I enjoyed Amy Goodman’s “good” news story and was especially inspired by Grace Lee Boggs’ comments. Thank you Mrs. Boggs and Happy Birthday! 

I agree with Amy’s statement “Carried within this dystopic, urban disaster, though, are the seeds of Detroit’s potential rebirth.” I worked for HUD in Detroit in 1975/76. It was considered a national disaster then.

What I have noticed in 30+ years as a disaster relief and community economic development specialist is that things have to get as bad as possible before people notice and begin to care. Then the opportunity for improvement becomes possible.

When I watched Governor Grandholm’s State of the State address, I was impressed with the many positive developments throughout Michigan. Recently I learned of the several hundred million dollars allocated by HUD to help communities address the causes of blight and another 100 million donated by private foundations to foster entrepreneurship and the “New Metro Economy.”

I also agree with Grace Lee’s recognition of the significance of the Social Forum deciding to come to Detroit “because Detroit, which was once the symbol of miracles of industrialization and then became the symbol of the devastation of deindustrialization, is now the symbol of a new kind of society, of people who grow their own food, of people who try and help each other, to how we begin to think, not so much of getting jobs and advancing our own fortunes, but how we depend on each other. I mean, it’s another world that we’re creating here in Detroit. We are creating a new culture. And we’re not doing it because we are such wonderful people. We’re doing it because we had to, not only to survive materially, but to survive as human beings.”

Based on my 40 years of experience with community building, community mobilization and intentional (or alternative) communities focused on personal and community development and sustainable living, I am willing to bet that Mrs. Boggs’ vision and wisdom will become even more self-evident in the near future.

That is because I believe Detroit and Michigan are destined to evolve from a “national disaster” to serving as an “international success story” of shared vision, creative problem solving and more sustainable approaches to community and sustainability.

To help manifest that positive future vision, a few associates and I have just launched Expanding the Circle of Success. It is a campaign to help provide 100 million dollars worth of development training resources over the next 10 years to and through non-profit Community Economic Development Empowerment Resource Centers. (http://www.UltimateSuccessPuzzle.com)

The Centers, based on 40 years of prototypes, will provide state-of-the-art resources for self-help, empowerment, entrepreneurship, infopreneurship and capacity building.

Many of the creative problem solving, team builing and community building programs that will be available through the Centers are very similar to the great positive suggestions shared on this site by Gerard. Maybe Amy should interview you Gerard!

Our non-profit organization, Ultimate Water for Humanity, is also offering to help support the D-town Farm and similar urban gardeing programs. We are offering to provide experimental “structured water” devices that have been proven to increase the nutritional value of food grown with it by 500% to 1,200% as described at http://www.ultimatestructuredwater.info

Thanks for your lift and thoughtfulness, Redhorse.
If you just happen to be in touch with TaoWalker, say hello and tell him we miss him.  Best.

“doing something vs. doing nothing”—you bet!! “doing nothing” is an active decision of consequence. “something” is the better choice. The simple act of “trying” to be in balance w/life requires effort. The reward is experience of meaning.
It fills the void of fear and animates us.

      I did not mean to be so BEYOND THUNDERDOME in my previous post. Violent chaos is glamerous only in fiction. I do however feel, that to not recognize the violent landscape in which these brave souls of the Social Forum are attemping change, is to ignore the real politic that has called them to action. Nine Mile is not, the Yellow Brick Road.

        The violence perpetrated on the citizens of Detroit, when with no thought to the future, visionless Rebublican government allowed greedy capiltalist forces to destroy her,is the same violence alive in our Middle Eastern wars and,is now destroying the lives of Gulf Coast families. (Don’t forget, your family is next on the list.)

        Our founding fathers, at the least recognized, and tried to apply restraint to, the potential for, distructive application of abusive power by government and business for personal gain. The average Americans sense of lethargic hopeless powerlessness springs from the abuse of this type power in places like Detroit and the Gulf.

        To fight the facist Bushite regime we VOTED in a new Congress. Pelosi and the Democrats betrayed us. Then with great hope and unity we VOTED in President O. So far he has also been a betrayer. The Democratic Party and our President have refused American vision and the call for leadership and a new future. The REPUBLICAN THUGS just gloat and remain bent over their desks for the K-Street bagmen.

          I suspect GERARDS simple suggestion and invitation to action on a personal level frightens many here. The fact that there are so few comments on this thread tells me how divided we are as a people. This thread offers no emotional kneejerk jugular from which to suck rage and swell our insecure little ego’s. Only, like ourselves,the story of poor, beaten fellow Americans trying to stand against a destructive and corrupt machine. To hold HOPE, LIFE and BELIEF despite the odds. It is a living American tragedy that so many think it is separate from themselves and somehow beneath them.

