After years of railing against capitalism, I had to concede that it does sort of work well during the BUILDING phase of an endeavor – be it a career, company, or country. However, upon reaching maturity, such an endeavor needs to shift to a steady-state maintenance mode of operation. That’s the shift we never made, so such endeavors strive to grow forever without limit — eventually becoming a cancer that eats away at society and planet.
Although fundamentally changing our economic model seems a challenge, there *is* a simple, discrete fix (alluded to in the above article) that would largely get us to where we need to go: disincentivize excessive, useless, destructive hoarding of wealth by means of a progressive wealth tax. Ideally, phase out the income tax (a monetary fine for working) and instead require people to pay back into our system in proportion to the success this system has enabled.
I’d guess that 95% of human-caused problems stem from the relentless pursuit of wealth and the power and control needed to achieve it. Remove the fuel for the fire!
I'm with you. Rugged individualists became exploiters in a natural progression that needs to be redirected now. This conversation was the first I've heard about what can get us switched onto the right track.
We’re missing pathways to transition wealth into democratic community ownership — work is being done in this area, however, it’s not being recognized and those blazing the trail need to continue to self fund. It’s a vital time to move from talk and into developing tangible frameworks that can achieve transformative change.
Shane, if you have examples, pop them in here. But, as per this post, it's the talking we need first to establish shared understandings -- i.e. here for love and not for money -- before we do any widespread moving into creating the world that exemplifies those understandings.
Suzanne, time was invested to highlight examples previously (with key aspects being validated in the last month). I’ve gifted my energy into talking groups for the last 8 years, and while there are many well meaning (and loving) ideas, they lack understandings of systems. So I don’t really see much value in continuing down the same path.
WE need first to understand the lack of understanding. Surely, Shane, it's the pressures and force fed distractions that big capital use to trap us into wasting our Human time. ie:- pushing us into consuming product we rarely need
That’s one perspective for a base understanding… other perspectives could be that it’s part of a cosmic energy we’re within (and it’s transforming), or it’s a natural manifestation of our hierarchical systems of separation, or if you really want to pickle your mind - decolonial theorists have a different base understanding.
So getting a base understanding is an ok option. And depending on the group and biases, you’ll reach different conclusions. However, I haven’t seen it provide a transformative basis to move forth on (yet, maybe your group will be different).
Another option is to understand the patterns and the systems / practices at its foundation, and then shift it from there (this is called first principles in physics). The challenge is there’s lots of talk and labelling, but few understand the mechanisms that can unlock scalable transformative change.
In essence, it’s a transition from triangular / top-down systems of power and wealth concentration, into circular / distributed systems of power and wealth. The second manifests a very different psyche, which holds potential for interconnected love.
All three of us are old timers, shaking our heads at the separation we need to get beyond. Best we hustle to get to enjoy some fruits while we're still spry enough to pick them! We have been so right for so long that I hold out for the build-up getting us to an all-of-a-sudden turnaround!
Really good piece Suzanne. I've been working on the post-Capitalist, beyond limitless growth issue for decades now. You've done a nice job laying out the foundational problem here. Totally agree about mindset/worldview. Changing collective worldview is the only way out of this mess.
Great hearing from you. I stopped doing my podcast before I got to you, and somehow I got off your list that I'm getting back on now. There's something in our rebel cores that I feel a big connect with and all input from you, on how to get us talking to each other, is so welcome.
Absolutely Cylvia, encouraging Personal Refutation of the Capitalist Planetary Piratical Plundering. To do that we have to be seen as examples, n'est-ce pas ? Maurice
I wish I could clone you, Maurice. You've made such a difference getting the essay contest seen, and the stats for new subscribers show a huge spike in subscribers who do Substack from when you got on this case. I can't wait for that tip sheet for how people can be as effective working the Substack system as you are.
I have a niece in Paris who USED to clone racehorses for Arab Sheiks, but she became unhappy with the ethics of wages from Big Oil, and left. GOOD GIRL....
I agree. I bicycle and have an electric car. Boycotting does work. Here in Canada, the grocery stores are making a huge profit. People started boycotting Loblaws, one of the large chains and they have now signed a code of conduct to lower their prices. We will see what happens, but boycotting does seem to work.
Yup ! Sold my truck, bought an E-Trike, learning to grow my own, but still get some stuff on the street market, and milk from the farm. I reduced my meat by 90%, have enough 2nd hand clothes to last another century, and refuse to accept plastic packaging. Also I assist Suzanne to spread the word, 'cos together, us folks can achieve more, n'est-ce pas ?
I'm so glad you made it to the webinar. I really enjoyed it too, and have so much respect for Jeremy Lent. Both of the books he's written are so insightful, and I will buy the book he's writing now as soon as it is published.
