These are interesting times.
The countries of the Tunisia, Egypt and Libya are throwing out their dictators in hopes of establishing democracies and gaining more freedom. Many other countries of north Africa and the Middle East are threatening to do the same. China is getting nervous and so is Iran.
Meanwhile, citizens of the West look on with intense interest and admiration. We are becoming more and more disenchanted with our own form of government, as our own elected officials increasingly pay more heed to their corporate sponsors than to us, their electors. Many of us crave a reform of our own system so that it might represent our interests and our values more closely.
But what would a new system of democracy look like if we could redesign it. For me, it would have to be redesigned to allow for greater freedom of individual choice and greater personal sufficiency.
What would a new form of democracy look like for you?
My plan:
Personal responsibility provides freedom. Put aside the contrived restraits imposed by governing bodies, choose your own actions without believing dependancy on anything but yourself. Start now -shut off the television, newspaper, radio and internet. Discover a day that is fashioned after your own desire. Experiment with choice. Find your own inner peace. Love yourself and any other in your space. Look no further than yourself. One can choose a life and in doing so, others might be attracted to the same and one by one, responsible self-governed persons will form a community where needs, desires and caring will be shared because we are responsible humans.
I’ve been exploring http://www.personocratia.com – yes I’m on the internet but am recently reminded to shut it down – for peace sake.
Comment by Joan MacKenzie — March 13, 2011 at 9:41 am
Very interesting comments. I very much like your use of choice and self love. I also like the term personocratia. What is the difference between personocratia and anarchy? Is there a structure or a process to a personocratia or is it open ended, dependent on the wishes of the participants?
Comment by Anonymous — March 13, 2011 at 4:28 pm
Anarchy is working against…..whatever. Instead of against, one would choose ‘for’…..as in going forward. A person doesn’t need to organize others – just be a person, stay in your own skin and answer to your own soul. Each one of us has the personal power to answer our own questions. We are already whole. I am me unto myself. I have no need to dictate to others; looking after me is a fulltime job. It’s about being self-full – an attempt to be everything that one can be. Going against counters any forwardness; just go forward. My inner authority finds freedom. I depend on myself. This doesn’t mean one is alone but it does mean allowing others to answer to themselves too. Nothing has to happen; it’s only about you.
Comment by Joan MacKenzie — April 16, 2011 at 8:13 am
Hmm. Deep stuff. I agree that we need to look to ourselves first but I think there is more to it than this. Once our cup is full, I believe there is benefit in sharing and service and acting in unison. I also believe that we are not at the point in our evolution where a personacratia is workable, although it may be desirable. So where can we take the democracy that we have now and move it towards something better. Part of the answer is in appreciating our own personal power but part of the answer lies in the appreciation of others.
Comment by Editor — April 26, 2011 at 1:31 pm
The democracy mentioned might really not be a democracy. There is no end of a person discovering themselves on earth; full doesn’t happen – stopping self happens, but then again self doesn’t really stop, it gets deferred to something else. Because humans are social beasts, there will always be a desire to mingle with others. How about encouraging others to take personal responsibility and help them to discover the life they want to have while alive on this planet? Maybe we arrived with a ‘God portion’ and we put that passion into action too. Each will find their own; perhaps God gave them that portion and the bidding in not in our hands. Pay attention to the clues and enjoy the journey. Everyone is entitled to their journey, but if asked, we can help.
Comment by JM — May 17, 2011 at 6:53 pm