Somehow over the past three years, I got cozy. I mean, life was great with a steady job and living by the beach that I somehow managed to become numb to the passion inside me that wanted revolution and change for the sake of social justice. Somewhere in the past 2 months or so, I experienced a resurgence of this fire and it came with an extreme sense of urgency. I couldn’t explain it at first until I realized it had taken over Jamie, a fellow contributor to the blog and dear friend, except through a different means. I started thinking about purpose and making certain speculations about places in the world that needed to be watched and types of people that needed to be grouped together. I was grouping, without really realizing it, into the groups of “the able” and “the lazy”.I started getting a heightened sensitivity to the social angst around me. Some people were jittery while others were willing participants in accepting a life of comfort and complacency. Life is now delivered through a screen, through wires and microwaves with little need for human interaction. Our country is crumbling, let's be honest. Everyone is enjoying the last moments before the chaos of being on a sinking ship, no one wanting to run and put a life vest on first because of their pride. I became worried and internally overwhelmed at times. I became strongly convicted in that we are rapidly approaching what feels like decision time with nature and social ethics as the judge and jury.
I was excited when I discovered I was not the only one who had these feelings, but someone much more educated than I was actually made a documentary about it! One night Jamie and I were talking and the idea of 2012 came up. I always had this feeling that maybe there was some truth to 2012, those ancient civilizations were smart and wise as hell and I shouldn’t be one to question the timeless advice of the universe. But I couldn’t help but think that it wasn’t going to be the tale of Revelations full of scary monsters and destruction and terror. I just don’t think that time is upon us. If anything, I thought that the time was going to be a chance for rebirth, a regenerative time where restoration and responsible innovation lead the charge in creating a new way. Because quite frankly, the old way sucks. What is failed to be realized is that the capitalist structure we have built and stored all of our financial and social systems in is hardly Christian in that it has has left many wanting, disenfranchised, marginalized, undereducated, segregated, andoppressed peoples in this world. Anyways, I wasn’t the only one who felt this way. The Arab youth movements were an incredible revolution of our lifetime which introduced us to Occupy Wall Street. I was fascinated by Occupy and started reading a lot more and keeping up with the state of life because of it. It woke me up from my cozy slumber and brought made me crave my awareness that used to be so sharp. I came across 2012: A Time for Change, a documentary by Joao Amorim and Daniel Pinchbeck that looks at the state of the world and the Mayan idea of 2012. It not only takes measurement of our current state, but provides real life alternatives that are not only possible, but being carried out throughout the world. A global shift is not only coming, but we have the ability to change our direction for the better. A few areas of coverage and gems from the film:
- Psychadelics as a spiritual dimension to connect
- Shamaanic journeys from indigenous cultures led to the discovery that a lot of these indigenous tribes have prophecies about this time that we are in, and perhaps the end of the Mayan calendar is pointing towards the end of a cycle. It may be the opportunity for a shift in the world ages and the possibility for tremendous tranformation.
- We are currently experiencing a crisis of consciousness.
- This belief that salvation in something else that will reappear during this time is giving away our personal sovereignty and power to have someone protect us. In the meantime we forget how to do those things ourselves. We are spiritually lazy if we give up ourselves to a system to have them take care of us in return.
- The difference between now and the 60's is that the 60's didn't have any elders or mentors to foster this idea. Our advantage of now is that we have them as our elders and teachers from what they have learned over the past 50 years.
- Alternatives: Yoga, meditation, permaculture (support biological diversity, getting multiple functions out of one thing), aqua restorers, soil regeneration through toxin absorbing mushrooms, recycling programs, agroforestry, eco-house construction, community gardens, aquaponic agriculture, greenroof tiles, bamboo hut constructions, rain water catchments
- Paul Stamets- Author & Mycologist, “I often wondered if there is a United Nations of Organisms and every organism had a right to vote, would we be voted on the planet or off the planet? I think that vote is occurring right now.”
- Richard Register- There needs to be more discussion about urban design at global climate talks and summits. Changing people's perspective on prosperity would redefine how cities could be designed.
- "I think there needs to become a generation of people who come up and see buildings as scaffolding for living systems. That look at half of these buildings and say ‘oh yes, this is whats going to support what I'm going to be doing.'”
