Discussion with Benjamin David Steele
One of the side benefits of Medium are the educational writers I find.
One such writer is Benjamin David Steele
I will offer an excerpt of his thinking:
The scientific expertise underlying it all is important, but it’s not ultimately what is driving the changes. Most people, even well-educated political leaders and highly-trained bureaucrats, rarely make their decisions based on careful research and rational analysis of all the available evidence. Ideas spread by meandering pathways throughout a culture, rarely ever acknowledged for the potential they contain as seeds of powerful transformation. They don’t represent any conspiracy to change the world toward some specific ideological agenda and sociopolitical vision. Yet, piece by piece, the world becomes something entirely new and different (e.g., the slow dismantling of feudalism that made modernity possible). Paradigm changes can take on lives of their own, as memetic forces.
Unfortunately, Mr. Steele is a bottom writer, just like me. His great thoughts are not getting the Medium traction they deserve.
The last point of this excerpt led to a thoughtful discussion. Mr. Steele appreciates the efforts I have given to my alternative democracy. But he believes such a concept is too far away for society to seriously consider. You can follow our discussion here:
The Metamodern Dilemma: A New Ideology in an Old Power System
My apologies: this link is unlikely to work unless you are a Medium member
And I have written how the Overton Window & the TDG:
Both articles describe the difficulties of effecting positive social change.
So are Mr. Steele and the Overton right?
In terms of a small segment of the public talking about the idea of replacing western democracy with a better democracy, Steele and Overton are right. It has been 28 years since I started this project. According to Overton theory, my alternative democracy started at the “unthinkable” stage.” It is still there. It cannot even generate constructive criticism.
Over the years, I have been on various internet forums, trying to promote the TDG. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit, Writerbeat, Mewe, Ello, and several groups on G+. Medium has been the most civil and most intellectual of these forums. If there is any place I need to be to promote the TDG, Medium seems to be that place.
Yet the Medium readers/writers are not willing to take the next step.
I can kind of understand why. It is not easy to be a follower when no one else is following.
Is there a Core Group for the TDG?
Both Steele and Overton are realistic that social movements do not start with 51% of the population suddenly waking up one morning with a new political mindset and then move that political mindset directly into society because they are the majority. Rather, most processes for social change start with a very small minority of committed activists, who then chip away at society’s norms of their day.
So is there anyone chipping at western democracy to create a better democracy? Especially the American version?
It seems I am the only one.
So where do I see the field for TDG builders?
I’ll give three sources:
1) Medium: There’s a lot of people here who understand that democracy is broken. And they want a better world. They just need to be convinced that the traditional ways to participate in democracy (like writing editorials) no longer work.
2) Democratic canvassers. Many Americans canvassed for the Democratic Party in the last election. However, many of these canvassers were more motivated by seeing the other side lose than by the belief that Democratic Party will take the USA to new heights. Well, these highly-motivated people are disappointed that their hard work did not pay off. They could direct the same effort and energy they put into canvassing into building a new democracy.
3) Climate change activists: For about three years, I’ve been following Ray Katz and the “We are Saners” movement. Ray has some interesting ideas about uniting climate change activists into one big movement. His “Greet Dot” campaign is brilliant. However, Ray is working with a 1960s-type of thinking that believes we can bend the will of our elected politicians. I don’t think that technique is working well anymore. So maybe activists could also unite under building a new democracy while doing their usual activist work. They should consider “hedging their democratic bets.”
Conclusion with Four Points
1. Building the TDG will take only 10 hours a month. If we really want this better democracy, we will find the time.
2. I really don’t have the credibility to champion the TDG. If there were someone who has the right Ph.D., a six-figure income, similar ideas, and is attending political science conventions, I would be happy to back off. But I seem to be the only one looking beyond western democracy. So this movement is stuck with me, for the time being. If we want true progress today, we will have to overlook that this movement’s leader has few credentials.
3. If nothing else, I have interacted with at least 5000 Medium readers in the past six years. I have struck them with the idea about replacing our current democracy with a better democracy. If my goal was to light a dim candle, I think I have succeeded. Admittedly, I was expecting more.
4. Eventually the TDG (or something like it) will move beyond “unthinkable” in the Overton Window paradigm. I may never be recognized for starting this movement, but I have already had a hand in it.
Published on Medium 2025
Canadian Football & the Democratic Party
