THE GREENING OF AMERICA by CHARLES A. REICH

[islandboy]

Before I go much further with this book, I want to add that this book was written in the sixty's, at a time when young people were in a uprising with peace marches with in someways a clarity of things, and yet their actions were not productive because the goodwill they wanted to represent came out in rebellion against the government and their own families. The flower children, the experiment with various drugs, free love without  thinking of the consequences of their actions spoke louder than the ideas and message they were trying to send. Thus in this book their are pages that made me want to stop sharing, as they are not good values for any generation, old or new. But I read on and discover that within these pages are bits and pieces of worthwhile information that might help us see where new thought patterns could improve our society. But in someways it seems we are feeling powerless to act and for many though they would love to act, they don't seem to have a plan or direction to help turn things around. The Tea Party's speak volumes, but it seems no one is listening anymore. So what can you do on your own to improve your town and your neighborhood. Ponder these things as we continue on.........!

[Soldier4Christ]

at a time when young people were in a uprising with peace marches with in someways a clarity of things

Also keep in mind that many of those same people are the ones that we now have holding offices in varying levels of our government.

[islandboy]

What has caused the American system to go wrong in such a organic way? The first crucial fact is the existence of a universal sense of powerlessness. We seem to be living in a society that no one created and that no one wants. The feeling of powerlessness extends even to the inhabitants of executive offices. Yet, paradoxically, it is also a fact that we have available to us the means to begin coping with virtually all the problems that beset us. Most people would initially deny this, but reflection shows how true it is. We know what causes crime and social disorder, and what can be done to eliminate those causes. We know the steps that can be taken to create greater economic equality. We are in possession of techniques to fashion and preserve more livable cities and environments. Our problems are vast, but so is our store of techniques; it is simply not being put to use.
The American crisis, then, seems clearly to be related to an inability to act. But what is the cause of this paralysis? Why, in the face of every warning, have we been unable to act? Why have we not used our resources more wisely and justly? We tell ourselves that social failure comes down to a individual moral failure; we must have the will to act; we must first find concern and compassion in our hearts.

[islandboy]

But this diagnosis is not good enough. It is contradicted by the experience of powerlessness that is encountered by so many people today. In 1968 a majority of the people certainly wanted peace, but they could not turn their individual wills into action by society. It is not that we do not will action, but that we are unable to act, unable to put existing knowledge to use. Is something wrong with the machinery of society? It apparently no longer works, or we no longer know how to make it work.

If we seek to explain the American crisis in terms of obsolete structure, we might find an illustration in the ideal and the machinery of free speech. The ideal or principle is that every opinion must be expressed freely in order that the truth be arrived at. But the machinery for carrying out this ideal was designed for a very different society than ours, a society of small villages, town meetings, and face-to-face discussions. The First Amendment furnishes no workable means for the public to be adequately informed about complex issues. News is cut down into commodity by the mass media, a staccato piece of show business, and no one who only watches television and reads a typical newspaper could possibly know enough to be an intelligent voter. The vital decisions of the private sector of the economy receive even less adequate coverage and reporting. Moreover, the media systematically deny any fundamentally different or dissenting point of view a chance to be heard at all------it is simply kept off the air and out of the newspapers. The opinion that does get on television is commercially sponsored and thus heavily subsidized by government tax policies; the opinion that is not allowed is sometimes heavily penalized by the same tax laws, as advertising is tax deductible; conservation advertising may not be. In short, our machinery for free speech is hopelessly ineffectual in the light of the way society is organized today, and this illustrates the plight of most of our democratic machinery which has not adapted to changing realities.

[nChrist]

Hello Islandboy,

I think that the entire world is in crisis - all for the same reason - turning away from God.

I remember the 60s well and the talk about utopias that don't exist. The only utopia will be the one established by Jesus Christ after His Second Coming - His Rule and Reign over the earth. The Christian utopia is the Heavenly Kingdom and the Real Citizenship in Heaven for Eternity.

Mankind usually makes a mess out of social experiments. I think there is a constant - the further away from God - the bigger the mess. We are currently watching societies around the world not just turning their backs on God - but also mocking Him. Sadly, I think we are witnessing the prelude to the Tribulation Period. I say "sadly" because most of the world is lost. I don't think there is much time left for mankind to turn back toward God. I'll just give thanks that we have had the opportunity and freedom to share the Gospel of the Grace of God with the world, and many are still accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. I firmly believe that many will try to stop this outreach soon - even in our own part of the world. In terms of rights and freedoms, it appears that we're headed in the wrong direction - both for individuals and societies. The time may come soon when the only free speech is that approved of by the ruling elite - the PARTY.

