Spirit Dharma
Thanks for your lengthy response. I’ve been at this project for 22 years now. I have encountered more than a few thinkers who believe we need to “fix” ourselves first before we can fix the system. Unfortunately, those who have been corrupted by the system outnumber those who have undertaken some positive life changes. Since members of both groups have the same vote, the corrupt side wins far more elections — therefore enabling more people to also not see the light. The cycle repeats itself. I have another Medium to this effect, taken directly from my book. (Chapter 8).
In essence, I disagree with relying solely “bottom up” approach. The top too must be overhauled at the same time.
In your previous response, you alluded that with our current collective psyche, the TDG is not going to work if it was implemented tomorrow. This is 100% correct. Notwithstanding the great difficulty of convincing our current democratic traditions to change their electoral structures overnight, such a change will not reduce the instinctual nature of accumulating power when opportunity arises.
Fortunately, the TDG, at this stage, will be attractive to a very small minority of citizens. These citizens will have these three characteristics:
- Recognize that democracy is breaking down.
- Be willing to spend a few hours a month working for a new way.
- Be willing to smooth out their rough edges as we learn a new style of decision making.
How many will fit this criteria? I estimate about 1% of the population in western societies. The TDG is not a mass appeal project.
In Chapter 6, I outline a process of how that 1% can build its own electoral structures and apply the TDG principles to make the TDG work without all the infighting we have seen in so many other organizations. In time, more people will join and will also learn this new way. With a little more time, the TDG will mature enough to take the reins of authority and responsibility. When that transition is complete, the change will be similar to one political party taking over from another political party. After that, the TDG psyche will be well embedded in the culture. TDG representatives will be focused on solving societal problems, not contesting elections to enhance their power. In essence, Chapter 6 is about training the population in the TDG way. I estimate it could take one decade after the 1% makes its start. But two decades are more likely.
But in these early stages, the toxic attitudes that will crumble the TDG today will not be interested in the TDG. The early TDG can start with a fairly clean slate of fairly virtuous people. Building of the TDG is the forum where they smooth out their rough edges. In essence, they will “fixing themselves” — or maybe I should say “taking themselves to a higher level of collaboration”.
In the book 1984, George Orwell’s society had three castes: the proles who constituted 85% of the population who did all the dirty work and soldiering, the Outer Party who constituted 13% and had a few privileges while being the hands for the Inner Party, and the Inner Party who constituted 2% of the population, and more or less ran the nation for their own benefit. When I look at various kinds of oligarchies in history, I can see three similar castes with similar proportions. This indeed may be the natural social order of humanity when we moved past our hunter-gatherer economies.
Western democracy is an aberration of history. Not only did we break from that 85/13/2 split, we created a lot more social mobility, opportunity, and prosperity for all. Somehow the people had learned a new way away from their “natural order”.
In a like manner, people can learn the TDG way as well. I have great faith in humanity, but we need to be trained. This won’t happen without a conscious, deliberate effort. And it all starts with the 1%!
My Ukrainian grandfather learned a new way. He liked reading newspapers and voting. And many of his progeny became well educated, had careers, ran successful businesses, and raised children without the fear of an oppressive state. If he had stayed in Ukraine, his expectations would have been a lot lower for his grandchildren. Ukrainian peasants, in his time, just did not move up in the world.
