Chomsky, p.32

Al is inclined to reduce our discussions about the possibility of change to his irritation with the American public. "I'm convinced," he says, "that the American public is stupid!"

Lanny, who once served on the board of directors of KZYX, the local community radio station, said he is convinced that the station cannot be run without a manager who can hire and fire staff, among other things.

So both of these friends of mine are looking for. . . for what? Some committee of experts? A benevolent dictator?

Hey, we've got to figure this out for ourselves. We've got to do it the hard way, from the bottom up.

And so, to my erudite friends, I offer the above essay. It helps me understand why so few of the educated class have a positive attitude toward the possibility of ordinary people actually transforming the social order and taking control of their own lives.

Update: In 2003 I was elected to a two-year term on the board of KZYX and I had the opportunity to see how our community radio station is actually run. By the end of the two years I was keenly aware how difficult it is to even discuss ideas about how the organization could be more open and inclusive. There was always tension between those who wanted to maintain a mostly closed, hierarchical structure and those who wanted more transparent and inclusive style. See "The Secret Life of KZYX" at the Mendocino County Media Forum.

Can we really control our own lives?