Looking in the Looking Glass.

Okay, Boys and Girls, and all the other wondrous variations on the theme of Humanity, here's our plan for 2016, as outlined in our New Year's Day post: We are making Peace Engineering into a cooperative, and we are developing a new political party, which will also be a cooperative, one that will be so Citizen-friendly that millions, perhaps billions of people will join.

Because you may be thinking about participating, let's ask this critical question again:

"Who are you?"

The Caterpillar and Alice looked at each other for some time in silence: at last the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth, and addressed her in a languid, sleepy voice. 'Who are you?' said the Caterpillar. This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, 'I—I hardly know, sir, just at present—at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.' 'What do you mean by that?' said the Caterpillar sternly. 'Explain yourself!' 'I can't explain myself, I'm afraid, sir' said Alice, 'because I'm not myself, you see.' 'I don't see,' said the Caterpillar. 'I'm afraid I can't put it more clearly,' Alice replied very politely, 'for I can't understand it myself to begin with; and being so many different sizes in a day is very confusing.' 'It isn't,' said the Caterpillar. 'Well, perhaps you haven't found it so yet,' said Alice; 'but when you have to turn into a chrysalis—you will some day, you know—and then after that into a butterfly, I should think you'll feel it a little queer, won't you?' 'Not a bit,' said the Caterpillar. 'Well, perhaps your feelings may be different,' said Alice; 'all I know is, it would feel very queer to me.' 'You!' said the Caterpillar contemptuously. 'Who are you?'

Because both Peace Engineering and the Thoughtful People Party are places where each person gets a vote, is on the same level playing field, and is striving to play well with others, we would hope that within both groups there will never come a moment when anyone asks you contemptuously, "Who are you?"

Not only are we very interested in knowing who you are for the sake of helping you with your goals, but also we need to know how you can help with the peace process, the campaign process, or both. We realize that each person is unique and their levels of participation are similarly so. With that in mind, we list twelve possibilities related to your workload, your contributions and of equal importance, related to the extent you're willing to share with other people "who you are!"

~ The Choices ~ 1. Remain anonymous and contribute brilliant ideas. 2. Remain anonymous and contribute money as well as brilliant ideas. 3. Remain anonymous, contribute money, brilliant ideas, and share the news about the Project with friends and family.   Or... 4. Share your identity with other people in the organization and contribute brilliant ideas. 5. Share your identity with other people in the organization and contribute money as well as brilliant ideas. 6. Share your identity with other people in the organization, contribute money, brilliant ideas, and share the news about the Project with friends and family. Or... 7. Share your identity with the whole world and contribute brilliant ideas. 8. Share your identity with the whole world and contribute money as well as brilliant ideas. 9. Share your identity with the whole world and contribute money, brilliant ideas, and share the news about the Project with friends and family. Or... 10. Choose the extent you wish to share your identity and become a member of the Thoughtful People Party. 11. Choose the extent you wish to share your identity and become an organizer within the Thoughtful People Party. 12. Choose the extent you wish to share your identity, and after becoming an organizer within the Party, participate in the selection process for a cabinet position when the Thoughtful People Party moves into the White House.

 ~ When you've made your choice, please call us at 563.564.6221 ~

What happened on your Birth Day?

Each one of us has experienced a day or a series of days that lead us to believe the Universe was in bad shape on our Day of Birth.

The lyrics to "Born Under a Bad Sign" were written by William Bell, with music by Booker T. Jones, for blues singer Albert King.

~ Keep in mind that Albert [1923-1987] was six-foot four! ~

< https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKY8KIt9kqc >

When we have those days, we may hear in our minds a haunting variation of the lyrics: "Born under a bad sign, been down since I began to crawl. If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all."

And guess what, it's true! For anyone who's paying the least bit of attention to what's happening on the planet, a glance in the mirror should prompt the question, "Why me?" 

Everyone alive today either is or ought to be wondering, wondering how in the name of the Cosmos that birthed us have we arrived at such a dreadful time in history, a time when if we don't change our selfish behaviors we shall incinerate our home planet, and if we don't change our violent inclinations, we shall blow ourselves to smithereens.

Worst case scenario with temperature, our species is slowly toasted. Worst case with nukes is different: If only 2% of all nuclear weapons in the global arsenal are launched, two billion people are effected immediately, either evaporating, suffering unimaginably until death arrives, or sitting farther away from the detonations in a daze. About the third group, my friend B.L. would have them consider, "You won't even be able to trade your Lamborghini for a dirty plastic jug of filthy water."

Let's leave those depressing thoughts behind and move rapidly toward optimism.

The purpose of Peace Engineering is to help people find peace of mind, and there's no better way to develop your peace of mind than by heartily seeking solutions. Feeling hopeful is useful only to the extent you use that hope to drive your peaceful inclinations.

In our next post, we'll introduce everyone to Peace 2020, the Road Show, a drama we'll share with small towns, chosen by the "one high school method", throughout the country, and a drama based on the premise that the Citizens have had the solutions to our poor nation's woes all along. We shall be starting that journey very soon gathering the answers from the Citizens who've discovered them, then sharing those solutions with those who are not yet aware.

Stay tuned.

~ If you need further information, please call us at 563.564.6221 ~

"And now for something completely different."

"Clearly you Folks need a renaissance, maybe another revolution too."

Okay, Boys and Girls, and all the other wondrous variations on the theme of Humanity, let's begin this critical New Year [1] with an equally critical question: "Who are you?"

Here's the plan for 2016: We are making Peace Engineering into a cooperative [2], and we are developing a new political party, which will also be a cooperative, one that will be so Citizen-friendly that millions of people will join.

They will join because they are overjoyed to find a new, wonderfully different organization that will finally replace the Two Big Parties, the collective behavior of which has for so long been dreadfully exasperating, sickeningly depressing, and exceedingly boring.

They will also join because they know the Democratic and Republican parties have long since lost their usefulness, have blatantly abandoned the Citizens for the sake of their own self-interests, and worst of all, have kept us in a state of war that both parties eagerly wish to perpetuate because that activity is so delightfully profitable [3].

Thus by November 8th, at least 80% of registered voters will rush to the booths and select all the candidates of the new party, thrilled with the prospect of having qualified people actually represent and more important, listen to the Citizens, those wise folks who have always had the answers in the first place.

Imagine this peaceful revolution, a well-deserved renaissance for ourselves and our country!

Finally, we expand our first question: "Who are you, and will you participate in this revolution and rebirth?"

Happily, determining the answer requires only three steps:

Step 1: In a mirror, look yourself right in the eye.

Step 2: Ask yourself, "Do I have the courage for this?"

Step 3: If so, contact us, and we'll listen to your ideas.

Notes:

1. Sean Wilentz writes of this critical election here:

< http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/why-the-2016-election-will-be-one-of-the-most-pivotal-moments-of-our-time-20151203 >
2. The best explanation of a co-operative we've seen recently is here:

< http://www.co-operative.coop/corporate/aboutus/the-co-operative-group-values-and-principles >
3. Italicized to honor all those who have been and continue to be killed or injured in this murderous process.

Please contact us:

563-564-6221

< jmill2k@earthlink.net >

Peace Engineering, Inc.

P.O. Box 3037, Dubuque, Iowa 52004.