Comments on: What are we missing? http://www.globaldashboard.org/2009/01/25/what-are-we-missing/ Global risks and how to respond to them, edited by Alex Evans and David Steven Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:49:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Julia http://www.globaldashboard.org/2009/01/25/what-are-we-missing/comment-page-1/#comment-7463 Julia Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:06:16 +0000 http://www.globaldashboard.org/?p=5110#comment-7463 I think that Alex maybe on to something when he expresses some misgiving about the products of 'groupthink' ... Whilst this 'process' is, I think, at times very useful (for example, for 'brainstorming'?), its power to make people agree with the dominant person's thoughts, in order to avoid an 'unseemly' or upsetting conflict in the 'meeting, needs to be borne in mind. Whilst it is good, I would say, for minds to 'come together', I suggest that it's also important that those indivduals are able to assert what they really believe, as a result of the persons' 'convergence'. This could be conducted after the 'assembly', perhaps independently, like in 'Big Brother'(although I'm afraid I don't watch the programme). In this way, the real perceptive 'pith' of the group members might not be evaporated away by the 'heat' of social etiquette. I think that Alex maybe on to something when he expresses some misgiving about the products of ‘groupthink’ … Whilst this ‘process’ is, I think, at times very useful (for example, for ‘brainstorming’?), its power to make people agree with the dominant person’s thoughts, in order to avoid an ‘unseemly’ or upsetting conflict in the ‘meeting, needs to be borne in mind. Whilst it is good, I would say, for minds to ‘come together’, I suggest that it’s also important that those indivduals are able to assert what they really believe, as a result of the persons’ ‘convergence’. This could be conducted after the ‘assembly’, perhaps independently, like in ‘Big Brother’(although I’m afraid I don’t watch the programme). In this way, the real perceptive ‘pith’ of the group members might not be evaporated away by the ‘heat’ of social etiquette.

]]> By: Paul C http://www.globaldashboard.org/2009/01/25/what-are-we-missing/comment-page-1/#comment-7437 Paul C Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:48:15 +0000 http://www.globaldashboard.org/?p=5110#comment-7437 I think a more useful question would be who constitutes the "we"? There are a number of non-state actors - corporate, non-governmental, 4GW, private individuals - that already believe that states don't have legitimacy or capability. (In fact there have been people that have held this view ever since states began to form.) Clearly these individuals and groups don't present a coherent collective alternative to the state, but it seems clear that what is missing from these discussions is that they are all taking place within a framework that assumes the state and proceeds from there. This may not be the most useful starting point if one wishes to really grasp what's happening. I think a more useful question would be who constitutes the “we”? There are a number of non-state actors – corporate, non-governmental, 4GW, private individuals – that already believe that states don’t have legitimacy or capability. (In fact there have been people that have held this view ever since states began to form.)

Clearly these individuals and groups don’t present a coherent collective alternative to the state, but it seems clear that what is missing from these discussions is that they are all taking place within a framework that assumes the state and proceeds from there. This may not be the most useful starting point if one wishes to really grasp what’s happening.

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