How Do We Change The World?

First and foremost, I wish this to be a topic of positive ideas and discussions. Part of my motivation in making this thread is the seemingly endless parade of doom and gloom concerning topics of politics, justice and economics, and so little content devoted to the actual solution or any benefit that could be gleamed from such discussion and debate. Therefore I suggest avoiding words such as "cant", "wont", "impossible", "never" and the like unless absolutely necessary to further your viewpoint.

Regardless of political perspective, geographical location or societal conformity, I feel safe in making the assumption that most people in the world are not wholly satisfied with the way their respective governments are operating on a broad and general level. There seems to be a general malaise and growing discontent in all corners of our lives and there surely must be a reason for it. I know them; you know them; we all know them, yet given our recently-acquired penchant of airing our grievances on a broad public stage we seem to be at a loss at how to properly address these problems as a society.

It's one thing to endlessly complain and gripe and point out the deficiencies of a system, as opposed to genuinely contributing to a solution to the identified problems. I liken it to a sinking boat full of passengers, many of whom can see the hole in the side of the hull. Some passengers will point, and call out, and draw attention to it, but not a single person will rise from their seat and either start attempting to patch the hole or start bailing. They will just continue to sit and point and look while the boat slowly settles lower and lower into the water.

I'm one of those passengers, too; I'm not standing high above the crowd and passing judgement upon the inactive masses for I myself am guilty. But although I am passionate in a desire to invoke change and progress onto the society around me, I find myself at a loss as to how to get things started. And I think that many people also find themselves in a similar mindset.

It's not impossible, however much we think it so. Our very past is testament to how we can change the world around us, for better or for worse (most times better). Change can be enacted if we wish it so and put in the needed effort, and so long as the rewards reaped benefit the masses at large and not select groups or individuals then we will witness the very progress we so desperately want, need, crave and desire.

So I put it to you, fine contributors of AboveTopSecret, how do we change the world?
How do we patch the hole in the side of the boat, and start making our way to the shoreline?
How do we leave a better city, country and planet to our ascendants?

I open off with these three basic and easily-achievable tenets:

1. Vote: Voter turnout is - in my opinion - abysmal here in Canada and the United States, on average 60% and 55% respectively since the year 2000. How can anyone claim to be in a democracy when nearly half of the population doesn't vote? Because the results will never be a true representation of what the true majority of citizens desire from their candidates.
   
2. Boycott: This one is more challenging to put into practice, especially if it concerns a product or service we deem necessary, but it is possible and only takes willpower to achieve. Corporate entities may do many things which citizens don't like and they are mostly powerless to influence, however these businesses and conglomerates almost exclusively rely on consumer dollars to exist. The average Jane and Joe have more collective power in their wallets than the actual sum of the currency contained therein. Individually a boycott means very little to large profit-driven companies, but collectively and over a period of time can possibly evoke more change than any other form of protest.
   
3. Protest: People are fed up but they don't show it anymore and I am honestly perplexed by this, especially given how well protest has worked in the past to enact social change in the United States. Around the world non-violent demonstrations and sit-ins have influenced governments and world opinions for generations over. Government and armed forces can intimidate and even attack those who would organize for a public demonstration, but always remember that in any nation the common citizen will always outnumber the police and army by a wide margin.
   

I am not being facetious when I say the first thing that popped in my mind was allowing the workforce to take naps. I have been unemployed for over a month and have been focused on working on my art. I feel like I have gotten more in tune with my natural circadian rhythm. I used to be forced to wake up and go while still not properly rested. When one has to work for 10 or 12 hours straight, and then can only sleep a few hours, they tend to be moody and unproductive. If people were allowed to sleep when they are sleepy, and work when they feel alert, I think a lot more would get done. Now, I usually wake up at the crack of dawn, go to work refreshed, and then fall back asleep in the middle of the day for a couple of hours, get up and work until the wee hours, and then sleep again for 4 or 5 hours. My general state of mind and energy levels are much improved.

a reply to: ArchAngel_X

My solution is education. There was a thread today mentioning this very topic of education being a problem here in the U.S. But I think that there needs to be a worldwide intervention of increasing the level of education on all subjects. For example: the arts, language, STEM, spirituality, politics, as many subjects as possible.

Less than a month ago I thought that meditation was the key to solving our problems, but I think that for now we need to start with the basics. I believe that we should put an increased emphasis on education in our respective countries, and that we should also be generous with promoting education initiatives in other countries.

It's not the economy, it's education.

1. The dang flandit, darn flarndit aliens need to come down here and zap a reality check on all of us!

2. Let nuclear annihilation occur and let the dice roll where they may.


Hey, how come there aren't any UFO emoticons?

