Forget Capitalism – Embrace Social Capital

Those that worry about political ideologies are focused on the waning results of social systems that have a diminishing control over our lives.

Where boundaries and borders and kingdoms once prevailed – virtual overlays of influence and leadership now exert unseen power and privilege. My geographic limitations are able to be transcended (on MySpace). My aspirations are able to be represented virtually anywhere (on SecondLife). And my face (on Facebook) is able to be recognized world-wide.

‘Change’ is the constant that now controls us – and our ability to adapt to each other 24/7/365 will determine our mutual survival.

Currencies that were once based on a fixed standard and value are now eroded by their perceived value – in a global exchange market – that can change on an instant – based on the opinion of one single person (you). One person making a loosely founded comment on a single social network platform can impact the perceived value of company stock by the mere mention of the potential demise of its founder - or other such conjectures. Nations can suffer the same devastating consequence – and we all may have just become the unwitting witnesses – of just that.

The same connectivity that began as jungle drumbeats and has advanced to metered electronic packets of online information transfer – stands to threaten all prior assumptions. Fortunately that connectivity also offers the answer that can enable the greatest advance ever in communication, cooperation, and interdependence (and dare I add ‘world peace’). What the printed word did for knowledge transfer – the internet has introduced (again) for this next ‘giant leap for mankind’.

YOU now hold the key to the influence that chiefs and kings and presidents (and dictators) once held.

MY one opinion can now shape history.

OUR mutual survival now depends on each other – and how we co-manage our conversations across the ‘U-Netted Nations‘.

But when all is said and done – there is ‘usually a lot more said than done’ – and ‘words are cheap’. Until there is a way to collect, manage, monetize, and dispense those valued words (opinions and truths), the letters may appear as mere graffiti – wisely crafted – wrongfully presented.

We will need to change from casual ‘chat’

to causal ‘collaboration on purpose‘.

There is no shortage of information (such as this post) but few may yet care – and fewer yet may find what I have written here. But recall that the idea of an interstate highway to connect centers of commerce and their citizens with product and service solutions was also once only a shared vision. So too now, the inter-connectivity of ideas and information sources awaits an updated map of these new destinations (centers of knowledge and expertise) and some basic rules of the road (uniform data framework/syndication constructs)- and the ’round-abouts’ that can manage this new information interchange.

Social media thought leaders have suggested that monetizing the value of these social conversations is now a core challenge and a key opportunity in this new ‘Relationship Economy‘.

The ‘gold standard’ of our new social currency is once again the value of our word (including its honesty and transparency). And the value (and ability to quantify the value) of that word will be substantial. That is because:

..the commerce (knowledge/social capital) that is exchanged at these intersections will have global value and global impact.

While some rant about their local leaders – others will exercise their unlimited freedom of thought leadership. The value of their virtual influence on actual global communities will become widely evident.

Sometime in the foreseeable future, you may become more influential than your elected official, and

‘borders’ may only be remembered – as a ‘bookstore’.

Want real cooperation, progress, CHANGE ? – Dare to ASK4™ it…?

What’s about YOU? – care to comment?

- dare to COOPERATE?

NOTE: While this website is my personal initiative, the ASK4™ approach is a participant-managed collaboration platform and the U-Netted Nations™ is the result of our ‘Collaboration On Purpose’. My voice becomes one in a million – immediately.

ASK4™ CAN BE…

(THE QUESTIONS THAT FIND…)

THE ANSWERS YOU NEED

(Inter?)National Codependence

While there are other sources -

Wikipedia.org defines and describes it this way:

” Codependence (or codependency) is a popular psychology concept popularized by Twelve-Step program advocates.[1][2] A “codependent” can be loosely defined as someone who exhibits too much, and often inappropriate, caring for persons who depend on him or her. A “codependent” is one side of a relationship between mutually needy people. The dependent, or obviously needy party(s) may have emotional, physical, financial difficulties, or addictions they seemingly are unable to surmount. The “codependent” party exhibits behavior which controls, makes excuses for, pities, and takes other actions to perpetuate the obviously needy party’s condition, because of their desire to be needed and fear of doing anything that would change the relationship.[citation needed]

A common usage of the term is that codependency occurs when enabling addiction, taking care of another person in a way that is not healthy in the long run to either that person or themselves, or both.[3] Codependency is loss of self for the codependent.[4]

The concept can also be understood as a set of maladaptive, compulsive behaviors learned by family members in order to survive in a family which is experiencing great emotional pain and stress caused, for example, by a family member’s alcoholism or other addiction, sexual or other abuse within the family, a family member’s chronic illness, or forces external to the family, such as poverty.[citation needed].”

Taken at a personal level – one who takes such an approach is doing more harm than good. Taken at a relationship level, each party harms the other. Taken at a community level, codependent group-think can cripple those who occupy that locale. Taken at a national or an international level, codependent action can insert useless interventions that create local disasters, and spread harm to others across the region.

Problem is that there is (so far) no such thing as a ‘global psychologist’ who can meet with its international clientele – all at once. That concept has been proposed, and tried, and has predictably failed – as the United Nations. A quick tour of the enacted and resisted and ignored resolutions bears testimony to the malfunctioning though well-intended effort and ineffectual results.

Problem is that there is no such thing as a ‘personal ambassador’ to represent our individual interests within the international or national or even local interests with any expectation of real equity. That concept has been proposed and enacted in governance and has degraded to mere politics where the representative exerts that transferred power to barter for power positions and personal gain. A quick tour of local town-hall meetings and party platforms and national legislation bears testimony to misrepresentation OF the people whose interests have been co-opted for collusion.

Problem is that there is no such thing as a victim if one chooses to become a victor – personally. Every twelve-step program echoes this premise and bears testimony to this enabling concept. Problem is that we have individually given up and then cast our hopes in those who claim to have greater insight, connections, positions, and other means of influence for our supposed good. Problem is that we have INDIVIDUALLY become codependent on our siblings, our parents, our politicians, our governments, our international organizations and even our global neighbors to look out for US (or U.S.).

Problem is that the impacts (of our personal codependence) aggregate and expand exponentially as codependence is also practiced in families and communities and governments – globally.

As we enter this new era of global interaction, we must at least consider a new means of interacting that reduces this well-intentioned and crippling tendency. If we do not, it can spread virally along our virtual interface and become symptomatic at every node and in every person who is touched by its consuming entanglements.

It will require us to take an active role (personally, corporately, politically) in our interaction activities (business, community, national, international). It will both require and enable us to become participants and beneficiaries of the approach.

It will thereby (and ONLY thereby) empower us to go from victims OF – to victors OVER – our position, our purpose, and our destiny.

Question is – what is that new approach(**).

Answer is – simply to ask the right questions.

(** – starting with THAT one)

Want real cooperation, progress, CHANGE ? – Dare to ASK4™ it…?

What’s about YOU? – care to comment?

- dare to COOPERATE?

NOTE: While this website is my personal initiative, the ASK4™ approach is a participant-managed collaboration platform and the U-Netted Nations™ is the result of our ‘Collaboration On Purpose’. My voice becomes one in a million – immediately.

ASK4™ CAN BE…

(THE QUESTIONS THAT FIND…)

THE ANSWERS YOU NEED