Our September 11, 2017, topic was Overcoming Extremism.

​We discussed writings by a number of writers on the subject of extremism. Arno Michaelis is the author of My Life after Hate ​(2012). He was the leader of a White Supremacist group and metal band that received considerable notoriety. He discusses how he and friends continually looked for fights while in a drunken racist stupor: 

​Eventually, after the birth of his daughter and compassionate treatment by members of minorities he once despised, he turned his attitude and life around. He now frequently appears on talk shows where he expounds on how the racist ideology he once promoted nearly destroyed his life and the lives of those around him. A quote from near the end of the book is clear about the lessons he learned and wants to share with others: 

We then discussed a recent article in the Washington Post: “The road to hate: For six young men, Charlottesville is only the beginning.” The article confirms the disenfranchisement of those in hate groups. They see the world as conspiring against them and their interests. They are willing to fight (and sometimes die) to defend what they see as a threat by other groups of their rights — and their very being.

Stern believes that the “war on terror” as we have been conducting it is doomed to fail because our attacks on terrorist groups only confirm their view that we represent evil. This also helps their recruiting efforts. Rather, we need to make an effort, as she has, to recognize the reasons that people become extremists:

​The best way to combat extremism is to become models for promoting our values:

Members of hate groups learn to dehumanize those that they become to believe deserve extermination:

​Living in what we call a democracy is no guarantee against the violation of human rights, as we have seen in our own country and many others. From The Future of Democracy:

What do all of the above views have in common?

1. Human beings tend to generalize about themselves and others. We easily can demonize those we consider different from us and blame them for the circumstances of our lives or world. This is the first step toward considering others less than human and deserving of being shunned or even eliminated.
   
   
2. Everyone wants to be heard and considered valid human beings. Those in extremist groups have come to believe that their own value depends on disparaging the value of others. But another way to interact is to affirm the value of each human being — which also lifts our own human value — in the hope that the gap between us can be bridged.
   
   
3. We often emphasize what is wrong in our lives and world, rather than identifying our vision and how to move toward that direction. The vision of democracy is providing for the greatest possible recognition of the value of every human being. We have moved closer to this vision over the last 200+ years but it must continually be discussed and redefined to be an ongoing, living reality.
   
   
4. Our vision of the recognition of the value of each and every human being can be pursued at all levels of human interaction, including the personal, institutional, and political. We don’t need to wait for the world to change to make a dent in extremism. What does make a difference is keeping that vision in mind in our daily actions. This is more easily said than done, but it is more than just a principle or philosophy; it only can come about in everyday practice with others. We always have a choice of engaging — or not — in a war of words with those we consider evil. Physical wars often begin with word wars. The alternative is to engage in constructive dialogue toward a common vision and discuss how best to enact that vision.
   ​​
5. Hatred is a feeling of condemnation that we project onto others who may or may not experience it. Thus when we condemn others we also condemn ourselves. In the words of Nelson Mandela:
   
   “To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” (Long Walk to Freedom)
   
   
6. Of course we must respond if we are attacked, and be prepared for that possibility. But dwelling on a war-like vision — rather than a vision of the world we want to live in — makes us more likely to move toward conflict and war.

The focus of our May 15 discussion was Economics and Democracy. We considered the influence of economics on democracy through the ages, with a special emphasis on Milton Friedman of the (University of) Chicago School, versus the modern progressive economics of Robert Reich and others.
 
The cover of our packet had a quote from The Future of Democracy:

​The topic of our April 17 discussion was After the Revolution, with a focus on the long-term success or failure of revolutions around the world, including our own.
 
The cover of our packet had a quote from The Future of Democracy ​about the French Revolution, although it applies to many others since that time:

We focused on the book Our Revolution by Bernie Sanders, as well as Thomas Paine by Craig Nelson, and Creating a Culture of Revolution, by our own Deborah Pearl.

