Transforming Capitalism: My Activism Story with David Korten

Tuesday, June 27th there was a community gathering at the Lexington, KY Central Library theater as part of  two day earth community dialogue by David Korten, Author of The Great Turning featured in Yes Magazine

For some years now I had the vision of talking about what is the foundational problem
with Capitalism in front of diverse community people, but this subject arouses considerable fear and disbelief. When i started researching this issue in 1997-98 based on the question "how come huge sums of money is readily available for War and the military-industrial-prison complex and not for basic survival needs and entrepreneural aspirations of the people?"

There was practically nothing available on the internet about the shadow side of money, and after 9-11 and Patriot Act there was much fear even among activists online to post anything on this issue, let alone openly discuss it in forums. David Korten told us he spent about 30 years in SE Asia, South America, Africa? preaching the glory of American democracy and capitalism. Then some colleague of his in Phillipine suggested him to go back home and tell what havoc Corporate capitalism is doing to their country. So since 1992 he came back to US and now working against global capitalism and imperialism.
 
When I walked in I found people in a circle both on and in front of the stage. On stage I found myself a seat next to David Korten (with whom I once corresponded before about the hidden agenda of some progresssive and conservative think tanks to keep people distracted on symptoms and the real problems are not corporations but the way the capitalist money system was designed to create artificial scarcity, inequality, war and promote greed, scarcity, inequality and such but didn't receive a response). The small library theater was packed Monday for David's talk (over 150 people) but fewer (60-70) came next day in the community meeting.

After David's half an hour persuasive introduction about the dire global situation ...the need for each of us to wake up and decide our children's future...different people from the community started telling what they are doing personally to change the story in the community. I did not plan to talk about this but it just came out naturally in the context of creating sustainable communities. Sustainable economy, technology, institutions all require sustainable money. I spoke for five-six minutes passionately about how we are conditioned to think superficially only along certain lines both by media and institutions
...to target symptoms and not address the cause. How history is His story (those in power) and colors our perception of things. The multiplying debt is an illusion and has no real basis as is speculation with money. I could see the squinted and quite serious look in the audience. And then I was motioned by both Jim (host) and David to come back to my seat. my seat.

At this point I thought may be David would give me a rebuttal. To my great relief and surprise David agreed completely with me in that, that money is not a store of value and the whole debt-based fiancial system is a scam!!! Not only that as i took my chair next to him he said, "I applaud you for your courage, do you know you can get killed for this!" I said "I do and I feel safe here to speak about this." I knew David understood the significance of this, although few people in academia, law and politics who know about it are mortally afraid to talk about it. I feel there is so much fear in the outside world, only because fear is stored wihin us in many layers.

See more of my thoughts on creating conscious capital here. Hope you join me in envisioning sustainable holistic money that ends our shame and fear based relationship with money and restores pursuit of life, liberty, happiness for people everywhere.

It is upto each of us to break the silence and move through the fear of shame, survival and guilt within us, before we can create a new reality where money becomes a consciously and publicly created tool for manifesting unimaginable prosperity, peace, human potential and entrepreneurism in all human endeavors. I do believe it is possible to change the current  system peacefully once enough of us become aware and enlightened about money.

I came out of the meeting feeling I just walked into my dream! A New Dream based on unconditional love and compassion for all life. We all can co-create such a reality!!!