<html><head></head><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;font-size:16px"><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462552954308_22237" dir="ltr">I wonder how much of this is really due to illusions about the effectiveness of communication by speeches, excerpts of speeches, sound bites, etc. . . . </div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462552954308_22237" dir="ltr"><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462552954308_22237" dir="ltr">anyway thanks for the thinking</div><div></div><div> </div><div class="signature" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462552954308_23317"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://partnersinparticipation.com/?page_id=123">Jim Wiegel</a> <br><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462552954308_23316"><span style="font-family:HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif;line-height:18.3999996185303px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462552954308_23315">“If you want an adventure . . . what a time to be alive!”. Joanna Macy</span></div><br><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:12pt;background-color:white;">401 North Beverly Way,Tolleson, Arizona 85353</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background:white;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462552954308_23321"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462552954308_23323">623-363-3277</span><span style="font-size:14.5pt;font-family:'Segoe UI', sans-serif;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background:white;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462552954308_23325"><span style="font-size:14.5pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="mailto:marilyn.oyler@gmail.com"><span style="color:blue;">jfwiegel@yahoo.com</span></a></span><span style="font-size:14.5pt;font-family:'Segoe UI', sans-serif;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background:white;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462552954308_23330"><span style="font-size:14.5pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462552954308_23329"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:blue;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462552954308_23328"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.partnersinparticipation.com/" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462552954308_23327">www.partnersinparticipation.com</a></span></span></div><br><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462552954308_23347"><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1423152614990_64964" style="font-family:'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif;font-size:13px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1423152614990_64963"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://partnersinparticipation.com/?page_id=10" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462552954308_23346">Upcoming ToP training opportunities in Arizona</a></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1423152614990_64964" style="font-family:'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif;font-size:13px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1423152614990_64969" style="font-family:'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif;font-size:13px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);">More info on:</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1423152614990_64976" style="font-family:'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif;font-size:13px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br></div></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462552954308_23370"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://partnersinparticipation.com/?page_id=48" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462552954308_23369">ToP® Facilitation Methods</a> </div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462552954308_23372"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://partnersinparticipation.com/?page_id=50" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462552954308_23371">ToP® Strategic Planning</a>: </div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462552954308_23374"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cz3mniiYCdI" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462552954308_23373">Mastering the Technology of Participation</a> </div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462552954308_23375"><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462552954308_23377"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.top-training.net/" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462552954308_23376">Register on line / see the ToP National Schedule</a></div><div>AICP Planners: 14.5 CM for all ToP® courses</div><div><br></div><div><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://partnersinparticipation.com/?page_id=203">The AZ ToP® Community of Practice</a> meets the 1st Friday, of every month, 1-4 pm, at ACYR, <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/648+N+5th+Ave/@33.456329,-112.080545,16z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x872b123a5312512d:0x93c9f71171108956?hl=">648 N. 5th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85003</a></div><div><br></div></div><div class="qtdSeparateBR"><br><br></div><div class="yahoo_quoted" style="display: block;"> <div style="font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> <div style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> <div dir="ltr"> <font size="2" face="Arial"> <hr size="1"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold;">From:</span></b> David Dunn via Dialogue <dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net><br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> ICA