What revolutions have in common is radical change in an established political system. They can, however — as Deborah Pearl points out — be preceded by many years of ferment and discontent. In the case of Russia, there was the gradual organization of revolutionary ideas for 50 years before their revolution took place. Meetings were organized by intellectuals who used pamphlets to convince a growing percent of the population that they did not have to submit to the rule of “Father Czar” although they had become accustomed to suppression as a way of life over generations.

Bernie Sanders, in his book Our Revolution, is not advocating an overthrow of government, but promoting a radical alteration in the economic situation that has left millions of members of the middle class behind. His book covers a wide range of areas that affect the majority of individuals including income and wealth inequality, climate change, trade agreements, wages, campaign finance reform, universal health care, protecting our most vulnerable citizens, and investing in a free education as a tool to move low-income individuals up the economic scale.

​At the beginning of the American Revolution Thomas Paine wrote pamphlets that were widely popular and brought many people to the side of the resurrection, although the population was evenly split between those remaining loyal to Britain and those who advocated overthrowing its rule. “Common Sense” was the first of his popular tracts that ignited a sense of patriotic fervor among colonists: “The cause of America is, in great measure, the cause of all mankind…” According to his biographers, Paine was a passionate individual who lacked the tact and ability to work with others toward a common goal as was Jefferson or Franklin. The enlightenment that inspired our revolution was, to a great extent, an extension of the idea that humans were not bound by the traditions that kept them in their place, but only by the laws of a god who created nature. All are equal under that god.

We discussed how in the aftermath of the American Revolution, the US founders realized that their Articles of Confederation had created a weak system of states with no common purpose or direction. Thus, eleven years later (1787) they saw the need to work together to create a written constitution that claimed that the authority for all laws as “We the People.”

The majority of revolutions since that time have faltered in the long-term — despite written constitutions that guarantee democracy — because of a failure to establish a common direction based on a commitment to the welfare of the vast majority of people. This has included France (until recently), Russia, China, and Turkey, plus many countries in the Middle East and South and Central America. It also includes internal revolutions such as that in the US in the 1960s and movements like Occupy Wall Street.

Our goal is to identify the principles of democracy that allow it to thrive in the long run so that revolutions are not subverted by the return of the oppression they were intended to eliminate.

Our focus of our next meeting will be Economics and Democracy. We will explore what economists tell us about how to make democracy viable and explore the view that there is no such thing as “pure economics.” Despite claims of objectivity all major economists have a political view behind their theories. We will focus on the seminal work of Milton Friedman, Capitalism and Freedom, who famously stated: “Government is the problem,” echoed by a US President who claimed to eliminate the excesses of government while turning the US from a creditor to a debtor nation. We will contrast his views with those of Robert Reich in his most recent book, Saving Capitalism, and other influential economists.

Our next meeting will be Monday, May 15 at 7:30. Let us know if you need the location or directions.

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We focused on the book Strangers in Their Own Land, by Arlie Hochschild, a Berkeley sociologist who spent years interviewing and getting to know the residents in an area of rural Louisiana. We also included a number of articles about voters in other parts of the US, many of whom have in the past voted for Democratic presidential candidates and then switched their voting patterns.
 
An essential element of Hochschild’s book is what she calls the “deep story” of the residents of the area where she spent time. They believe themselves having worked hard to get ahead for themselves and their families but nevertheless falling behind economically due to government neglect, or programs that allow others who often are less deserving to move ahead of them. They have developed a deep distrust of government and have moved to greater reliance on their local communities and industries for sustenance.
 
Jobs are a key issue in some areas that voted to put Trump in office; across the country in many states voters have become disillusioned that they or their families ever can move ahead financially. They have come to believe that the jobs provided by private industry are the only hope for them to emerge from their financial dilemma. In the rural South and areas that have become mere economic shadows of what they once were, such as Detroit and Youngstown, there is a feeling of abandonment and distrust of government. Many whose incomes have stagnated have moved farther from the American Dream, with no relief in sight. They are primarily economic voters with a desperate hope for restoring what they considered a prosperous way of life. They also have been victims of pollution that local industries often have brought, or a neglected or deteriorating environment from industries that have moved away, resulting in serious health hazards and a lowering of life expectancy.
 
