Suzanne, do you have any theories about why, despite 30 years-worth of awareness about the problems (Rachel Carson/“Silent Spring”, Donella Meadows/“Limits to Growth”, Brian Swimme, Thomas Berry, Earth Day, etc.), we continue down the path toward destruction? I suppose an obvious factor is an economic system that values profits over people. Yet I suspect there is an underlying cause from which even that ethic emerges.
In a coffeeshop conversation in Munich Germany years ago, a patron remarked that: “You know, America was largely formed out of the criminals and outcasts of European society.” That may be an overstatement, but I think it points to the basis of the uniquely American emphasis on the ethic of rugged individualism, achievement, and self-actualization. This is a stance under which we are each competing as lone actors to “pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps”, “make something of ourselves”, “get ahead” (implying others are left behind) — all under the myth that “it’s a level playing field” in which, by hard work and dedication, “anyone can make it”.
Even if flawed, that model did work well enough to build 20th Century America. Yet in a subtle way, it opposes any sense of true community and a mutually shared fate. We must always be wary of the motives of others — even friends and family. Rather than true community, others naturally fall into the role of allies or opponents in an individual quest for self-actualization and aggrandizement. (Hence Margaret Thatcher’s famous remark: “There is no society.”)
Even in the above context, governments are required since societal needs like national infrastructure, defense, basic research, international relations are too large to be handled by individuals or even corporate entities.
Moreover, today’s existential problems like climate change, war, nuclear threat, and environmental destruction really require a sense of globally shared fate and collective action. Continuing under the ethic of competition for relative advantage over others posed as opponents and enemies, will almost certainly ensure the demise of this current iteration of human civilization.
Can we evolve? Can we recognize and embrace our interdependence? Or do we repeat the fate of extinct past empires? It’s probably time to make a choice.
Scratch "probably" about it being time—we're already broken in ways we can't repair, and every day makes it worse.
You are questioning a headscratcher to try to understand what got us here, where understanding where we came from helps. The simplest explanation is that where rugged individualism served to create our industrial civilization, it outlived its usefulness when sustainability became what was important and not growth. Now it's hell to change the fundamentals given that the richest people would lose the control they've enjoyed when they became the most successful creators.
Right on Suzanne. I often note (and post) this about Capitalism — it works well enough during the building/growing phase of an endeavor, but upon reaching maturity, that endeavor needs to shift to a steady-state maintenance mode. Otherwise, like any living organism, entities that continue to grow beyond maturity generally become freakish, cancerous, and destructive. For example, General Motors — in business for over a century, yet if it is not showing quarter-by-quarter growth, the shareholders are angry. No wonder things have gotten so out of balance.
I'm late to the party and missed this till now. That's the story in a nutshell. No villains who did it to us, like how Trump operates, but a natural progression where the winners do not have enough love for what made them rich. There are some pretty cool ones, but none, strange but true, who have taken leadership to save us.
I watched that whole talk--it gives me inspiration. We've been in dire circumstances before but we've been able to turn it around. We are gathering our forces now. We need to find a way to counter Internet disinformation. It may take years and a lot of hard work, but that's true of anything worth fighting for.
Hardly any of our best pundits, like Heather Cox Richardson, factor in the collision course we are on for overshoot to send humanity back to the Stone Age, whereby we don't have the luxury of waiting years for the good to triumph. I hope to get her attention to talk to her about that. I'm a little pipsqueak where my best way to help is to enroll visible people, like Heather, to take on what I am unique on Substack writing about!
This really resonates. It’s encouraging to be reminded that even in uncertain times, people have come together to create change and care for one another. Your idea of opening your home again for thoughtful conversation feels like a meaningful step, one that reflects a quiet strength and a belief in community. Thank you for sharing this, and for continuing to hold space for connection and reflection.
Thanks, Christy. Now it's because of the uncertain times that we're activated, and fingers crossed that energy will develop to where a good force will take over the world!
Hi Jon and Michael, dealing with the same project that's impressively beyond the little everyday things people can do! Your materials are beautifully done and how successful you are getting humanity involved will be informative about where humanity is at. Also, how about the imminence of the danger we are in?
As you state the issues and objectives, they cry for the call Brian Swimme makes about how we are of the Earth and not just on it. He'd be a valuable addition to your program, to help tune us into the creation story he discerns from what science has relatively recently delivered about being interconnected as one humanity, here to serve Earth: https://suzannetaylor.substack.com/s/brian-thomas-swimme
What are you doing to help us move along, singing a song, side by side?
