12/2/10 Letter to Joseph McCormick and Steve Bhaerman

I was given your information by a friend who said it reminded him of
me. I have read your stuff and I believe we are on the same page and
perhaps could further each others work.

I am in the early stages of formulating A New Ism Project. The concept
is that it is time to fire Capitalism because of its failure to mitigate
tyranny, its tendency to rigid hierarchy, its failure to broadly
distribute the benefits of cooperation, and its insatiable,
unsustainable need for growth.

Many youth are being attracted to Socialism and Communism without a
clear understanding of their failings -- specifically they don't have a
coherent modern economic theory (they are primarily political theories)
and they have failed, on the most part, to handle the rise of
authoritarian tendencies, and to protect and celebrate individual liberty.

So, we are in need of "A New Ism". An economic, social, and political
theory sophisticated enough to handle the complexity of modern life and
to deliver general prosperity and happiness. But, rather than tell
people what The New Ism should be, we seek to engage different
communities in a dialog about what they think A New Ism should have in it.

Now we have some specific ideas to keep the dialog moving, such as
Elinor Ostrom's Common Pool Resource Management, corporate peoplehood,
decentralized but coordinated systems, local control balanced against
common action, celebration of leadership, competency-based
representative democracy with elected accountable leaders, separation of
powers, radical resource efficiency, as well as a system designed to put
compassion, joy, and love at the center of all human interaction.

Many of these ideas are based in the study of the Native American
social, economic and political structures that you rightly point out
helped inform the American Revolution. It is now time to apply the
concepts to the economic realm as we are now in the age of the corporate
state.

In 1776 we were in the grip of national personhood, the nation was a
person not a people. England was the King, not the Country. "I fight
for England," meant "I fight for the King, who is named England". The
American Patriots had the bold idea "What if a country can be a people,
not a person?" and that simple idea has resonated across the globe ever
since and built the modern economy.

Well, now it is time to think of Corporate Peoplehood. What if
companies could be people, not a person? This I believe is the common
ground between conservatives and progressives. It is based in all of
the ideals of conservatism and progressivism. It is the only way out of
the ideological grid lock. Progressives will never support deregulation
and smaller government, as long as the Plutonomists rule their economic
empires, and conservatives will never support issues of equality that
are dictated by the government fiat.

Corporate Peoplehood is an idea that is based on people earning what
they want in the world and therefore a smaller government is possible,
however we need a new ism to provide the social software and ideological
framework to pursue our economic needs in a humanizing and sustainable
fashion.

Please contact me if you have any desire to discuss these matters
further. I am willing to come and participate in an Transpartisan
Events you have. I have a resort in the High Sierras of California and
would offer it as a venue. If not, good luck and happy hunting. You
are doing good work.
Peace,
Michael Rogers