Rubenstein's thought is sort of a fond dream of mine as well. It's frustrating when we see nothing of any impact coming to the fore, so we hope something is in "the works".

For all we know such a move is already in play. Think about the scope and dimensions of something like that! Think of the opposition it will bring, if and when it ever starts. When it does start the steamroller must already be up to speed, and must never be allowed to slow down, for any "backoff" will be hailed as a "retreat" by the opposition (and the opposition will be huge).

In the meantime, we cannot afford to wait for TPTB to do something! Absolutely not, in no way. Susan Marie (Trinityalpsgal) has read this Ticker, and it seems to me she must have read all of the others, too, and she's trying to move it forward into some kind of concrete and workable action plan. Many of us are "working the street" in our own ways, and as certain as it is that steel sharpens steel, we must look for ways to coalesce into a "force" of some kind.

I am working on blog posts attacking the problems (many, many problems exist, and very many more will be invented by the opposition), and it takes time to research, especially the economic and demographic data, in an attempt to find measurable correlations and causal chains. When such are found it takes a mature and honest approach toward how to use the information.

Susan Marie is, if I interpret her right, attempting to nudge "us" toward some collaboration, some cooperation, and a whole lot of reasoned preparation leading to execution and success. Forwarding Tickers, quoting Karl in great and perfect detail in our writing and talking, using social media of some variety, looking for "like minds" among people we know and meet (and enlisting them when possible), these are all useful tools, but they are not going to turn any tides or stop any avalanches.

Tides get turned by things like breakwaters and jetties, massive fortifications able to withstand the onslaught. How are "we" going to put together the requisite bulk, the strength, to take on the opposition in meaningful ways?

As I've mentioned, one has said that there has been a whole lot of thought in getting to this point, a whole lot of research has been done; but the thought and research have not, to this point, been sharpened and refined so that they are in fact useful both offensively and defensively. I believe this is precisely what is needed (and everything is always needed) at this time. I can write blog entries until my frustration level peaks, but if no one reads them, or if they are too dense to understand, or they are too "whatever", they will never gain any traction, any mass. The way to avoid, to guard, against such frustration is to let steel sharpen steel during a process of maturation toward action, focused through collaborating and cooperating.

The idea of "two or three" working together is both attractive and useful. My thoughts, and especially my ways of expressing them, very much need to be reviewed, digested, "rolled around in the mind and under the tongue", accepted or disputed or rejected based on their content and delivery, and that requires two things: (1) I must accept criticism and use it properly to refine my work; and (2) collaborators must offer honest criticism and helpful suggestions. We are not trying to forward "my ideas" or "your ideas"; no, we are trying to crystallize, focus, formulate, strengthen, and place into the public square our ideas, our concerns and goals and plans, so that we speak with a common intent and a unified voice. This is how "grassroots" movements work; it is not going to be a "Strong Man", "community organizer" kind of thing.

All right, I'm getting off the cheerleader merry-go-'round now, because it's time to ask the inevitable question, and here it is:

Who will work with me and allow me to work with them, without strings, no long-term commitment, with little more than raw hope that what we are thinking, writing, and saying might make a difference? I'm talking about creating a "cell" (a "few people") here. Once a "cell" have taken a few chances among themselves, giving and taking, forgetting personalities, working toward a goal that might well be unknown in the beginning and for quite a while thereafter, maybe have fallen apart with former members seeking new "other voices", then cells can start to build something bigger and better. Success rarely depends ultimately upon one voice. So who wants to try to work with me?

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TANSTAAFL