilles
  on behalf of the Springboard Venture group

  On Apr 10, 2008, at 10:19 AM, Diann McCabe wrote:

    I second your request, George.  Spent 3 hours last night planning for the next few meetings of Democracy for Texas (Hays County) and we kept getting sidetracked by very complicated issues that came up, from where we buy our light bulbs to Carter’s ideas on Palestine, realizing that all things really do connect.   I confess that our method last night was one of sitting around a table with lists in front of us.  Our inability (on the part of all of us) to gain “insight into the trends” is frustrating.  Technology to do a brainstorm website, etc., might be a first start.  Again, I second the motion but don’t have a suggestion for now.--Diann McCabe

    On 4/10/08 9:03 AM, "George Holcombe" <geowanda at earthlink.net> wrote:

      This string of responses makes me wonder if any one of us out there has the technology to do a brainstorm website that could lead to a gestalted chart, so we may have some insight into the trends?  

      The more I think about our concerns with Wal Mart, it seems to stretch out to the world.  I am reminded of Rod Wilson's point, repeatedly made, that rail is the cheapest most efficient form of transportation, yet, this nation chose shipping by truck, neither cheaper or efficient, has had impact not only on the climate, and our roadways (taxes, repairs, etc.), but now plays a big part in increasing prices, especially for the 1,000 mile salad greens, and presents a threat to continuing the whole system of supply.  The very well planned "Disaster Capitalism" which is so entrenched in our thinking, life style and politics, threatens to become a house of cards.  With Chinese and other Asian workers beginning to strike for higher wages, the source of cheap goods sold in the West may be running its course.  The 300% rise in grains is threatening both the food supply and economies of many countries, creating what is being termed the "World Food Crises."  The faltering middle class, not only in the U.S. (I understand it is disappearing in other parts of the world) and the hugh gains among the super wealthy, present an imbalance not seen before in history.  The very interesting proposal in the U.S. congress to begin a World-wide Marshall plan like that after WWII is a new direction in thinking of American politics.  The growth and speed of the internet, which is building many new consciousnesses and connectivities, is shifting the way we think and do things.  The list goes on, and the thing that keeps hitting me is that this is not the gradual change of  "business as usual," but more like the falling into the sea of the polar bears, something very radical is taking place.  There are lots of books seemingly about this, but on reflection, I feel like they are written by several of the blind reporting on the part of the elephant they're touching.  I also notice that sometimes I have a hard time deciding if this is economic, cultural or political.

       Any thoughts?  Even better any ways to gather the input of this bunch into a trends analysis?

      George Holcombe
      14900 Yellowleaf Tr.
      Austin, TX 78728
      Home: 512/252-2756
      Mobile 512/294-5952
      geowanda at earthlink.net

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