Print and SPEND rather that print and LEND is the first step to a better world.

Bankers have had their day in the sun. Time to grow up.

why is it that everyone thinks we need to change the world?

Just curious.

It seems that most nowhave an obsession with change, the weather, the world, people's opinions.

a reply to: ArchAngel_X

Change the world? Ok. Mission accepted.

Demand a return to the law, as it is written. All ways to fix it, have already been done for you.. Article 6, US Constitution. UN Charter, ChapterXIX Ratification, Article 110-111. Kellogg-Briand Pact. UN Declaration of Human Rights.

In the US Constitution, you have numerous rights. Not just those listed in the Bill or Rights. Right to a Republic, Right to fair Contract law, Right to Common Law. Right to a fair currency (gold silver standard), etc etc. Learn them.

The United States "Federal" government, per UN Charter, is required to be a signatory of the Rome Statue for International Criminal Court. Gee, why have "they" not signed that particular treaty yet? Google it to find out.

Can you say war crimes?

All you need to do is demand accountability, to follow the law with the proper order.

That alone, will change the world.

a reply to: ArchAngel_X

When are 'we' going to change the world? Never, history shows that the only people who have changed the world are small groups or individuals.

In order to change the world we must first of all change ourselves.

We are the change, we must stop participating in 'their' world and create 'our' own world

The two party system is simply the two wings of the same bird-of-prey

we must demand more and more referendums. Through referendums we the people make the decisions and slowly take power back from the small group of elites who hold it.

Currently a few thousand people control the few hundred people who rule the millions.

We must use the existing structure to CHANGE the system not construct a new untried system. Different is not necessarily better.

What if, indeed, the world changes.

But for the worse!

The best way to do it would be to start at the personal level. Start with yourself. Are you what you think the world ought to be like? If not, why not? Why would you expect anyone else to behave or do any better if you aren't willing to?

I'm not a big Ghandi fan, but he was right here - Be the change you want to see in the world.

Once you are satisfied that you are what you want to see, convince others of this and tell them to spread the word ever wider, raise their kids to be that way, etc. Pretty soon, we'll see how much change can be accomplished. But it does start with you.

a reply to: ArchAngel_X

uh that's a strange finding here on ATS, something constructive!

I'd like the idea that we find a way to avoid money and consume less. Or if we buy then from each other, I got garlic, and need tomatoes, anyone? Yeah collaboration! Little communities able to support them selves if they'd have to... wow that sounds Amish, doesn't it?

originally posted by: learnatic
In order to change the world we must first of all change ourselves.

originally posted by: ketsuko
The best way to do it would be to start at the personal level. Start with yourself.

Therein lies the key to this whole mystery.

The only way to change the world is to change individuals...

But we don't have the ability to change ourselves from within.

The only way for real change to happen is through a full-blown, life-changing spiritual awakening.

A one on one, in your face, personal encounter with Jesus Christ is the only way that this can happen.

Changed people, in sufficient numbers, WILL produce changed cities, nations, and in a very real sense, a changed world.

In order for that to happen, God is going to have to show up and show out.

“Once the soul awakens, the search begins and you can never go back. From then on, you are inflamed with a special longing that will never again let you linger in the lowlands of complacency and partial fulfillment. The eternal makes you urgent. You are loath to let compromise or the threat of danger hold you back from striving toward the summit of fulfillment.” ~ John O'Donohue

"There is a veil that covers the eyes of man creating an illusion to the things we cannot see. There is so much more to this world but without removing the veil one may not ever see it." "The awakening of man will only happen when man begins to listen to his creator. But man has forgotten how to listen..." "You have a PURPOSE. ALL beings have a purpose."~ "Lady in the Water"

The way we change the world is to stop looking at it as something to be changed. Controlled. Manipulated. Dominated. Conquered. Separate from us.

When someone says "let's change the world", what they usually mean is to alter the sociopolitical structure.

That isn't good enough.

The phrase "change the world" is very revealing if you take it literally--that is, to change the planet itself. As if we're separate from it and have the right to mold and shape it according to our own deluded wants. This attitude lies very near the root of all our problems. We see ourselves as separate and distinct from our environment and each other, robbing us of our empathy and instigating the endless atrocities that inevitably result.

We have to go a lot deeper than overhauling governments and economics.

Before you change the world, you must be ready to face those who wish to stagnate it.

Follow the money!

BE the world you want to live in, don't expect others to change it for you.

Personally, if we could stagnate the WANTS of the masses and concentrate on the NEEDS for a while, life would be better for everyone in the long run me thinks.

originally posted by: liejunkie01
why is it that everyone thinks we need to change the world? Just curious. It seems that most now have an obsession with change, the weather, the world, people's opinions.

