"After the Fall of America," Middlebury, Vermont, Nov. 5-7, 2004

"After the Fall of America"

Middlebury, Vermont, Nov. 5-7, 2004

In September 2001 the Fourth World organization, based in Wessex, England, sponsored an international conference in Swindon, England, called Radical Consultation I. I am writing to invite you to Radical Consultation II which will be held at the Middlebury Inn in Middlebury, Vermont, on November 5-7, 2004.

RADCON II will be cosponsored with The Second Vermont Republic. The theme of this year's consultation, which will feature a series of lively roundtable discusssions, is AFTER THE FALL OF AMERICA, THEN WHAT?

The underlying premise of RADCON II is that the United States has become ungovernable and unsustainable. If that is indeed the case, then do we go down with the Titanic or seek other alternatives? Among the options to be discussed at Woodstock are denial, compliance, and political reform, proven to be deadends; revolution, rebellion, and implosion, equally problematic; and decentralization, devolution, and peaceful dissolution..

The Second Vermont Republic is a peaceful, democratic, grassroots, solidarity movement committed to the return of Vermont to its rightful status as an independent republic. The Fourth World, which publishes The Fourth World Review, a periodical inspired by Leopold Kohr and Fritz Schumacher, is committed to small nations, small communities, small farms, small shops, the human scale, and the inalienable sovereignty of the human spirit.

Among the speakers and participants at RADCON II will be Human Scale author Kirkpatrick Sale, Emory University Philosophy Professor Donald Livingston, management consultant and author Robert Allio, and former Duke University Economics Professor Thomas H. Naylor.

The conference begins with dinner on November 5 and runs until noon on November 7. We are asking a fee of $85-125 for the dinner and expenses, though you will be responsible for the lodging itself. We hope it will be possible for you to join us for this ground-breaking event.

Schedule is below:Friday, November 5

6:00-7:00 p.m.

Dinner

7:30-8:00 p.m.

Welcoming Remarks — Kirkpatrick Sale & Thomas Naylor

8:00-10:00 p.m.

The Fall of America — Kirkpatrick Sale, Keynote Address

Economic

Political

Military

Agricultural

Social

Cultural

Spiritual

Environmental

The Crisis of Governance — Chris Wright

Saturday, November 6

8:30-10:15 a.m.

Negative Options — Kirkpatrick Sale, Discussion Leader

Denial

Compliance

Political Reform

Prosevatism — Peter Moss

10:15-10:30 a.m


Coffee Break

10:30-12:00 noon

Negative Options — Robert Allio, Discussion Leader

Implosion

Rebellion

Revolution

Provisional Secession — Peter L. Wilson

12:00-2:00 p.m

Lunch On Your Own

2:00-5:00 p.m

Positive Options — Donald Livingston, Discussion Leader

Decentralization

Separation — Kirkpatrick Sale

Dissolution/Secession

The Swiss Model — Thomas Naylor


Human Scale Principles — Chris Wright

5:00-7:30 p.m

Free Time and Dinner

7:00-9:30 p.m.

Vermont Independence Town Meeting with Frank Bryan and others

Sunday, November 7

9:00-11:00 a.m.

Where Do We Go From Here? — Kirkpatrick Sale, Discussion Leader

A Joint Statement?

A Book?

A Journal?

An Institute to Study Worldwide Independence Movements