1. 10/06/12, 09:04 pm

Says: "I found the end of this post to be interesting, and it got me thinking about the relationship between the individual and the group into the future. I agree with you that it is getting into the time where the real, democratic force of people can and has shown their power and influence in the world, and I share your hope that in the future this force can show itself in more and more effective ways. I visited Occupy Boston more than a few times and I was always impressed and inspired by the "forum of ideas" atmosphere that it had, and it showed me how few opportunities people have to get together, with no rules or expectations, and talk about the state of society and the world. But past that, it shows me that the principles of early Anarchist thinkers like Kropotkin and Bakunin can be even more relevant today in our world of instant communication (which I think was always the stumbling block before). I don't think the relevance of the individual will ever end however; individuals are always the ones with the true ideas. Ideas by committee lose their flavor and zeal. It takes a "true believer" in his own cause to really push through something new. I do wonder, even so, if the 21st century in America might be the start of new forms of social organization centered around the power of people (and not money). In the 19th century there were countless utopian projects around the country; collectives, anarchist communes, it was the century where the Quakers got their start. Those times can happen again, this time balancing the power of the individual, with the power of the group even more effectively. Thank you for this inspiring line of thought."