This is the third in a series examining the success of Russian lawyer and corruption-free system advocate/activist Alexei Navalny. I believe his success presages ours because he is using the exact same approach we are in bringing down corruption in Russia. This series analyzes his approach as a case study through which we can gain confidence in our own approach.
Copiosis may be the only effort implementing a real-world transition plan (not just talking about or hoping for one) leading to a resource-based, moneyless economy. Our approach is based on tried-and-true transformation methods from all sectors of society, primarily from private-sector competitive markets. Some aspects of our approach that are evident in Navalny’s story are:
- Spend a while to become the 20-year overnight success.
- Use that time to understand the problem from a unique, powerful perspective.
- Get specific with accusations.
- Push an activist’s model others can emulate and that unifies and involves people.
- Use the “Inclusion is the best defense against tyranny; they can’t arrest us all” strategy.
- Be likable, seen as genuinely of the people and interested in their welfare.
- Use non-traditional media as your base of operations
- Let time and the system work in your favor.
See parts one and two.
Getting specific gets attention
Navalny got specific proving corruption existed. He backed his assertions with financial records posting the material on his blog. Over time his specific arguments attracted more and more people, people who knew corruption existed but they were powerless to find tangible proof.
Through Navalny people found the proof they needed. Proof that bolstered their confidence thereby turning their powerlessness into empowerment.
Common knowledge: it can be better
People in modern society know deep in their bones that something isn’t right with the way we treat one another. You know that poverty is a problem. You know wealth disparity causes all kinds of issues. You know there is a power imbalance in the world and that many suffer under that imbalance. Unless you believe your conditioning – the training that makes you think that some people must be poor for others to be rich, or, in better terms: there must be losers for there to be winners – you also know, deep inside, that all these things don’t have to be.
Many, just like you, know this too, yet they feel powerless to do anything that makes a real difference. For some, the powerlessness is expressed as hopeless resignation to our collective fate:
The world is the way it is. Get used to it, keep your head down and get yours while you can
Unlike Navalny’s approach, Copiosis doesn’t provide specific proof. Many have already done that. Instead, it provides a realistic way to achieving what we know is possible..
Some people read about what we’re doing then say it’s not realistic. And yet, the progress we’re making on all fronts is tangible, is building on itself and is attracting more and more interest. What more needs to be for Copiosis to be “realistic?” Perhaps what people mean when they say it’s not realistic is “I don’t see enough evidence that what you’re doing will work.”
If that’s the case, then it’s just a matter of time, provided we don’t give up, before those who don’t believe it will come to believe it. The more radio interviews we do, the more demonstration projects we launch, the larger our numbers the more “real” it becomes.
I love it when people are specific about what they mean when they use words such as “realistic.” For example, I became friends with a guy named Denver back in 2013. I asked him, what would he need to see in order to believe that Copiosis was real, to the degree that he’d be willing to contribute financially to the effort? He said he’d believe Copiosis was real when the media started talking about it.
I find that an interesting barometer of something’s real-ness. Since meeting Denver we have garnered one radio interview about our work, have expanded our work beyond Oregon and into California and have a second radio interview scheduled for January. Denver doesn’t know about the second radio show yet. Even so, he has become a believer: In October he sent me the following message:
If there is anything I can do for you over here, let me know! I’d love to be a part of it all.
In less than a year, Denver has gone from being disbelieving to wanting to be part of the effort. I’d assert Denver’s example is how everyone will eventually become a Copiosis supporter. It is only a matter of time.
Everyone has some set of conditions that, when met, constitute “reality” for them. It may be media attention, a certain number of people talking about it, or a certain amount of money being generated by the idea. Whatever those conditions are, I’m convinced Copiosis will meet every condition eventually coming to a tipping point where all of humanity realizes what we on the team know: Copiosis offers an amazing solution to our long-held problems, problems we all know can be solved, but not with the current thinking.
In other words, we’re offing specifics leading to what everyone wants: freedom to pursue one’s happiness.
Next up, how we’re pushing an activist’s model others can emulate and which unifies and involves people to make the change we all know is possible.