But the well-paying jobs these people are longing for often are rooted in the past and represent unreliable sources of income for the future. Such jobs are based on fossil fuels or coal, which slowly are being replaced with alternatives, or automobile manufacturing and related industries where automation is taking over, so these jobs will continue to be low-paying.
 
Possible Solutions:

1. Our government, which has made huge investments to save banks with a good return when those loans were repaid, must invest in infrastructure and job training in areas such as green energy to allow those who believe themselves economically behind to move confidently toward the future.
2. The dialogue must continue to ensure that our government policies are based on what benefits the greatest number of people. Government often deals with problems, but it needs to be pro-active to help the country move toward a viable vision of sustainable employment. Our government must be seen as having its source in — and emphasis on — the needs of “We the People” rather than being seen as the enemy of the people by so many. When it clearly acts as an ally for Americans who have fallen behind, many will be less focused on blaming the government or others for their predicament.

 
We will continue to meet one Monday each month, depending on what works for the group. Next meeting will be April 17, when the topic will be After the Revolution. The results of many revolutions are a return to the oppressive conditions they were intended to replace: think Russia, France, much of Central and South America, and the 1960s in the US and other countries. Many are calling for a revolution in the US today. We will focus on ideas about how to move forward after revolutions with a discussion of the book Our Revolution, by Bernie Sanders. I have invited my primary editor, Deborah Pearl, Russia expert and author of Creating a Culture of Revolution, to lend us her expertise.
 
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Our discussion centered on the book Fortress Europe, by Matthew Carr, and a recent article from the Washington Post about a farmer who was fined for taking in migrants in southern France.
 
Going back 20 years, over 1,000 people die per year trying to escape extreme poverty and oppression from Africa and Eastern Europe. Because the 28 members of the European Union essentially have created a border-free zone between them, migrants from the south and east must pass through the borders of the furthest south and east countries to enter this expansive area where they hope for new political and economic freedom (see map below). All EU members participate in guarding the borders of this “Schengen” zone, and routinely send back people who have risked their lives to get to these borders, or put them in detention camps for months or years. This, despite the 2008 Lisbon Treaty of the European Union, stating: “The Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities.” The UN human rights commission (UNHCR) “insists that…migrants should be able to apply for asylum from the moment they are rescued on the high seas, in the country of the vessel that rescues them.” (Page 75)
 
Exclusion or expulsion of specific racial or ethnic groups in Europe has a long history. Southern Spain was ruled by Muslims from 711 until they were expelled in 1492. Jews were expelled from a number of European countries throughout the middle ages, including England and France. The US passed the Chinese Exclusion act in 1882 to provide protection from the “yellow peril.” In 1885, Bismarck drove out the Poles from Prussia. Britain approved the Aliens Act in 1905, mainly to keep out Jews fleeing persecution in Russia. The requirement for the presentation of passports to gain entry into a country only began after World War I.
 
European Union

Our first meeting of 2017 was on January 9 at Carol and Steve’s.
 
The cover of our packet had a quote from The Future of Democracy:

“Voting is no guarantee of real democracy that assures the rights of all. Voting often leads to unforeseen results which fail to live up to promises or expectations. If voting results in the domination by some groups or individuals over others, the result no longer is democratic.”
 
Thus, our allegiance must be to the principles of democracy, not to a party or person. Our goal is to clarify those principles and how they best can be brought into our personal and political lives.
 
We also discussed the current trend toward populism, as portrayed in a new book: The Populist Explosion, by John Judis.
 
We asked the following questions during a little exercise that you might try with your family, friends, schools, or organizations.
 
First question: what is democracy?
The group’s answers included an emphasis on fair voting (one person one vote), treating others with respect, protecting the minority from abuse by a majority, and promoting human dignity.
Possible summary: Democracy is a situation in which the dignity of all individuals is honored.
 
