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Donald Trump for One United People?

Editor Note: The topic of these articles is the environmental aspect, as the President elect of the United States of America – Who was voted in accordingly to the laws of that country – has made a number of comments on the topics of climate change and the environment, these are relevant to the Permaculture movement as it impacts the overall framework of the work we do and the systems we put into place.

Video: Clinton and Trump Supporters Find Common Ground

So it has come to be that Donald Trump is the president-elect of the United States, yet the world has not ceased to spin and the rains—one assumes—will still fall. We still have to eat, we still need shelter, we still long to commune, and the earth is still all we’ve got to provide all these things. It would be a lie for me to say that I believe this president-elect will be a positive one for the planet.

Tweet from Oct 2015: It’s really cold outside, they are calling it a major freeze, weeks ahead of normal. We could use a big fat dose of global warming!

Source: Twitter
Source: Twitter

Even so, it’s an issue—good, bad, or however it is—that we now have. Perhaps it’s an overabundance of slugs (bad ideas) and we just lacked the ducks (productive directions) to balance the system. Perhaps his “energy” was so profound it was destined to create chaos on the global scale—war, trade, tolerance, equality…we all know the list by now—but maybe that chaos is something we can somehow harness to make positive change happen.

I think apologizing is a great thing, but you have to be wrong. I will absolutely apologize, sometime in the hopefully distant future, if I’m ever wrong.

Quote from Sept 2015

Hovering only over the deficiencies and the frequently revisited lists of mistakes committed during the election season (and long before) would be easy, but it isn’t the solution to anything. The Clinton campaign poignantly proved that Tuesday night. Our common soil has been tainted already, and our work is to fix it, to add the biodiversity we need, to design sustainably around what we’ve got, and to observe and adapt with the existing system and its changes. It’s in the spirit of cooperation—even when it hurts—not competition that long-lived success can occur.

Tweet from May 2013: Sorry losers and haters but my I.Q. is one of the highest –and you all know it! Please don’t feel so stupid or in secure, it’s not your fault.

Source: Twitter
Source: Twitter

The fact of the matter is that, whether Trump or his supporters like it (something that has felt contentious), our social system already has diversity and complexity. Races are mixed and interact. Other people’s sexuality isn’t something we get to decide. Various religions are already prevalent, working together, and not about to disappear. Gender equality, though imperfect, has steadily moved closer to even. These are things that have made our world richer. Try to control these natural phenomenon, to force everything into a monoculture system, and it will only strengthen the wherewithal of those attacked. Work together and we all progress and survive.

The oil is there for the taking; we just have to take it.

Quote from Crippled America

Renewable and sustainable energy is something Trump has resoundingly denounced in favor of known destructive sources like coal, oil, and natural gas (fracking). It’s a scary proposition knowing that more damage will be foisted upon the planet, our future, for the immediacy of money now. For those of us who don’t want to contribute to this support those industries focused elsewhere. Perhaps it can be the inspiration to get off the grid or hybridize energy at home. If policy decisions are going to be economically driven over environmentally conscious, then we can each personally take it upon ourselves to put our money where our hearts are. Now is exactly the time for those who care to get more renewable.

So what can be done about it? How do we start winning again? To start with, we need a government that is committed to winning and has experience in winning.

Quote from Crippled America

If we are to practice permaculture in a world in which Donald Trump is our most powerful leader, then we must find the solution within the problem (if that’s how this situation is assessed). And, for all the ideas he has represented—international industrial economic models, fossil fuels in excess, a culture of fear—conflicting those found in permaculture, we are not without commonalities, principally on the notion that the existing systems—politics, healthcare (people care), production, international trade—are not functional, need to be reimagined, and are ripe for change. That means we have a chance to engage in that reimagining rather than being locked out of the status quo.

We’ll be fine with the environment. We can leave a little bit, but you can’t destroy businesses.

Quote from Oct 2015

So, then, we have quite the challenge to find good design, sustainable for both environment and business, something not contrary to the permaculture ethics. Our only choice is to move forward in cooperation, to transition into a world where humanity’s survival is of as much consequence (and is equally represented by us) as corporations. Despite firmly held beliefs (and evidence) regarding our role in planetary destruction—call it climate change or global warming or what you will—many voices remain focused on different problems. That’s only the more reason to strengthen our grassroots efforts, to tighten our communities, and to make our plight relevant. Let the voice that grew loud in support Trump’s “draining the swamp” in Washington inspire our voice of change to accomplish its goals.

