第5章 The Two Sides of Power (第2/2页)

In2001,IchairedaBusinessLeaders'DialogueattheAspenInstituteinColorado.Amongtheparticipants,whoincludedinternationalcorporate,government,tradeunion,andnonprofitleaders,Laywasthestarwhomeveryonewantedtomeet.Bythistime,storiesaboutEnron'smalfeasancewerebeginningtocirculate.ThemostprominentaccusationagainstEnronwasthatithadillegallymanipulatedCalifornia'selectricitymarket,andCaliforniaattorneygeneralBillLockyerwascallingforLaytobeprosecuted.
　　
　　Lay'swayofparticipatinginourmeetingwasstriking.Hemovedinandoutofthesessions,whichwehadallagreednottodoandwhichnooneelsedid.Heseemedtoholdhimselfapartfromorabovethegroup.Hewastheonlydissenterfromthegroup'sconclusionthatcorporatesocialresponsibilityshouldbeenforcedratherthanleftvoluntary.Theonlytimeheparticipatedpassionatelywaswhen,withrighteousindignation,hetoldthestoryaboutLockyerhavingthreatenedhimbysaying,"IwouldlovetopersonallyescortLaytoan8-by-10cellthathecouldsharewithatattooeddudewhosays,'Hi,mynameisSpike,honey.'"[18]
　　
　　Duringthesesessions,onlyoneotherparticipant,atradeunionist,everchallengedLay.Everyoneelseconspicuouslydeferredtohim.IthoughtthatifLaywassopowerfulandwealthy,hedeservedtobelookedupto,andalsothatifIwaspolitetohim,Imightbenefitfromhislargesse.
　　
　　OneyearaftertheAspenInstitutemeeting,Enrondeclaredbankruptcy,andfiveyearsAfter,Laywasfoundguiltyoftenchargesoffraudandconspiracy.Thecompany'scollapsewipedoutmorethan$60billioninshareholderinvestmentand6,000employeejobs,andledtothedissolutionofArthurAndersen,itsauditor.
　　
　　Exercisingcreative,entrepreneurial,profitablepower-toisnothardifyoupretend,andareallowedtopretend,thatyouliveinanunregulatedterranullius.ButLayandhisEnroncolleaguesdidnotliveinsuchanemptyworld,andindefraudingmillionsofpeople,theyseverelyunderminedthosepeople'spower-to.Lay'semphaticrejectionofrulesthatgovernthecollective,asmanifestedinhisdisinterest(enabledbyourdeference)inthesmallmatterofourmeeting'sgroundrulesandthelargermatterofU.S.law,illustratedhisdisconnected,degenerativepower-over.
　　
　　Theirresponsiblepower-overexercisedbyEnronexecutivesforeshadowedtheglobalfinancialcollapseof2008.BusinessjournalistMarkHaineswasflummoxedwhenthecrisisbroke:"Weassumethattheindividualpursuinghisorherownbestinterestwillresultinthemaximumbenefitforsocietyasawhole-andthatcertainlyhastobequestionednow."[19]TheunderstandingthatIhadimbibedinLondontwentyyearsearlier-thatasystemdrivenbythepower-toofthepartswouldproduceabeneficialresultforthewhole-wastragicallyincompleteandinadequate.Beforethisbecameapparent,however,Iwastohaveotherexperiencesthatledmetomycurrentunderstandingofdegenerativepower.
　　
　　When,afterMontFleur,Ihadstartedworkingondifferenttoughchallengesindifferentcountries-power-overmanifestingininequityandinequality-IcarriedwithmeacertainconfidencethatIcamefromacountry,Canada,thathadsuccessfullyovercomeitsownsuchchallenges.Soin2003IwastakenabacktofindmyselfinaconferenceroomattheDepartmentofJusticeinOttawa,Ontario,listeningtoagroupofleadersofgovernment,business,andaboriginal(NativeorFirstNations)organizationstalkabouttheirencounterswiththerealitiesofaboriginalpeopleinCanada.
　　
　　Aswewentaroundthetableandheardeachperson'sstory-ofextraordinarilyhighlevelsofpoverty,addiction,andsuicide;decadesofabuseby"well-intentioned"governmentsandchurches;conflictsovertheextractionofoilandothernaturalresources;thousandsofstucklandandtreatydisputes-itbecameobvioustomethatIdidnotcomefromacountrythathadsuccessfullyovercomesuchchallenges.MycolleagueUrsulaVersteegensaysthatourmostimportantlearningscomenotsimplywhenweseetheworldanew,butspecificallywhenweseeourselves-andourroleincreatingtheworld-anew.[20]OnthatdayIsawthatIwaspartofasocietythatwasexercisingaterriblepower-over.
