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July 20, 2008 at 20:29:46
Promoted to Headline (H3) on 7/20/08: by Olga Bonfiglio Page 1 of 2 page(s) |
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Detroit, the once-proud capital of industrialization is now the paragon of de-industrialization and urban decay. General Motors’ July 15 announcement that it will cut white-collar employment costs by 20 percent is just one more nail in the industrial coffin. Actually, this job-cutting phenomenon isn’t new. It’s been going on since the 1960s when the car companies began automating blue-collar assembly line jobs. Since the 1980s they have been steadily chipping away at the white-collar jobs by offering middle managers early retirement buy-outs. This is the next American revolution, said Dr. Grace Lee Boggs, 93, a long-time Detroit activist and a Bryn Mawr-educated philosopher.
“We are at a stage in human history that is as monumental as changing from a hunter/gatherer society to an agricultural society and from an agricultural society to and industrial society. Where we’re headed now will be different because we have exhausted planetary space and human space for us to continue to look at things through the Cartesian measurement of material things.”
In other words, a new epoch is emerging that emphasizes relationships and communities more than the accumulation of things — and the counting of profits.
A trip to Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, a mere 30 minutes from downtown Detroit, illustrates how the nineteenth century Industrial Revolution grew into the twentieth century consumerist society, which was plush with inventions and conveniences that raised the living standards of middle class Americans. People could afford these products because so many of them left their farms and took higher-paying factory jobs in the cities. However, those good wages came at a price: people became mindless cogs in a giant machine, as Charlie Chaplin depicted in the film, “Modern Times.”
Industrialization was a far cry from the first American Revolution of 1776, which was about people giving of themselves for the larger community, said Grace. That sentiment yielded to a European colonial mentality that justified taking natural resources from Africa, Asia and Latin America in order to manufacture products and sell them at huge profits.
“We need to face the way we used the world for our gains, pleasures, satisfactions,” said Grace. “This is the way we evolve to a higher stage of humanity. And unless we want to live in terror for the rest of our lives, we need to change our view about acquiring things.”
The industrial society also skirted social justice concerns by focusing on jobs and paychecks as a means of keeping the economy going and the people happy. It didn’t face the fact that the workers were demeaned and deskilled or that some of the products they made (like military equipment) or some of the processes they used (which involved dangerous chemicals) could be harmful.
Actually, people have only had “jobs” for the past 100 years. These jobs had nothing to do with being productive, making products essential for living or deriving personal growth or the enjoyment of life. Jobs led people to believe that anything they did for pay was good — no matter how destructive it was to the person, the community or the environment.
Now, in the twenty-first century after hundreds of thousands of jobs have been moved offshore and collapsed many local economies, Grace believes that the way has been cleared for the next American revolution, especially since a number of other factors make the need for change both obvious and necessary:
- Occupation of Iraq;
- Environmental degradation, species extinction and global warming;
- Polarization of the rich and poor in the United States and in the global North and South;
- Economic instability with trillions of dollars of debt, housing foreclosures and the loss of local small businesses and farms.
She said that the turning point occurred in 1999 when protesters’ demonstrations effectively closed the World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting held in Seattle. A worldwide movement was kicked off to challenge the rapacious global economy that was shifting the labor market to the lowest bidder in a kind of race to the bottom.
“We usually think of revolution as violence,” said Grace. “However, revolution is more about envisioning what is possible when it appears that things are changing.” She believes that Detroit, in particular, is fertile ground for this next revolution because it is such a devastated city.
Detroit has 70,000 vacant lots where neighborhoods and commercial properties once stood. And although the city looks like it has been bombed, Grace sees a silver lining: the city no longer has to adhere to the usual capitalist mantra of growth and expansion because it is absolutely clear that the industrial system is finished. This fact allows citizens to respond by starting something new all over again.
Grace and her husband, Jimmy Boggs (now deceased), a 30-year Chrysler autoworker, and a host of their friends began articulating the next revolution in the 1980s. Their work eventually planted the seeds for “Detroit Summer” in 1992 where young and old would re-generate their neighborhoods by developing community gardens and producing public works of art.
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| 7 comments |
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The only revolution worth having is one that produces smarts
I am an extremely gregarious person, even though I hate mankind and all its works. I would rather sit around in coffee shops until we all talk ourselves to death. Keep the new relationships away from me. by John Hanks (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1760 comments [39 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Jul 21, 2008 at 12:22:38 PM  (0+)
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I'm with Hanks...
