by Redemption
W4 Help 'make a difference' ____
W5 See wrongs righted ____
W6 See a 'fair go' for all ____
W7 See honesty and decency rewarded ____
W8 Get your 'due' out of life ____
W9 Have better health - physical and mental ____
W10 Be happy in a satisfying way ____
TOTAL WANTS ____
Know that Smiles addresses all of these things.
D: 'Not -For' People (10NF):
So as to clarify interest and not unduly waste the time of people (and the Team), the list indicates the type of people who may not benefit from, or may have difficulty with Smiles, at least for the time being. Note if you:
NF1 Don't want to improve your life ____
NF2 Don't want to help other people ____
NF3 Are not interested in solving problems - yours or other's ____
NF4 Are adamant that people can't change for the better ____
NF5 Are unchangeably cynical ____
NF6 Want a quick fix without input or effort ____
NF7 Are happy to gain at the expense of others ____
NF8 Think the world owes you a living ____
NF9 Insist on rights without regard to responsibilities ____
NF10 Don't want to learn anything new ____
Total NF's ____
If you have multiple ticks Smiles is not for you at the present time.
=
"The three questionnaires served to catch people's attention, awaken their interest, clarify thoughts and perceptions (positive and negative), and point them in the direction of Smiles as something that could be of benefit to them. It was like a preliminary round up, part of the Muster. With motivation and F(r)ee, all they had to do was to venture into Smiles, and from there it was a home run.
"There were 'allies' who came to their aid," Christiana continues. "At varying times and stages different groups lent their support; many, it has to be said, after 4AB when they became aware they would benefit if they did and suffer if they didn't. Businesses were the earliest participants because they found it helped their bottom line at an early date. Insurance companies were not far behind when they saw the implications of healthier and longer lives, reduced accidents, and fewer fraudulent claims and monster payouts. Wealthy individuals saw an avenue to help the world in ways more meaningful and lasting than helping themselves on and on beyond a 'comfortable' life. Foundations discovered means to obtain long-term leverage and Sgen points from funds and donations. Government departments were resistant initially and then grudgingly enthusiastic. The United Nations recognised that the processes would raise the ceiling through Stage 4 for all nations. It would also make their name a reality."
"Where did 'the Bishop' fit in?" asks Andrew.
Christiana: "I'm glad you remembered that little item. At the time, his letter caused a bit of a flurry and pause for thought."
VV
D: Letter from the Bishop.
Dear Mr Buchanan,
I have read with interest accounts of your burgeoning movement and the impressive results it appears to be achieving. Within the circle of my affairs some reservations have been expressed, and I take this opportunity to draw them to your attention.
1. I understand you have deliberately by-passed some of the poorest, the most needy, and the downtrodden in selection of participants for your Smiles programs. Christianity has always given succour to the poor and unfortunate, and with your considerable resources we would have thought these people would have been high on your list instead of being excluded. There are overtones of elitism in this and we see it as a blemish on your no-doubt well-intentioned efforts.
2. One of my assistants, Ms Anne Watkins, tried to enrol in your program, but was 'wait-listed'. The fact that she is female and of African origin leads to a concern that there may also be elements of discrimination, unequal opportunity and perhaps even racism.
3. In a general sense I understand you favour strongly the individual and his / her personal abilities in helping to raise the status of mankind. Our fear is that prosecution of this line, in the absence of the spiritual, may result in undue selfishness in contradistinction to the selflessness of Christianity.
4. Finally, among our main points of objection, your reference to 'War' is upsetting many people already over-stressed by demands of the modern world.
I have not received the courtesy of a reply to an earlier letter on this subject, and if this state of affairs were to continue I feel I may be obliged, in the interests of the service of our church to mankind, to expand on our concerns through the media. Alternatively, should you agree with my sentiments and be able to assist with an appropriate contribution to our efforts I would be most appreciative.
Yours Sincerely………
==
Christiana: "Some of the AAA Team were concerned by the contents of the letter, even embarrassed and feeling a little 'guilty'. They pressed Kent to consider modifying the program to take into account some of the 'obviously relevant' matters raised by the Bishop. Kent showed them his reply.
VV
D: Letter to the Bishop:
Dear Bishop,
My apologies for not replying to your earlier letter; we receive thousands and it is difficult to handle them all adequately. I understand your points of view and trust you might be able to reciprocate with regard to the following:
1. The poor and needy are indeed part of our concern, but we believe best results for the total sum of humanity from our efforts, by far, will be achieved through an approach other than beginning with the worst-off in the way that you do. Enclosed is a copy of the book 'Bold War', reference to which will assist your understanding of my explanation. Ours is not a handout mentality to give temporary alleviation of suffering. We aim to get to the heart of the problem (E2) and make a permanent improvement. We believe we progress much further and faster by starting with those who will ensure the best results and be able to influence others positively (E4, E5 and E7). We are working at the Sgen level and Stage 4, which we know will bring results which are enduring and far superior for all in the long run compared with what you suggest (A brief examination will illustrate that your efforts are at Gen level? and Stage 3? - all 'well-intentioned', of course)
2. Your Ms Watkins in interview was charming and forthright, stating she wanted to 'do' Smiles as an academic exercise to supplement her religious knowledge, even though she thought it was probably not very good and she didn't need it. One of my staff prioritised her to a later date, making room for someone who believed enthusiastically that it could help her, and she in turn could help others. We look forward to the company of Ms Watkins in due course.