            HOORAY FOR DETROIT!! Know why?? Because they’ve managed to keep alive that sense of UNITY AND THE THRILL OF POWER WE felt when WE booted out the fascist Bushite Congress and when WE elected President O. TEN TO TWENTY THOUSAND PEOPLE!! If Ms.Goodman hadn’t celebrated it, most of us wouldn’t even have known it happened. That’s how divided and manipulated we are. Where was Mr. O and his buddy Rahm? LET FREEDOM RING!! Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain!!

kkj1031 wrote, some comments past: “write something real and tangible, not some fantasy prose that simply is not the case.
” == write something real and tangible, not some fantasy prose that simply is not the case”
  The simple dichotomy of words again—either real and tangible or fantasy.
  Real and tangible are the problems.  Fantasy implies unrealistic. 
  The real dichotomy is “do something” or “do nothing.”  Between the two, are a thousand possibilities for success, partial success or failure, partial failure.
  In between lie the hopeful or hopeless minds and spirits of tens of thousands of human beings, any one of whom might create or recreate a viable solution to one or several of Detroit’s problems.
  The longest journey begins with a single step, etc. etc.  Doing nothing is doing nothing, not trying, giving up, running away, overlooking unknown possibilities that are waiting to be discovered in the being, in the act, in the living of the human spirit.

We are an abandoned people. To a greater or lesser extent we’re all going to be where the remaining residents of Detroit are. I applaud this attempt to awaken community and establish a new vista of meaning, life and human value. Of course you can count on the fact that if their power grows our fascist state will provide the double agents and mercenary law enforcement to allow,  perpetuate and inflict violence and incarceration on the leadership and its’ followers. But, American government is in its death throw. They’ve stolen almost all the wealth of our nation and in the end will devour themselves. With the coming cataclysm of GCC and the violence that will acompany the world as it falls into anarchy, some of us may escape. Sadly, as in the fall of Rome, with the death of American culture literacy and humanity will disintegrate and, barbarism will ascend.(In fact it already is. I have to arm myself to leave the house. Many children in Detroit Public Schools do the same.)The concept of the individual will perish and the collective values of mob survival will prevail.

      Detroit was dangerous when I spent time there and I’m sure it’s dangerous today. Ms. Goodman is right in lending support to citizens attempting to give voice to civilized community standards who call for unity. But, how sad that an industrial hub of our nation is brought so low. Alas, MoTown!

      How much of Detroits present economy is dependent on drugs, crime and blackmarket survival? That these good people are attemping hope and unity is the canary in our fascist coal mine. Russian government became so corrupt that it no longer held any relationship to the Russian people other than its’ malicious intent to murder, imprison and exploit them. It collapsed under its’ own weight. At that point the only viable economic entities were organized blackmarket crime and the KGB. That’s who now controls Russia. That’s where America is headed.

      Rather than support Unions, and allow a living wage and health care the Republicans allowed the Auto Plants to be moved to Canada, Mexico, China and other foriegn lands. They worked with Wall Street to dismantle, for profit, (“greed is good”) a great industrial center and destroy Detroits middle class. At a time when it was still possible the Republican mindset squelched attempts to revision and retool Detroit with energy conscious cars. Now, those not driven from their homes put their faith in community gardens, home schools and shared childcare.

      Unlike many “feelgood” posters here at TRUTHDIG their poverty has at last made them accept that their corrupt and visionless government has abandoned them to their own fate. “Free at last. Great God Almighty, free at last.”

Grumpynker (and other like-minded critics), I have a suggestion for you:

Invite ten friends and neighbors in for coffee.  Lay your program on them, item by item, with no added suggestions for how to proceed, and see how many of them take any action except to drink the coffee and say thank you.

Invite five friends and neighbors in for coffee. After a friendly chat for 20 minutes or so, ask them whether the are concerned about the country’s many problems.  Let each one express himself or herself for five minutes, and take notes.  Then, reading the problems listed, ask them to vote on which is most important to each one.  Then ask them if they would be willing to help you in the neighborhood to do more than talk.  Let those who respond positively decide among themselves which problem to choose to attack.

Serve cake or icecream and arrange for the next meeting with an agenda:  Specifically what do we most want to do, and how can we do it together? Call them within the two weeks to invite them to a second meeting. Etc. etc. etc. 