There were a lot of issues to be dealt with, from badger and otter protection plans to the economic value to locals. People expected a duel, which I realized, so instead I offered a partnership approach.

Quote from Think Like a Champion

Despite how things were presented in the campaign, a ridiculous game that has become far too vicious to ever get us anywhere productive; despite whatever horrible videos or settled and unsettled lawsuits or damning comments or brash statements have surfaced; despite a constituency many feel are too often apt to point and persecute when expedient, forgive and forget when convenient; we of the USA and, consequently, the world have now entered into a partnership that somehow must work. Donald Trump is not without compromise or empathy or fault. Neither are we. It’s time to reassess, adjust, and get to producing something positive from this wreckage of parties and partnerships.

…I say it is time for us to come together as one united people.

Quote from Nov 2016

Permaculture is proactive and productive. It’s a system that creates and acts on solutions rather than dwells longingly over injustice and dysfunction, which is to say we are doers rather than naysayers, we seek answers rather than wallow in contempt, we seize opportunities when and how they present themselves. I say it is time for us to come together as one united people, each with voices and perspectives that count, and see if we can’t make something happen for the forces of good. We may not be the best companion planting, Trumpism and permaculture, but we can always put the buffer positive progress between us and grow respectively, and hopefully more respectful, as a result.

Jonathon Engels

The financially unfortunate combination of travel enthusiast, freelance writer, and vegan gardener, Jonathon Engels whittled and whistled himself into a life that gives him cause to continually scribble about it. He has lived as an expat for over a decade, worked in nearly a dozen countries, and visited dozens of others in the meantime, subjecting the planet to a fiery mix of permaculture, music, and plant-based cooking. More of his work can be found at Jonathon Engels: A Life About.

60 Comments

  1. I have for years stressed to people to grow some of their own food, to work with their neighbors and to buy local. Local small farm in my state have been hurt by increasing regulations. If he is true to his word, perhaps those regulations will decreased. We just have to wait and see. The moon is still in the sky too tonight.

    1. True Mike. Big Argi will destroy the land and leave it a desert much like the Sahara. The great plains have lost most of their fertility with monocropping. Who knows how many species have died plowing every bit of soil to plant corn or wheat.

  2. What is it with this trend for people to speak for entire non politically driven parties as a collective voice? You dont think trump will be a positive change for the planet and he might not, who knows but to speak like you speak for the entire permaculture community is bizarre. I see this happening every where at the moment. Completely non politically derived groups speaking as though there is a correct political bent belonging to that group. What the?

    1. The EPA are the ones that were tampering with equipment in that mine in Colorado, causing the spill that turned that river gold. They take pay offs from huge corporations, and run small timers into the ground.

    2. Actively managing a polluted site abandoned by a mining company is not tampering, mismanagement maybe. They are only taking payoffs because our current system requires funding to come from services provided. Find another way to fund them a get rid of corruption.

    3. Good riddance to the EPA. Fire them all and hand over any useful functions to the states. These idiots do nothing good and do lots of harm – especially with corrupt “wetlands” regulations that actually penalize farmers for building ponds, swales, and other water features.

  3. The Trump group is hardly monolithic. His vote was at least 50% anti-Clinton. All of his ideological supporters want stable employment, decent pay, and social stability. Yes that coddles the reactionary slice of society, but when else will change come? They do not like the trade deals that have eviscerated the middle class, and there is room to modify production and consumption to foster conservation. Show them how GMO’s and petrochemical Ag does not make the best business, and I see support for change. Let’s see the upside, as well as the down.

  4. If you look at some of the things Trump stands for, you’ll find it is for smaller government, dismantling bureaucracy and placing tariffs on imports to stimulate local jobs. No doubt that includes food production. All rather Permaculture concepts I would have thought!

    1. Except tariffs don’t get paid by the manufacturers they get paid by consumers. His plan will spike the cost of goods causing inflation, a recession and a trade war with China and/or Mexico.

  5. Trump will be the best thing to happen to America in a long long time. He overcame the democrats. He overcame the republicans. He overcame the biased lying liberal media. And he still managed to win the election. How many people do you think could accomplish all that? All on a minimal budget. And he has not even been appointed the office yet. He is going to rock!

      1. Would he destroy the economy by doing what he promised, becoming more isolationist and not throwing away his nations wealth on overseas wars? Get real, do you know how much of the US GDP is spent on interventionist foreign policy to murder people overseas? If that money was channelled back into health, education, housing, employment the US would become a true world leader.

