Bold War 2020

by Redemption

  The room is beginning to darken as evening approaches. His bruised emotions numb his assessment and appreciation of the revelations, the shattering events. From 'afar' he feels Sylvia's presence as if, being forced from life, she has a residual message. She is stroking him lovingly. "Your time is coming. There are many things that need to be done. But you need to recover. Think. Think hard. Think what to do."

  But that is the trouble. So much has happened - changes, possibilities, confusion. "You will know what to do," Sylvia intones as she starts to fade. "Do whatever you need to do."

  But he doesn't know what to do. He must think through the situation. A nurse would normally have been in to tend him, so he is glad his request for privacy will be observed. It gives time for his mind and senses to recover and try to put things into perspective.

  CHAPTER 30 Reflection

  Yes, so much had been achieved in the world in an impossibly short time. He has been struggling for days and finally, with Christiana's patient help, come to grips with the mass of current information, different people, new terminology, changed circumstances, modified culture. Progressively his mind and analysis and reasoning has sharpened and encompassed the startling changes. He now appreciates having time to review and obtain a clearer understanding of the situation. Sense is distilling from sensation, logic from logjams of new information. The butterfly, he thinks wryly, has changed since the car crash - from the improbable instigator in chaos theory to the prized product of the Provolution metamorphosis. And just as the genes of the humble caterpillar contain the means for the beautiful butterfly, so his world had within it all the elements needed for lofty 2050.

  Time and space. Thirty years - progress deferred for him while he was on a drip feed, and then telescoped into six days and force-fed into his reeling brain. All those events arising from that damned bee-sting on the road and culminating in this bed in a darkened room. He remembers the last time, thirty years ago, he tried to make sense from the chaos of his surroundings and society. The world he now inhabits is both unrecognisable and unbelievable. Wars, crime, social dysfunction and environmental degradation are words of the past. The inexorable drift into insoluble problems has been reversed.

  It was certainly a great leap forward, he thinks. A massive change for the better - and in only one generation. From his 2020 point of view he still finds it hard to believe it could have been done. Virtually impossible to comprehend then, let alone achieve, but, in retrospect, sensible and natural and logical and very worthwhile and long overdue. No wonder he had been astonished. (Was it only a few days ago when it all re-started and the revelations began?)

  So what was the essence, the key ingredients of the successful transformation? Was it the discovery of new facts and possibilities, putting together and implementing a practical plan that was seminal, inspiring, leveraged, self-sustaining? Only partly.

  Was it the exposure and removal of impediments followed by the promotion of Smiles backed by large resources and determination, getting people to change from acting against to acting for their own and society's best interests? Moving from Sed to Des, as Pip would say? To a degree.

  In Ed's terms it was getting to know how we think and act, then organising ourselves for achievement in life. It was a wonder he hadn't used the 'Know Thyself' inscription from the Temple of Delphi. And when you know your PPartner you know your potential and limitations and you know them for others and consequently what can be done, individually and communally.

  Again he saw the serious visage of William James, repeating "The greatest revolution in our generation is that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives." So true, and one of the key factors, even though his 'revolution' was a century late. Unlike Henry Ford who started about the same time as James and made huge breakthroughs in a few years, even though the internal combustion engine and assembly line were not his inventions. He took existing ideas and made them work early last century, whereas James' statement only came to fruition this century.

  Certainly it had been a mixture of new and old. New ideas combined with ancient practices, synthesising and synergising them, using new words and concepts, new technology and project management, creating new mindsets. There was a lot of convergence, leading some experts to say, in retrospect of course, that the result was inevitable.

  And yes, it could be described as an advanced regime of co-operative effort, based on an inter-related multi-level 'systems' approach, as Cameron had predicted all those years ago. Like so many knowledgeable people, he had a vague idea about what might be done, and could express it in general language, but that was as far as it went. He hadn't the slightest idea about how to implement it, let alone being instrumental in actually doing it.