Encourage dialog, suggestions, new ideas, enthusiasm and fun.  At the second meeting invite one of them to plan and host the next meeting, to communicate with each other between meetings, to meet for lunch, see a movie, show a documentary at their home, invite other neighbors.

Keep a detailed record of your results, thoughts, others’ criticisms, fears, experiences in the past etc. etc. Ask each member to do a specific task to help the group get organized.

Big job, but that’s the way big results begin to happen.  As the guy who sells men’s suits says over and over:  “I guarantee it.”

It is easy to be disillusioned right now. When we are in the midst of a depression and it isn’t acknowledged. More people are coming here to work even when the actual unemployment level is 17-22%! Insanity. And yet they still talk about shortages of workers! How can this be? Because the real economic condition is being hidden by the CMSM all the time.

Once in no uncertain terms told to the businesses here that hiring anyone who isn’t a US citizen is boardering on treason, an they will get hit with a felony or more they will stop hiring them. Cut it off. Repeal NAFTA and the Mexican economy has a chance of recovery from it. The reason 12 million came to us. No matter how bad it gets here to other countries it still looks better than their own must stop.

We need to have full employment here of our own citizens first. 100% Before accepting any more people legal or illegal.

Detroit was killed by two things. White flight out of the city and job flight to other countries. Detroit is a microcosm of America. In both cases we see the scars of racism and disastrous, self-destructive economic policies.

kkj1031: 

There is ten times more negative,  fatalistic, defeatist writing on TD comment lines than anything halfway positive and encouraging.  Defeatism prevents people from taking positive action because they think it is no use, or too much trouble, or they don’t want to up valuable time—or they are afraid, too old, too young, too busy, too .....

Some people in Detroit are trying to pick up some of the pieces in the only ways they know how—and are succeeding to some extent at least.  If millions would do likewise, great changes could occur.

If you have suggestions for what to do to help Detroit, about which you seem very concerned, your positive suggestions could be helpful.  Go for it!  You never know what may happen as a result of trying to understand, to put time and energy into life.

Consider this please: neither discrimination nor racism, and the offspring of discrimination, existed at a point-in-time.

Then ca 10-15 k yrs ago it began to be taught by shamans, sorcerers and much later clergy; followed by clerico-noble class of life.

It had been whites from central and northern europe who were looked dwn on by ancient egyptians and mesopotamians.
And all were darker than germano-slavic peoples or tribes.
So, the cause for discrimination is not the color of the skin, but rich people and their misteachings of-powers over lesservalued people.

It is still being taught by clerico-noble class of life; causing much shame-angst to poorer people.

Unfortunately, MLK, Popes, bishops, muftis, imams, rabbis, lords, amirs, kings, barons, counts, boyars do not espy this or see it but fearing loss of being more important or as being as much valued [or misvalued] as their serfs-servants cannot bear to abandon their delusions.

Recall, that all these people support and vote for only one party: an asocialist-inegalitarian political party.

So, it cld have been realistic to expect that a black, ‘jewish’, latino multim’naire wld be as much respected as any other rich person.

And the rich blacks or ‘jews’ look dwn on own people just as much as white rich people do on own white thrash.

So, Amy Goodman, also misses the root cause of all ills that befall us on interpersonal and int’l levels and avoids to posit the solution; possibly the only one: forming in US a second antipodal political party. Tnx

I love Detroit having spent my first thirty years living there. But what in the world are Amy Goodman and the two people who have left comments talking about. Lofty speech won’t lift Detroit. There simply is no getting around the fact that Detroit is a very dangerous city to live in. The unemployment rate is sky-high, the neighborhood are a total blight, the school system is in shambles. Besides masking these massive problems with a big focus on the professional sports teams, which incidentally the average Detroit citizen can not afford to attend, there is simply nothing happening in Detroit that merits those lofty words mouth by Amy Goodman. If you write something about Detroit, write about the reality of the third-world conditions that are prevalent in this once proud city. write something real and tangible, not some fantasy prose that simply is not the case.

You are discouraged?  You are disillusioned about human beings, their violence and greed?  You are over-worked, tired out, worried sick?  You can’t save anything until you save yourself?

Wnat a lift?  A hand up?  A breath of fresh air?  Something to sing about?  Someone to love you?

Visit your local kindergarten class and watch the little kids play, laugh, talk, run, shout, listen, look, learn.

Visit a hospital maternity ward and look through the glass at the tiny human potentials kicking, battling the air with their fists, opening their beautiful eyes, gulping milk, pooping their pants, making a stink, crying for attention.

Another world is possible.  It is alive and well.  It is ready for you—ready and waiting.