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxYboVoiejM

    1. Permaculture isn’t exclusively represented by socialist, fossil fuel hating, sky is falling rhetoric. There’s a lot of us who are conservative, freedom loving, realists who believe in humanity over all else. That doesn’t mean we don’t believe in being good stewards of the earth. You’re perceived monopoly on social views in regards to permaculture is false. -Davy

    2. If we see behind the election and try to understand how Trump won we see a lot of people sick of regular political bla bla. Politicians are educated to be politicians, they are distanced from regular people in the street, in the country, in the woods etc how can they then represent they’re voice? (lack of people care) This is a kind of revolution, just like Brexit and the stronger nationalism we see in a lot of countries. People don’t feel they’re heard by the politicians, now with the election of Trump the people have proved that they have some power.
      I guess Trump has the same kind of preferences for good food like most of us and good food is what we get with Permaculture, the reason why the food tastes better is maybe not what Trump cares about, but as long the industrial produced food doesn’t taste as good as natural grown food I guess he wants more, then he care. (care for the earth)
      Let’s hope for the best.

  6. Just as the American election result was so unforeseen by most, i feel the result could also be a huge win for the planet. Trump maybe a climate denier, but does that really matter. He himself didn’t fill the atmosphere with CO2, fill the oceans with plastic, cause so much deforestation, species extinction and soil degradation etc. This was all done by humanity, and maybe this election result will WAKE US UP to the fact that it is humanity (YOU & ME) that need to nurture this planet back to good health. Lets see Trump as the solution, NOT the problem. As Bill Mollison said “Man does not need a centralised power”.

  7. Hillary Clinton supports fracking , and wanted to expand it globally . Pumping chemicals into the Earth, disrupting the ground . She is a shill for Monsanto and their poisons . Glyphosate is an environmental nightmare . Google : Hillary Clinton The Bride of Frankenfood . And also Linn Cohen-Cole an open letter to Hillary Clinton . She would have passed the TPP , research how that would give corporations powers over countries . And we all know corporate greed does not care for the environment . Prayerfully Trump will be a better friend of the Earth !

    1. Yes, that’s right, he did indeed. Here is an extract from “The Complete History of Monsanto, ‘The World’s Most Evil Corporation,’” published by Waking Times in 2014.

      “To add insult to world injury, Monsanto and their partners in crime Archer Daniels Midland, Sodexo and Tyson Foods write and sponsor The Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009: HR 875.15 This ‘act’ gives the corporate factory farms a virtual monopoly to police and control all foods grown anywhere, including one’s own backyard, and provides harsh penalties and jail sentences for those who do not use chemicals and fertilizers. President Obama … gave his approval.

      With this Act, Monsanto claims that only GM [genetically modified] foods are safe and organic or homegrown foods potentially spread disease, therefore must be regulated out of existence for the safety of the world … As further revelations have broken open regarding this evil giant’s true intentions, Monsanto crafted the ridiculous HR 933 Continuing Resolution,16 aka Monsanto Protection Act, which Obama robo-signed into law as well.

      This law states that no matter how harmful Monsanto’s GMO crops are and no matter how much devastation they wreak upon the country, U.S. federal courts cannot stop them from continuing to plant them anywhere they choose. Yes, Obama signed a provision that makes Monsanto above any laws and makes them more powerful than the government itself.”

  8. The topic of these articles is the environmental aspect, as the President elect of the United States of America – Who was voted in accordingly to the laws of that country – has made a number of comments on the topics of climate change and the environment, these are relevant to the Permaculture movement as it impacts the overall framework of the work we do and the systems we put into place.
    This is not weighing in on a political debate, presenting biased information or an acceptance of the recent notmypresident movement. We are not endorsing, or debating the benefits of one candidate over another. As the decision of who will be the next president has been made, we are publishing content about what that person has indicated they intend to do. We are not here to speculate a “what if” situation of the other candidate winning, this person did win and this person has made a number of statements in relation to the environment.
    The world has not ended, we still continue to put one foot in front of the other on our journey, taking in what we observe, both on the ground around us and what we learn in the cyber world. We lead by example and demonstrate the benefits of Permaculture Design.