  An essential underpinning factor he sees was the unearthing and putting to use of the hidden resources of people, the Buried Treasure revealed and nurtured by Smiles to produce the 10Q. Without this and without being proactive, Mentology, Provolution and the Bold War would not have been initiated and certainly would not have succeeded - DIMPLES.

  A pre-requisite was the will to do it - volition - determination and energy and persistence to define problems, generate answers and implement them. To twist the saying: 'there's no way without a will'.

  The power of ideas whose time has come? Not automatically - ideas by themselves are necessary but not sufficient. They have to be put into action, implemented, before their power can be realised. As was done under the AAA Plan, in conjunction with empowerment of the masses - the ultimate blockbuster weapon - to weld societies of strength and vitality. CCitizens, Deeemocracies and CCivilisations previously unimaginable (they didn't even have adequate or realistic words for such advanced concepts). They were unimagined and virtually unimaginable. Action processes - galvanising development, reaching critical mass, crystallisation from saturated societies, contagious and accelerating positive outcomes. The movement, although not inevitable at the outset was unstoppable once it gained momentum.

  He catches himself at this point. Is he getting carried away in hyperbole? No - looking at any of the factors individually they were neither unusual nor improbable. It was the startling results of their combined input that seemed to be implausible and impossible to achieve in theory, and so dynamic in proven reality.

  He imagines how his academic contemporaries, pre-coma, not knowing the real world, might view his current thoughts. They would be horrified, indignant, believing him mad, deranged, an idiot away with the fairies. No good trying to explain to them that the solutions and the new paradigm involved straightforward principles - nothing esoteric - because the new world and infrastructure lay outside their accepted patterns of thought. They would rush back to their desks and ferret out reams of reasons why it wouldn't work that way, how it was against something confirmed in the nineteenth century, or there was no quality research available. Failing that, scorn, ridicule or the cold shoulder. 'It can't be done.' 'What silly, hair-brained ideas.' 'You can't change human nature.' 'Totally impractical.' 'What kind of dope are you on?' But with the benefit of facts he smiles at their thoughts - uninformed, stuffy, conventionally wise, and wrong.

  Life now is unimaginably different from then, on a higher plane, no comparison. They couldn't imagine it and naturally didn't have a word for it. But then…… neither do today's people! Another corner of his brain seems to become activated. Why don't they have a word? Is it an oversight, or deliberate? He pauses, and then it comes to him. Leveraged Life - LLife. Of all the meanings of 'life', wide-ranging and divergent, this one specifically would be reserved for the elevated and bountiful life arising from the Provolution. Just wait till I lob that one on Christiana Monday!

  He sees one remaining Brown spot and dinks it, smiling at how his previous contemporaries would be dumbfounded by the 'facts of new life' if they could view it.

  V

  D: Browns (5):

  Eleanor: "The Naissance is the best thing that could have happ
ened to us, the ordinary people - or to anybody, everybody. Living in harmony, using our natural talents to their full level. Half the taxes for twice the benefits. And health systems? - there was the blood-letting of 19C, the money-letting of 20C and now the nature-letting of 21C."

  Leonard: "Reaching towards and positively influencing the destiny of mankind. From which we had allowed ourselves to be held back by Sed. Actually, I moved from one camp to the other. I can see Thoreau was right about Dad's generation and before; they did lead 'lives of quiet desperation'…"

  John B: "You bet, although I wouldn't admit it at the time."

  Leonard: "… whereas now we lead lives of active fulfilment, or jubilant inspiration, or any number of positive labels. (Excitedly) And there's a rumour of something called 'McTrue' which could lead to a fully true, open and transparent society. That would really cap off the developments of the last generation."

  John B: "The Age of Mentology was so long overdue, but we finally made it. McTrue? - yes, that would be the icing on the cake. Say now, we used to worry what our grandchildren would think about us in the future. It's now the future so, grand kids, what do you think about us?"

