To:
Guardian CiF
Re: Recognising
our mistakes is not easy, when our economy and way of life is
based, and we ourselves so dependent, on them
Date: Thursday 10 April 08
How long must I go on
repeating myself before someone starts to pay attention?
The ROOT CAUSE of our
problems (political, social, ECONOMIC and environmental) lies in a
socioeconomic order (divided up into nation states and national and
multinational companies) deeply rooted in (especially European) man's
dumb-animal nature (understandably enough, one might have thought, in
view of what we are supposed to know about human origins), which
developed to facilitate a perverted and fatally misplaced continuation
of his evolutionary struggle for survival and reproductive success (now
largely reduced to a struggle for POWER, of which MONEY is the most
versatile and important form) in the artificial environment of human
society itself.
Until we face up to this
fundamental truth, we are not going to solve any of our problems.
Instead, a ruthless Mother Nature (who is already "warming up" for the
job) will do it for us.
2nd Post
[memeroot]: "@rogerhicks, I
think you were being politely ignored...."
Maybe, but on the other
hand, anyone who does take note of what I'm saying might prefer to
ponder a while, rather than comment, on it.
Its implications are
profound and bound to take a while to sink in, and if they don't take
your breath away as they do, it is because you haven't properly
understood them.
3rd Post
[bass46]: "rogerhicks,
You're right, but how would we reorder ourselves if given a fresh
start?"
We don't have the option of
a "fresh start", but must start from where we are, which is the mess we
are in. But before we can even begin, we must study and understand how
we got into it. As we do, ways out will become evident. We don't HAVE
to stay "on the broken track to oblivion", not if we don't want to.
It is probably too late now
to avoid some kind of catastrophe, but we can still reduce its impact
and improve our (children's) changes of survival and recovery. The
sooner we start in earnest the better - but first we must properly
understand our situation from a human-evolutionary perspective.
At the moment, because of a
disconnect between the biological and social sciences, and the taboos
that are in place when it comes to applying Darwin's ideas to human
society, our political and social scientists simply haven't a clue.
They are like medieval doctors, more a threat to their patient's
recovery, but unable to admit it, even to themselves, for fear of
compromising their own status and livelihoods.
4th Post
[timetocare], Thanks for your long and interesting
response.
I particularly like the spaceship analogy, because it is
so easy to understand - at least, to my mind - that the crew of a
normal spaceship depends absolutely on the near-to perfect functioning
of their craft's life support systems and on the resources available to
them on board. If they were to start behaving as as the crew
(population) of Spaceship Earth are behaving, you would know
intuitively that they were doomed. You HAVE to treat your spaceship's
systems and resources with GREATEST of respect, otherwise you are not
going to reach your destination or return safely home.
I can remember the real life drama (NOT the film) of
Apollo 13, with its iconic, "Houston, we have a problem". And so does
Spaceship Earth; only, because of the vast difference in scale, what
took seconds or minutes to become apparent on Apollo 13, is is taking
years (decades) on Spaceship Earth. And still we have not recognized
the underlying cause of the problem (man's animal nature and the extent
to which it still dominates, not just individuals, but also the
political, social and economic institutions we and our forebears have
created).
To stick with the analogy, it is as if the crew of
Apollo 13 still think they can continue their mission to land on the
Moon. Notwithstanding that it was tough for them to face up to and give
up on, because they knew that they were very unlikely to get another
chance. Until they realized that they would have their hands full, just
getting back to Earth alive.
I am not as pessimistic as you, or [bass46], perhaps
because I see the cause of the problem so clearly, and thus also some
of the potential solutions (not all the details, but certainly the
general direction). And besides, I feel that I owe it to today's
children and coming generations (and to myself!), not to give up, but
at least to try, as long as I am able, to preserve at least something
of a future for them. When I think of all the sacrifices and efforts
that my forebears made (consciously or not) in order that MY life might
be as good and enjoyable as it has been . . . . !