Dialogue Listserv <dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net> <br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Friday, May 6, 2016 10:48 AM<br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> [Dialogue] small essay (a search for contradictions)<br> </font> </div> <div class="y_msg_container"><br><div id="yiv3959942604"><div><font size="2" class="yiv3959942604">Also, in the continual search for economy of thought and writing:</font><div class="yiv3959942604"><font size="2" class="yiv3959942604"><br class="yiv3959942604"></font></div><div class="yiv3959942604"><div style="margin:0px;line-height:normal;" class="yiv3959942604"><span style="" class="yiv3959942604"><b class="yiv3959942604"><font size="2" class="yiv3959942604">The Totalitarianism of Mediocracy</font></b></span></div><div style="margin:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:13px;" class="yiv3959942604"><font size="2" class="yiv3959942604"><span style="" class="yiv3959942604"></span><br class="yiv3959942604"></font></div><div style="margin:0px;line-height:normal;" class="yiv3959942604"><span style="" class="yiv3959942604"><font size="2" class="yiv3959942604">Political totalitarianism has been at work in America for many years. While its signs are widely noticed, it has not been clearly named. It is a totalitarianism of mediocracy. These are self-defeating bad habits. They tyrannize us all because they pull the wool over our eyes, convince us that we are powerless, and rehearse that we are surrounded by enemies who will victimize us. These are “worst practices” that show up in many subtle and not-subtle forms.</font></span></div><div style="margin:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:13px;" class="yiv3959942604"><font size="2" class="yiv3959942604"><span style="" class="yiv3959942604"></span><br class="yiv3959942604"></font></div><div style="margin:0px;line-height:normal;" class="yiv3959942604"><span style="" class="yiv3959942604"><font size="2" class="yiv3959942604">The posturing of duplicity: saying one thing (“I’m for ‘hard working Americans,’ the ‘poor’) while doing another (underfunding health care, education, environmental protection, infrastructure maintenance, research and development perpetuates a permanent underclass)</font></span></div><div style="margin:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:13px;" class="yiv3959942604"><font size="2" class="yiv3959942604"><span style="" class="yiv3959942604"></span><br class="yiv3959942604"></font></div><div style="margin:0px;line-height:normal;" class="yiv3959942604"><span style="" class="yiv3959942604"><font size="2" class="yiv3959942604">The credentials of wealth and celebrity: using personal or corporate wealth to buy into a political process (from lobbyists to presidential candidates) and asserting political leadership without the requisite life experience and emotional intelligence</font></span></div><div style="margin:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:13px;" class="yiv3959942604"><font size="2" class="yiv3959942604"><span style="" class="yiv3959942604"></span><br class="yiv3959942604"></font></div><div style="margin:0px;line-height:normal;" class="yiv3959942604"><span style="" class="yiv3959942604"><font size="2" class="yiv3959942604">The tyranny of the minority: retreat behind a facade of ideological purity to stone wall the analysis of root causes and negotiation of constructive solutions</font></span></div><div style="margin:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:13px;" class="yiv3959942604"><font size="2" class="yiv3959942604"><span style="" class="yiv3959942604"></span><br class="yiv3959942604"></font></div><div style="margin:0px;line-height:normal;" class="yiv3959942604"><span style="" class="yiv3959942604"><font size="2" class="yiv3959942604">The politics of assertion: planting images of reality merely by asserting what is objectively false or remains unproven (associating Ted Cruz’s father with the JFK assassination or claiming that a minimum wage will bankrupt business)</font></span></div><div style="margin:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:13px;" class="yiv3959942604"><font size="2" class="yiv3959942604"><span style="" class="yiv3959942604"></span><br class="yiv3959942604"></font></div><div style="margin:0px;line-height:normal;" class="yiv3959942604"><span style="" class="yiv3959942604"><font size="2" class="yiv3959942604">The bogeyman of big: the mantra that “Big Government” is inherently bad cripples citizens’ and society’s capacity work powerfully and effectively together.</font></span></div><div style="margin:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:13px;" class="yiv3959942604"><font size="2" class="yiv3959942604"><span style="" class="yiv3959942604"></span><br class="yiv3959942604"></font></div><div style="margin:0px;line-height:normal;" class="yiv3959942604"><span style="" class="yiv3959942604"><font size="2" class="yiv3959942604">The folly of blaming: all forms of scapegoating ignore that fact that all levels of society, from families to nations, are complex interdependent systems, all of whose members must work in harmony and balance for the benefit of everyone. Ignoring anyone harms everyone.