You get the feeling that things can’t go on like this. Climate crisis, the world is being swept by a wave of right-wing extremism and much more needs to be countered.
This visionary project aims to overcome the feeling of powerlessness that many people experience when they believe they cannot change anything.
The idea of this project is not easy to explain and requires an introduction. Please take 10 minutes of your time and concentration to read the entire content before following one of the links to further details.
We talk about society’s rightward journey. We talk about polarisation and division. We talk about isolation and the mental health crisis. But what underlies these trends is a shift in values. This is the cause of many of our dysfunctions; the rest are symptoms.
Some psychologists believe our values tend to cluster around certain poles, described as “intrinsic” and “extrinsic”. People with a strong set of intrinsic values are inclined towards empathy, intimacy and self-acceptance. They tend to be open to challenge and change, interested in universal rights and equality, and protective of other people and the living world.
People at the extrinsic end of the spectrum are more attracted to prestige, status, image, fame, power and wealth. They are strongly motivated by the prospect of individual reward and praise. They are more likely to objectify and exploit other people, to behave rudely and aggressively and to dismiss social and environmental impacts. They have little interest in cooperation or community. People with a strong set of extrinsic values are more likely to suffer from frustration, dissatisfaction, stress, anxiety, anger and compulsive behaviour.
We are not born with our values. They are shaped by the cues and responses we receive from other people and the prevailing mores of our society. They are also moulded by the political environment we inhabit. If people live under a cruel and grasping political system, they tend to normalise and internalise it, absorbing its dominant claims and translating them into extrinsic values. This, in turn, permits an even crueller and more grasping political system to develop.
If, by contrast, people live in a country in which no one becomes destitute, in which social norms are characterised by kindness, empathy, community and freedom from want and fear, their values are likely to shift towards the intrinsic end. This process is known as policy feedback, or the “values ratchet”. The values ratchet operates at the societal and the individual level: a strong set of extrinsic values often develops as a result of insecurity and unfulfilled needs. These extrinsic values then generate further insecurity and unfulfilled needs.
Ever since Ronald Reagan came to power, on a platform that ensured society became sharply divided into “winners” and “losers”, and ever more people, lacking public provision, were allowed to fall through the cracks, US politics has become fertile soil for extrinsic values. As Democratic presidents, following Reagan, embraced most of the principles of neoliberalism, the ratchet was scarcely reversed. The appeal to extrinsic values by the Democrats, Labour and other once-progressive parties is always self-defeating. Research shows that the further towards the extrinsic end of the spectrum people travel, the more likely they are to vote for a rightwing party.
(Taken from King of the Extrinsics – George Monbiot)
Our mission: Pushing back the extrinsic zeitgeist
This website is aimed at intrinsic people in order to jointly create a platform that primarily appeals to extrinsic people. With humor and entertainment we want to attract them to our side and thus create a broad basis for change.
Extrinsic people are crucial to our project, because without their participation we cannot make much of a difference in the world. Our goal is to appeal to them and subtly influence them – similar to what right-wing groups do.
However, the playing field we create should not only appeal to extrinsic people, but also inspire and entertain ourselves. Together, we can build a strong community that brings about real change.
So what you see here is just the atempt to gather people, active ‘makers’, for a thinktank who joins in swarmi.org, the ‘backend’ of WeAreOne.
Here we convey a positive attitude to life and confidence in a new wide virtual living space.
That’s why WeAreOne ends with .fun – life is already hard enough, entertainment and fun should have their place too.
The abbreviation of WeAreOne is WAO – say it like a ‘wow’! – ‘Great’!
But first there is a lot to do.
It is high time to come together and build an alternative European digital infrastructure that enables independent communication without the control of US tech giants. Never before in history have so few people controlled the majority of global communication, while at the same time being so closely allied with an authoritarian leader.
Bluesky, the biggest independent social media is also in danger. Not only the fact that the servers are located in the USA, but also the danger that investors take it over, makes the future of this excellent social media uncertain.
The freeourfeeds.com project aims to create an independently hosted infrastructure (a second “relay”) for Bluesky users. The WeAreOne idea is similar to Freeourfeeds, wants to start like third “relay”, but goes far beyond it.