Love In Christ,
Tom

[islandboy]

Tom, I agree completely with what you have written. There will never be a utopia created by people as for the most part most  people refuse to get along with each other, refuse to have good manners, refuse to respect their elders. Crime has no real consequences and discipline is out the window. However, this book touches on some of these issues and I found some of the contents a worthwhile read.

Re: (can I continue?)
Sometimes I have been known to say something out of turn that I live to regret. As a friend of mine, a good Christian says of her self "there are days I don't like myself to much and I guess this is one of them." But she always says also that she is not perfect, that only the good Lord is perfect. So in times like this I ask for forgivenness and pray to the Lord, to help me mend my ways.

[nChrist]

Tom, I agree completely with what you have written. There will never be a utopia created by people as for the most part most  people refuse to get along with each other, refuse to have good manners, refuse to respect their elders. Crime has no real consquences and disapline is out the window. However, this book touches on some of these issues and I found some of the contents a worthwhile read. Is it alright for me to continue?

Of course it's okay. My post didn't hint otherwise. I was just making a comment on the thread, but this will be my last one for any of your posts.

Love In Christ,
Tom

[Soldier4Christ]

Is it alright for me to continue?

Hello islandboy. If there had been any problems with this thread we would have made it quite clear without any doubt. There is no problem with it that any of us here can see. All that any of us were doing was making comments to join in on the discussion of this.

[islandboy]

Tom, Please forgive me for my comment. I did not mean to imply that your comment was anything other than a comment. I welcome your comments. It saddens my heart to think that you will never comment again on my posts. I just wanted to be sure that it was all right to continue on in this section on this topic, as it is in a sense a discussion on polical thought as well, but since it is a book I put it here. Please reconsider.  I am sorry.      

[islandboy]

Pastor Rogers,
Thank you for your comments as well. I understand you as well were just commenting on the posts. I promise I will not add anything from this book that would put a bad light on this site. I have the highest respect for both you and Tom, and would never even consider doing or saying anything to ruin our friendship. Sometimes I am a really good writer, and other times I miss the mark and say something  really dumb. Sorry for the misunderstanding.   

[nChrist]

Tom, Please forgive me for my comment. I did not mean to imply that your comment was anything other than a comment. I welcome your comments. It saddens my heart to think that you will never comment again on my posts. I just wanted to be sure that it was all right to continue on in this section on this topic, as it is in a sense a discussion on polical thought as well, but since it is a book I put it here. Please reconsider.  I am sorry.   :-[    :'(

I viewed this in light of a previous incident where you called me a "know it all" for making a comment in one of your threads. Maybe I also jumped to conclusions, but I viewed this incident and definitely the last one as contempt for me and an embarrassing hint that you don't want me commenting in your threads. At least this incident wasn't as embarrassing as the last one. I don't like to walk on egg-shells, but I will reconsider at some point in the future.

In the meantime, post what you want to. We'll make it clear if something violates the forum rules.

Love In Christ,
Tom

[islandboy]

Tom, I have done all I can to say I am sorry for the comment. It was not said out of contempt. As for the other comment, that was a long time ago and I tried to make amends for that as well. If you can not forgive me then, there is nothing left to say here. The comment was not questioning your words or meaning. I had some doubts in my own mind about continuing on with this review about the book and maybe that thought was in my mind when I ask you the question. I am broken-hearted over this. 

[nChrist]

Tom, I have done all I can to say I am sorry for the comment. It was not said out of contempt. As for the other comment, that was a long time ago and I tried to make amends for that as well. If you can not forgive me then, there is nothing left to say here. The comment was not questioning your words or meaning. I had some doubts in my own mind about continuing on with this review about the book and maybe that thought was in my mind when I ask you the question. I am broken-hearted over this. 

I have already forgiven you, and I don't hold grudges. So, let's try to put this behind us and move on.

Love In Christ,
Tom

[islandboy]

Tom, Thank you.

[islandboy]

As a mass phenomenon, consciousness is formed by the underlying economic and social conditions. Culture and government interact with consciousness; they are its products but they also help to form it. While consciousness is the creator of any social system, it can lag behind a system, once created, and even be manipulated by that system. Lag and manipulation are factors that produce a consciousness characterized by unreality. If we believe in free enterprise, but the nation has become an interlocking corporate system, we are living in unreality as the victims of lag, we are powerless to cope with the existing corporate system.

To show how this worked out for America, and to show the true meaning of the new generation, we have attempted to classify three general types of consciousness. One was formed in the nineteenth century, the second in the first half of this century, the third is just emerging.