Suzanne, do you have any theories about why, despite 30 years-worth of awareness about the problems (Rachel Carson/“Silent Spring”, Donella Meadows/“Limits to Growth”, Brian Swimme, Thomas Berry, Earth Day, etc.), we continue down the path toward destruction? I suppose an obvious factor is an economic system that values profits over people. Yet I suspect there is an underlying cause from which even that ethic emerges.
In a coffeeshop conversation in Munich Germany years ago, a patron remarked that: “You know, America was largely formed out of the criminals and outcasts of European society.” That may be an overstatement, but I think it points to the basis of the uniquely American emphasis on the ethic of rugged individualism, achievement, and self-actualization. This is a stance under which we are each competing as lone actors to “pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps”, “make something of ourselves”, “get ahead” (implying others are left behind) — all under the myth that “it’s a level playing field” in which, by hard work and dedication, “anyone can make it”.
Even if flawed, that model did work well enough to build 20th Century America. Yet in a subtle way, it opposes any sense of true community and a mutually shared fate. We must always be wary of the motives of others — even friends and family. Rather than true community, others naturally fall into the role of allies or opponents in an individual quest for self-actualization and aggrandizement. (Hence Margaret Thatcher’s famous remark: “There is no society.”)
Even in the above context, governments are required since societal needs like national infrastructure, defense, basic research, international relations are too large to be handled by individuals or even corporate entities.
Moreover, today’s existential problems like climate change, war, nuclear threat, and environmental destruction really require a sense of globally shared fate and collective action. Continuing under the ethic of competition for relative advantage over others posed as opponents and enemies, will almost certainly ensure the demise of this current iteration of human civilization.
Can we evolve? Can we recognize and embrace our interdependence? Or do we repeat the fate of extinct past empires? It’s probably time to make a choice.
Scratch "probably" about it being time—we're already broken in ways we can't repair, and every day makes it worse.
You are questioning a headscratcher to try to understand what got us here, where understanding where we came from helps. The simplest explanation is that where rugged individualism served to create our industrial civilization, it outlived its usefulness when sustainability became what was important and not growth. Now it's hell to change the fundamentals given that the richest people would lose the control they've enjoyed when they became the most successful creators.
Right on Suzanne. I often note (and post) this about Capitalism — it works well enough during the building/growing phase of an endeavor, but upon reaching maturity, that endeavor needs to shift to a steady-state maintenance mode. Otherwise, like any living organism, entities that continue to grow beyond maturity generally become freakish, cancerous, and destructive. For example, General Motors — in business for over a century, yet if it is not showing quarter-by-quarter growth, the shareholders are angry. No wonder things have gotten so out of balance.
I'm late to the party and missed this till now. That's the story in a nutshell. No villains who did it to us, like how Trump operates, but a natural progression where the winners do not have enough love for what made them rich. There are some pretty cool ones, but none, strange but true, who have taken leadership to save us.
I watched that whole talk--it gives me inspiration. We've been in dire circumstances before but we've been able to turn it around. We are gathering our forces now. We need to find a way to counter Internet disinformation. It may take years and a lot of hard work, but that's true of anything worth fighting for.
Hardly any of our best pundits, like Heather Cox Richardson, factor in the collision course we are on for overshoot to send humanity back to the Stone Age, whereby we don't have the luxury of waiting years for the good to triumph. I hope to get her attention to talk to her about that. I'm a little pipsqueak where my best way to help is to enroll visible people, like Heather, to take on what I am unique on Substack writing about!
This really resonates. It’s encouraging to be reminded that even in uncertain times, people have come together to create change and care for one another. Your idea of opening your home again for thoughtful conversation feels like a meaningful step, one that reflects a quiet strength and a belief in community. Thank you for sharing this, and for continuing to hold space for connection and reflection.
Thanks, Christy. Now it's because of the uncertain times that we're activated, and fingers crossed that energy will develop to where a good force will take over the world!
I agree, Sue, inspiration is the fuel that will create the change we need. Thanks for posting.
https://solsticeunites.earth/
A Sacred Convergence to Restore Balance
https://oneworld.earth/posts/a-sacred-convergence-to-restore-balance
Hi Jon and Michael, dealing with the same project that's impressively beyond the little everyday things people can do! Your materials are beautifully done and how successful you are getting humanity involved will be informative about where humanity is at. Also, how about the imminence of the danger we are in?
As you state the issues and objectives, they cry for the call Brian Swimme makes about how we are of the Earth and not just on it. He'd be a valuable addition to your program, to help tune us into the creation story he discerns from what science has relatively recently delivered about being interconnected as one humanity, here to serve Earth: https://suzannetaylor.substack.com/s/brian-thomas-swimme