Zcom_simple

Hello,

Blogs are a familiar feature on the internet - where users post content in an accumulating manner, with comments, and search options, etc. They facilitate expression and exploration, and via attached comments, also debate and synthesis.


Reading and
Navigating Blogs

Our blogs are quite powerful. Each writer can post, as is typically the case. Sustainers who have the option can also post, however. All Blogs appear in the blog system, and sometimes also in content boxes the top page of ZNet - and always via the left menu of the top page - and can be found via searches, etc.

Commenting on blogs follows the blogs, attached at the bottom, and blog comments, like all others, are also visible in many places that show comments including in the forum system. In addition, the entire blog system gathers content for everyone - but one can look at the accumulating content in many ways.

  • For example one can look at one writer's efforts - so one is seeing what is effectively a blog system for that one writer, or Sustainer.
  • One can also look at the content by topic, seeing blogs that are tagged as being about a certain topic - or place, as well. Thus, when doing that, it is a blog system about a topic, or a place, with many contributors.
  • One can look at only writer blogs, or only sustainer blogs, as well.
  • One can look at blogs for particular Groups, too.

All this is easily done using the left menu. Searches allow even more variables and refinements.


Creating Blog Posts

If you are a Sustainer with permission, and are logged in, you will see a link in the left menu for you to post a blog - and you can use that to post one, and then tag it various ways (such as with a topic or place, or a group tag), and once you do, it is in the system with you as the author.

You can also use the console button to the left to post a blog - anytime and from anywhere in the site, as long as you are logged in.

Meanwhile, enjoy the blogs - and, by the way, if you are a Free Member or a Sustainer with a ZSpace page, of course you can put one or more content boxes on it, pulling blog links of any sort you may want to filter for, for example, by you or by your friends or by others - and by topic, about places, for groups, etc.

Blogs

1

Michael Albert's Blog

Web Address: http://www.zcommunications.org/zspace/malbert
Bio: Michael Albert is a founder and current member of the staff of Z Magazine as well as staff of Z Magazine`s web system: ZCom (www.zmag.org). Albert`s radicalization occurred during the 1960s. His po... (More)

All Albert Blogs

Our Future: Table of Contents

By Michael Albert at Sep 13, 2010


Change Text Size a- | A+

 

Introduction 

Part One: The Problem

1. Crazy Patterns

Many Sided Lives

The Ties That Bind 1: Institutions

The Ties That Bind 2: Beliefs

Understanding Requires Multiple Entwined Angles


2. Refining Four Views

Feminism, Anti Racism, & Anarchism

Anti Capitalism

Two Class Theory Misses the Point
Changing Labels Isn’t Enough
Three Classes and Classlessness
 


3. Society and History

Society Snapshot

Past History

Perceiving “Accommodation” Among Viewing Angles

Highlighting “Co-Reproduction” Among Viewing Angles 

Future History

Flowing Into the Future
Changing the Future
 

4. Case Studies

Unemployment

Wages

Welfare

Elections

Law & Order

Pop Culture

Immigration

Affirmative Action

Abortion

Day Care

Gay Marriage

Global Warming

Resource Depletion

Wars

Peaces

Revolutions

The Sixties

 

5. Participatory Theory

Obscure Theory Obstructs Use 

Congenial Theory Facilitates Use

What Is Sectarianism

Mental and Personal Flexibility 

Personally Participatory

Collectively Participatory

Organizationally & Institutionally Participatory


Part Two: The Solution

6. Negativity Won’t Pull You Through

Vision Counters Cynicism

Vision Informs Understanding

Vision Guides Practice

Methods for Envisioning 

Values for Life

Institutions that Enliven 


7. Beyond Socialism Is Parecon 

8. Self Management Implies Parpolity

9. Via Feminism to Parkinship

10. Through Nationalism To Parculture

11. Sustainability Plus Yields Participatory Ecology

12. Peace With Justice Is Internationalism

13. Vision Sustains and Informs Participatory Revolution


Part Three: Strategy and Program

14. Strategy Is Central

No Strategy Means No Victory

Inflexible Strategy Means No Victory  

Sensible Strategy Permits Victory

Brilliant Strategy Ensures Victory


15. Strategic Issues

Reform Can Be Strategic

Reject Reform Means No Victory
Advocate Reformism Also Means No Victory

Non Reformist Reform Contributes To Victory

The Numbers Game 

Without Outreach, Nothing
Without Stickiness Not Much
Yet, Better Fewer, But Better
Race / Gender / Class

Meeting Our Own Needs

Power Priorities

Power Corrupts
Weakness Debilitates
Worthy Power Empowers

The Movement & Government

Building As We Go

Growing and Empowering Us
Attaining Equity
Developing Solidarity
Embodying Diversity

Attaining Self Management

No Organization, No Victory

Why Organization
What To Avoid 

What To Attain

 

16. Tactics Are Transient   

 

Violence Begets Defeat

Too Much Pacifism?

