Going Horizontal at the US Social Forum

["Mad" Miles]

Going Horizontal at the US Social Forum (https://www.examiner.com/x-23544-Bronx-County-Independent-Examiner~y2010m6d29-Going-Horizontal-at-the-US-Social-Forum?cid=email-this-article)

Yesterday in one of my long replies on the question of whether we're ruled by evil intent or irrational, unconscious chance, I mentioned that the movement to make things better, or at least stop our self-destruction, was meeting in Detroit at the US Social Forum.

The article linked above is a report on one idea. I'd never heard the term, "Horizontalism" but it turns out it describes a way to organize people and make decisions, that I've advocated for decades.

If you're allergic to the terms, Socialism and Anarchists, I suggest setting your resistance aside and just read for content.

One reason I don't call myself a Socialist, is that it is a recipe for self-marginalization in our public culture. Also it doesn't begin to describe my political ideology. I believe there is a place for the capitalist market in "The Good Society", just a regulated one that is prevented from doing more harm than good.

My thanks to Anu who forwarded this article to the [email protected] and [email protected] lists today. From whence I got it.

[Valley Oak]

Our daughter attended the Social Forum just recently in Detroit, Michigan. She is way ahead of her proud dad in her activism. I will ask my daughter about what she might know regarding "Horizontalism."

I had to read "The Good Society" by Bellah for one of my Political Science courses at SSU, back in 2002 or so. I still have the book. Although there are some parts of Bellah's book that are a joke to read, I really enjoyed how he thoroughly tore apart, like no other theorist, the fanatically held American principle of "Individual Rights." Absolutely the best critique on that point that I have ever read, by far. Outstanding.



Going Horizontal at the US Social Forum (https://www.examiner.com/x-23544-Bronx-County-Independent-Examiner~y2010m6d29-Going-Horizontal-at-the-US-Social-Forum?cid=email-this-article)

Yesterday in one of my long replies on the question of whether we're ruled by evil intent or irrational, unconscious chance, I mentioned that the movement to make things better, or at least stop our self-destruction, was meeting in Detroit at the US Social Forum.

The article linked above is a report on one idea. I'd never heard the term, "Horizontalism" but it turns out it describes a way to organize people and make decisions, that I've advocated for decades.

If you're allergic to the terms, Socialism and Anarchists, I suggest setting your resistance aside and just read for content.

One reason I don't call myself a Socialist, is that it is a recipe for self-marginalization in our public culture. Also it doesn't begin to describe my political ideology. I believe there is a place for the capitalist market in "The Good Society", just a regulated one that is prevented from doing more harm than good.

My thanks to Anu who forwarded this article to the [email protected] and [email protected] lists today. From whence I got it.