- Technology: At the moment we have all this technical genius in this society, people at Microsoft, Google, and Apple making these ipods and and widgets and so on. Why can’t we re-purpose the technical genius of the modern, Western consciousness to sustainability?
- Energy power is political power. We need to enable people to make their own energy.
- The Open Source model used by computers and websites can be a replacement of the corporate and hierarchical structures, seeing agriculture, manufacturing, and money becoming open source.
- Different types of money create different types of relationships. It needs to be about cooperation and not competition.
- (Pinchbeck) “Now we are at a time where we can make all that has been in seed form up until now blossom and flourish. Then I think we can move from survivalism or sustainability to a flourishing and thriving global society. Because nature doesn’t sustain itself, nature flourishes and thrives. We are part of nature and we should do the same thing"
I too feel the angst. I think some of it manifested with Occupy Wallstreet: We were promised the ticket to a better life with a secure job (being simply a source of income) came with a higher education. We studied hard, volunteered, donated, researched places, all to get into a good college. Years later with degrees and a heightened consciousness we are left with a desolate and somewhat cynical outlook on this shining paradise we suffered to achieve.
ReplyDeleteSuffer might be a harsh word, but we definitely went down this path with the promise to our parents' American Dream. The response is that these ''Occupy protestors should shut their mouths, and get a job. There are ample opportunities at Macdonalds.'' Unfortunately we were fed the idea that college could get us something beyond "flipping burgers."
Do we deign to flip burgers? Of course! We are a generation far beyond the "modern American dogma" (20th century thinking) and are looking for a post-modern philosophy that acknowledges our angst and frustration: a job (our place in the world) is dependent upon our desire to achieve a world that we find fit.
We've moved beyond making money. Let's rekindle the social contract imparted upon us by American Democracy. Let's find happiness and rejoice in finding happiness with each other.
I am hoping that this angst and unrest shapes our society for the better. Let's not forget that the revolution of the 60's and 70's only lead to the materialism and greed of the 80's and 90's!!!!
ReplyDeleteRandom Comments on the ideas above;
- We are spiritually lazy, and I think this directly correlates with rise in materialism.
-I think that the only way our Tech Giants (google, apple, etc) are going to take sustainability seriously is if it makes their profit margin sustainable aka profitable. It's sad, but is it about the end or the means? I think that maybe the increase popularity in 'green' and 'sustainable' might work out for the better, if it's actually making a difference. Howeverm if it's just another marketing ploy then UGH !!! I feel like being earth friendly is not economy friendly. The greenest thing you could do is instead of buying the 'green' car, just keep your old car.... but this mentality isn't quite good for the economy, is it? Is there a way that these two seemingly opposing forces can come together?
- Can anyone comment more about Open Source, this is a very interesting topic. Is that something like how the 'anonymous' group works? Beehive mentality?
Also- @ Mark- about moving beyond making money. I think that it's true, we need to find happiness within ourselves, not just in our jobs. In Bali I saw how people with so much less than us actually seemed happier than people in the US.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if there is any recession story about how someone was actually happy to lose their materials goods because it lifted some burden off of them. I doubt it, but that would be a cool story if it existed.
Wow lots a great ideas to chew on. My first reaction is, How far are we willing to go? What are we willing to do for this change. We haven't seen what our country looks like on the other side of this movement, the truth is I think it will make most people uncomfortable, as most change does. If our economic system doesn't with sustainability then it is a soon to be outdated system. as Jill points out we have to cooperate with nature not the other way around, or else we will be pushed out. But this may mean radical change, not just in our actions but in our minds as well. I love the conversations that the occupy wallstreet movement has started. It has caused us to reevaluate our system and our lives and made us ask what is truly important.
ReplyDeleteSorry I got cut off. My only criticism is that this movement my give somepeople a false since of achievement. That occupying the streets is enough, and maybe it is, but what if it is going to take more than that. What if it takes our possessions and our all mighty comfort, what if it takes our lives. So again how far are we willing to go for this? It seems that the difference with the 60s and 70s and us (and this may be we're the urgency comes from) is that there movement was about change for the greater good, and our movement is about changing so we can survive
ReplyDeleteIn existentialism, they describe angst as the feeling of freedom to do anything but the lack of power to actually turn that freedom into action For instance, we could donate all our money to save all those dying animals in those stupid ASPCA commercials, but for some reason, we use our money to buy clothes and food and trinkets and toothpaste...
