“I’m worried that students will take their obedient place in society and look to become successful cogs in the wheel – let the wheel spin them around as it wants without taking a look at what they’re doing. I’m concerned that students not become passive acceptors of the official doctrine that’s handed down to them from the White House, the media, textbooks, teachers and preachers”
–Howard Zinn
And as far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t just go for the students. If we all continue to act like lemmings, we will all together go over the cliff like lemmings.
The existing power structures are not sorting out the problems. Why? Because their first priority is still the perpetuation of the power structure rather than the well-being of the people and the planet.
In the U.S., both political parties seem more concerned with dominance by their party and continued corporate campaign contributions than helping us out of our messes.
Within corporations, as well meaning as some people may be, the pressures of keeping the shareholders happy come before improving the lot of humankind.
And so, working within the power structures, while necessary, has its limitations.
How do we the people take charge. How do we not take our obedient places in society? How do we not just be cogs?
It’s not that I know the answer. We all need to think about this. We need to crowd-source it.
But one thought. What if we gathered in our homes in groups of ten and talked about how each of us as groups could begin to improve the lot of humans and the planet? What if we just tried that?
It would be a start.