  Harrison (pausing): "We were brought up on Frip, so we won't be too tough on you, Gramps. And I remember you telling us 'Ask not at whom one finger points, because three point at you.' Let's say that before the Provolution (Pre-Pro) you weren't stupid or negligent, just unfortunate and rather careless."

  Chancy: "Yes, if you knew then what you know now, we're sure you would have made it all happen much earlier and faster. A question for you, Grandpa. What would be your judgement of yourselves Pre-Pro?"

  John B: "That's a tough one Chancy. I've heard reference to 'the mental midgets of 20C, (without intending any offence to midgets of course),' but, to be candid, I think we were complacent, and complacency can be very dangerous, as indeed it was. You could say we were - I had a list somewhere - yes, here it is, I sort of keep it in my pocket - dithering, direction less, dissolute, disaffected, demoralised, dislocated, debilitated and disengaged - as well as dysfunctional and in disarray.

  "I can't be critical of people who are critical of how we were. If I had to rate our behaviour I guess it might be:

  Complacent, unthinking and uncaring 9 out of 10

  Stewardship 1 out of 10

  Whereas 'Post-Pro', the figures for complacency and stewardship change places, thankfully.

  =

  Andrew realises he can no longer continue to defend to Christiana and others the stilted thinking and inaction of his time. He was as 'guilty' as the rest of them, maybe more so as supposedly one of the foremost thinkers. He could continue to seek refuge behind complexity, pace of change, inertia of institutions, insufficient time or funding, pressure, obstacles, absence of imperatives. She would continue to probe about preoccupation, fear of change, local politics, maybe laziness and apathy.

  He had already conceded to himself that most of the obstacles he could offer as excuses were in reality self-imposed. It had been known for centuries that only a fraction of the brain's capacity was typically used. Most of the individual components of Smiles, the new technology and methods used were already known.

  So were we stupid? Surely not. If not stupid, then negligent? he finds himself asking. Lacking proactivity? Absence of stewardship? Having huge personal resources (of the mind) that would have bitten us had they teeth, but out of sight and therefore out of mind. Blind idiots again. Comfortable in narrow areas of expertise, specialised fields where it was easier to concentrate on the narrow picture and receive plaudits from narrow people. Rocking the boat was frowned upon and easily dissuaded. And the wider questions - too difficult, why try?

  Those of us who wanted change for the better didn't have the means (resources, energy, determination, etc.), while those that had the means were mean-spirited - they didn't see the need for change or couldn't be bothered. The 'doers' weren't focused on doing social good, and the do-gooders weren't doers. 'Do', the largest entry in the dictionary, was small beer in society. The majority of people had neither the urge nor the means for it.

  For whatever reason, nothing significantly constructive happened until the bee-sting. Why should the progress of civilisation have to wait on a humble bee, for God's sake? What Kent had instigated could have been put into operation years earlier. What else could have been done to start something? What could be a trigger? How to escape the 'It will have to get worse before it gets better' syndrome?

  He sees the answer lies in 'proactivity', taking the initiative rather than waiting and reacting to circumstances. Humans are the only species able to think and plan ahead and, yes, they had been using that faculty but only to a limited degree. New technology, information overload and accelerating change had complicated and confused the picture and inhibited the natural ability of mankind to stay ahead and be in control for their individual and mutual benefit. Trapped in the Twilight Zone, it had been necessary for Kent to grasp the nettle and kindle mankind's capacity to guide the evolution of its internal 'software'.

  Proactivity - even the word was recent, as Rose had reminded them. Not that it meant the concept hadn't been used, it just hadn't been used as much as it could have been and the world was poorer thereby. The AAA Team helped the concept take on new life as part of the Provolution. They had to take calculated risks, to back their judgement and convictions, have gumption, be 'bold'.