...love a good conversation... and people annoy the crap out of me. Start diggin those coffee-shop vegetables, and you will soon recognize the difference between the carrots and the parrots. Mebbe we'll meet sometime during The Great Turning. I'll either be the guy who says, "...hey buddy- could you use some hot Java?" or the one who says, "...hey man, kin ye spare a cup?" Don't need to know your name... and you don't want to know mine. by waldopaper (15 articles, 3 quicklinks, 34 diaries, 609 comments [84 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Jul 21, 2008 at 1:09:50 PM (0+)
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Disagree/agree
I agree with some of this article while disagreeing with it at the same time. People, mostly men, have had 'jobs' since before Roman times -Roman soldiers were paid for their services. People have had 'jobs' for a long long time - there were also MAXIMUM wage laws - where it was illegal to pay people MORE than a certain amount, this kept the un-wanted poor from rising up any social ladders. Also people have held "jobs" within tribal communties - one person specializing in a certain talent that helped the whole tribe - and bartering was used rather than a wage. What we are now facing as a country has a lot more to do with corporations profiting at the expense of what's good for our country, and what's good for our people. I don't believe in this whole scarcity and lack idea - I believe there's more than enough to go around worldwide - for every human, but due to the wealthy minority and their insatiable greed and power lust they have caused an imbalance in the system. The powerful have amassed great wealth and resources unto themselves and told the rest of us that there's just not enough to go around and hey while you're at it why don't you have a car wash to pay for that cancer treatment and the vast majority of people have bought this hook, line, and sinker. The powerful's "Free Market" is speaking and it's saying that the "Free Market" is unsustainable as it is currently being run. There exists enough resources, enough clean renewable energy, enough food, enough water, enough medicine, enough of everything to raise the living standards of every human on earth. Trouble is most people don't believe it and the rich and powerful would rather not share. As for community - in my community or at least in my neighborhood - if you don't go to the same church as everyone else you aren't fit to talk to, so, hey, so much for community - and those minds are so closed there's little hope that they will see things any different, and they aren't going to be willing to share jack s**t unless you're a church member. Not so community minded these kind of christians. I never want to see a revolution of a violent nature in America. But man, do we need to change the state of things - before it's too late. by Cheryl Abraham (13 articles, 2 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 207 comments) on Monday, Jul 21, 2008 at 3:58:43 PM (0+)
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WharReallyHappened Links To This Article
WhatReallyHappened.com has linked this article on it's menu for the 21st. Thought Olga might want to know. by Robert Arend (24 articles, 30 quicklinks, 21 diaries, 240 comments [22 recommended, 1 rejected]) on Monday, Jul 21, 2008 at 4:29:34 PM (0+)
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The Revolution
Will the Revolution bring a new phase in Americas future by changing from an industrial manufacturing economy to an information computer economy to a creative artistic economy and then to a garden growing commune economy. I sincerely believe that whatever dreams or aspirations American citizens choose to attain, their goals will be destroyed by the actions of greedy multinational corporations. The past few decades have brought about a fundamental change in the way business views its responsibility's to its fellow citizens. Americans used to work for the same company for many years often times for 30 or even 40 years. The were treated like family and only fired for very good reasons. Nowadays workers at almost all levels are viewed as nothing more than capital, disposed of as soon as a cheaper replacement can be found, Even though the worker was a veteran and his family will face severe hardship, who the hell cares about a fellow American when someone in India or Communist China will do the job for less. What Americans will revolt against is free trade and globalization. Free trade is destroying America by transferring all of our wealth to other countries and it renders us dependant on other countries for our goods and and energy. Protectionism is not a dirty word its what built America and is essential for its national security. The new Revolution will be make America self sufficient, import only as a last resort. If this happens America will once again be a beautiful happy place. by Gary Denson (2 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 283 comments) on Monday, Jul 21, 2008 at 5:16:42 PM (0+)
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Village the third V
In order to make corporate governance (the prodedure by which corporations are directed) more proactive rather than merely compliance driven, best practice encourages boards to set mission, vision and values. This is generally explained as Mission = What we do. Vision = Where we want to be and therefore - Why we do it. Values = What we are or are not prepared to do in pursuit of our mission, in other words - How we do it. I suggest that there is a missing V which stands for Village = who we are going to do it with. This concept is meant to focus board attention on identifying and managing key relationships i.e. allies - those who can help us achieve our objectives, stakeholders - those who see themselves as effected by our operations and political and community relationships which may be both threats and opportunities. This concept has emerged from my work in risk mangement and managing stakeholder relationships. I'm personally working on an internet based car pooling project to save money, gas, the environment and reduce traffic congestion. Viva la revolution by kwalsh (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 7 diaries, 275 comments [10 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Jul 21, 2008 at 11:08:51 PM (0+)
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This person has the right ideal!
It's not going to be long and things are going to collapse. You heard it from the secret meeting of the House of Representives. All people are going to need a revolution of change. A change in our whole system for all of mankind. It begins with our thoughts and it begins with one community at a time. Each community needs to get ready and be prepared to be able to live as a unit on its own when the time comes when we don't have electricity, water, food or fuel. To be able to sustain the life that we want during these times of panic people will need to come together and help each other just to survive what some have in store for us. We are going to have to go back to the old ways of living, but it's going to be like birthing pains as we come out of this to the new paradigm. It's all going to be up to us, the people of this world. We will be the ones that will create this new way of life. I have a thought, and I want to see this new way of life like none other that we have seen before. One planet sharing everything to benefit all of mankind and not just a certain few. A planet of peace because of it. by Lindiana (2 articles, 2 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 49 comments) on Tuesday, Jul 22, 2008 at 8:45:01 AM (0+)
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