Consensus Sometimes

Cyber This But Not That 

Face To Face This and That

Demonstrations Can Win

Demonstrations Can Lose

Seeds of the Future in the Present 

Evaluating Actions

Tactics Are Transient

 

17. Still More Strategic Issues

Mindset  

Winning Is Not Everything

Losing Is Not Nothing
Do Not Steal Defeat from the Jaws of Victory
Claim No Easy Victories
You Lose, You Lose, You Lose, You Win
Developing Virtues 
Building Institutions
Patience Is Necessary 

Audacity Is Essential

We Can Win, Thus We Try

Fighting on the Side of the Angels Is Suicidal
Looking in the Mirror Is Preening
Fighting the Good Fight Is Surrendering
Apocalyptic Politics Loses

Envisioning Victory Is A Fine Approach

18. What Else Can You Show Me? Program!

Economy 

Polity

Kinship

Culture

Ecology

International Relations


19. Roads Ahead

An Electoral Path

An Insurrectionary Path

A Mixed Path

Some Other Path

Organization For All Cases?


Part Four: Conclusions

20. Rebutting Refutations

21. The Logic of Revolution

We Are Minimalist
We Are Maximalist
Minimalist Maximalism


 

 
Person

More focus?

By xxx, xxx at Sep 14, 2010 15:26 PM

Hmm, the book seems a little unweildy.  In the "Book Help" post, you said "The overall goal is to present the insights and methods esential for intelligent empowered participation in a movement for a new society - all in a manner that presupposes no prior left involvement or experiences."  mBut the TOC looks like there's a heavy emphasis on theory - maybe it would be better to remove Part Two or put it toward the end of the book in an Appendix? 

But maybe I'm missing the point - that the method/path and the goal are actually more intertwined than I'm thinking.

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Znet

Re: More focus?

By Administrator, Site at Sep 14, 2010 15:36 PM

Part two is vision - can't have strategy.program without it...

But mainly, none of it should read like THEORY - rather, all of it should read like common sense. Or that is the hope, anyhow....

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Stephen_oct_2010

Comments

By Roblin, Stephen at Sep 14, 2010 15:01 PM

It's difficult to give sensible comments by just looking at a table of contents. So I'm just going to put down whatever comes to mind. Maybe a few comments will be worth considering (I make no promises).


The Ties That Bind 1: Institutions

The Ties That Bind 2: Beliefs

*Curious why institutions comes before beliefs.



2. Refining Four Views

Feminism, Anti Racism, & Anarchism

Anti Capitalism

*When trying to appeal to a more general audience, I ask myself: should we use terms like "anti-capitalism," "socialism," and other bad words that may turn people off, even those that would agree with the substance? I don't know how to answer this. My guess is that you have an answer.

*Why does "Case Studies" come before "Participatory Theory"? Wouldn't you want to outline the theory first and then evaluate cases? Or, would it be better to use these cases in "The Solution" section? For example, you could address the global warming case in chapter 11. Sustainability Plus Yields Participatory Ecology.

*It also may be interesting to thread some cases throughout the entire book. So for global warmining, you could use the analysis laid out in part one, "The Problem," to illuminate the problem of global warmining. In the second part, "The Solution," you could re-visit the case to arrive at a solution. And in the third part, you could devise a strategy and program. The idea would be to see how the issue evolves through your overall analysis. It could be interesting to start with the "conventional wisdom" surrounding a problem, and then subject this "wisdom" to your analysis. I imagine the output to look a lot different than the input. 

 

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1

Re: Comments

By Albert, Michael at Sep 14, 2010 15:09 PM

Hi,

Thanks for the ideas - many will have to be assessed as we go, with no decisions until later, perhaps even until nearly the end..

The outline isn't yet made non rhetorical, etc. But I agree with ou about the particular titles mentioned...

The other idea is good too - but length may interfere...

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2010_0128nz20100071

Re: Re: Comments

By Bramhall, Stuart at Sep 16, 2010 01:23 AM

Where do you plan to put "Identifying current successes"? Several million people are already organizing globally in a non-authoritarian way to bring about social and political change. Shouldn't we be looking at what they are doing that's working?

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