<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"></div><div dir="ltr">Richard,</div><div dir="ltr">Thanks for your response. Back in the day we said the imbalance in the social process was seen primarily in the dominance of the economic and the collapse of the cultural, which showed up most graphically in the economic inequality between the few who have much and the many who have little. Although we never articulated it this way, the cultural collapse showed up in the story that meaning and significance in life come through the acquisition, accumulation and disposition/consumption of material wealth. Do you see the situation today as being significantly different or about the same? My guess is, today we would have to be more aware than before about how the political contributes to the imbalance. Certainly, with the rise of the strongman leader in nations around the world, it’s more than just limited participation in the political process. Would love to hear your take on all this.</div><div dir="ltr">Randy</div><div dir="ltr"><br><blockquote type="cite">On Dec 13, 2025, at 10:53 PM, Richard and Maria Maguire via OE <oe@lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:<br><br></blockquote></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr">
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<p>Hi</p>
<p>Thanks, Randy, for pointing us to this article.</p>
<p>I read "The Image" before I met up with the ICA. I was quite
excited to read it, since he gave a clue about how people form and
maintain their beliefs and how these lead to certain actions. I
learned how Culture and symbols play a huge role of (at least) all
people and their societies, whether they are a member of the KKK,
the Nazi Party, MAGA, neocons or the Civil Rights or Peace
Movements. What matters is the interests that these cultures and
symbols represent. To me the illustration of the current
distortions of the Social Process toward the economic is the
undelying social source of so many past and current cultures. I
find it most disturbing the way so many important cultureal
institutions, like the media and the education system are being
bought up or even more heavily influenced by people of wealth or
their allies. as Adam Smith said in "The Wealth of Nations"in
1776. "When ever these people get together, the public is worse
off. The talk is always about how to raise prices and lower
wages" </p>
<p>"All the goods belong to all the people" is a message that
neocons and their related movements would probably never use, nor
would they affirm the messages and cultures implied by that or the
many Human Rights Instruments affirmed by many countries (although
often not by the US). </p>
<p>From what I learned, especially in CSI was that culture is like
technology, it all depends on what the intention is, and how much
it is or is not an affirmation of connectedness and love or
separation and fear.</p>
<p>Best wishes</p>
<p>Richard</p>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
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