</font></span></div><div style="margin:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:13px;" class="yiv3959942604"><font size="2" class="yiv3959942604"><span style="" class="yiv3959942604"></span><br class="yiv3959942604"></font></div><div style="margin:0px;line-height:normal;" class="yiv3959942604"><span style="" class="yiv3959942604"><font size="2" class="yiv3959942604">This litany of illusions stymies our society and a political system that is arguably a master perpetuator of illusion. In consequence, it is closer to the truth to say that we are failing as a society to embody our nation’s foundational values: the inalienable right of everyone to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”</font></span></div><div style="margin:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:13px;" class="yiv3959942604"><font size="2" class="yiv3959942604"><span style="" class="yiv3959942604"></span><br class="yiv3959942604"></font></div><div style="margin:0px;line-height:normal;" class="yiv3959942604"><span style="" class="yiv3959942604"><font size="2" class="yiv3959942604">Political systems and government structures based on illusions can not be other than mediocre. They will constantly fail to measure up to our expectations that they serve the common good. It seems clear today that the first three marks of an adequate candidate for political office are a demonstrated habit of speaking truthfully, a willingness to spot and name illusions, and skills in collaborating in sound governance that benefits everyone.</font></span></div><div style="margin:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:13px;" class="yiv3959942604"><font size="2" class="yiv3959942604"><span style="" class="yiv3959942604"></span><br class="yiv3959942604"></font></div><div style="margin:0px;line-height:normal;" class="yiv3959942604"><span style="" class="yiv3959942604"><font size="2" class="yiv3959942604">A small essay by David Dunn</font></span></div><div style="margin:0px;line-height:normal;" class="yiv3959942604"><span style="" class="yiv3959942604"><font size="2" class="yiv3959942604"><br class="yiv3959942604"></font></span></div><div style="margin:0px;line-height:normal;" class="yiv3959942604"><span style="" class="yiv3959942604"><font size="2" class="yiv3959942604"><br class="yiv3959942604"></font></span></div><div style="margin:0px;line-height:normal;" class="yiv3959942604"><span style="" class="yiv3959942604"><font size="2" class="yiv3959942604">…with regards to all. dd</font></span></div><div style="margin:0px;line-height:normal;" class="yiv3959942604"><span style="" class="yiv3959942604"><font size="2" class="yiv3959942604"><br class="yiv3959942604"></font></span></div><div style="margin:0px;line-height:normal;" class="yiv3959942604"><span style="" class="yiv3959942604"><font size="2" class="yiv3959942604"><br class="yiv3959942604"></font></span></div><div class="yiv3959942604">
<span class="yiv3959942604Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse:separate;font-family:Arial;line-height:normal;border-spacing:0px;"><div style="word-wrap:break-word;" class="yiv3959942604"><span class="yiv3959942604Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse:separate;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;orphans:2;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;border-spacing:0px;"><div style="word-wrap:break-word;" class="yiv3959942604"><div style="word-wrap:break-word;" class="yiv3959942604"><span class="yiv3959942604Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial;"><div style="word-wrap:break-word;" class="yiv3959942604"><div style="word-wrap:break-word;" class="yiv3959942604"><span class="yiv3959942604Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica;"><div style="word-wrap:break-word;" class="yiv3959942604"><div style="word-wrap:break-word;" class="yiv3959942604"><font size="2" class="yiv3959942604"><div style="word-wrap:break-word;" class="yiv3959942604"><div style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;orphans:2;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" class="yiv3959942604">—</div><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;orphans:2;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><br class="yiv3959942604Apple-interchange-newline"><span><img height="96" width="72" id="yiv3959942604A6354F99-E750-4C56-B46E-91CF01045768" src="cid:eIGQfM9SZcVxX3WfOxKa" class="yiv3959942604" data-id="364a13a0-319c-de83-e6c8-e1cfbb55c6ad"></span><div style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;orphans:2;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" class="yiv3959942604"><br class="yiv3959942604Apple-interchange-newline"><br class="yiv3959942604Apple-interchange-newline"><br class="yiv3959942604"></div><div style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;orphans:2;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" class="yiv3959942604">David Dunn</div><div style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;orphans:2;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" class="yiv3959942604">740 S Alton Way 9B</div><div style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;orphans:2;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" class="yiv3959942604">Denver, CO 80247</div><div style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;orphans:2;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" class="yiv3959942604">720-314-5991</div><div style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;orphans:2;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" class="yiv3959942604"><a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:dmdunn1@gmail.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:dmdunn1@gmail.com" class="yiv3959942604">dmdunn1@gmail.com</a></div>
</span></div>
</font></div></div></span></div></div></span></div></div></span></div></span></div><br class="yiv3959942604"></div></div></div><br>_______________________________________________<br>Dialogue mailing list<br><a ymailto="mailto:Dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net" href="mailto:Dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net">Dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net</a><br><a href="http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/dialogue-wedgeblade.net" target="_blank">http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/dialogue-wedgeblade.net</a><br><br><br></div> </div> </div> </div></div></body></html>