　　
　　OneaspectofthisCanadiansituationwasthewidelyheldmentalmodelthataboriginalpeopleneededto"bedeveloped."Thismodelhadbeeninstitutionalizedin,amongotherpractices,apolicyofaggressiveassimilationthatsincethe1850shadtakenchildrenawayfromtheirparentstobeeducatedinchurch-andstate-runresidentialschools.OneofthefoundersofresidentialschoolinginNorthAmericacharacterizedhisapproachas"killtheIndianandsavetheman."[21]Residentialschoolingcreatedalegacyofphysical,emotional,sexual,andculturalabuse.BythetimethelastresidentialschoolinCanadaclosedin1998,thispoweroveraboriginalpeoplehadbeenreplicatedforgenerations.
　　
　　AfterthismeetinginOttawa,Iandafewcolleaguesbeganworkingwithateamofnationalgovernmentandaboriginalleaderstotryoutanewwaytounstickthisstucksituation.Wechoseasourentrypointtheextraordinarilyhighrateofsuicideamongaboriginalyouth:fivetimestheCanadianaverage.Butafterfouryearsofon-and-offefforts,wehadhardlymovedforwardatall.Wekeptrunningintoroadblocks,largeandsmall.Atonepointwewerefrustratedintryingtocommunicatewiththestaffofanaboriginal-runconferencecenter.Icomplainedaboutthistomyfriend,activistMichelGelobter,andhechidedme:"Whyareyousurprisedthatoppressedcommunitiesexhibitseriousdys-functions?Thesedysfunctionshavetoberecognizedanddealtwith;theyreinforceandmaintainoppressionbydiminishingthecapacityofthesecommunitiestoheal."Thedegenerativeimpactsofpower-overareresolutelypersistent.
　　
　　Ialsonoticedthatwithinourmicrocosmicprojectteam,wesucceededinre-creatingthestuckrelationshipsthatcharacterizedthemacrocosmweweretryingtochange.Thegovernmentleaderswantedtoremainincontrolandto"fix"theaboriginalproblem.Theaboriginalleadersdidn'twanttobecontrolledorfixedordevelopedbyanyone.Andthoseofuswhowereconsultantsdispassionatelykeptourselvesapartfromandabovethesituation.Weallhadourowndifferentrolesandpowersandtrajectoriesofself-realization,whichneverreallymovedandneverreallymet.Sowemadenoprogressonthechallengethatwehadsetouttoaddress.(Onlylater,whentheserolesandpowerrelationswereforcefullyrestructuredandownershipoftheprojectwastakenoverbyalocalaboriginalcommunity,didtheinitiativebegintomoveforward.)
　　
　　InCanada,asinSouthAfricaandHouston,Ihadbeenabletorecognizethesoundofpower-tomoreeasilythanthesoundofpower-overbecausetheformerresonatedmorestronglywithmyownprivilegedexperience.Thenin2004Igotatasteoftheexperienceoftheundersideofpower-over.MyLondonpartnerZaidHassanandIwereinvitedtofacilitateaworkshopinMichiganforagroupofU.S.minorityactivistswhowererethinkingtheirstrategyforachievingracialequityinlightofthejust-issuedSupremeCourtdecisionthatsharplylimitedaffirmativeaction.
　　
　　Iwasunsettledevenbeforethemeetingstarted.ZaidisMuslimandIamJewish,andontheplaneridehehadshownmeanarticleinanactivistmagazinethatpointedouthowmanyoftheU.S.neoconservativesareJewish.Healsoshowedmealettertotheeditorthathehadwritten,inwhichheacknowledgedhowcontentiousthisassertionwasbutdefendeditasinformativeandfair.Westartedintoatensediscussion,afractalofthelargerMuslim-Jewishconflict,butthencutshortourargumenttogetreadyfortheworkshop.
　　
　　WiththisunresolvedtensionbetweenZaidandme,theworkshopstartedawkwardlyandgotworse.TheparticipantswerefeelingbeatendownbytheregressionincivilrightsintheUnitedStatesanddiscouragedaboutthepoorresultstheirexistingstrategieswereproducing.Theydidn'tthinkmyleadershipofthemeeting,withmywhiteandforeigncolleagues,waslegitimate,andtheywereunhappywiththeprocesswewereusing.Harshpowerstrugglesswirledaroundandwithintheroom.EventuallyitbecameobviousthatIwasn'twantedintheworkshopatall,andso,feelinghumiliated,Igaveup.Ileftthegrouptoleaditselfandwentbacktomyroom.