5th Post
(unposted, because I missed deadline)
[Icarusinrags], No need to apologize for your
ramblings . . . To me they make a lot of sense . . . . Just
keep pursuing them.
I think that many humans do have the
"ability" to learn from their mistakes. But like our ability to
reasonably interpret "reality", it is not nearly as well developed as
we delude ourselves (naturally enough) into believing.
But first, of course, we have to RECOGNISE
our mistakes, which is not easy, when our entire civilization (our
economy and way of life) is based, and we ourselves so
dependent, on them . . . .
How long must I go on repeating myself before someone starts to pay attention?
The ROOT CAUSE of our problems (political, social, ECONOMIC and environmental) lies in a socioeconomic order (divided up into nation states and national and multinational companies) deeply rooted in (especially European) man's dumb-animal nature (understandably enough, one might have thought, in view of what we are supposed to know about human origins), which developed to facilitate a perverted and fatally misplaced continuation of his evolutionary struggle for survival and reproductive success (now largely reduced to a struggle for POWER, of which MONEY is the most versatile and important form) in the artificial environment of human society itself.
Until we face up to this fundamental truth, we are not going to solve any of our problems. Instead, a ruthless Mother Nature (who is already "warming up" for the job) will do it for us.
[memeroot]: "@rogerhicks, I think you were being politely ignored...."
Maybe, but on the other hand, anyone who does take note of what I'm saying might prefer to ponder a while, rather than comment, on it.
Its implications are profound and bound to take a while to sink in, and if they don't take your breath away as they do, it is because you haven't properly understood them.
[bass46]: "rogerhicks, You're right, but how would we reorder ourselves if given a fresh start?"
We don't have the option of a "fresh start", but must start from where we are, which is the mess we are in. But before we can even begin, we must study and understand how we got into it. As we do, ways out will become evident. We don't HAVE to stay "on the broken track to oblivion", not if we don't want to.
It is probably too late now to avoid some kind of catastrophe, but we can still reduce its impact and improve our (children's) changes of survival and recovery. The sooner we start in earnest the better - but first we must properly understand our situation from a human-evolutionary perspective.
At the moment, because of a disconnect between the biological and social sciences, and the taboos that are in place when it comes to applying Darwin's ideas to human society, our political and social scientists simply haven't a clue. They are like medieval doctors, more a threat to their patient's recovery, but unable to admit it, even to themselves, for fear of compromising their own status and livelihoods.
[timetocare], Thanks for your long and interesting response.
I particularly like the spaceship analogy, because it is so easy to understand - at least, to my mind - that the crew of a normal spaceship depends absolutely on the near-to perfect functioning of their craft's life support systems and on the resources available to them on board. If they were to start behaving as as the crew (population) of Spaceship Earth are behaving, you would know intuitively that they were doomed. You HAVE to treat your spaceship's systems and resources with GREATEST of respect, otherwise you are not going to reach your destination or return safely home.
I can remember the real life drama (NOT the film) of Apollo 13, with its iconic, "Houston, we have a problem". And so does Spaceship Earth; only, because of the vast difference in scale, what took seconds or minutes to become apparent on Apollo 13, is is taking years (decades) on Spaceship Earth. And still we have not recognized the underlying cause of the problem (man's animal nature and the extent to which it still dominates, not just individuals, but also the political, social and economic institutions we and our forebears have created).
To stick with the analogy, it is as if the crew of Apollo 13 still think they can continue their mission to land on the Moon. Notwithstanding that it was tough for them to face up to and give up on, because they knew that they were very unlikely to get another chance. Until they realized that they would have their hands full, just getting back to Earth alive.
I am not as pessimistic as you, or [bass46], perhaps because I see the cause of the problem so clearly, and thus also some of the potential solutions (not all the details, but certainly the general direction). And besides, I feel that I owe it to today's children and coming generations (and to myself!), not to give up, but at least to try, as long as I am able, to preserve at least something of a future for them. When I think of all the sacrifices and efforts that my forebears made (consciously or not) in order that MY life might be as good and enjoyable as it has been . . . . !