I have talked at length about how sustainable living (SL) is so much more than just adapting to use green technology. It is relearning how to live together in communities that my definition, identify as equitable, regenerative, resilient and adaptive. If you still harbor the belief that we can reach sustainability within a materialistic paradigm, go back to the start of this blog and read from there – Sustainable Living and modern consumer living as we know it are not compatible. This is not a call to living in some mythical past where everyone was some kind of ecological saint: a myth that never did and almost never will exist within the human condition as it currently endures.
In his Ishmael trilogy (referred to several times in this blog), Daniel Quinn states; “The homeless and the young are rapidly converging on the socioeconomic territory I identify in this book as “Beyondcivilization.” “The homeless have for the most part been thrust into it involuntarily, while many of the young unknowingly yearn for it, as anyone does who wants more from life than just a chance to feed at the trough where the world is being devoured” Daniel Quinn. I have just finished reading Christopher Ryan’s 2019 book ‘Civilized to Death: The Price of Progress.’ I found it fascinating to spend a couple of days on the internet reading reviews and commentaries about the book, and then more interestingly trying to discuss it with several friends. As expected, people either loved or hated the idea that our concept of civilization may be our problem – almost nothing in-between. You either support the ‘Narrative for Perpetual Progress (NPP)’ or disagree. In essence, do you believe that this civilization we are living is the peak of human creativity that maybe can be tweaked a bit to make it better, or did we lose our way as a species when we decided to go with authoritarian hierarchy (the essence of the problem according to Quinn and Ryan). Jared Diamond doesn’t quote the hierarchy as the problem per se but does emphasize that old tribalism did have some positives we need to consider as we adapt to major changes in how we live in the near future – that is if we manage to avoid a neo-feudalistic society resembling some Hollywood-like Hunger-Games future.
It seems to upset NPP believers that our ancestors before civilization arrived lived wonderful contented lives with radical egalitarian structures. Not because they were saints, nor because they lived on the edge of existence, but because it seems to be the most optimum way to live in which humans retain complete individual autonomy yet live interdependently for everyone’s benefit.
Evolutionary Biologist, Richard Dawkins, believes that your genes make humans selfish and egotistical in the quest for survival, but ample evidence exists to show the opposite. Humans seem hard-wired to be egalitarian. Only the authoritarian system makes humans insecure enough to be egotistically selfish. In situations where civilization as we know it collapses, people come together in the most wonderful ways to help each other and share through the hardships. Rather than degenerating into some Mad Max scenario, after the initial societal collapse of the hierarchy, people more often come together to rebuild smaller egalitarian communities in which all share the burdens and bounties, and where free-riders are discouraged. In an earlier post (Making the transition to Sustainable Food Systems – Cuba and Detroit as case studies) I gave two case studies of this transitional path. Another more recent example of SL in the making can be found in Puerto Rico.
After Christmas 2019, Puerto Rico, still recovering from Hurricane Maria two years earlier, was hit by several earthquakes of 5.8-6.4 magnitude accompanied by large aftershocks, that knocked out the power and supply systems. Essentially abandoned by inept governmental services from both the USA and their own government, Puerto Ricans banded together, often with guidance from the non-profit organization Aspira de Puerto Rico, to form The Single Voice Movement. Not to be confused with the Liberation movement that seeks independence from colonial rule and neoliberal disorder, as they frame their cause. The Single Voice Movement is the formation of several citizen coalitions that know the needs of their communities and how best they can function when Disasters and chaos arise. The projects developed by these entities have a vision that looks inward toward active communities capable of supporting themselves and their neighbors. These organizations are not in themselves models of SL systems but a glimpse into the structures that arise out of modern living once the hierarchical systems of civilization no longer work.
Considering the multiple ecological system failures coupled with the economic system failures about to engulf us within the next few years and decades, it is fascinating to look at countries that have been forced to rethink how their societies are structured and can respond peacefully through community action rather than hierarchical revolution, where we replace one hierarchy with yet just another. Believers of the NPP like to point out that countries like the USA are different from countries like Puerto Rico, but that is just arrogant racist crap. Anyone who travels enough knows that while the USA may be more materialistic, it really doesn’t differ in how the hierarchical systems control it or fails when disaster hits. Just look up Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans for a reality check of the wonders of disaster response by FEMA within the USA. Now imagine a set of cascading disasters within the whole USA instead of just one hurricane and think of how help will not likely come from outside. Besides New Orleans after Katrina, anyone living in downtown Detroit, or even Flint, Michigan, knows the reality of failed hierarchical help even when it is not a national disaster per se, but simply a case of being ignored and forgotten by society at large.
I recently met with local officials and some sustainability minded citizens to discuss how my town is prepared to handle any worse-case scenarios. I am never surprised by the numbers of people who believe that a worse-case scenario is unlikely and all we have to do is prepare for the most likely scenarios. I am by nature what I call myself as a realistic optimist. I recognize the positive potentials of people and society, but also recognize the potential problems and issues that face us as we grapple with ecological and economic changes beyond anything we have ever seen in decades. I began this post with a Quinn quote about homeless people thrust unexpectedly into a society ‘beyond civilization’ and others seeking a place that has to be better than what is currently offered. Yet, Quinn states that many people are so trapped in the NPP with its belief that the past was awful that they would rather suffer through the problems of civilization than entertain the idea that the past has anything to teach us. Let’s look again at what the past has to say about how we can live together before we dismiss it outright.
To Be Continued………………..
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