Prior to Occupy, the last time there was a widespread call for real, systemic change in North America (and the developed West) was during the 60s and 70s, driven by Youth – students, the underprivileged and hippies. Then as now, there were calls for equality and for the corporations to be reined in. Even the two-time Republican President, Eisenhower warned of the “military industrial complex” infiltrating government at all levels.

We all know, or should know, what happened next. The 80s came along and new mantras were born: “It’s OK to spend (even if you have to borrow) and be greedy because it helps the economy”, together with “The rising tide lifts all boats”. In hindsight, we now know that the source of this new unregulated Free Market ideology (now entrenched as gospel by the Right) was the economist Milton Friedman, promoted by Reagan and Thatcher. This was when wealth began rapidly concentrating in the 1%. The “tide” under these new economic policies was actually raising the boats of the wealthy and powerful much, much higher than the rest. That catchy metaphor was plainly false …but astoundingly still has great traction, even among those being crushed by it!

The Boomer generation should take some responsibility for this about-turn. Many hippies and student revolutionaries became the New Capitalists, Conspicuous Consumers, millionaires and in some cases, billionaires. I was at one of the centres of the 60s Student Revolution – the London School of Economics and Political Science – and witnessed these events and transitions first hand. Not all Boomers went that way. Without being holier-than-thou or blaming others, I personally choose a different path, much to the consternation of my family and eventually, at the expense of my marriage. In 1984, I gave up being a Chartered Accountant and became a teacher of Insight Meditation, Taijiquan, Qigong and the Internal Martial Arts. I paid monetary and other personal prices for this decision, but I fundamentally have no regret. I love and value what I do; I have my mind-body health; I have enough….moment to moment. I am.

This pendulum swing in attitude is not unique. Indeed it is what history is about. Martin Luther compared history to a drunk riding a horse. He (or she) falls off on one side and then gets back on the saddle, leaning to the opposite side. Some argue this is the “natural” way and humanity has survived and prospered. However, maybe for the first time in history, our technological genius may have created certain global “tipping points”: nuclear weapons, wielded not only by rogue countries but by small “terrorist” groups; global population that is exploding at an unprecedented rate together with unprecedented consumer expectations, even as vital resources like energy, food and water are nearing their limits; the effects of global warming, still being denied by the Right, but manifesting nevertheless in floods, droughts, disappearing ice shelves and extreme weather etc. Even the much touted “global economy” is double-edged – the rich countries can buy cheap consumer products, but jobs are exported and the whole global economy has become more volatile, susceptible to being pulled down by “weak links” in the chain.
How can Real change be achieved? A few suggestions:
• We need to level the political playing field. Cut allowable campaign expenses and limit access to interest/ pressure/ lobby groups. Corporations have way more influence than individuals in shaping society even though their goal is more profit for their shareholders, not human quality of life.
• We need a voice that articulates a policy which is based on consistent, human values and which goes beyond the traditional Left/ Right divide. At the moment, the “Left” has been pulled very much to the “Right”. The “Green” party has been consistent, but it has not resonated with the majority.
• That voice must emanate and be informed from a more profound source than at present…not merely “news cycles”, trends, or polls etc. It must be compassionate and flexible enough to recognize the need for superficial social and political changes.
• The missing factor in all this political debate is Individual transformation. ..which is essentially a spiritual question . People have from time to time advocated idealistic, sharing, compassionate political policies…but these have not materialized because of a gap between our talk and our walk. We cannot have a more compassionate and wiser society without more compassionate and wiser people. There is no external short cut, technological or otherwise.