On page 192 of My Ishmael you say “This is how you must differ from revolutionaries of the past, who simply wanted different people to be running things. You can’t solve your problems by putting someone new in charge.”

This is a theme you’ve echoed repeatedly, and undoubtedly it is impossible for anyone to take office in this structure and save the world within it.

My question is, do you not agree that it is important, however, to try to get someone in office who is at least PERMISSIVE of letting us make the necessary changes, or as permissive as possible.

I feel that nobody will ever come into office and set into motion policies that will save the world. But, there are many who will come into office and set into motion policies that greatly inhibit the ability of others to do so.

Do you agree with this concept of at least minimizing the force with which government prevents us from walking away, even if it will never assist us in that process?

What I’ve also said repeatedly (though not in any book) is that people with changed minds are needed EVERYWHERE. More than anywhere else, they’re needed in the WORST sectors of our society.

The silliest reaction people have to my work is to think that, because they’re connected with some evil industry or organization, they should flee from it—leaving it entirely in the hands of people who don’t give a damn about our future. What good does it do to have governments and corporations run by people who think that devouring the world is what we were put here to do?

If every member of our government had a changed mind, then the minds of everyone on the planet would change practically overnight, and what’s going on here would change in a hurry, not because the government would “permit” it but because the government would take its place in a society that WANTED to change what’s going on here and would therefore facilitate that change.

NOTE: The reference in the question is page 192 of the trade paperback edition of My Ishmael.

ID: 539
posted: 02 Feb 2002
updated: 01 Apr 2002
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