How We Got Into this Mess, and How To Get Out of It

At the salon on Friday, September 25th, Rick Casey will attempt to answer the question, “Just how did the world get to be so messed up?” He will base his presentation on a course that he is developing for the Osher Institute that addresses this topic in depth. Rick will start with a reexamination of world history — told truthfully for its effect on the feminine, and how the growth of Empire set the pattern for today’s corporate structures and culture wars, and he will end by illustrating how the Black Lives Matter (BLM) and MeToo (MT) movements are direct consequences of this historical trend. He means this to be a practical approach. As always, the presentation will be followed by a discussion.

Rick came of age in the 1970s, and after a period of disillusionment with economics and politics, discovered Ecological Economics in 2008, which reconnected him to his earlier interests. He developed a course in Environmental Economics at Front Range Community College, which he has been teaching ever since. Standing on the shoulders of giants such as researchers David Korten (The Great Turning) and Riane Eisler (The Chalice and The Blade), Rick was inspired to share with others the deep insights he learned from them, which show the historical roots of the structure of the modern corporation, and the systemic cultivation of toxic masculinity through history that underlies the violence that created both the BLM and MT movements. Such insights continue to inspire and can serve as a beacon on how to guide the ongoing development of society, as we come to grips with climate change, and attempt to prevent The Great Unraveling. Rick believes that by spreading this message of hope at the grassroots level these ideas cam begin to take root, and supplant the negative self-fulfilling prophecies about human nature spread by Empires throughout history.

Salon duc Tape, a public forum sponsored by the Fort Collins Community Action Network (FCCAN), meets on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of each month from 7:00 — 9:00 p.m. We have moved to an online format (Zoom) for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. You will need to register in advance for the salon here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMtc–oqTktGtS1sp9X0l-ZuHbkTay…, After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information – including a new link – about joining the salon.