Well written, Michel. I agree that " we have to ally the cosmo-local commons-centric and regenerative seed forms, with supportive jurisdictional alliances" and believe David Ronfeldt is correct in stating "a fourth sphere/realm may emerge (e.g., a commons realm with the network or equinet form at its core and constructed of and around care-centered actors and activities, namely health, education , welfare, the environment)".
But rather emerging from some political party top-down, I believe it could more likely emerge bottom up at the grassroots level. Governments don't do well in the as care-centered actors in the areas of health, education, welfare, and the environment. Their efforts in these areas have been disasters of profit motivated corporate capture. Conversely, nonprofit organizations have done a much better job since they are not profit motivated and must act for the public good to avoid taxation. In the US, municipalities are also tax exempt for the same reason, but their model is extrativist through taxation.
What I see as a possible catalyst for a fourth emergence is hybrid - a resident directed municipality staffed by residents, run as a nonprofit organization that provides paid products & services in the areas health, education & skills training, hospitality & recreation, craft guilds, and regenerative agroecology, and thereby provides to its resident employees jobs, housing, education, healthcare, etc. as benefits of employment. A successful hybrid model of this nature could go viral at the grassroots level and be the required change agent that could obsolete remote centralize political machinations.
I hope the model you are working on gets the necessary success. I'm not hung up on the state as it exists, but we will always need some form of geographic governance, of which your project is an example.
Helpful points. Yes, evolutionary transition will involve hybrids en route to rise of final forms. e.g., chiefdoms were transitional hybrid form in transition from tribes to tribes+states. mercantilism was hybrid form in transition from tribes+states to tribes+states+markets (with tribes morphing into what we now call civil society). for more, see my comment I added above to Michels comment.
Wow, Michel, I'm enthused to learn about "sphere sovereignty" for the first time. With a few adjustments (maybe realm instead of sphere) and less religion, it fits beautifully with several of TIMN's dynamics: the evolution occurs through the emergence of new forms of organization, that a new sphere/realm of society emerges around a cardinal new form and its core principles, that each form/sphere has its own particular strengths and limits, that intrusions into other form's realms is dysfunctional, etc.
I'll have to read more to be sure, but I don't anything about how spheres may evolve in social terms, whether society may be regarded as having three cardinal spheres/realms today (civil society + government + market system, and most importantly, whether, how, and why a fourth sphere/realm may emerge (e.g., a commons realm with the network or equinet form at its core and constructed of and around care-centered actors and activities, namely health, education, welfare, the environment). I do see mention that business should not be taking over education, which is a point in the right direction.
Thanks for your reaction, and as you know, your work has been an inspiration for me. I do actually believe that today, the 'fourth sector organizations' that you have been expecting, have actually emerged. I have articles in my substack explaining this.
Our views continue to differ on that, but are not entirely contradictory. I'll be convinced of full emergence when none of today's major corporations and venture capital firms can any longer own businesses as health and education providers (except as equipment manufacturers), and when future entities (networks, equinets) performing health and education services are disallowed from being listed on stock markets — that is, when an entirely distinct sphere (realm, sector) has taken shape that has its own governance and finance systems apart from government and market, and does not have economics as its primary language. What I envision will prove a great victory for capitalists (because they will be limited to what they do best, in market realm) and for socialists (for this fourth realm will reflect their hopes). At the same time, it will spell the end of capitalism and socialism as major ideologies — generating fourth realm will make both isms obsolete, and lead to new isms. Something like that....
I think Tim Urban explains it the best in his book What's Our problem when he talks about the lower level golems and those exist on both left and right sides of politics. Especially US politics. Given the power and influence USA has, I always thought US economics and politics can have a bigger effect on most people in similar but other countries, like in Australia, Canada, etc
I highly recommend What's Our Problem. Although it'll just give a refined view of what you already know about wokism, or what Tim calls Social Justice Fundamentalism (SJF).
thanks for your comments, I am not aware of Tim Urban's work yet, as far as I can remember, so I will check him out. I keep my own documentary material, focused on progressive critiques, here at https://wiki.p2pfoundation.net/Category:Identity_Politics
For example he's done a great post about neuralink another on cryogenics. But also posts about COVID and how we as humans aren't coming together and being unified.
The book took him 6 years to write and has a decent bit of both research and great explanations.