The virtual living space we want to create should also reach into the real world: Trading of goods, e.g. starting with a marketplace and advice to improve everyones life, the WAO hub.
The goal of this website is to create a social media, internet company and a progressive ecological movement in one, generating profits that benefit all participants. Everyone who makes a contribution, whether financially or through active participation, receives a share.
So far, it’s just an idea. We are looking for people to help develop and realise the idea. The world is full of bright minds – programmers, financial experts, authors, organisers, artists and many more. When they pool their talents and work together to drive a project forward, something great can be created.
Swarmi.org should be the leading part, the intelligence behind the WeAreOne project, where active bright minds gather to lead like a swarm intelligence.
The guiding principle should be a mindset of We-are-One.
Our vision
At “We Are One”, we believe in the power of community. Our idea is to unite people worldwide and create a strong, shared identity. By working together and respecting each other, we can become a global political force for positive change.
Civil Resistance Works more than twice as effective as their violent counterparts. We are the majority, oligarchs and dictators are few. When we join together they will tremble. (Revolution without blood: why non-violence is the real game changer, german text)
Finance
In the digital age, new funding opportunities are opening up: crowdfunding, issuing tokens like cooperative shares, there are many ways to raise capital to set up a public limited company. This could operate social media in the form of a co-operative and at the same time act like a financial company or a hedge fund, with the profits generated flowing back to all participants=shareholders.
This new platform we want to create should not aim to benefit the few at the expense of the many, but should maximise the benefits for everyone involved.
That’s well said in this video from min. 8 on (german)
This vision must evolve organically, and this blog contains some approaches that outline possible directions. Some ideas here shown are the result of brainstorming, not thought to the end. Experts who join the project may keep on developing some of the ideas or cancel others.
An interesting source of inspiration – albeit in the opposite direction – could be Barstool Sports.
Originally started as a sports and gambling blog, Barstool Sports has grown into a digital empire that includes podcasts, social media channels, merchandise and events. With millions of followers on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, Barstool primarily reaches a young target group.
Industry experts estimate the company’s turnover at up to half a billion dollars per year. Barstool does not sell information, but an attitude to life: loud, unembellished, direct and rebellious. This approach has given rise to its own, primarily conservative political movement, which often reflects little on the consequences of its actions. Moral values hardly play a role in their ‘anti-everything’ attitude.
‘We are one’ wants to go the other way round.
‘We are one’ is a message that calls for cooperation, togetherness and collective responsibility.
‘We are one’ can be interpreted in many different ways.
Unity in Diversity: Despite differences in race, culture, and beliefs, we are all part of the same human family, interconnected and interdependent.
Shared strength: We come together as one, much like a trade union, to effectively represent our common interests and concerns.
Right-wingers tend to rally behind a leader who does the thinking for them. This apparent unity makes them dangerous and sets them apart from leftists, who often think individually and have a hard time finding a common denominator.
This project is to create exactly this denominator, to join forces and generate resources to effectively pursue left-wing goals.
We are a solution-orientated community. We dream big, recognise challenges and then work together to find realistic ways to achieve our goals.
Together we can create a better future for all.
A first political goal should be to tax the rich.
Then many things could finally be invested in: a socially just energy transition, better education and upbringing, …
There has long been a movement in favour of this, but with little success. The super-rich worldwide are only a few per cent of the total population. But since they have the power, they know how to evade taxation – because the poor don’t get together to oppose them.
But how can we resist the powerful who control everything?
We use the means that our opponents, the rich and powerful, use:
We use the financial markets
Groups like wallstreet bets or people who invested in crypto early on, show that you don’t have to be rich first to get rich.
Even in the left spectrum, there are people with expertise in financial markets and trading.
The author of these lines is one of them.
When experts in financial markets and trading come together with a shared vision to generate capital for all members and finance joint projects, something big can happen.
Providing people with an opportunity to make a profit, grabbing them by their greed, can encourage many people to get involved, even if they would hardly have thought of it before.
We are organizing ourselves here to collectively build capital for a powerful organization – and also for our own pockets, as holders of shares of the company.
