I had prepared three more posts when computers being what they are I somehow managed to lose the file as it was backing up. Despite spending two hours trying to locate a previous version, I have given up. So, today’s, blog is an overview of where we are to date on sustainability from my perspective.
All of us are caught up in an illusionary economic-social system. Everything you take for granted about our modern world is fabricated and/or manufactured by a controlling hierarchy that remains hidden in the shadows. Even our governments do not have control. I’m not trying to get into conspiracy theories. One only has to look at how the mainstream media and politics coupled with giant corporate systems that are beholden to no one but the hierarchy control our lives. The hierarchy do so because we let them – we have given our permission for
letting them enslave us to a system of control we do not like and most times do not want. We feel so disempowered and lost in fear of losing whatever little shreds of dignity we have left that the rut is preferable to the dreams we hold of a golden future. But a storm of change is coming. All across the world people are waking up and saying, no more! If everything seems chaotic in the world, then it is as all over, small stories, never reported in the mainstream media, talk of people talking charge of their lives and making choices to live different life. A life about hope, dignity, compassion, love and cooperation with a push for real community with well-being and happiness as central goals. This new life is very different from the fear, greed, hate, and destructive competition that describes the westernized lifestyle today replete with its oppression and depression. The hierarchy (The Cabal) goes to great lengths to keep us chained to an old worldview, because they know that when we begin to start thinking free we can just abandon them. Yes, the truth will set you free and you don’t have to stage any coup or revolution to start a new lifestyle based on principles of Sustainable Living. Just some personal choices. Leave the hierarchy behind. They need us – we don’t need them.
There are some amazing technologies out there that have been hidden or suppressed by the hierarchy. The myth of lack of resources is a central theme of the hierarchical system that keeps us locked in their worldview. There is enough for everyone on the planet at this time to enjoy a wonderful and technological lifestyle. Yet, what do we hear – just two days ago we passed this year’s ecological threshold – the point where we are living beyond the point of the earths ability to renew resources sustainably. To some degree that is true, but the ecological footprint of the westernized lifestyle in the MDCs is about 6 planets (for 15% of the world’s population), while it is barely about 0.2-0.5 planets for most of the world poor (LDCs – about 85% of the world’s population). What this means is that most of the world lives in a way that could be good sustainability, but actually lives in a undeveloped minimal technological world. The bulk of the world’s resources are so blatantly overused in a throwaway system that to have the whole world live that way would require 6 earth-like planets to supply the resources. If that sounds crazy, it literally is crazy. In other words we have an insane system run by an insane hierarchy that thinks this is a good way to live – for them!!!! I talked about the Demographic Transition in previous posts (e.g. VISION – How we focus on what we really Want 2) and what it would take to get everyone to a world of more sustainable equity. This world is not in the interests of the Cabal, so any movement towards a sustainable future is at a snails pace it seems.
Ecological thresholds are being crossed as we head ever forward with the current hyper-consumer lifestyle and work to bring the LDCs to join the MDCs at the though of human greed and desire for more and more luxury. It’s not that luxury and comforts are bad, but it has to be a rethinking of what makes life comfortable and what makes it part of a rat-race to outcompete our neighbors at each other’s expense. Part of the illusion of our debt-economy is that we are driven to live beyond our means in a lifestyle that demands more and more stimulation yet offers only momentary excitement. A fun weekend is always followed by a depressing week for most people in the MDCs. Our wants and desires are driven by material things, when we know deep inside ourselves that while materialism brings some benefits, it ultimately ties us to a system we inherently know is deeply flawed. If you ask a person in the MDCs whether they would rather be rich and miserable or poor and happy, they always think it is a trick question – we are taught to believe that money will bring the happiness, but if you are truly honest, any gains in happiness are short-lived once the thrill quickly wears off and reality stares us in the face yet again, as it always does. We have a perfect holiday in a wonderful setting, only to go back to the treadmill after it is over and dream of another 50 weeks slaving away in order to get the next holiday. We seem to settle for short bursts of fun with long periods of dreariness and even despair. Imagine having the shorts bursts of fun lasting all the time. We have a hard time believing that, especially if you are locked into the consumer lifestyle. Core beliefs with hyper-consumerism are the bars of the psychological prison we build for ourselves.
A short story explains the problem. A rich business owner for the USA is having a two-week long break on a tropical island paradise. He relaxes everyday on the beach in front of the rustic, yet well equipped get-away house. As he simply sits there enjoying the beauty and relaxed pace of life, he notices that every other day a man pulls a small boat down to the beach and rows out beyond the reef to catch a net full of fish. When he comes back after a couple of hours, the man throws the net full of fish over his shoulder and heads to the market to sell the fish. Nearing the end of his short break from the rigors of his business, the business owner sees a way to help the poor fisherman. When the man next drags his boat to the edge of the water, the business man runs over to talk to the fisherman. He proceeds to tell him about how he can upscale his fishing business to make a lot of money and then buy a bigger boat, that would allow him to catch even more fish. With that extra profit he could then buy more boats and her more people to run those boats and enjoy being able to spend more on more luxuries. The fisherman is curious. He asks the man from America, how much he works everyday in order to make his money, The business man tells him, 12 hours a day, six days a week for 50 weeks a year. With that the business man can afford to have a great holiday in the tropical paradise like the one he is in right now. The fisherman then looks at the American and tells him that he works 2 hours every other day and enjoys all the benefits of living in a paradise all year round. If he did as the American advises he would work the same as the American and not be able to enjoy the paradise except for the holiday. Why would he do that when every day is like a holiday and the fisherman enjoys all the luxuries that he presently has in a prefect lifestyle?
Our wants and needs in the MDCs have been greatly twisted such that what we want materialistically has become what we need.
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