He had something like 200 people and I didn't spot you there, but I'm glad you can attest to how good it was. Jeremy is one of the very intelligent people looking with a pure heart at how things can change, although his invitation when he started his group, to have it be a hotbed for conversation, still awaits fruition. For getting a shared mindset, I think looking to adopting a new creation story could be what we talk about, and I'm doing what I can to get serious attention paid to it!
I wrote a lot about the Teilhard to Thomas Berry to Brian Swimme Universe Story. It mostly was before you were a subscriber. If you start here, look to other posts before and after this one for more:
Interesting article. Yes, we need to change the system. We are having man-made disasters - climate, and wars that help the wealthy. As these are man-made, we can change them and must if we as a civilization will survive. How can we do this? Education and awareness is the first step.
I agree that education that creates awareness is the key. It's why I was drawn to this conversation that said we need first to become aware of our situation by talking about it --like we can here.
Alongside of Education and Awareness, Richard, we must, each of us put into an individual "practice what we preach" Attitude.... Create Credibility for our audience.... reduce our personal dependence on Fossil Fuels, before we too get burnt.
As a dreamer I imagine entire alternative systems but my practical and human-focused head knows that we must set some fundamentals and a direction of travel and then allow people to develop it in the myriad ways they do and that is the wonder of the human and the more than human world.
I agree - I have an electric car, and cycle. boycotts are effective. Here in Canada, people boycotted Loblaws (your independent grocery story) and Loblaws has now signed a code of practice to lower its prices after making huge profits.
As each of us lives our lives consistent with upstanding values, that won't change the systems that need something more. It's the overall mindset we are in that needs to shift to where we are a society with a humanitarian base rather than an economic one. It could be we just lack for a good idea for how to make a massive shift, and the search is on here!
After years of railing against capitalism, I had to concede that it does sort of work well during the BUILDING phase of an endeavor – be it a career, company, or country. However, upon reaching maturity, such an endeavor needs to shift to a steady-state maintenance mode of operation. That’s the shift we never made, so such endeavors strive to grow forever without limit — eventually becoming a cancer that eats away at society and planet.
Although fundamentally changing our economic model seems a challenge, there *is* a simple, discrete fix (alluded to in the above article) that would largely get us to where we need to go: disincentivize excessive, useless, destructive hoarding of wealth by means of a progressive wealth tax. Ideally, phase out the income tax (a monetary fine for working) and instead require people to pay back into our system in proportion to the success this system has enabled.
I’d guess that 95% of human-caused problems stem from the relentless pursuit of wealth and the power and control needed to achieve it. Remove the fuel for the fire!
I agree with you Bill, on all counts. I believe in Suzanne's vision, frequently restacking her posts. Perhaps you could assist by doing the same ?
I'm with you. Rugged individualists became exploiters in a natural progression that needs to be redirected now. This conversation was the first I've heard about what can get us switched onto the right track.
Hi Bill - Your comment is accurate.
We’re missing pathways to transition wealth into democratic community ownership — work is being done in this area, however, it’s not being recognized and those blazing the trail need to continue to self fund. It’s a vital time to move from talk and into developing tangible frameworks that can achieve transformative change.
Shane, if you have examples, pop them in here. But, as per this post, it's the talking we need first to establish shared understandings -- i.e. here for love and not for money -- before we do any widespread moving into creating the world that exemplifies those understandings.
Suzanne, time was invested to highlight examples previously (with key aspects being validated in the last month). I’ve gifted my energy into talking groups for the last 8 years, and while there are many well meaning (and loving) ideas, they lack understandings of systems. So I don’t really see much value in continuing down the same path.
Where would I find what "time was invested..." in?
WE need first to understand the lack of understanding. Surely, Shane, it's the pressures and force fed distractions that big capital use to trap us into wasting our Human time. ie:- pushing us into consuming product we rarely need
That’s one perspective for a base understanding… other perspectives could be that it’s part of a cosmic energy we’re within (and it’s transforming), or it’s a natural manifestation of our hierarchical systems of separation, or if you really want to pickle your mind - decolonial theorists have a different base understanding.
So getting a base understanding is an ok option. And depending on the group and biases, you’ll reach different conclusions. However, I haven’t seen it provide a transformative basis to move forth on (yet, maybe your group will be different).
Another option is to understand the patterns and the systems / practices at its foundation, and then shift it from there (this is called first principles in physics). The challenge is there’s lots of talk and labelling, but few understand the mechanisms that can unlock scalable transformative change.
In essence, it’s a transition from triangular / top-down systems of power and wealth concentration, into circular / distributed systems of power and wealth. The second manifests a very different psyche, which holds potential for interconnected love.
