An Interview with Noel Brown
by M. Ling

ML: One of  the things that concerns me most about my generation is our cynicism. We want change but we see so many terrible things -- destruction of the rain forests, the proliferation of multinational corporations that take advantage of second- and third- world countries -- a staggering array of global problems that  we inherited from the generation before us.  How do we get beyond that lack of hope and cynicism?

NB: I think cynicism is a fairly natural response to the conditions of our time. The whole question of trust in government, trust in our elders,  trust in authority, and the credibility of the political structure is very seriously questioned. Until you can develop responses, the short way out is to become cynical.  I'm not sure that's going to accomplish much. 

I am impressed by the fact that your generation is what we call the "Internet generation." Within the current political structure is the factor of transparency. Governments may no longer lie to you, and so I think that the whole question of restoration of faith is on the horizon--and I think that [if] one is just a little patient, and will keep the pressure on,  truth-telling will have to be an attribute of government.

ML: Because of the technology?

NB: The feedback, the playback . . . you have the ability to challenge the authority and credibility of statements, and governments are sensitive to that-- they are being careful of what they say and promise. In my time, when a government wanted to lie, they put it on the Official Secrets Act and sealed the books for 25 years. We could never question these things.

Secondly, you now have the ability for validation and verification. I would encourage  young people to look at the progress  being made in terms of  mega problems. Many  global commons (our atmosphere, oceans, toxics,  problems of biodiversity, forests), are now on the global agenda.   Maybe we are not moving fast enough, and that's why we need your energy, not your cynicism! We need you to push the process forward, and I think it's going to be very encouraging.

ML: On the question of technology and immediate feedback:  We young Americans  see no difference between politicians such as Bob Dole and Bill Clinton because they are icons that hire people to do focus groups and ask, "What do you want?"  They become an empty, valueless conglomeration of what gets them elected.

NB: That is a fairly accurate evaluation  They're fighting aggressively to prove how much alike they are! But something else is happening in the political process.  [What politicians are now doing] is old style politics; government by poll, not government by pulse. Sooner or later you have to have a political leader take the pulse of a nation, and not the flavor of the week. 

The new political structure will be interactive, in tune and in touch with real interests and needs of the people. There was an election that was held in Turkey, and Islamic groups won. You know why? They used the computer to go around the community to take a profile of the problems, interests and needs of the people.  Now you have the technology to get a sense of  the agony, the issues,  the problems, and address them. Your generation need not be cynical, you need to be critical. You need to laugh them out of the room when they give you this pabulum! Tell them it's not going to work.

ML: How do we get rid of them? Politicians don't understand--they want to use the Internet to cull popular issues.  How do we keep that dialogue real?

NB: It's not a dialogue, it's a double monologue where you talk past each other.  Many politicians are in the hands of their handlers. A speech writer prepares his text  and he reads the speech! There's no passion, no connection,  no empathy. Ask the politician to come without his script and really interact with the people because these professionals will spend a great deal of time listening to the echoes of the community and writing a speech along those lines, and if you're a good actor, you'll read the speech well. Ronald Reagan was an excellent communicator--he read the speeches well. Get rid of the handlers!   It's a very difficult time in politics.  You're better informed  because you are the Internet generation and you have CNN.   We have never catered to you, an informed public, because we had all the answers.  That is changing.

ML: How do we learn to integrate the economy,  ethnicity and race to create prosperity and peace without ruining the environment?

NB: There are three things--one, globalization amid retribalization.   We need to find a healthy respect for diversity -- the law of nature.  Then, how can we use the interdependent economic globalization of the world's economy to create political unity?  I am looking at trade relationships and some of the disputes among states.   It's not about ideology.  It's about trade and finance. But this doesn't mean you go to war.   You take out insurance on him, you have a stake in his success!  But we need new economic models to do all these things and protect the environment.   We need to substitute quality of life for standard of living -- to develop qualitative measures living, and not just how much we make. We have never put the right value on air quality or clean air--the free goods that nature provides. Quality of life may mean better social health and better environmental health.

ML: How do we enforce it? 

NB: It takes a fundamental cultural shift. We're rapidly leaving the mercantile age where economics meant everything.  One of the central concerns of this forum is the crisis of the spirit and things spiritual.   It's beginning to be woven into the equation, we are no longer embarrassed to talk abut spirituality and morality.   Suddenly, God is alive! . And there are 40 native peoples here.  This is a very sophisticated, high-powered, blue-blood conference, and yet we make room for native wisdom.

If I were your generation, I would  be more encouraged. When you lift up the rock you see more than the dust. You see animals that are now making for a different kind of social structure of oneness amid diversity. And we're now making room to bring the young people to the table and hear your voices.  For the first time in 50 years, we have a world that is not at international war.  How can we keep it that way? How can your generation use this moment--this extraordinary moment of international peace?