Well written, Michel. I agree that " we have to ally the cosmo-local commons-centric and regenerative seed forms, with supportive jurisdictional alliances" and believe David Ronfeldt is correct in stating "a fourth sphere/realm may emerge (e.g., a commons realm with the network or equinet form at its core and constructed of and around care-centered actors and activities, namely health, education , welfare, the environment)".
But rather emerging from some political party top-down, I believe it could more likely emerge bottom up at the grassroots level. Governments don't do well in the as care-centered actors in the areas of health, education, welfare, and the environment. Their efforts in these areas have been disasters of profit motivated corporate capture. Conversely, nonprofit organizations have done a much better job since they are not profit motivated and must act for the public good to avoid taxation. In the US, municipalities are also tax exempt for the same reason, but their model is extrativist through taxation.
What I see as a possible catalyst for a fourth emergence is hybrid - a resident directed municipality staffed by residents, run as a nonprofit organization that provides paid products & services in the areas health, education & skills training, hospitality & recreation, craft guilds, and regenerative agroecology, and thereby provides to its resident employees jobs, housing, education, healthcare, etc. as benefits of employment. A successful hybrid model of this nature could go viral at the grassroots level and be the required change agent that could obsolete remote centralize political machinations.
I hope the model you are working on gets the necessary success. I'm not hung up on the state as it exists, but we will always need some form of geographic governance, of which your project is an example.
Cooperatives.
Helpful points. Yes, evolutionary transition will involve hybrids en route to rise of final forms. e.g., chiefdoms were transitional hybrid form in transition from tribes to tribes+states. mercantilism was hybrid form in transition from tribes+states to tribes+states+markets (with tribes morphing into what we now call civil society). for more, see my comment I added above to Michels comment.
Wow, Michel, I'm enthused to learn about "sphere sovereignty" for the first time. With a few adjustments (maybe realm instead of sphere) and less religion, it fits beautifully with several of TIMN's dynamics: the evolution occurs through the emergence of new forms of organization, that a new sphere/realm of society emerges around a cardinal new form and its core principles, that each form/sphere has its own particular strengths and limits, that intrusions into other form's realms is dysfunctional, etc.
I'll have to read more to be sure, but I don't anything about how spheres may evolve in social terms, whether society may be regarded as having three cardinal spheres/realms today (civil society + government + market system, and most importantly, whether, how, and why a fourth sphere/realm may emerge (e.g., a commons realm with the network or equinet form at its core and constructed of and around care-centered actors and activities, namely health, education, welfare, the environment). I do see mention that business should not be taking over education, which is a point in the right direction.
Anyway, an instructive post! Thanks.
Thanks for your reaction, and as you know, your work has been an inspiration for me. I do actually believe that today, the 'fourth sector organizations' that you have been expecting, have actually emerged. I have articles in my substack explaining this.
Our views continue to differ on that, but are not entirely contradictory. I'll be convinced of full emergence when none of today's major corporations and venture capital firms can any longer own businesses as health and education providers (except as equipment manufacturers), and when future entities (networks, equinets) performing health and education services are disallowed from being listed on stock markets — that is, when an entirely distinct sphere (realm, sector) has taken shape that has its own governance and finance systems apart from government and market, and does not have economics as its primary language. What I envision will prove a great victory for capitalists (because they will be limited to what they do best, in market realm) and for socialists (for this fourth realm will reflect their hopes). At the same time, it will spell the end of capitalism and socialism as major ideologies — generating fourth realm will make both isms obsolete, and lead to new isms. Something like that....
Wokism is definitely anti-civilisation.
I think Tim Urban explains it the best in his book What's Our problem when he talks about the lower level golems and those exist on both left and right sides of politics. Especially US politics. Given the power and influence USA has, I always thought US economics and politics can have a bigger effect on most people in similar but other countries, like in Australia, Canada, etc
I highly recommend What's Our Problem. Although it'll just give a refined view of what you already know about wokism, or what Tim calls Social Justice Fundamentalism (SJF).
https://www.kublermdk.com/2024/03/06/whats-our-problem-by-tim-urban-summary/
thanks for your comments, I am not aware of Tim Urban's work yet, as far as I can remember, so I will check him out. I keep my own documentary material, focused on progressive critiques, here at https://wiki.p2pfoundation.net/Category:Identity_Politics
Tim Urban writes the rather in-depth blog posts at https://waitbutwhy.com/
For example he's done a great post about neuralink another on cryogenics. But also posts about COVID and how we as humans aren't coming together and being unified.
The book took him 6 years to write and has a decent bit of both research and great explanations.