The Emergence of Politics in a New Paradigm

Apr 24, 2008

It seems we are not only hearing about climate from an environmental perspective but from a political one as well these days. The climate of politics is clearly changing ...

I see only wonderful things on the horizon ...

I see a new paradigm of politics emerging.

New paradigm politics is not a democracy, dictatorship or a republic; rather it is something that’s never been before. It’s beyond the predictable, brought into being by virtue of the urgency with which mankind is facing an unstable environmental future.

Below are some insightful comments made by my friend Tom Plant, who was a Colorado Representative for 8 years and is now Director of the Governor's Energy Office:

Part of a new paradigm of politics will follow a new paradigm of media.  When politicians don’t feel as though they need to be the “story of the hour” in order to be re-elected, don’t feel as though they need to govern to the headline, simple competence can emerge as a redeeming factor. 

Our ideological battle lines are defined today as “Conservative” and “Liberal”.  But the irony is, we’re both. Who wouldn’t want to be “Conservative”?  To be conservative is to be cautious, thoughtful and careful.  To ensure the beauty and grandeur of our natural resources are available to the next generation, to enhance stability and sustainability in our society. Similarly, why wouldn’t we strive to be “Liberal”?  It’s the foundation of our Democracy.  Liberalism is our embrace of freedom and compassion as a people.  It is the independence and interdependence of our families and communities for which the founding generations of our country fought.  It is the very essence of our Liberty. In fact, the government we most want in our society is both.  The politicians we most admire through history were liberal conservatives.  So, why do we try and imagine they are mutually exclusive?  Could it be a means of purposefully sabotaging our own greatness?

A new paradigm of politics would embrace liberal conservatism.  It would strive to achieve a sustainable future for our society that uses both the resources of government and those of industry to create the future we all want for our children.   It invests in a vision of what can be, not what is.  It acts as a proactive agent for change. A new political and social paradigm ensures that as we grow and develop as a people, we recognize the similarities in our diversity, the interdependence of our individualism and the value of that which can offer us nothing.  

It is said necessity is the mother of invention (evolution). The new paradigm of politics is not something better than any of its predecessors. It is simply an expression of the evolution of us as an emerging society. Butterflies are not better than caterpillars ... one simply cannot exist without the other.

No matter who is elected, the political climate will never be the same. Let's focus on the bigger picture that's unfolding before us. Let's welcome a new paradigm of politics.

Dedication to ... my father, Lou James

Apr 11, 2008

It was at the dinner in May 2005, at my house with Hunter Lovins and Andrew Smith, where I first shared publicly who my dad is for me and how that impacts the work I do in the world.

While the truth is, as a child I felt like life was broken, my childhood was rough and my parents were not perfect (both having addictions), I have used my entire adult life to complete the past with them and find and speak my truth. In doing so, I’ve been able to see the beauty behind what seemed like a horrible childhood.

I have since found out that everybody, even those who say their childhood was uneventful, has their horror stories. Whether the things that happened when we were kids were truly horrible or not, it only matters that in the moment when we were kids it seemed that way. From that seeming interpretation of life, all kids put together broken understandings of “the way life is”. Then we proceeded to operate as adults compensating inside of our adolescent world view. Most importantly, it was that we pushed aside, consciously or unconsciously, these understandings and ultimately we were run by them.

In 1980 my dad and I took the est training, now Landmark Forum; in 1985 my mom, bless her heart, participated too. Up until 6 years ago before she passed away, we all lovingly worked to iron out the wrinkles of the past and tell the truth about what actually happened. This allowed for tremendous healing between my parents and forgiveness on all our parts. Since my mother’s death my dad has been there for me. Last month he and I had the serendipitous opportunity to be in San Francisco at the same time. There we created a relationship and sense of family that for sure is in a new paradigm! I felt a level of intimacy, partnership and completion that I thought impossible.

The following are the lifelong gifts he gave me:

• A love for our natural world, especially our oceans; he’s a founding member of the Cousteau Society of America.
• A love of all people, all races, all religions.
• A tender heart towards those people and animals that have been wounded or discarded by society.
• A love of the full moon in a desert night sky.
• A fighter’s spirit to keep going for the optimistic side.
• A love of a good book and a passion for learning.
• An exquisite appreciation for wild flowers and poetry.
• A deep respect for life’s mysteries.

Lou James is a Vietnam vet who retired a brigadier general in the United States Air Force. As a physician he studied aerospace medicine and worked with Apollo astronauts. He served as spring training team physician for the New York Yankees and was personal physician to one of the U.S. Presidents in Florida. Before retiring from medicine, my dad spent his time working with hyperbaric chambers, decompressing scuba divers off the Florida coast.

I love you, Dad.

It is an honor to be your daughter.