The work to build up the company is to be rewarded with shares.
Stock shares are often too large and indivisible units to reward cooperation appropriately. An easily tradable unit of account, a so-called token, could provide a remedy here. Some would disparagingly refer to this as a cryptocurrency, which is correct in principle, but does not fit here. Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin have no intrinsic value. A separate ‘We Are One’ (WAO) token, on the other hand, would have an intrinsic value, similar to a share.
Even with little capital, we can issue our own cryptocurrency to pave the way for our own corporation, our own financial fund that actively trades on the financial markets.
Engaging in financial market speculation using accumulated capital is governed by stringent legal regulations, but there’s another way to do it.
A good start may be one or several investmentclubs,
to finance a system that permits real political work on changing things.
We need an agenda that focusses less on economic efficiency and more on creating shared prosperity for all. A ‘healthier form of globalisation’ that balances the benefits of free trade with the protection of the vulnerable and coordinated climate action.
We need to start by taxing the rich to make an effective climate policy, closing the gap between rich & poor, preventing an AI Matrix, start rethinking for a united humanity, stand up to neoliberalism and the true Deep State, close the information gap, …
All progressive forces to the left of fascism are called upon to participate here.
It will be worthwhile for all those who participate – ideally and financially.
Then we build a swarm intelligence and use it profitably.
We support non-governmental organizations that we like – and they support us – as a counterpoint to right-wing organizations that are controlled by big business.
When there are many of us, we are powerful, politically and economically, simply because of our collective influence.
But first we have to come together. So the 1st step is:
The 2nd step is to find the right people to actively help move this project forward. It could be that only a few out of thousands are really driving the project forward – but there are many of us, so a few driving forces should find together.
In order to reach many people, publicity is crucial so that people hear about us, become active, donate or in turn advertise for us.
So after you have registered, link us, like us … make us known in the world as you please – please!
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The 3rd step is to give the project a financial base.
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Fed of social media that has degenerated into asocial media?
Fed of false reports, manipulation and haters dominating the scene?
Do you think Musk, Zuckerberg & Co earned enough money with you?
Come to the alternative, the Fediverse or Bluesky, where I am:
https://bsky.app/profile/todoheiko.bsky.social
(postings mainly in German)
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About this project
I have been thinking about the following project for years. There was even once a website for it called ‘mydream’. But then the pandemic hit and I had to change my plans.
Reading this blog, some might think I’m a dreamer, have an overactive imagination or am even a bit crazy. Maybe they’re right. 😉
I call it visionary.
My aim is to first find like-minded people – visionaries who are prepared to work with me to turn this vision into reality. Slowly, step by step.
In each of the many areas that play a role in such a large project, there are people who are real experts in their field. It is precisely these people who should get involved here and take over the management together at some point. I see myself merely as a source of ideas and hope that the project will continue to run independently one day so that I can retire.
Essentially, it’s about building a community. In an earlier project, 20 years ago I gained valuable experience. Spanienclub.de and Spanienforum.org for Germans who have emigrated to Spain had a great community and sold well my books.
If you can understand my idea, are a text acrobat and would like to help improve the texts on this website, please register and then send me a message or contact me on Bluesky if we follow each other there.
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This blog is just the crystallisation seed from which something big is to emerge. The long-term goal is that the results of our endeavours will one day eclipse Facebook, X and others, relying on our own algorithms, which should not be subject to any secrecy.
Imagine we just could receive a part of the profit for ourselves, they make with us!
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If you read weareone.fun in a language other than English, you will initially only receive a free translation, which sometimes is not perfect. When the project gains momentum, the service will be paid and the quality of the translation improves significantly. Besides all translations can be edited then.
If you don’t understand a text in your language because of the poor translation, translate the text with deepl.com. DeepL is much better than GoogleTranslate. How is it done?
Change the language in the menue above to English. Copy the part of the text you don’t understand (max. 5000 characters) and paste it into deepl.com.
Currently, a post must first be translated into English before automatic translation can render it in 100 languages. As the We-Are-One project advances to higher levels, it should become feasible to write in any language and have it automatically translated into the reader’s language, thereby enabling global communication without language barriers.
