The precariousness of the economy is becoming increasingly apparent to the masses. Indeed, every day more and more people are falling below the bread line, or are spending sleepless nights wondering how to extricate themselves from the situations they find themselves in. In some ways, this is good — being short-sighted creatures, we don’t seem to be able to conversate on issues, even if critically important, if we don’t realise their direct implications for ourselves personally. Actually, I somewhat take that back. We truly do, as a race, have a powerful capacity to empathise with others, despite not being in their shoes, but the system we’ve wrapped ourselves up in has separated us all out, disconnecting and isolating us from almost everyone but our closest friends and family, and, to a large extent, often even those. This atomisation, and the empathy-eradication program that accompanies it, means that broadscale collaborative discussion on the great need for a widespread socio-political-economic transitional overhaul will never get beyond niche blog posts and private conversations, unless more and more people start to feel the pinch and wake up.
We do seem to be, slowly, reaching this point.
Here’s an example from struggling Greece, where people are giving up on the Euro and forging their own future stability in collaboration with the people around them.
The big issue for me is if these conversations will grow sufficiently to gain the necessary critical mass to evoke actual change, and if the individuals within that critical mass can do more than just butt heads with each other — hopefully instead finding constructive ways to collaborate fast enough to head perpetual-growth capitalism off at the pass before there’s nothing left of the planet to rebuild from.
It’s clear that as social systems start to crumble, the ‘bright green economy’ dreamed of by some will be shown to be a mirage. It’s also clear that ‘the environment’ takes back seat in the interests of those who have little to nothing in the way of sustenance or housing.
The sooner we find and implement workable solutions, the easier it will be, for everyone….
Beautiful! Charles’ work is always so inspiring. A true thinker that challenges, questions but also offers very tantalizing answers and possibilities. I feel like what philosophers have been attempting for centuries has been just scratching the surface, while Charles truly looks at the core.
So simple, so eloquent and so obvious like an Egg of Columbus, yet so profound and far-reaching, his ideas to me are analogous with very heart of Permaculture and the world I envision.
Hers’s another short video from Greece:
– Greece: Back to the Land | European Journal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FB3HfXgamg&feature=player_embedded
It’s strange, but in this Internet world with more and more excellent blogs, like the PRI-blog, main-street media is concentrated on fewer and fewer hands, becoming the main source of information for more and more people. Please check out this Media Concentration Infographic too see the facts: https://frugaldad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/IllusionofChoice.jpg
If pyramid schemes are so corrupt they are outlawed, why do we run our economy like one?
Thank you for the posting Craig. Charles gave a two hour presentation of his work last night in central London which I attended alongside upwards of 200 guests. I love the way he weaves his narrative into an uncomplicated story comprehensible for the wider audience.
He likened growth in the economy to that of his teenager son, who has finished his growth spurts and achieved steady state! Charles went on to describe the move to steady state economics as a transition to adulthood. What changes? We fall in love and we become more conscious. This led to the questions, can we internalise costs? Can we financially support the work we would love to do? Can the profit motive be aligned with the good of the planet?
Charles bigged up permaculture and a public announcement was made inviting all to the third annual London permaculture festival this weekend.
https://londonpermaculture.com/festival/
An inspiring evening from a humble man and greatly appreciated by all.
What is one man worth ?