The recognition that facts and reason may not be enough in enlightening people and inspiring them to act is an important one. Any effort, any endeavor at trying to create some sort of change in the process of how we organize ourselves in running our society and each of our roles in it will be limited in effectiveness without true compassion and understanding as to where each person in that society really is, intellectually, perceptively, spiritually. One can only be so effective in pulling one towards one’s own perspective. A truly effective form of communication involves going to where the other is, and delivering your truth to them in a way they can comprehend, in a way they can process it.

Price’s statement here does contain something of specific note relating to this, in that he writes “causing the average American to value fundamental rights more highly than her or his automobile, 401K plan and mortgage may seem like an even larger Herculean task.”

This statement could potentially imply that one can ’cause’ someone to understand anything, really, and puts a heck of a lot of pressure and responsibility on oneself to try to be that ’cause’. One cannot ’cause’ anyone to understand or learn anything. One can only offer it, provide it, encourage it. In the hands of a weaker or more deficient person, this sense of being capable of ‘causing’ an awareness or action on the part of another can become a source of hubris and righteous arrogance, in that they picture themselves as capable of actually being that ’cause’, or responsible for it. This can potentially become the seed of zealotry and intolerance, which again, historically, has led to much more negative rather than positive actions by its adherents. A world where means becomes disconnected from ends, which when that happens, you have thus reached the point of complete failure in your stated objective. The means always ARE the ends, and the failure to understand that, or having the courage to act upon it, is the root cause of pretty much all the problems we face in our lives, our society, our world.

Another point Ben brought to light is that of “Americans have deep-rooted beliefs in the legend and mythos of “America.” As he stated, making visible the disconnect between those ideals and the structure of law that sustains the corporate state is very much the way to go. However, I would suggest that it is important not to confuse that with confronting the mythos itself, or people’s belief in or adherence to it or them. The mythos of America, its idealized story and principles it espouses, is not the enemy or the problem. Myths are essential to the nurture of meaningful life, and to rooting us to deeper purposes and values for that life. Challenging the myth itself is unnecessary, potentially confrontational and counterproductive, even destructive. If you attack, disparage or disregard the myth, then there is nothing to connect it to with people, no identifying or common uniting bond to resonate with them.

As stated, the disconnect, the cognitive dissonance, between the aims and intentions of most Americans with the actual realities and results of their actions (or inactions) is the important thing to be confronted. Connecting the dots between realities, between what is intended and what results. And this will only be accomplished through providing the means of understanding, through education and enlightenment in connecting those dots for people to better understand. This can and should be done in whatever ways opened and available to us all, for us all. The seeds of effective civic and political initiative, and the successful flowering of those actions into meaningful, positive result, can only happen if the soil those seeds are sown in is properly tilled and fertilized (to say nothing of the climate being healthy, which as we know is in question, both figuratively and quite literally).

Unfortunately, it is apparent that too much of that soil of America is markedly deficient at this current time for those seeds to take effective root. Issues surrounding climate change might actually serve as the tipping point for people to heal that ‘cognitive dissonance’ between their perceived intentions and actual on the ground realities.

We can become frustrated, impatient and angry that this is the case, or we can start doing whatever we can, wherever we can, with whatever means available, to pick up whatever tools we have available and start tilling. Thanks to the work of many, including Ben Price and his colleagues with CELDF, we know that once that soil is ripe, there are many important seeds to be planted.

- Andy Valeri, USTV Media