  Having seen the effects of the Bold War, people presumably will not now fall into the same trap, he thinks, and hopefully his contributions to Frip Analysis will be of value. He imagines they will want to stay clear of the Negligence Commission. He finds his mind venturing beyond the present.

  V

  D: Beyond 2050:

  Hopefully he can get McTrue going. A 'McTrue Society' has tremendous possibilities - maybe pioneer communities based totally on transparency and trust. The 'spiritual' component of mankind (PP3?) seems under-explored (he wonders why?) and offers another order of possibilities. It must be an important element in any 'ultimate' development. Perhaps they're being pragmatic. PP3 could have been contentious across society - better to concentrate on PP2 and get early results (E4 & E6?). PP3 and PP2 together might have been too much diversion or lead in the saddlebags.

  Start a new segment of society from scratch? - where all these ideas are incorporated with willing and enthusiastic participants. Overcomes difficulties associated with mixing with and transferring from the old faulty system. A small society at once open, trusting, honest, constructive, co-operative and confident. The much better performance and lifestyle soon evident would demonstrate by example and impel others to follow.

  Developing 'virtual experience', where all the senses are involved, in conjunction with expert social systems, is something he will keep an eye on. So too with direct linkages between brain and computer. All these things have so much more possibility than before because of 10Q and the strengthened social structure.

  =

  He looks at the Book lying beside him. The cover, in radiant beetle-back luminescent colour, a montage of instruments of war, action scenes, complex patterns, chaotic colours. A thought strikes him and he focuses, then partially defocuses on the picture. Yes! Hidden images emerge - weapons, a ladder, butterflies, new words, smiles. A second title: 'Buried Wealth'.

  The Book is an inch thick, meaning that all its accumulated information, insights, wisdom, its treasures, lie buried less than an inch below its surface - like the Buried Treasure of PP2. And the CD of the Book - wealth actually residing on the surface but invisible until you operate the VC.

  He starts thinking about Jam again, and finds he can remember only eighteen of the twenty items. Disappointed, he has an idea. He dinks the VC, the Book, and then its Index. He is gratified to find 'Jam', and is about to dink it when he notices nearby 'Jar' and 'Jazz'. Intrigued, he dinks 'Jar'.

  VV

  D: Jar (Journey Activating Review):

  Kent Buchanan takes a world journey in hi
s hypersonic aeroplane and finds Ed talking to a lot of very worried students about learning - better ways to use their big red pens (study) and their great blue eyes (attitude). Pip is sailing in her yacht on Sydney Harbour, chased by a lot of angry men. As Kent flies over India, farmers are using their ploughs on the plains below to make huge lotus patterns. In Naples he sees holes in a wall, in the shape of a smile, caused by Callabrone bullets. The plane flies on to Oxford, and taxies into the library, where Rose is communicating with books. All of Kent's new acquaintances are invited to his Manor, but there is a fire and it burns the building to the ground. However the Phoenix bird in its brilliant colours rises from the ashes and flies on the shrieking wind to the Hebrides. On the giant TV they see the astounding 10R numbers. They are surprised to see cowboys galloping past the window doing their Mustering. At night they dream about a haughty Negcom judge in purple robes, and then Xena appears, hissing, in her devil-mask. She had given them F(r)ee tickets, because she likes acting for an audience. In the garden there are carrots, standing in rows like soldiers. Kent takes two on the plane with him, but one is a stick of dynamite and it explodes, crashing the plane. In the other carrot is an old, lazy 2020 grub that emerges as a splendid 2050 butterfly, whose wings contain 3D pictures as a message from the past.

  ~

  Andrew dinks the screen for a pause. This is too much for his mind to take in. Jam was a Journey made up to help activate memory for twenty (were they random?) words - thirty years ago. Jar is a different Journey, using the same key words as Jam, but with a different story - the story backbone of the Bold War, bringing him right up to the present, the message from the past. He knows the twenty words are not yet complete, so he dinks again.