06-04-2018, 11:19 AM
(06-04-2018, 09:27 AM)Eric the Green Wrote: (to Nomad)
S&H did not say prophets are a dark mirror image of heroes. They say all archetypes are necessary to the process. Prophet idealism provides the direction and blueprint for reform and change during the 4T. That blueprint is there for us. Yes, that's correct about Heroes. They are outer-directed and will be primarily interested in systemic transformation. And that will be about politics. The majority of what is needed to change the corporatacracy now is political. Even so, the next 10 years will not transform it entirely; It will still be there. I hope and expect some reforms which will set our political process back on the right path. During the 1T these reforms will be consolidated and extended. But the next Second Turning, when the Alpha Prophets come of age and Gen Z is in midlife, will bring back the consciousness revolution both outwardly and inwardly, and it will fulfill many of the goals of the sixties revolution and further extend the spiritual renaissance inwardly and the green revolution outwardly.
Of course, for this Turning the Boom generation must take the usual roles of Prophets in a Crisis Era and do those roles approipriately. That may mean that something other than a right-wing Boomer cabal chooses which Boomer agenda prevails. One part of the Crisis going well is that younger generations do not cast off the whole generation so that the younger generations can act without scruples and use the Crisis to settle international and ethnic scores. That has been tried, and the most blatant recent exercise of such ended in a fetid bunker in Berlin.
Second, the consensus must coalesce upon a benign, constructive agenda. As Boomers' share of the electorate and as holders of high public office diminish due to age (death, debility, and perhaps scandal), then so will the ability of Boomers to foist something nasty upon younger generations. Even if Boomers end up enunciating the high principles (Trump, who has no principles other than glorification and indulgence of himself, will not succeed at that role), X and Millennial adults will vote on it. X will be the administrators and Millennial adults will provide the muscle and detail work. America must get beyond the exclusive, hostile camps that made a mess of the Civil War crisis.
Quote:S&H do point to the consciousness revolution as having the side effect of too much inner focus and narcissism. But that is because American culture is not able to understand and pursue inward transformation as it truly is. Our culture is too commercial, materialist and self-centered to begin with, for it not to coopt a spiritual renaissance. But there were many boomers and other participants who pursued it well. And they became good, supportive parents to millennials. It has brought transformation to a degree; just not enough. That just means it must continue. In a healthy society, spirituality continues through all turnings, whereas in ours, so far, it has only happened in 2Ts, with only non-spiritual traditional religion happening in the other turnings.
The two certifiably awful Boomer Presidents (Dubya and Trump) seem not to have had much involvement in any Consciousness Revolution. But remember that neither X not Millennial generations will seek any voyage to the Interior. X remembers the Consciousness Revolution as the "sexual revolution" which hurt children badly. The Millennial Generation is completely unsuited to facing any sort of Consciousness Revolution -- and Boomers know this. Spirituality may be of great importance as a means of finding suitable principles that practical and dutiful adults can use -- but it will be Boomers who have found something universal in some sort of spiritual quest.
Quote:The consciousness revolution is the only path to putting our moral and inner lives on a higher plane. Our nation needs to become a spiritual and not a materialist one. You say politics alone can't transform the corporatocracy. That is true; but then the only alternative is to transform ourselves and our worldview; the way we perceive ourselves and the world. There's a third alternative though; and that's just to be cynical and let things unfold the way they are going now. I don't see that as resulting in anything but the rapid decline and fall of our society. Gen Xers need to look beyond resentment and critique of the consciousness revolution, and instead embrace it and what it offers both outwardly and inwardly.
Not quite. People can decide upon certain economic and social realities based on pragmatism. I expect the idea that the whole of humanity exists to enrich, indulge, and obey American economic and bureaucratic elites a sure failure. Maybe it will take another market crash such as that of 2008 to scare even our economic elites. Corporatocracy, as you call it, has shown a tendency to cause more pain and suffering, things that do not go well in democratic politics. Of course, should America try to force some economic fascism where it is unwelcome, then America stands to find itself with few allies and surprisingly-powerful enemies.
We will see many signals in November of this year.
Quote:If millennials are not told to look on the bright side, it's because they naturally do, and Xers don't. The millennials got more support in childhood than Xers did. So yes, Xers need to cultivate just enough hope and idealism to be able to contribute their pragmatic and managerial talents to working through the crisis and emerging into the 1T which they will oversee.
Civic adults cultivate ethics -- not ideals. Reactive adults look for what works.
Quote:It's hard to believe that we prophets will be over the hill and start disappearing just 10 years from now. Boomers to me will always be the "new generation," and I will always see them as dedicated to transforming the world, even if most of us have had our inspiration and dedication to higher consciousness and social and economic idealism just dry up and fade away. But I think some of us will continue to be young in heart and body, and keep on contributing and helping to lead the way forward in the 1T to come in just 10 years.
Ten years from mow the oldest Prophets will have just passed 85, and the youngest Boomers will be in their late sixties. Top be sure, that's plenty of time left for offering visionary solutions to seemingly-intractable problems.
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated Communist but instead the people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists -- Hannah Arendt.