As I was writing about what a future society might look like, the Coronavirus has been literally wreaking havoc on the global economy. Just yesterday, the U.S. government set up $2 trillion (yes with a T and bigger than many small countries’ economies) for economic relief. Of course there was the typical fighting between the Republicans and the Democrats about who should get this relief – no prizes for guessing that the republicans want it to go to corporations only, with some wacko republicans advocating that old people volunteer to die since they are the most vulnerable section of the population so that the economy might survive. The piece not mentioned is how many times this kind of economic relief might have to happen in the next few months should the virus not be obliging in going away. While I read of how other westernized countries are struggling with the coronavirus outbreak, it seems that the USA is acting as point agent for how an economy collapses. It also underscores just how vulnerable modern economies are to disruption in just a short amount of time. Visions of the 1929 stock market crash keep cropping up, only this time worse. What I notice is that the hierarchy stays focused on the economy while the rest of the news is about how communities are coming together to help each other. It is this latter aspect that I find the most comforting and positive news for it speaks to the truth about our humanity. Yes, it is nice when we have money and can distance ourselves economically, but this virus has shown that the economic separation is not sustainable when people need each other. A heartless society built on money cannot survive when people finally recognize that money isn’t the end goal.
I saw this the other day. Anthropologist Margaret Mead was asked what she considered to be the first sign of civilization in a culture. It wasn’t fishhooks or clay pots or grinding stones. Mead said that the first sign of civilization in an ancient culture was a femur (thighbone) that had been broken and then healed. Mead explained that in the animal kingdom, if you break your leg, you die. You cannot run from danger, get to the river for a drink or hunt for food. You are meat for prowling beasts. No animal survives a broken leg long enough for the bone to heal. A broken femur that has healed is evidence that someone has taken time to stay with the one who fell, has bound up the wound, has carried the person to safety and has tended the person through recovery. Helping someone else through difficulty is where civilization starts. I would argue that it wasn’t civilization as when humans began living communally in egalitarian tribal systems before competitive hierarchies arose. (Egalitarian defn: relating to or believing in the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities.)
This is a relatively new way for modern humanity to think and behave – many communities in countries just emerging out of economic poverty still have this sharing and caring aspect. We have to choose this egalitarian path otherwise we will still get the sameness that arises out of a hierarchical system with its elitism and control. This is NOT some form of dreaded communism, but a system of sharedness or cooperation with everyone having full autonomy with a belief in fairness. This seems alien within a hierarchical system in which competition and winner takes all attitude is the general rule. In an egalitarian society there are still leaders who make decision for the collective, but they are chosen by the group for their wisdom and observed skills in any specific area and not because as individuals they want to lead. Indeed, the desire of wanting to lead could be seen as self-serving and ego embracing, which is not a desirable trait in a leader.
Imagine society failing for the common person, but instead of a catastrophe situation, consider the bulk of humanity realizing that the only positive way to move through the chaos (e.g. economic and/or ecological collapse) is to come together as a community of individuals. We can run around screaming and panicking and absolute chaos will persist, or we can choose to respond in a relaxed and constructive way. What do we really need everyday? Toilet paper is nice, but that is a relatively new idea and those panic buyers will eventually run out anyway. There are great options to wipe and they have been used for thousands of years. The first essential for us is food and someway to cook it. The latter part is energy related. So, food and energy are the most crucial aspects. In the northern hemisphere it is now early Spring and a great time to start planting a garden (in the southern hemisphere, it is a good time to prepare a garden for next spring). Do you really need all that grass? For cities and those with no gardens, there are massive grassy areas in which some of the area can be converted to personal and communal allotments. If you don’t have a green thumb or have no idea of how to grow food, then I guarantee that there are people within your neighborhood who do know – time to find out who they are and talk – maintaining social distancing of course while coronavirus is still around.
The leadership of local communities will remain intact even if the hierarchical system begins to crumble. Time to talk to your local officials about how your area gets its power. How can that be localized so you do not have to rely on a fickle grid that could crash at anytime. It doesn’t take long to do that once the profit margin problem is removed from the equation.
The next step will be the hardest for people stuck in a consumer mentality and the NPP (narrative of perpetual progress). How do you begin to start sharing everything more? For many it will be like the seagulls in the cartoon film Looking for Nemo – Mine, Mine, Mine! Consumerism is defined by the things one owns, but you are not required to give it all away, just to set up a schedule to share some of your stuff with your neighbors. Just remember that the larger system is collapsing and you and your neighbors need to quickly learn how to become self-sufficient. Selfish and egotistical A-holes will not be tolerated so people will be obliged to get along or be kept out of the newly forming community. You might not be ready to Love your Neighbor yet, but you will have to learn how to get along with them for all your sakes. In the next post I will describe what this kind of egalitarian society could look like once you decide to actually cooperate with each other.
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