onlooker wrote:Yes, in our societies unfortanately, decisions get made on a mostly economic basis. So, now that disasters are becoming more expensive and affecting more people economically, that can serve as a catalyst for change. But at a deeper level our flexibility to make the truly needed change that is to forgo Fossil fuel use is limited because of how central and crucial these energy sources are to our Economies. So, we will be attacking the symptoms of the disease but not getting at the true cause.
Onlooker, this has been the long held position of many who advocate a major overhaul in our economic, social and cultural system. I think I held this position for quite a long time.
I don't anymore. The inertia of our current economic system that needs to support 7.5 billion does not permit a complete reinvention of our economic system. If our global dilemma was a board game then yes you could sweep all the players off the board and start from scratch.
We can't do that. Change has to happen from within the existing economic paradigm where external consequences will drive and tweak the direction we are headed. We can't however stand on our soap box and tell the world that we need to start all over with another economic , cultural social, environmentally ethical model. It wont work.
Civilization is committed down the road it is on. There are no alternatives. There are however major external forces driving things forward. This process is generational.
If you keep yourself in this place where you focus on how the macro economic system is dysfunctional you will be permanently disappointed.
You know the saying you can't see the forest for the trees. In other words you are so focused on the individual trees (short sighted) that you lose sight of the forest (far sighted).
The opposite is also a problem which is what I am trying to warn you about. Switching it around "You can't see the trees for the forest" In other words your are staying so fixed on the far sighted macro problems that you interpret every economic, energy, political event through the lens of the macro and come to the hasty conclusion that we are fighting symptoms and not the disease. You might miss something with this perspective.
Say for example all these efforts to electrify transportation advances all the associated technologies like batteries etc. and this coincides with continued contraction of fertility rates. Add a few correcting wars and pandemics. Add a few more disruptive technologies and extend this out a couple hundred years and we may very well find some balanced plateau without ever having addressed the macro issues.
Sometimes life happens when you are making other plans. This can apply to a civilization as well.
Chaos is the spice here. Unintended consequences as well. Both good and bad. There is no designer here. Probably better this way.
Think of it this way. Nothing we have today in our global civilization was premeditated. We are all following a momentum established because of a series of unintended consequences.
Believing in a controlling elite is a bit like believing in the invisible man in the sky.
No one is steering this ship. And no one can dictate that we start over from scratch.
We can sing about it but we really can't stop this train from moving
"Stop That Train"
Stop that train: I'm leavin' - today!
Stop that train: I'm leavin' - anyway!
Stop that train: I'm leavin'. And I said:
It won't be too long whether I'm right or wrong;
I said, it won't be too long whether I'm right or wrong.
All my good life I've been a lonely man,
Teachin' my people who don't understand;
And even though I tried my best,
I still can't find no happiness.
So I got to say:
Stop that train: I'm leavin' - oh, baby now!
Stop that train: I'm leavin' - don't care what you say!
Stop that train: I'm leavin'. And I said:
It won't be too long whether I'm right or wrong;
Said, it won't be too long whether I'm right or wrong.
Some goin' east; and-a some goin' west,
Some stand aside to try their best.
Some livin' big, but the most is livin' small::
They just can't even find no food at all.
I mean, stop it:
Stop that train: I'm leavin' - leavin', mm-hmm.
Stop that train: I'm leavin' - I don't mind!
Stop that train: I'm leavin'. And I said:
It won't be too long whether I'm right or wrong;
I said it won't be too long whether I'm right or wrong.
Stop that train: I'm leavin' - leavin'!
Stop that train: I'm leavin' - can't take it!
Stop that train: I'm leavin' - got to be better!
It won't be too long whether I'm right or wrong;
I said it won't be too long whether I'm right or wrong. [fadeout]
Patiently awaiting the pathogens. Our resiliency resembles an invasive weed. We are the Kudzu Ape
blog: http://blog.mounttotumas.com/
website: http://www.mounttotumas.com