06-24-2008, 02:21 AM
Good morning all.
I think I'm being taken out of context. Obviously, of those of us who have the free time to fiddle around most all day with a web forum are a bit isolated from the "wolf at the door." The people living in the new "tent cities" in Los Angeles, Sacramento, Seattle because they've lost their homes would have a very different view about the future, indeed the present. These people obviously have NO community. How can a semi-professional person be so isolated that you can lose a house and have no friends or family or anyone to take you in, in such a way you end up squatting out by LAX? I would say the wolf is at the door as well for many of the families here in Hawaii, again obviously not represented by Punaweb--who are desperately trying to unload vehicles, motorcycles tools, and everything else all up and down 11, for anyone who hasn't noticed. Unemployment is still low here in Hawaii, but unusually low, and there is real economic suffering out there, no question about it, and sure, again, while many of US have cause to be optimistic, many many many other people don't.
Perhaps this is to the core of my point, a community spirit isn't worrying about YOUR well-being, it's about worrying about the well-being of others who are not so fortunate. And I can't imagine anybody can sensibly contest that there is a lot of poverty out there in a very weak economy, tones of debt, and it is clearly getting worse. Anybody unaware of the fact of the large and growing number of Hawaiian families who are in real economic trouble with no place to go is simply not paying much attention.
I don't think it takes a very sophisticated or repressive ideology to engender community spirit. It simply requires group prosperity over personal prosperity. Of course the devil is in the details--and shewed people realize that prosperity isn't near as much fun if you haven't have poor people around to rub their face in the fact that you've got it so good.
So perhaps these thoughts may temper the conversation. I don't want to come across as a bitter recluse. Far from it. My sailing organization was founded with the intent to build community and it really has, and has been a real source of nourishment for me and others for years. http://www.oarclub.org It doesn't take much, but it takes a lot of effort, but the reward is I have vibrant relationships with hundreds of talented people all over the world. That can be done here too, but you've got to shake out those that "get it."
I think I'm being taken out of context. Obviously, of those of us who have the free time to fiddle around most all day with a web forum are a bit isolated from the "wolf at the door." The people living in the new "tent cities" in Los Angeles, Sacramento, Seattle because they've lost their homes would have a very different view about the future, indeed the present. These people obviously have NO community. How can a semi-professional person be so isolated that you can lose a house and have no friends or family or anyone to take you in, in such a way you end up squatting out by LAX? I would say the wolf is at the door as well for many of the families here in Hawaii, again obviously not represented by Punaweb--who are desperately trying to unload vehicles, motorcycles tools, and everything else all up and down 11, for anyone who hasn't noticed. Unemployment is still low here in Hawaii, but unusually low, and there is real economic suffering out there, no question about it, and sure, again, while many of US have cause to be optimistic, many many many other people don't.
Perhaps this is to the core of my point, a community spirit isn't worrying about YOUR well-being, it's about worrying about the well-being of others who are not so fortunate. And I can't imagine anybody can sensibly contest that there is a lot of poverty out there in a very weak economy, tones of debt, and it is clearly getting worse. Anybody unaware of the fact of the large and growing number of Hawaiian families who are in real economic trouble with no place to go is simply not paying much attention.
I don't think it takes a very sophisticated or repressive ideology to engender community spirit. It simply requires group prosperity over personal prosperity. Of course the devil is in the details--and shewed people realize that prosperity isn't near as much fun if you haven't have poor people around to rub their face in the fact that you've got it so good.
So perhaps these thoughts may temper the conversation. I don't want to come across as a bitter recluse. Far from it. My sailing organization was founded with the intent to build community and it really has, and has been a real source of nourishment for me and others for years. http://www.oarclub.org It doesn't take much, but it takes a lot of effort, but the reward is I have vibrant relationships with hundreds of talented people all over the world. That can be done here too, but you've got to shake out those that "get it."