The book I co authored with Jim Coffman has this to say:
The inescapable conclusion is that, barring a cultural metamorphosis that breaks free of deeply entrenched mental frames that made us what we are, continued development of the Global Economy will lead inexorably to the collapse of civilization.
We spent a lot of time and did some very careful study before we wrote that. A few years have passed and things have become much worse.
Another thing we noted was:
The Global Economy that sustains the civilized world is destroying the biosphere. As a result, civilization, like the Titanic, is on a collision course with disaster. But changing course via the body politic appears to be well nigh impossible, given that much of the populace lives in denial
Meanwhile here we are expending unbelievable amounts of time, effort and resources stabilizing the political system that we already know is impotent.
So our question seems even more relevant today than when we wrote the book. Can human civilization as we know it survive without a radical change of course? Just to be clear, I am a Bernie supporter but I do not see Bernie’s program as anything other than a way of trying to wake people up and calling their attention to how bad the situation really is. It certainly is not “radical” in the sense of what is needed right now if we are to have any hope for the future.
Given that Bernie is waking people up there is a possibility we can get this society of ours to begin to move in the needed directions. The election and its outcome will have little to do with that other than having given Bernie a platform to get some needed things said. I say that not having a clue as to how it will turn out.
The election has served another important purpose. It has exposed much of the inner darkness that our society has failed to confront and denied. No matter who you are supporting you have to admit the picture the world has of us as a result is not a pretty one.
One would hope such exposure would mobilize everyone to rectify the many inconsistencies and injustices we see exposed for all to see. I don’t see much of that happening. Rather I see lots of effort going into making a case for their being all right.
Pedophiles and crooks everywhere in and out of government. Religious fanatics now being a new norm. No matter who gets elected, these things will not just go away. They allow me to ask in all seriousness how this civilization is going to survive.
Now comes the part that will get reactions from the self righteous good guys. This stuff I am talking about is not subject matter for debate and righteous separation from these nasty people. They are the things that will surely take us down if we don’t do something radical to fix them. Now you want to ask me what should be done. Not fair.
One thing Bernie has made clearer and clearer is that the political process we use does not work. Asking someone else to solve the problem is not going to do anything other than empower them to work you over even more. JFK asked a similar kind of question that was often quoted and seldom given serious thought beyond its cuteness as a slogan.
The most fundamental first step to take to give a serious and meaningful answer to the question about the survival of civilization is to ask yourself what you will change in your life to join others in making real change happen. If your answer is that you will support politician X or Y forget it! You have totally missed the point. If the way you and those around you are living is making some sort of really radical progress then I have nothing more to say to you. I suspect that very few, if any, who read this can put themselves in that category.
If I am even close to being right we are in deep trouble with no sign of a way out.
So I have had still another chance to rant. In my condition I can do little more than write these words and hope they will make a difference. Meanwhile we really do not need a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowing.