[GJM] 03-05-09 The Optimum Policy (TOP), Lost Since The 1890s
Norman Kurland
thirdway at cesj.org
Sun Jul 30 12:52:49 MDT 2006
Dear Wes,
I know you heart is in the right place and you're a person like me and
others who are committed to promoting a more just and peaceful world.
Nevertheless, I agree with John Watkins in his friendly comment that he
cannot understand The Optimum Policy (TOP) that you espouse. Neither
can I. The best I can understand is that it is part of the genre of
thought that I lump together as "conspiracy theory."
I agree with Lord Acton's observation that "Power tends to corrupt, and
absolute power corrupts absolutely." I presume TOP not only agrees with
this analysis of the nature of concentrated power, but it offers
historical evidence to buttress this point. The problem I have with TOP
is that it does not offer, in my opinion, a systemic solution to the
historic abuses of power that is as sound and as comprehensive that
offered by such visionaries of change as Buckminster Fuller, Louis
Kelso, Father William Ferree and Martin Luther King, Jr, or as unifying
as the platform of the American Revolutionary Party to neutralize any
conspiracy, assuming one exists.
(http://www.americanrevolutionaryparty.us/partyplatform.htm) You seem
to ignore the possibility of more universal and equitable access to
property rights in the means of production as critical to your "optimum
policy." You also ignore the role that a sound monetary system could
play in solving the problem of global poverty, as argued in my paper
published by the Journal on Socio-Economics
(http://www.cesj.org/binaryeconomics/price-money.html) or in our book
Capital Homesteading for Every Citizen (downloadable free at
www.cesj.org). And your tax policies seem to be limited to using the
force of the state to redistribute incomes, rather than encouraging a
market-based and property-based version of economic democracy. Capital
Homesteading would free the poor and middle-class from generations of
powerlessness and dependency on handouts from a plutocratic or political
elite. It offers a simple tax system that would reinforce the economic
empowerment of citizen-owners to whom a governments of limited economic
power would have to turn to justify their spending powers.
The key to minimizing the dangers inherent in concentrations of power
is, I think you will agree, to redesign all human institutions to
structurally diffuse power right down to the level of every human
being. John Watkins calls this "human empowerment." I agree with
John's focussed objective. I use the term "sovereignty of the human
person" to convey the same goal for a free and just global society, and
consider all human institutions, including the state and central banking
systems, as mere "social props" that work well when they support the
sovereignty of each individual member of society and elevate each person
in his or her personal relationship to the Divine Source of all creation
and to the pursuit of all absolute values such as Truth, Love and
Justice. I would be interested in your critique of this notion as
expressed in the core values of our spiritually pluralistic Center for
Economic and Social Justice, which is imbedded below.
In Peace, only through Justice,
Norm
Core Values Amended April 22, 2006
.
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Mission <http://www.cesj.org/about/mission.htm>
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Global Outreach <http://www.cesj.org/about/cesjnetwork/global.htm>
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Board of Directors <http://www.cesj.org/about/cesjnetwork/directors.htm>
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Awards <http://www.cesj.org/about/programs/awards/awards-intro.htm>
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<http://www.cesj.org/about/corevalues.htm>Core Values
<http://www.cesj.org/about/corevalues.htm>
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Code of Ethics <http://www.cesj.org/about/codeofethics.htm>
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History of Accomplishments <http://www.cesj.org/about/accomplishments.htm>
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CESJ's Symbol <http://www.cesj.org/about/aboutlogo.htm>
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<http://www.cesj.org/about/accomplishments.htm>
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Successful organizations start with people firmly committed to a set of
core values, which cannot be compromised without weakening the
organization. CESJ's strength, unity and programs flow from our founding
principles, agreed upon by consensus from our first meeting on April 7,
1984. Our core values were developed to guide us in our work, to attract
others sharing these values and to serve as the very basis of CESJ's
existence.
We think that our core values, once understood, are universally
appealing. We see this reflected in the broad diversity of the
backgrounds of those who come together because of these shared values.