Second question: how does democracy look when brought into the world?
Answers ranged from getting money out of politics to supporting a free press to creating a space where everyone’s opinions count regardless of financial status.
Possible summary: Lived democracy encourages the active and free expression of the views of every individual.
 
Third question: what can we each do to bring democracy into practice?
Answers included ideas such as empowering people to participate, bringing greater respect into our interactions with those of all backgrounds and opinions, and reducing college tuition.
Possible summary: We can move democracy forward by personal interactions and participation in organizations that encourage specific actions to improve people’s lives.
 
Ever since our founders wrote a constitution claiming authorship by “We the People,” the definition of what is meant by “the People” has continued to expand. Slaves and indigenous Americans were originally considered not to be “People,” and throughout much of our history women and newly arrived immigrants — such as the Chinese, Irish, Italians, and Jews — were considered not equal to “white” men. Eventually, blacks, Indians, women, and those of alternative sexual orientation were included in our definition of “the People,” but that still meets much resistance by those who seek to distance themselves from those they see as different.
 
For democracy to function optimally, it is essential that citizens develop their own set of values rather than relying on leaders or politicians to tell them what to think. Clarifying what democracy looks like in the real world has implications for our personal and political lives. If we let others define democracy for us, we lose control of our democracy and our lives.
 
In the last election, many people didn’t vote because they believed that none of the candidates represented their interests or values. Now we will be forced to live with the results. Many now fear that the rights of some groups will be diminished. If including the best interests of all “the People” is our goal, how do we work toward guaranteeing the rights of everyone in our organizations and government?
 
For democracy to work, it must be practiced by conducting our educational systems, organizations, and governments in a way that takes the best interests of all into account. As we develop a clear idea of what democracy looks like, we will be able to determine whether the path our leaders propose best serves the needs of the greatest number of people. Then we need to support those candidates who express the most-inclusive vision.
 
Many have seen their real income drop since the 2008 recession, which has lowered their financial prospects for meeting everyday expenses such as mortgages, college for their children, procuring a decent retirement, etc. It is easiest to blame those who have different racial or color profiles as “the other” for an economy that leaves some stuck at the bottom amidst growing inequality.
 
Our country — along with many other Western nations — has moved to the right since inequalities became gradually more pronounced in the 1980s with the advent of “neoliberalism.” Many one-time liberals in the US and Europe adopted more-conservative views under Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. This was then played upon by Bill Clinton, who claimed he would “end welfare as we know it,” and who signed legislation deregulating banks. That, plus a failure to enforce the laws against bank speculation under Bush and Obama, contributed to increased inequality that led many to become purely economic voters.
 
The solution to growing economic inequality is “a rising tide” — investing in our future in areas such as infrastructure and jobs training that fit our evolving economy and world. The government can support this in a way that benefits those at all economic levels. At those times when the government has invested in jobs that led to more hiring by private industry, such as during and after World War II, there has been less general poverty. Wages were adequate to provide a good living and inequality was much less pronounced, as everyone was needed in the job market.
 
Economies can be stable only when those at all income levels earn a living wage, which, when they spend, increases economic flow and helps those at every level of income. Economic inequality has been a factor in most worldwide downturns. Those at lower incomes fall behind. When they stop spending, it brings down the entire economic structure.
 
The Populist Explosion explores the trend of blaming those who we think of as different from us — “the other” — for taking away jobs during economic downturns in the US and Western Europe by those who see themselves as losing ground. Let Steve know if you want a copy of quotes from this excellent book.
 
Possible Solutions:
 
1. Listening to those who we consider as different from ourselves, regardless of whether we agree with their views. Relating to them as fellow humans first hopefully will open the possibility of a discussion of the nature of democracy and what makes it work.
 
2. Getting our politicians to address the needs of those at all ends of the economic spectrum, especially those who believe themselves to have fallen behind.
 
3. Encouraging our government to support infrastructure rebuilding and job training that meets the needs of our evolving economy. These programs become self-supporting as people are able to eventually rise on the economic scale and pay more taxes.
 