  9. If you are surprised or do not understand what happened it means one thing. You need to stop getting your news from just the sources that tell you what you want to hear.
    The greatest political machine ever assembled, backed by a two term seated President, unseated by a deluge of little people they ignored, silenced, disrespected & despised … the Democrats for this last 8 years used racism & hate to fuel their agenda, and they got it.
    I was so relieved to hear a message of non-interventionism last night from Trump. Hillary as Secretary of State proved to me that she would have been a war president. I support our troops, but think we need to stop using them carelessly and as corporate puppets. Iran? Syria? Libya? Prepping Iran to be the next evil to destroy? They have no plans to stop, Watch: https://youtu.be/9RC1Mepk_Sw

  10. This article was only to say that, despite what ethics we have (political or apolitical permaculture has plenty to say about how the world operates, the economy, and methods of production), it is time to take what is here and do something positive with it, through the spirit of cooperation, not competition. It’s not a Clinton vs. Trump commentary, but rather a this-is-the-state-of-things, I-have-concerns-but-recognize-potential assessment. I would guess none of us are excited about Obama singing for Monsanto or Clinton’s stance on fracking, but neither one of them were just elected president. It’s Trump’s ideas with which we are going to have to work and hopefully, within them, find solutions that make sense for our permaculture ethics and principles. There’s no argument left to make about who the better candidate was.

  11. I would counsel against hate, against imagining the guy is Hilter, and whenever there’s an available venue, attempt to sell him on local farming. Present it as business, present it as making America Great again- which, in this case would mean being more resilient against potential catastrophes and/or attacks.
    The guy is not an ideologue, so he might listen.

  12. Lee, you asked “I’d like to know the “problem is the solution” way out of this one!”
    No different to tackling any other permaculture design, why should it be?

    First define the ‘problem’: Be honest, other than the collective bruised egos from the authoritarian left who feel entitled to push their opinions down other peoples throats, treat the working class in a condescending manner and who seem to get upset and riot at the outcome of a democratic process called an election, there is no problem!

    If we’re taking this as a serious permaculture design matter, we need to define the framework in which we’re working to identify any restrictions or limitations. A new government just got elected in the US, they haven’t done anything yet, so you can’t use observation at this point to identify the constraints of the system you’re designing within. If you had to design or build a system you can wait to see what will change, or risk it and assume nothing will if you’re in a hurry. Either way, until you observe real change, you can’t design for it or around it.

    The second step is to define a Positive Resource Solution: Can you reframe the problem as a positive? The dependency here is that you can actually define the problem clearly and objectively in the first place. So what’s the actual problem we need to design around?

    Having someone who doesn’t share your political beliefs in government isn’t a real problem. it, its the normal state of affairs that affects close to 50% of the population at any point in time after any election. This is a constant in your system that you’re designing in, it’s always there in one form or another.

    Getting upset over it this is what they colloquially call being “butthurt” and has nothing to do with design solutions, best for people to get over it, as it is the nature of politics to be adversarial and competitive, whereas in permaculture we favour cooperation over competition because things work out better when people work towards common goals rather than dwelling on their differences, that makes nearly everyone happier! :)

  13. I commented on Jonathan’s earlier post that trying to push permaculture- as a whole- into a political stance would bring about infighting and, I still believe, will destroy much of permaculture’s appeal.

    Of course Jonathan should be allowed to voice his opinion. That is a given as I support free speech.

    But let me just say this: the permaculture “movement,” however disparate & diffuse it may appear, is already working for good. And it has been for decades already.

    Saying that “it is time for us to come together as one united people, each with voices and perspectives that count, and see if we can’t make something happen for the forces of good” is a bit obtuse. Permaculture is already united under the three ethics with each person doing their own thing to make the world a better place.

    This article- and the previous one- does precious little to explain what “uniting the clans” of permaculture could actually accomplish. It also doesn’t explore the potential backlash and marginalization of permaculture that could result.

    Honestly, while my own political views are quite sympathetic to the author’s, I sincerely don’t understand why anyone wants to come to a design system that “has no room for politicians, administrators, or priests” and then try to unite it under a political banner.

  14. Note to the Editor. Let’s stick to permaculture posts in the future please. Otherwise what is the point of this website.

    1. The topic of these articles is the environmental aspect, as the President elect of the United States of America – Who was voted in accordingly to the laws of that country – has made a number of comments on the topics of climate change and the environment, these are relevant to the Permaculture movement as it impacts the overall framework of the work we do and the systems we put into place.
      This is not weighing in on a political debate, presenting biased information or an acceptance of the recent notmypresident movement. We are not endorsing, or debating the benefits of one candidate over another. As the decision of who will be the next president has been made, we are publishing content about what that person has indicated they intend to do. We are not here to speculate a “what if” situation of the other candidate winning, this person did win and this person has made a number of statements in relation to the environment.
      The world has not ended, we still continue to put one foot in front of the other on our journey, taking in what we observe, both on the ground around us and what we learn in the cyber world. We lead by example and demonstrate the benefits of Permaculture Design.

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