　　
　　ThatnightIhadaterrifyingdream.Agangwasharassingmemercilessly-crowdingandshovingandhittingme-andIcouldn'tescape.EventuallyIbecamesohopelessanddespairingthatIpulledthepinoutofahandgrenadeandblewmyselfupwithallofthem:Ibecameasuicidebomber.ThroughthisdreamIexperiencedtheterrible,debilitatingfeelingofbeingonthereceivingendofpower-over.
　　
　　By2008,myunderstandingofthedynamicsofpowerandlovewastakingshapethroughsuchexperiencesandreflections.ThenIhadanotherencounterwithaboriginalissues,thistimeinAustralia.IwasinvitedtoMelbournebyanAustralianaboriginalleadernamedPatrickDodson.Heiswellknownforhisdecadesofvariedstruggles-mobilizations,negotiations,invocations,lawsuits-toaddressthechallengesfacedbyhispeople,andspecificallyforhiseffortstoachievereconciliationbetweenaboriginalandnonab-originalAustralians.[22]Heknowshowharditistomoveforwardonthesechallengesandwasn'tsurprisedbythelackofprogressoftheeffortinCanadainwhichIhadbeeninvolved.
　　
　　DodsonwantedmetocontributetoameetingthathewasconveningwithJohnSanderson,theformerchiefoftheAustralianArmy.Theyweretryingtoconstructanewsetofagreements(includingconstitutionalamendments)thatwould,morethan220yearsafterthearrivalofthesettlersand15yearsaftertheHighCourtverdictthatoverruledterranullius,puttherelationshipbetweenthesetwopeoplesonanequalfooting.
　　
　　Theeveningbeforeourmeetingsweretostart,Iwalkedbyanoutdoorcinemaandfoundmyselfwatchingtwodocumentaries.ThefirstwasTheWhitePlanet,afilmaboutarcticwildlifeandthedangersitfacesfromglobalwarming.[23]ThesecondwasKanyini,aboutanAustralianaboriginalleadernamedBobRandall,amemberofthe"StolenGeneration"whoasachildhad(likemanyCanadianchildren)beentakenawayfromhisfamilybythegovernment.[24]InKanyini,Randallarguesthatthecrisisinaboriginalsocietyoriginatedintheirhavingbeendispossessedandestrangedfromthefouraspectsoflifethatareessentialtosurvival:theirbeliefsystemorlaw,theirlandorcountry,theirspirituality,andtheirfamilies."Thepurposeoflifeistobepartofeverythingthatis,"hesaysinthefilm."Youtakeawaymykanyini,myinterconnectedness,andI'mnothing.I'mdead."IwasstruckthatRandall'syearningwasthesameasPaulTillich'slove:"thedrivetowardstheunityoftheseparated."
　　
　　Inthejuxtapositionofthesetwofilms,Icouldnowseewhathappenswhenweemployourpowerwithoutlove.Ourdestructionofaboriginalsocietiesworldwideandourheadlongrushtowardsthedestructionoftheecosystemsonwhichalloursocietiesdependarisefromourdisconnectionfromoneanotherandfromtheearth.EnvironmentalistJuliaButterflyHillmadethesamepointindescribingherunlikelypartnershipwithsocialactivistVanJones:"Ibroughtthepiecethatwearenotseparatefromtheplanet.Hispiecewasthatweneedtouplifteveryone.Wewerecommittedtoseeinghowthosepiecesfittogether.Wecouldseeunderneathallofitwastheideaofdisposability:theideathatyou'vegotdisposablepeople,adisposableplanet."[25]Ifwepushawayorabandonoursenseofconnectionwithothers-ouracknowledgment,oursensitivity,ourlove-thereisnolimittothesadness,terror,andpainthatouruncheckedpowercanproduce.
　　
　　Wecanrecognizethisdegenerativephenomenonofpowerwithoutlovebecause,insomanycontextsandatsomanyscales,powerdominateslove.Weseethisinourhomes,organizations,communities,nations,andininternationalaffairs.PatrickDodsontoldmeastoryaboutMichaelLong,apopularAustralianaboriginalsportsmanwhohadwalkedfromMelbournetoCanberratodrawattentiontothedesperatesituationofhispeople.LongmetwithPrimeMinisterJohnHowardandaskedhimtheanguishedquestion:"Whereistheloveformypeople?"Weallfeeltheanguishthatresultsfromthedeficitoflove.
　　
　　LOVEISWHATMAKESPOWERGENERATIVE
　　
　　Basedontheseexperiences,then,hereishowIunderstandthenatureofpoweranditsrelationshiptolove.Powerhastwosides,onegenerativeandtheotherdegenerative.Ourpowerisgenerativeandamplifyingwhenwerealizeourselveswhilelovingandunitingwithothers.Ourpowerisdegenerativeandconstrain-ing-recklessandabusive,orworse-whenweoverlookordenyorcutoffourloveandunity.