Action and Consequences

Photo by Bradyn Trollip on Unsplash

The weaknesses and shortcomings of “good” and “bad” people are surprisingly similar.

Our activist group, The Saners, does not believe (much) in evil people, only evil actions. Those in a position to do the most damage are the ones we are most concerned with stopping.

Stopping their evil actions, not harming them or exacting revenge. Some of this is simply morality—recognition of our common humanity, regardless of the foolish acts we may commit. In religious terms (and The Saners take no position on religion, per se), we believe that one should hate the sin and love the sinner.

We also believe that we ourselves fall short—often—not because we are inherently evil but because doing what’s right often requires significant courage, and ability to take personal risk. The Saners plan to enact a strategy that will enable many to contribute significantly to a positive change in the world, while minimizing personal risk.

What I want to point out here is that a similar dynamic is playing out within the people who are causing the most damage in the world today. They are facing internal psychological barriers, and lack the courage to do what’s right. In other words, the powerful share similar weaknesses and flaws with the (nominally) powerless people.

The Weakness of the Strong

I often point out that powerful people and institutions are inherently vulnerable and weak because they depend on ordinary people—us—to do all of the work for them. There’s no oil without us. There’s no soldiers, no war, no police, no law enforcement without us. There’s no economy without us.

Without us, and our energetic active support, the powerful pretty much disappear. Everything they have and everything they are that makes them seem special comes from us.

But there’s another weakness, a weaknesss that’s the same in both the powerful and the subjugated. And that is, the courage to buck the system, to defy one’s peers, and to follow one’s conscience when it says to defy the rules.

People nearly everywhere are trained from birth to respect authorities and to follow the rules. Yes, we have consciences but—when hard decisions must be made—we follow the rules and fail our consciences. We call this pragmatism, but the entire planet is being ruined based on such pragmatism.

Disobedience and Freedom

Wall Street executives are our masters. But they are also slaves. They are rewarded for selfish, heartless and inhuman acts. They swindle on a massive scale, and they are the backbone of a system that forces millions to waste their lives in abject servitude to capital.

In other countries, the servitude is headed by different elites—oil sheiks, dictators, a Communist Party—but is otherwise rather similar. The rule everywhere is: do what the authorities demand and nobody gets hurt.

So we obey. And so do corporate CEOs who, if they spoke out and acted to, say, protect the climate instead of shareholder returns, would be removed, ridiculed and punished severely. The CEOs are in charge as long as they obey, and do what’s expected of them.

Just like the powerless people. The wealthy get more toys, but they are gutless and unfree as well.

Victory Goes to the Brave

Although most Saners should be able to help in a way that poses little if any personal risk, some of us will need to stick our necks out. We need to break the taboo of disobedience, establish the necessity of NOT following orders when those orders defile the planet or damage the lives of good people.

We need to set a trend: open and proud moral courage.

Many people, more than you think, will choose to join even at personal risk, and the growing numbers will make all of us safer. That’s how successful movements work. That the dynamics. Few are ready to go first but once the pattern is established, more and more will join.

I intend to go first. I will need more to help these early stages. I’m thinking that, rather than newbies, experienced activists may want to take this role along with me.

I’m looking for people. I’m approaching some people via email. I know you are out there. I want to speed things up.