Envisioning: Envisioning:

Hope andHope and the Responsibility of the the Responsibility of the Individual Individual

in a Democratic Societyin a Democratic Society

The Responsibility of the Individual in a Democratic SocietyThe Responsibility of the Individual in a Democratic Society

Agency and StructureAgency and Structure--Individual and System--Individual and System--Person and Institution--Person and Institution--Chomsky (on institutions)--Chomsky (on institutions)

Decisions/PositionsDecisions/Positions (Policy & Principle)(Policy & Principle)

--Policy: --Policy: Outcome based on cost/benefit Outcome based on cost/benefit analysisanalysis

--Principle: Fundamental beliefs--Principle: Fundamental beliefs

The Responsibility of the Individual in a Democratic SocietyThe Responsibility of the Individual in a Democratic Society

Accumulated Differential Accumulated Differential AdvantagesAdvantages

----Appache (Iraq War)

----CNN (Iraq War)   

The Responsibility of the Individual in a Democratic SocietyThe Responsibility of the Individual in a Democratic Society

What Should I Do? (Chomsky) What Can I Do?What Can I Do? What Can be Done?What Can be Done?

The Responsibility of the Individual in a Democratic SocietyThe Responsibility of the Individual in a Democratic Society

Change RequiresChange Requires::

----Vision: A Just Society based on …Vision: A Just Society based on …

----Knowledge: Accurate Information &Knowledge: Accurate Information & Cartesian Common Sense Cartesian Common Sense

----Action: Local, National … GlobalAction: Local, National … Global

The Responsibility of the Individual in a Democratic SocietyThe Responsibility of the Individual in a Democratic Society

Why Should I Care?Why Should I Care?

--Policy: Outcome based on --Policy: Outcome based on cost/benefit analysiscost/benefit analysis

--Principle: Fundamental beliefs--Principle: Fundamental beliefs

The Responsibility of the Individual in a Democratic SocietyThe Responsibility of the Individual in a Democratic Society

Why Should I Care? PrincipleWhy Should I Care? Principle

--It is a matter of “looking at one’s It is a matter of “looking at one’s self in the mirror” (Noam self in the mirror” (Noam Chomsky)Chomsky)

--It is a matter of “doing the right It is a matter of “doing the right thing” (Abdi Sami).thing” (Abdi Sami).

The Responsibility of the Individual in a Democratic SocietyThe Responsibility of the Individual in a Democratic Society

If you assume that there's no If you assume that there's no hope, you guarantee that there hope, you guarantee that there will be no hope. If you assume will be no hope. If you assume that there is an instinct for that there is an instinct for freedom, there are opportunities freedom, there are opportunities to change things, there's a to change things, there's a chance you may contribute to chance you may contribute to making a better world. That's making a better world. That's your choice. (Noam Chomsky)your choice. (Noam Chomsky)

The Responsibility of the Individual in a Democratic SocietyThe Responsibility of the Individual in a Democratic Society

““Architect: Hope. It is the Architect: Hope. It is the quintessential human quintessential human delusion, simultaneously the delusion, simultaneously the source of your greatest source of your greatest strength and your greatest strength and your greatest weakness.weakness.” The Matrix: ” The Matrix: ReloadedReloaded

The Responsibility of the Individual in a Democratic SocietyThe Responsibility of the Individual in a Democratic Society

Dear God,Dear God,

I’m Doing the Best I Can.I’m Doing the Best I Can.

FrankFrank

The Responsibility of the Individual in a Democratic SocietyThe Responsibility of the Individual in a Democratic Society

That's your choiceThat's your choice

The Responsibility of the Individual in a Democratic SocietyThe Responsibility of the Individual in a Democratic Society

““Take [this story], for instance. It’s yours. Do with it what you will. Tell friends. Turn it Take [this story], for instance. It’s yours. Do with it what you will. Tell friends. Turn it into a television movie. Forget it. But don’t say in the years to come that you would into a television movie. Forget it. But don’t say in the years to come that you would have lived your life differently if only you had heard this story.have lived your life differently if only you had heard this story.

You’ve heard it now.” Thomas King, 2005.You’ve heard it now.” Thomas King, 2005.