Globalism. Nationalism. Liberalism. Socialism. Ideologies laden with presumptions depending on who you ask and how you ask. Why not simply organize governments around only the fundamentals that bind us together? Radical ideology searches for a common understanding on matters, despite different perspectives. From Islamic jihadists and ultra-nationalist militias to anarcho-marxist antifa groups. Numerous articles will be written on these subjects over the coming years.
Common Ground
- Planting the Seeds: work in progress (50%).
- Heart of the Matter: work in progress (25%)
- Moving Forward: work in progress (0%).
We try to find common ground among all people by using Jonathan Haidt's work to frame the ideological divides and help understand political polarization. Syria and Ukraine can be used as examples that only overwhelming numbers and hard collective work can lead to victory against establishment. But it must be noted that meek protests are ineffective and hateful disruptions detract from movements for constructive change. Driving away those comfortable with the status quo by engaging in violence results in a violent state-sponsored response that creates a negative feedback loop. We will explore how sensitive topics such as gender, sex, migration, climate have sensible solutions on both ends of the radical spectrum. Gabor Maté's work on trauma can help us find a path towards a workable solution. There are radical but peaceful ways to resolve the issues we all face. We can build on existing democratic systems to revamp governance while also taking matters into our own hands when possible.
Decentralisation
- Money & Power: work in progress (0%).
- Bullshit Jobs: work in progress (0%).
Decentralisation ties into critiques of power structures like Manufacturing Consent and The Dictator’s Handbook to build support for governance based on only a minimal common ground. Leave behind endless lists of rules and exceptions, shrouds of secrecy, politicians legislating on things that they do not understand, and bureaucrats arbitrarily enforcing that legislation without understanding it themselves. Focus on the issues that allow society to prosper through cooperation. Allow people to organise themselves using common infrastructure—not only for the transport of people and resources, but also for finances, communication, intellectual property, and production of goods. Leave people free to govern their own social and cultural development. Let them build robust communities in a world that is designed to allow them to provide themselves with the essentials, rather than teaching them dependency on central authorities, whether they be government, bank or corporation. Refers to Digital Tech, Machine Shop and Food Stuff for practical examples of federated digital systems and open source blueprints for common goods.
Peacemongering
- 09/12/2024 - An article investigating the crisis surrounding Ukraine-Russia is available.
- 20/02/2025 - An article detailing constructive solution for European security is available.
As people within nations have different ideologies, nations might differ from one another ideologically. But common ground can always be found if you look for it. War is always a failure of diplomacy, compassion, and imagination. We offer critical perspectives on conflicts. The stories we hear about events leading up to war are often filtered through narrow perspectives, shaped by political agendas, and laden with blame for "the other." By exploring the complexity of these events, we can move beyond propaganda and polarization. Wars are not inevitable. They are the result of choices made by those in power who are perfectly aware of the potential consequences of their choices, and then claim innocence because the other party is also guilty. The goal is not to rewrite history but to challenge the narratives that perpetuate division and to promote the kind of critical thinking necessary to demand peaceful solutions from leaders. We believe that supporting the growth of robust independent communities is an essential part of the path towards peace.