We will continue to meet on the second Monday of each month. Next meeting will be February 13. We will be discussing the immigration crisis in Europe and the US and the book Fortress Europe by Matthew Carr. Please use our contact page if you will be attending to be notified of the location.
 
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The first meeting of our newly re-established group was on December 12, at Carol and Steve’s.
 
Our emphasis is on what we think democracy should look like in light of the possibility that it is in trouble in today’s world. Governments and leaders have come and gone throughout history, but the US was the first nation to clarify — through its Declaration of Independence and Constitution — a vision of what democracy can be in the long term. That vision continues to evolve, but a clear sense of where we are going is essential to know whether we are moving in the right direction. Thus, we will commit ourselves to clarifying that vision while keeping a focus on current developments in the US and throughout the world.
 
We discussed the current populism trend — of the right and left — in the Western world, particularly in the recent US election. Steve mentioned the last sentence of his book, The Future of Democracy:  “Start the conversation.” We then saw a video (watch it here) of Van Jones doing just that — having a conversation with Trump supporters on his CNN program, The Messy Truth. He interviewed an Ohio family of long-term union members and supporters of the Democratic Party — including supporting Obama — up until this election. All of the males — father and three sons — voted for Trump this time based on their stagnant financial situation. They were willing to overlook all of the distasteful things Trump said and focus on a hope that he would follow through with his promise to restore jobs. They believed that Hillary ignored them.
 
This ties in with the concern of Robert Reich, Thomas Piketty, and other economists that the middle class is falling continually further behind. The mother of this family found both candidates so distasteful that she voted for all Democrats on the ticket, except for president, which she left blank. This may be why voter turnout was low this year. Whether right or wrong, there is a strong backlash among many voters to those in power for not having kept their promises to those who feel they are falling behind. The perception among many regarding immigrants is: “They’re taking our jobs.”
 
We discussed that people — and voters — often act in ways that seem irrational or against their best interests, which led to the distrust of democracy by Plato and Aristotle, and was documented by Thomas Frank in What’s the Matter with Kansas. To quote James Madison: “In all very numerous assemblies passion never fails to wrest the scepter from reason.”
 
A number of us agreed that honest engagement and recognition of others and their world views is the best way to start a conversation that might begin to bridge the gap that is leading to much of the divisiveness in our country and world. Clarifying our essential values in interactions with others has the potential to move us toward shared intentionality and actions.
 
We decided that future meetings will focus on solutions as well as ideas, and agreed that we would consider at least one book each month that provides insight into the current troublesome state of world affairs. For our next meeting, January 9, we will focus on The Populist Explosion by John Judis. Participants are encouraged to get a copy, but Steve will provide key quotes as usual. Please let us know if you will be attending so that we can be sure to plan an appropriate meeting space.

Future groups will focus on readings on the immigrant crisis, education, the environment, and a multitude of topics that currently affect our world.
 
Organizations that were mentioned by participants that they support included The Environmental Defense Fund, Sierra Club, Southern Poverty Law Center, ACLU, Planned Parenthood, Moveon.org, and Center for Constitutional Rights.
 
Carol shared two articles that also can be found online:

• “Welcome to the age of anger,” by Pankaj Mishra, from the Guardian, 12/8/16, and
• “Autocracy: Rules for Survival,” by Masha Gessen, from the NY Review of Books, 11/10/16

 
Our group is based on Steve’s book, The Future of Democracy.
 
 From the cover:
    What is democracy and where did it come from? Is it a new development or was it always present in human society? And perhaps the most important question of all: what can we do to preserve and strengthen democracy among the forces that oppose it?
    In this book we explore trends throughout history that have brought democratic — and undemocratic — government to people wherever civilization exits. We discuss where democracy has been most, and least, successful and why. But our most important task is to clarify what each of us can do, as politicians or ordinary citizens, to bring the benefits of democracy more fully into the personal and political lives of those who cherish it.
 
The Future of Democracy can be ordered wherever books are sold.
 
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Have a great holiday!