There are three  major views in the world about who we are and what we are doing.

1. First is the technocratic Western view of modernization and problem solving. This approach reduces evertyhing to mechanical instrumentality with little room for a feeling for life, grace, love,or even dignity. We are all being drawn into a role of machine part in a whole that feels ike a giant earth moving machine, without purpose. Gobble the sea’s fish, gobble the land’s trees, squeeze the living room of the people to prison-like conditions in school, apartment, work.

2. The second is a fundamentalist drive to bring back some parts of the past that were deeply affecting in childhood – as though these could replace what was lost in #1 and add up to a workable solution.

The pain caused by #1 leads to a desperate attempt to try#2, or at least (Trump supporters, Bernie Supports)  to prevent #1.

#3. For all the desire,  #3. unformulated. Green? What about inequality and automation? Stimulus to security creating fuller employment? At what cost to climate?  The Internet of people to match and govern the Internet of things? What we see is that we have liberated alt-news and fake news and empowering everyone’s projections. Google and amazon, Maybe Facebook, are emerging as the core institutions of society – and we can’t even visit. These are Martians for most people. We do not yet have a #3. In the meanwhile people know the climate is in trouble, that the economy is in trouble, that war is too probable. But there is no leadership that yet can command the media and the political process that has a hope – in most people’s judgement – of actually coping.

The Democrats at the top are the professional elites and finance. The old core is not invited to do more than vote.  Listening to those on the Democratic side that are left out would mean a real seriousness about dealing with economy climate and society simultaneously. The top do not yet get how far from livable and believable #1 is. The majority of Democrats do not support the current Democratic party

The Republicans at the top are more non-coastal elites of farms, corporations,  smaller businesses (not real small), looking like they are prone to nostalgia, they are more drawn to anti #1 policies and would rather say no to #1. The majority of Republicans took a chance on Trump, not out of like but out of need for a wild card to shake up the system and allow something else to happen.

Needless to say, this is all very dangerous.

#3. is essential to attempt. Lots to do. Most of our progressive activites look lke they are part of #3 – local inititives, Internet for learning from each ohter, media to keep us more aware of those living far away or in ghettoes. As we think about larger inititiaves (lime evolving the culture) working on denetralized compassionate local inititives is worthwhile.