Dear Sir/Madam,

There was much I liked about the extract from Michael Moore's latest book published in today's Guardian ("Face it, you'll never be rich"´), but he seems to make the same mistake as do all left-wing critics of society when he divides the world into the classical, meaningless "them and us".

All the revolutionaries and social reformers I have any admiration for wanted to create a more humane world in which society's wealth is shared, if not equally, at least more fairly. But despite Darwin's insights they consistently overlooked, or underestimated the implications of, our animal origins and nature, on which so much of our social and economic structures were and still are based.

It is our "human" nature which strives to improve social justice and conditions for everyone, but at the same time we hold on to social values, attitudes, aspirations and structures, and to an economic system based largely on our "animal" nature and the desire for social and material (financial) advantage over others (Admittedly, some more than others).

"Human nature" has led us to modify and humanise some of the social and economic superstructure, but the substructure is still largely based on our "animal nature". 

It is these, the more animal than human values, attitudes and aspirations in us ALL, which are the PROBLEM.

It's no good us getting indignant about "greedy capitalists" or CEO's, since although the indignation may stem from the humanist in us, in part it probably also stems from our animal envy of them being "successful" after our own more animal than human values, attitudes and aspirations. We ALL have "two souls within our breast": one animal, one human.

We cannot change significantly the social and economic system as it stands, because it all hangs together and virtually everyone - even social reformers and left-wing journalists - have their vested interests, which, consciously or unconsciously, they seek to protect. It is not just investors and company executives, but all their employees as well. And the public sector is no different. Everyone tries to maintain or increase their own advantage in the socio-economic environment, just as animals do in the natural environment. It is the way the system works, based largely on our animal nature, and why - in its way - it works so well.

Instead of vainly trying to change the existing system, we  - those of us who want it - have to create an "alternative" humane, fair and above all sustainable society with a Moral Economy (see my email of 4 October: The need for a "voluntary" National ID database in our "Social Jungle").

It is a waste of time and energy trying to convert, convince or force those who do not want - i.e. are not yet ready - to change.

Only once someone has recognised how urgently we need to create a humane, fair and sustainable social and economic system, not just for our own sakes, but for the sake of our children and coming generations, because of the disaster the ever increasing drain and strain we are placing on our planet's limited natural resources and carrying capacity is leading to, will they be prepared - and then passionately want - to change.

It is always assumed that the poor are the world's biggest problem, when in fact the RICH are a far bigger problem!

Not simply because they place a far greater per capita burden on our planet's carrying capacity than the poor, but even more importantly, because they act as role models, whose non-sustainable economic activity and lifestyles the rest of the world, which will soon number 7-9 billion! people, is seeking to emulate.

If the world's role models and trendsetters are admired and envied for their material "success" and extravagant, non-sustainable lifestyles, as they usually are in the media, what hope is there of persuading others to live sustainably?

Everyone has heard of "the straw that broke the camel's back" - but have you ever wondered, "whose straw was to blame?"

Paradoxically the answer is, "no one's and everyone's". That is assuming, of course, that each person placed just a single, or the same number of straws on the camel's back. 

The answer is rather different if some people place more straws on its back than others.

Let the camel represent Earth's finite carrying capacity, on which we all have to place a certain number of straws in order to live. Although we do not know exactly how many it can carry, we do know that there is a limit - which will be exceeded if increasing numbers of people continue to pile on more and more straws.

Insanely, this is exactly what we are doing. Everyone, once they can afford it, wants their own car and to be able to fly in an aeroplane as often as they wish, not to mention all the other non-sustainably produced goods and services which our amoral, growth-dependent economy is only too eager to sell us.

At the moment, everyone can pile as many straws onto the camel's back as they have (or can borrow) the money to pay for, and are encouraged to do so, not just by their own inclinations, but by the whole system with its multibillion dollar credit and advertising industries.

It is difficult to recognise the insanity of a situation we have all grown up in and thus see as being quite normal, especially since we, our economy, jobs, investments, pensions, lifestyles, aspirations, etc. are so dependent on the madness.

But either we recognise the madness and start behaving sanely - or we will perish.

We need to differentiate between people, but in a more meaningful and useful way than hitherto:  between those willing to place no more than a fair and sustainable burden on our planet's limited resources and finite carrying capacity and those who are not, between those who want to be a part of a sustainable society and a moral economy and those who do not.

At the moment we are all largely part of a non-sustainable society and an amoral economy.

We have to create an alternative Sustainable Society and Moral Economy. The beginnings - small and imperfect as they may be -  already exist:  in organic agriculture, the use of renewable resources, recycling, fair trade, ethical investment, cooperative undertakings, etc. But they require the distinguishing character and framework of a clear social and economic philosophy (and ethics) which makes them clearly recognisable and distinguishable from  the non-sustainable, amoral economy which currently dominates society and the world. As the new, alternative society and economy grow it will be possible for us - each according to their own circumstances - to transfer more and more of our activity and dependency from one to the other.

Central to the creation of a sustainable society and moral economy is how we earn, spend and invest our MONEY.

Also essential  to their creation is TRANSPARENCY. Those of us trying to create a sustainable society and moral economy have to be able to recognise each other, so that we know who to support. We have to be honest about who we are an what we are doing, what we are giving to and taking from society and how many straws we are placing on the camel's back, so that others can see and judge whether or not it is fair and proportionate (see also,  The need for a "voluntary" National ID database in our "Social Jungle").