I think it displays a progressive attitude that I feel is lacking from today's society at large, even as apparently referenced by a portion of your own quote which I have underlined for emphasis. "Most now?" This is not a recent attitude in humanity. Perhaps it seems more prevent than before due to the Internet, which has become a vast soap box infront of a vast audience.

originally posted by: beezzer
What if, indeed, the world changes. But for the worse!

A concept which isn't fun to think about, but is valid nonetheless. Are you suggesting that we abandon the overall goal of societal and geopolitical evolution on the off chance of creating the next Third Reich or Khmer Rouge? Or are you merely interjecting that would should be very mindful of the changes we enact?

originally posted by: Ninipe
a reply to: ArchAngel_X
I'd like the idea that we find a way to avoid money and consume less. Or if we buy then from each other, I got garlic, and need tomatoes, anyone? Yeah collaboration! Little communities able to support them selves if they'd have to... wow that sounds Amish, doesn't it?

Relying less on government infrastructure and more on the neighbours and community around you does seem like a very good start, as well as an easily-attainable goal in my opinion! Though one doesn't need to don drab clothing and adopt a pious lifestyle in order to reap many of the same benefits the Amish community does. I felt compelled to comment on this as very recently a Mennonite community moved into the region close to where I live and we have seen an influx of fresh produce and meats that has revitalized many farmer's markets, which in turn have been vigorously supported and encouraged by the local community. The lineups and jammed parking lots as these locations are easy testimony to this.

originally posted by: NthOther
We have to go a lot deeper than overhauling governments and economics.

I couldn't agree more, however I feel that government and economy are among the first places to start the process, as they dictate and control many of the processes that you elude to in your last paragraph. They all tie in with the attitude of the society it governs, and they are all interconnected on such a level that changing one would immediately influence the others.

My intended purpose of this thread was not only to explore the ways we could enact positive change to the world around us, but show that small and subtle changes to our attitudes and behaviors could potentially have a broader effect than any special interest group or government-sponsored study.

To those who have replied with broad ideas such as improving education and a return to rational law, how would you suggest a way for the average citizen to evoke those changes on a personal scale? Perhaps attending PTA meetings or contacting their elected government representatives, for example?

I'd love to not only see ideas put fourth in this thread, but built upon and improved.

FIRE.

Yes, the solution is infinitely more important than simply pointing out that things could be better!

Then comes participation... Which, really, many have their excuse locked and loaded.

We change the world every single day that we do something, anything (even just breathe). This principle is based in the idea that we are not separate from the world around us. How it is affected, and what course we take is completely up to us. And currently, we choose "this."

I do not buy into the idea that because this is the way humans have "always been" means that change all of a sudden is irrelevant. If we can improve our technology and our approach towards technology, we can do the same with society.

But, it really does come down to individual participation and such goals can be accomplished in a myriad of different ways. I think one step would be to focus on technology that enables individuals and fosters self-sufficiency rather than for control and dependence. There are quite a few topics though...

Therein lies the rub. I have a friend who's mantra is, "It doesn't have to be this way."

Got it. We all agree with this statement of hope and idealism. But. At the end of the day, that's the way it is; it has been; and will be due to the nature of human beings on a mass scale. I agree with the whole "change yourself first" attitude but that only works on a personal level. While you may now see the world in a different light, it does not change man's natural inclination toward greed and selfishness (hell, one could even make the argument that changing yourself is a rather selfish approach).

I believe NotAuthorized is on to something. Consider the fact that we, as citizens, continue to choose representatives that continue to pass more and more laws, which inevitably create more and more loopholes, in order to pass more and more laws....etc. Eventually, these laws will touch every aspect of our life, (rights, security, beliefs, etc.) If the current laws we have are not being held accountable, then what is the point of it all?

So, what is the solution. I believe it lies in EDUCATION and TOLERANCE (read: LAWS and BELIEFS). There is a yin and yang aspect to moving ahead that we have lost as a society. We are too stupid to control ourselves and don't follow wise sages to understand there is something bigger.

Once again, defer to Plato:

"Democratic self-government does not work, according to Plato, because ordinary people have not learned how to run the ship of state. They are not familiar enough with such things as economics, military strategy, conditions in other countries, or the confusing intricacies of law and ethics. They are also not inclined to acquire such knowledge. The effort and self-discipline required for serious study is not something most people enjoy. In their ignorance they tend to vote for politicians who beguile them with appearances and nebulous talk, and they inevitably find themselves at the mercy of administrations and conditions over which they have no control because they do not understand what is happening around them. They are guided by unreliable emotions more than by careful analysis, and they are lured into adventurous wars and victimized by costly defeats that could have been entirely avoided."
- Forstburg University, "Plato: The Failure of Democracy"