( – promoted by undercovercalico)
This is the second installment in the series. In my first installment, I established that in order to grok the future, it is necessary to understand the present and remember the past and that in order to influence the future, strategies must be emplaced. In this installment, I will attempt to show Docudharma nation that there are proven methods, techniques and tools available that can be used to develop strategies. These are proactive methods and can be used to focus our resources towards achieving our ultimate goals; whatever those may be.
Successful campaigns rarely, if ever, occur randomly. Instead successful campaigns involve at minimum, some planning in depth. Intuitively, we all know that something is “rotten in Denmark”, but what should we do in order to help resolve the predicament we (humanity) find ourselves in. Besides pushing for impeachment, what else can we, as individuals, do that will focus our efforts and resources? I know I am supposed to Yell Louder!!!, but what should I yell about. And in what direction should I yell it? Furthermore, what if any, are our common goals?
The military trains its leaders in several methods of thinking and problem solving: intuition, creative and critical process. When a decision is to be made about a particular strategy or problem it generally follows these seven steps:
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1. Identify (recognize/define) the problem.
2. Gather information (facts/assumptions).
3. Develop courses of action (solutions).
4. Analyze and compare courses of action
(alternatives/solutions).
5. Make a decision; select the best course of
action (solution).
6. Make a plan.
7. Implement the plan (assess the results).
In order to Rebuild the Future, we must first lay the groundwork. We must decide what courses of action are best, given each varied set of criteria. It wont happen magically and randomly just because, because the neocon forces continue to work against us. And because the Democrats have failed to impeach, they will continue to operate unabated.
Even after Obama is elected.
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I’m glad to see a follow-up essay on this. I wish I could offer some clear answers.
Just some immediate thoughts off the top of my head…
The steps you listed remind me somewhat of the steps that were outlined in Gandhi’s nonviolent resistance campaign strategies, and are probably similar to those implemented in organizing Civil Rights actions – like the Montgomery bus boycott.
Another thing that stands out in my mind is the phrase you used for your link “trains its leaders”. Successful organized resistance movements had leaders – and I’m wondering if that’s one element we’re lacking right now(?).
The military has a clear set of rules, as does civil disobedience.
Looking at your list, it makes the most sense to me to start with #1 – Identify (recognize/define) the problem. It may take a while for us all to agree on which one is THE problem, there are so many! But, perhaps, we can have consensus on that rather quickly.
Well, here goes my first try at that one: Unregulated Corporate Power.
I know – it’s a biggie. Too big? Too vague? Let me know what you think.
However, I think it should read more like: 1. Identify (recognize/define) the problems!
And, that’s part of the problem, being able to identify the most crucial of the multitude of problems.
The thought that comes to mind first is that we need to get the money out of politics — limit the amount of money that can be collected by each candidate, the TV or other media time allotment and attempt to even out the entire process for all candidates. This would give each candidate a fair chance and us, a much better chance of selecting WHO we really want. Maybe, the media should donate its time, with some form of recompense the people and/or the government.
Feline mentions corporations. Very, very important and the crux of most of our problems, but here, too, utilizing a similar method of selecting candidates, corporations could and should be regulated to a specified dollar limit conribution, and a specified amount of lobbying time — even the whole process out, so that one is no grander than another. This would be very, very tough to get implemented, and maybe, there’s another way of dealing with it. But, still I think allocating specified amounts of money for each corporation and a specified amount of time for lobbying by each corporation might be a start.
Sometimes, I even think that maybe our entire system is a little out of whack. With all the complexities that face us, maybe, we need some form of a parliament, made up of experts, such as economists, environmentalists, scientists, particuarly, those qualified to deal with global warming, engineers with expertise on infrastructures, agriculture, husbandry, etc.
Just some off the top random thoughts!
The energy costs are too high…
-global warming
or, wait a minute,
is it the economy?
or, wait a minute,
is it the food source?
or, wait a minute,
is it the water supplies?
or, I give up, there is just way too much to select from.
This, while BushCo are on the verge of an attack on Iran — covert operations already being conducted.
Blackwater Security pulls out of Iraq, stating it wants to concentrate in other areas, etc. Blackwater Security pulling out of Iraq may not be all that astounding, but the TIMING is. Particularly, on the heels of martial law training for two weeks in Indianapolis, Indiana, last month. A relative quiet in Washington. I dunno! Can’t seem to get Impeachment proceedings out of my head.
Develop courses of action (solutions), partly because I think this may help us narrow our identification(s) of the problem(s), and partly because of what I see as the need for expediency on our parts. It may not affect our discussions here, but the heightened security alerts and DHS fear of terrorist attacks running up to the U.S. election, along with the recent change of course for Blackwater, indicate to me that martial law may be a stronger possibility than I had anticipated. Max and Tahoe discuss this on Conyersblog Comments 8331 and 8333
As a practical matter, I’d rather not be locked up on election day so that my vote can (hopefully) get counted, and for other reasons that only policies of a Bush/Cheney administration elicit.
This may seem slightly esoteric or irrelevant, but I had a dream last night where I was having a discussion with someone else (I don’t know who, just a “dream” person”) about pamphlets – their development and distribution. I know this is a course of action that’s been discussed before, and many bloggers do this on a regular basis, download and print from their computers, and distribute locally. This is an offline educational outreach action, and I realize that we don’t even have the “problem” pinned down, let alone the information and plans. Maybe the pamphlet distribution is the “plan”, or maybe it’s just a course of action to inform greater numbers of people of the “plan”. Anyway, I couldn’t resist the urge to throw this into the conversation here – it somehow felt important to me…
To conclude, if in fact individuals within the administration/Congress/private minions are implementing strategies to counter internal resistance, how do we focus our actions in a way that will not be anticipated, but can also draw attention and be effective? I’m thinking swift and broad… and ASAP.