The essence of our founding principles has not changed from the founding
of CESJ. But, as we discuss them together and with others, we will
continue to refine and clarify our values by consensus.
The following are CESJ's core values:
- - - - - -
There is a Source of all creation and of all universal and absolute
values such as Truth, Love and Justice, which represent the ultimate
ends of human actions. Many people call this Source, God.
- - - - - -
Nothing should stand between God and the human person.
- - - - - -
There is a hierarchy of human work: The highest form of work is
perfecting the social order to elevate each person in his or her
relationship to God. The lowest but most urgent form of work is for
sheer personal survival.
- - - - - -
In interacting with nature to promote one's own perfection, every person
must respect the rest of creation. Each human being, a steward of
nature, remains responsible for conserving natural forms of existence,
each of which is interdependent and shares the same divine origin with
humanity.
- - - - - -
Under the ultimate sovereignty of God, all sovereignty begins with the
human person--not social institutions including the family, the State,
organized religion, the business corporation, the labor union, or academia.
- - - - - -
The essential means to achieve the sovereignty of the person include
such inalienable human rights as the right to life, liberty, and access
to productive property and free markets, equality of opportunity, and
the secret ballot. These rights--including the rights of property--are
not ultimate ends in themselves, but they are intermediate ends or
fundamental means to enable each person to pursue Truth, Love and Justice.
- - - - - -
People create tools, shaped from the resources and energies of nature,
to support the economic and social sovereignty of the person. Through
private property ownership, each person can become master of the
technology needed to realize his or her fullest human potential and dignity.
- - - - - -
People also create and maintain social institutions as highly
specialized "invisible tools" designed to serve highly specialized
social functions within a just social order. Institutions, as organized
expressions of society's values and goals, largely determine the quality
of each person's individual and social life. As historical creations of
humanity carrying within themselves the wounds of history, institutions
are continually in need of healing and perfecting.
- - - - - -
The highest responsibility of each person is to pursue absolute values
and to promote economic and social justice in his or her personal life
and all associations with others.
John Watkins wrote:
> Dear Wes, I don't know if this will be helpful or not. I hope it will!
>
> In my years of attempting to communicate with others, I've always felt
> that the failure to understand--or an "incorrect" response to--my
> statements means that they have been misunderstood.
>
> The only way I can hope to be understood is to re-state the ideas in
> other words, hoping to find ways to clarify (and perhaps) simplify the
> ideas--and particularly to speak clearly to those I wish to influence.
>
> Repeating the statements without change will seldom produce better
> understanding and will often be a turn-off. They won't get read
> because they've already been read and were not impressive. It may even
> lead to having your future messages ignored.
>
> A major question you should consider is--how long will it take for you
> to realize that the words and illustrations you've used are not
> effective communications? What can you do to reduce the problem?
>
> At 9:47 PM -0400 7/29/06, wesburt at juno.com wrote:
>
>>
>
>> Hi Folks,
>
>>
>
>> My 19 Jul 2006 post to Norman Kurland,
>
>> "World Wide Injustice At The Local Level
>
>> of Government" evoked a flood of serious
>
>> e-mails on my favorite lists. But they all
>
>> failed to mention the fundamental questions
>
>> raised in the following three year old post.
>
>>
>> ~~~~~~~ Begin three year old post ~~~~~~~
>> From: "Wesley S. Burt" wesburt at juno.com <mailto:wesburt at juno.com>
>> <mailto:wesburt at juno.com>
>> To: wesburt at juno.com <mailto:wesburt at juno.com>
>> Date: Fri, 9 May 2003 11:23:40-0400
>> Subject: The Optimum Policy (TOP), Lost Since
>> The 1890s
>
>>
>> To: My few friends lurking on my copy list.
>
> --
> There's a new easier and inexpensive way
> for your favorite charity to raise money!
> For information, mailto:funds at simsoc.org
>
> John Watkins Founder and Creative Director
> The Simple Society Alliance for Human Empowerment
> 379 Amherst Street #234, Nashua, NH 03063 http://simsoc.org
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