What Tom Atlee calls co-hearted co-intelligence just keeps happening here! Thank you Susanne. Brad Blanton
All three of us are old timers, shaking our heads at the separation we need to get beyond. Best we hustle to get to enjoy some fruits while we're still spry enough to pick them! We have been so right for so long that I hold out for the build-up getting us to an all-of-a-sudden turnaround!
Really good piece Suzanne. I've been working on the post-Capitalist, beyond limitless growth issue for decades now. You've done a nice job laying out the foundational problem here. Totally agree about mindset/worldview. Changing collective worldview is the only way out of this mess.
Great hearing from you. I stopped doing my podcast before I got to you, and somehow I got off your list that I'm getting back on now. There's something in our rebel cores that I feel a big connect with and all input from you, on how to get us talking to each other, is so welcome.
Absolutely Cylvia, encouraging Personal Refutation of the Capitalist Planetary Piratical Plundering. To do that we have to be seen as examples, n'est-ce pas ? Maurice
Hi Suzanne, I have restacked this twice, encouraging others to do the same. This needs mega support, we can do it, the tide is turning. Maurice
Wonderful !! I am just back from 11 days Laptop Free holiday. We can now resume our conversation. Maurice
I wish I could clone you, Maurice. You've made such a difference getting the essay contest seen, and the stats for new subscribers show a huge spike in subscribers who do Substack from when you got on this case. I can't wait for that tip sheet for how people can be as effective working the Substack system as you are.
I have a niece in Paris who USED to clone racehorses for Arab Sheiks, but she became unhappy with the ethics of wages from Big Oil, and left. GOOD GIRL....
I agree. I bicycle and have an electric car. Boycotting does work. Here in Canada, the grocery stores are making a huge profit. People started boycotting Loblaws, one of the large chains and they have now signed a code of conduct to lower their prices. We will see what happens, but boycotting does seem to work.
Yup ! Sold my truck, bought an E-Trike, learning to grow my own, but still get some stuff on the street market, and milk from the farm. I reduced my meat by 90%, have enough 2nd hand clothes to last another century, and refuse to accept plastic packaging. Also I assist Suzanne to spread the word, 'cos together, us folks can achieve more, n'est-ce pas ?
Hi Suzanne,
I'm so glad you made it to the webinar. I really enjoyed it too, and have so much respect for Jeremy Lent. Both of the books he's written are so insightful, and I will buy the book he's writing now as soon as it is published.
Thanks for all you do.
He had something like 200 people and I didn't spot you there, but I'm glad you can attest to how good it was. Jeremy is one of the very intelligent people looking with a pure heart at how things can change, although his invitation when he started his group, to have it be a hotbed for conversation, still awaits fruition. For getting a shared mindset, I think looking to adopting a new creation story could be what we talk about, and I'm doing what I can to get serious attention paid to it!
I was there, Suzanne, but with 200 people was probably hard to find. I look forward to reading about your new creation story.
I wrote a lot about the Teilhard to Thomas Berry to Brian Swimme Universe Story. It mostly was before you were a subscriber. If you start here, look to other posts before and after this one for more:
Delivering the Universe Story
Getting Serious About Changing the World
https://suzannetaylor.substack.com/p/delivering-the-universe-story
I think a lot of people are on the same wavelength, Suzanne. The permaculture crowd comes to mind. Thanks for sharing your idea.
Permaculture, specializing in experimental crop systems to withstand both drought and flood. My next project (might take a while.... )
Interesting article. Yes, we need to change the system. We are having man-made disasters - climate, and wars that help the wealthy. As these are man-made, we can change them and must if we as a civilization will survive. How can we do this? Education and awareness is the first step.
I agree that education that creates awareness is the key. It's why I was drawn to this conversation that said we need first to become aware of our situation by talking about it --like we can here.
Alongside of Education and Awareness, Richard, we must, each of us put into an individual "practice what we preach" Attitude.... Create Credibility for our audience.... reduce our personal dependence on Fossil Fuels, before we too get burnt.
As a dreamer I imagine entire alternative systems but my practical and human-focused head knows that we must set some fundamentals and a direction of travel and then allow people to develop it in the myriad ways they do and that is the wonder of the human and the more than human world.
I agree - I have an electric car, and cycle. boycotts are effective. Here in Canada, people boycotted Loblaws (your independent grocery story) and Loblaws has now signed a code of practice to lower its prices after making huge profits.
As each of us lives our lives consistent with upstanding values, that won't change the systems that need something more. It's the overall mindset we are in that needs to shift to where we are a society with a humanitarian base rather than an economic one. It could be we just lack for a good idea for how to make a massive shift, and the search is on here!