3. No progress will take place in this world if individuals do not progress. Smiles enables individuals to develop, and then to bring others with them. Self-confidence, self-worth, self-actualisation and self-management are part of our terminology, selfishness and selflessness are not. At this stage we have not ventured into the spiritual; we believe well-rounded people emerging from Smiles will be able to make their own assessments in that direction, from the multitude of religions which believe as firmly as you do that theirs is the true one.
4. I take no joy in 'upsetting' people with 'War', but it is serving to generate benefits far in excess of its cost - Danne's Key.
So I regret that we aren't out there with you helping to rescue people from the shipwreck of life - our full efforts are being exerted to building better boats (hopefully unsinkable) and teaching seamanship.
Finally, 'in the interests of humanity' I will be happy to join with you in any media exposure, in which I am sure the public will be able to weigh the relative merits of our respective efforts.
Yours faithfully…
==
"There was no media exposure," Christiana adds, "but the Bishop insisted on 'doing' Smiles. Meanwhile charities maintained their commendable, though low-leveraged, efforts in attending to the less fortunate, and were able to be increasingl
y effective as the number of recipients of their charity began to dry up. Progressively they incorporated Effective Impact principles and magnified their efforts substantially.
"But the overwhelming ally was the people - once 'actualised' by Smiles they were the most enthusiastic of supporters. It took two years for 'people transformation' to reach critical mass in the first countries and another three years for the war to be won across the West. It was a further ten years before it penetrated to the corners of the world, but yes, it definitely was worth mounting a war."
"But… 'panic'?" Andrew queries with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, certainly. You could say they were expediting the 'getting worse' aspect (mentally) so they could introduce proactively the 'getting better' side earlier without being dictatorial. It has been said: 'No scheme for a change of society can be made to appear immediately palatable, except by falsehood, until society has become so desperate that it will accept any change.'(35) Collectively you hadn't become desperate enough; left to your own devices the necessary change would eventually have become so drastic, from either the far right or far left, as to be chaotic, disastrous and totally unpalatable.
"But then the trigger happened and the Provolution. At that stage introduction of the concept of the Bold War was very effective. For the AAA Team it served to focus their efforts and charge their enthusiasm. There is nothing new in this. 'War is a means of uniting people in pursuit of something great' (36). And 'War is an unmitigated evil. But it certainly does one good thing. It drives away fear and brings bravery to the surface.'(37) Also William James (again) - he referred to the 'moral equivalent of war' - a sense of purpose geared to the danger but without violence.
"For the public the Bold War was an attention-getting and inertia-dissolving call to arms. It informed them of the peril they were in, it united them against a common enemy, it put them on a 'war' footing. I expect you remember the unifying force of World War II on the population of besieged Britain. And the energising effect of the Cold War on Americans."
V
D: Browns (3):
Chancy: "I'm doing an assignment on 'The Causes of War', a phenomenon rapidly becoming extinct. A President said 'Mankind must put an end to war, otherwise war will put an end to mankind.'(38) What he didn't know about was the Bold War, the war to end all wars, the meta-war. It took an unconventional war to kill off the feral kind."
Harrison: "Other justifications for 'the War': 'A just fear of an imminent danger, though there be no blow given, is a lawful cause of war."(39) And 'Mankind has yet to discover any means as effective as war for harnessing the virtue and energy of very young men and women.(40)
John B: "Proliferation of wars in my time was terrible. We got through two world wars only for dozens to break out all over the place - slaughterhouses of bodies, torture-houses of minds. If I had my way I would have taken out the people responsible, put them against a wall, and shot them."
Leonard: "Thirty million deaths from the two World Wars, fifty million in the following fifty years. It was terrible that such a state of affairs was allowed to develop, let alone continue. In hindsight it was delinquent to permit the enemies of society to infiltrate and become further entrenched."
Eleanor: "Typical male talk from you two. Mentology brought in practical logic and reason to subjugate fear and greed. It raised self-esteem to its rightful level and enhanced empowerment and co-operation, thus disarming the dogs of war and cleansing, re-ordering and strengthening society.
"Best of all, it stopped all those war deaths, which, paradoxically, in turn created a potential danger of rapid population growth. Already overburdened with over-population, Smiles obviated the ensuing massive resource and environmental problem from 'under-killing' by educating people about its implications and what they could do about it."
Chancy: "A final point. Many wars brewed when people didn't communicate or articulate - either because they couldn't express in words adequately, or because of a different outlook or language, or the words didn't exist. They were distanced personally, emotionally, and usually geographically. Finding right words through Pow and Danne's Key was a step towards improving communication and lessening war."
John B: "By the way, there's an interesting bit of war trivia I noted about recent important 'war' dates:
Fall of Berlin Wall 11/9
Fall of Twin Towers 9/11
Genesis of Bold War 10/10
I wonder what's next on the list?
