Quick Clicks to Change the World?
The present US finance crisis also spills over into e-mail requests to sign petitions like that of AVAAZ making a call to act now. A friend asked me what I think of such initiatives.
AVAAZ says: “The global financial crisis is spilling over into our lives, threatening jobs, savings, pensions and public services everywhere — worldwide recession could be next, while the public bears the cost. It’s time for citizens around the world to raise our voices and demand that the fundamental causes of this crisis are addressed — we need tough rules to stop the financiers’ folly, and a new framework that better serves the public interest.”
They address European, US and world leaders: “We urge you to take a lead in fixing the fundamental flaws and loopholes which made the global financial crisis possible, including basic problems of debt and risk, incentives and transparency.” – and then they ask you to sign the petition with a click.
I’m not judging about the necessity of measures counter-acting excessive greed and its consequences… But I normally keep a distance to these click-collection campaigns. I had participated once in one of the AVAAZ campaigns, for Tibet. and there I saw that you are per default registered into their mailing list (from which you later can resign), so they are a bit enforcing participation.
For me these click-collections are kind of a show. The idea is fascinating – a click from the desktop, like in a computer-game – and then you feel that you have done something against global crises. But changing the world cannot be done with a quick click.
Of course coordinated actions are powerfull, courageous commitment for the well-being of ones fellow-humans or nature is of a great value. And also an englightened public opinion.
Action is generally understood as a means for change. Much less, however, the value of a silent, inner work of transformation. It is much more effective to change oneself first and thus create a change in the world. This inner work is not showy, it demands patience and endurance. It is not a quick-click activity or an online-game.
The global crises are the results of collective past actions, called Karma. When people are ensuring a high standard of living on the basis of bank-depts, and the banks speculating with hot air, it is no wonder that the card-house of illusionary values collapses. It looks like magic to witness hundred billions of dollars just disappearing into the void. Was there any real value before? What is a value and the quality of money? You might like to read the Good Will in Action on “Money and Good Will“.
We are in the month of Libra, and in the East they are worshiping now the Goddess Durga, who is creating the illusions of matter and its impenetrability. She is depicted as sitting on a lion or a tiger, symbolizing the wild, untamed personality instincts. The gambling of the banks reminds of such a “ride on a tiger” – but of people with blind-folded eyes.
Durga-statue in the house of a friend.