=
"One important historical fact," Christiana continues, with Andrew wondering how long it would take Smiles to make him as confident, knowledgeable and articulate as her, "is that the rise of Athens around 500 BC to great power and influence in the Mediterranean resulted from a new idea - giving power to the people in the world's first democracy. Their power was limited but it was a radical and huge change compared to any previous system. Unfortunately, as Socrates said, 'Democracy passes into despotism' - and so it did. There have been various models of democracy since but the world had to wait 2500 years for our quantum leap to the world's first Deeemocracy, bringing forth the full power of the people. The AAA Team and AAA Institutes provided the lead, but for Deeemocracy to work it needed mature, capable followers. Smiles elicited those prerequisites in large numbers previously impossible to achieve, or even imagine."
"All right, you've made your point," Andrew capitulates. "But with one major qualification. Achieving all this progress is highly commendable, I have to admit. However it must have been at the expense of a lot of human freedom. McTrue, which I notice you haven't mentioned for a long time, would have trampled on a lot of rights and privacy. It's a pity you had to achieve 'progress' at such expense."
"Wrong Andrew. (Again). In the end McTrue wasn't even used. We think it could have provided even greater shortcuts to overcome the problems of democracy. But Deeemocracy with its transparency, trust and active capable participation has overcome paralysis and eliminated the base that allowed the enemies of democracy to plot against it, without having to use McTrue. So, even if in the minds of the Team McTrue was desirable and would have helped, it wasn't indispensable.
"But mention of McTrue brings with it the not-so-good news. Execution of the Bold War was not totally free of bloodshed, there were some tragic casualties, fatalities, real-death executions."
CHAPTER 27 Execution(s)
"I was wondering when you'd notice about McTrue," Christiana says with a mischievous smile as she gives him a drink.
"It had intriguing possibilities."
"Certainly it did. But let Guy Leech do the talking." She types a command and Guy appears on screen.
~
"I had been appointed to guide and expedite Mario after Luigi Tontini's unfortunate demise in the back streets of Naples. In some ways I wasn't the best person because of my limited knowledge of psychology, electronics, computers and software. However in Mario and other members of the team we had all the expertise we needed to advance McTrue - we thought.
"I had become almost as excited as Mario about what we could do with the machine. Originally he was single-minded in creating a weapon to fight the Mafia. He was going to prove to law bodies that the machine was 100% accurate - infallible. No person could tell a lie without being detected, nobody telling the truth would set the machine off in error.
"Thus any guilty person brought to trial would be found guilty, any innocent person would be set free. As the machine became more widely accepted rules regarding its use would be refined and we saw its early use in police stations for suspects brought in for questioning. With careful use many cases would not go to court. It would largely eliminate the need for courts and give more power to remaining judges. Importantly, it would greatly increase the chances of apprehending criminals and therefore be the most effective deterrent possible. We envisaged police in serious cases could request a warrant for its wider use in questioning suspected criminals, in the same way search warrants are granted. Once applied there would be no escape
for the guilty, no fear for the innocent - perhaps even a payment for their time to encourage volunteer statements…
"I convinced Mario and the group that its introduction should be cautious, and limited in the early stages so as not to cause rapid and vigorous opposition from civil libertarians and, of course, organised crime. We should get the power of public opinion on our side by demonstrating strong benefits for society.
"Initially we saw its application as voluntary, and limited to crime. If people had the option of taking the test and knew it was infallible then most who were innocent would readily avail themselves of the opportunity. Those who refused would include the guilty, the ones with unreasonably high principles about civil liberties, and the stupid. The attention of the law could then be focused on this small minority, making for much more efficient programs of justice. We saw it as a major weapon, turning a brilliant searchlight on the forces of darkness. In its ultimate state we envisaged a world of transparency and trust, self-regulating and 'self-policing'.
"All this was agreed, but then we hit a snag. There was a small glitch in the system. Very small, but nevertheless it existed. Raj managed to outsmart McTrue. With his mind / body control he was able to induce in himself a dissociative state in which he could tell a lie and make himself believe completely it was the truth - in all four fields of detection at the same time. While his deception was assisted by his inside knowledge of the machine it demonstrated that the machine was not totally infallible. Perhaps 99.9%, and not enough to make any practical difference claimed Mario, but Kent insisted the machine be proven to 'outsmart all outsmarters'.
"In the eyes of the group it compromised McTrue enough to inhibit its early and rapid introduction. From that time things progressively became difficult for Mario. He was trying, desperately, to eliminate the bug and at the same time remain in touch with the rest of the group, who were firming up the content and plans for deployment of Smiles.
"Mario had become used to looking at a wider application of McTrue through incorporation within the umbrella of Smiles. But because of its new and unusual nature and potentially wide inter-relationship with many facets of Smiles the group found it difficult to consider McTrue deeply while there was an element of uncertainty and doubt. They felt it could compromise their progress; Mario felt them slipping away from him. He became depressed at his lack of finality while the others forged ahead.