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I think it is a very natural feeling, and one for which our generation especially is underprepared. We were the generation where all our hippie parents told us that we can do anything. Then they made our teachers tell us that we can be anything. Then they made our coaches give us trophies even when we lost. Their constant encouragement set into our minds that we were not only free to make the world better, but that we could do it. What they forgot to tell us is that changing the world is a hell of a lot harder than just graduating from college and then yelling in the streets that the world sucks. Anyway, what I am trying to say is that we, in our social angst and our feelings that the world sucks, are not special in any way.
We, as people, have always thought the world sucks from the moment we could think the world was anything. That is one of the great parts of humanity, and one of the main drivers that keeps our society progressing. We don't settle, and we always strive to make the world better. But in that striving for a better world, we should make sure to understand that the world actually IS a whole lot better than it was and it is getting better every day. Think back to the 1800s, when people lived to 40 and the richest guy in the world didn't even have a telephone. Think back to the 1980's where we didn't have the internet or the ability to whine about our problems online. If you look at any statistic about average human health and welfare, I am sure that it has improved over the last century and is probably still improving today. I am not saying that we should be satisfied with where we are, but we should be extraordinarily appreciative of the blessings we have in this world.
One thing I do want to say though, which may be beside the point, is that our society has lost its desire for heroism, which I find to be a very sad thing. We all have the ability to be great people, to avoid temptation to harm ourselves and others, and to fight for good in everything that we do, but we don't. We rationalize our indiscretions by arguing for subjective morality, when in reality, there is no such thing. There are actions that make the world better and there are actions that make the world worse. If you are making the world worse, you are behaving immorally, and it is as simple as that. Now, while I understand that that is a controversial point, my main argument is that, we don't have any heroes anymore. Anyone to admire and to say, "wow, I want to be as good as that guy (or girl.)" All we have is Snookie the whore and Kobe Bryant the rapist... Maybe I will whine about that in my blog post. It is a much larger discussion than I can contain here.
@Jill, Well it seems from these comments like we really are suffering from a crisis of consciousness...is that an LOL or a sob?
ReplyDelete@Rita, We've been fortunate to have been raised to find the light in dark times. Oddly enough (and maybe this could be a future blog) our faiths have sustained us...even if I haven't been to church in FOREVER.
@Curt, Hi!
@Dan, I'm surprised that you think morality is a dichotomy; I'd be interested to see (hear/smell?) you expound upon that. I beg to differ that we don't have heroes. Heroes pull over on the road and pull out people from a burning car. Heroes will make sure the child lost in the department store finds his mother. Heroes give a smile or hug in times of need and desperation. There are qualities in ordinary people that are admirable; a petty action may mean the world to someone else, just as an action is not necessarily a zero-sum moral decision. I think it's BECAUSE we have "Snookie the whore ad Kobe Bryant the rapist" that we've been looking closer for heroes, therefore none arise for national appeal. Rather than looking up for a hero, look side ways, or down, or perhaps into a mirror.
@Rita: I think you make a good point about the cars/going green idea. Another simple thing (that shouldn't even have to be mentioned but should be known) is what if we all kept our cell phones until they died, or were on their death bed? Our blow dryers? Our appliances?
ReplyDelete@Curt: You make a good point that occupying and protesting the streets should not be our greatest sense of achievement this far. I imagine it to be the beginning stages of something of a bigger scale, with the force of a political party perhaps. Something where in the future we are talking about it, and we'll only refer to it as "occupy" in slang term because it may have evolved into something else by then. A thing we recall starting as a collection of protests and city cells but turned into a strong network with an already established base. Here's to (perhaps) the fetus stage of the movement, a timeless practice of protesting which often signals to a greater piece of the coming wave. Occupy states, "You cannot evict an idea whose time has come." And I think that is where we find ourselves right now.
@Dan: All I keep coming back to is what if our generations "entitlement" (if you will) is what the world needs? I only say that because what we would be going back to is connection with the earth and responsibility, which I would say are noble ideals right? Of any ideas for a collective to champion, I would say respect, reciprocity, and mindfulness are ones I am willing to get behind. But you are right in that we are not special in any ways because of what we are feeling. We should have been thinking this way all along and it is human nature, not enlightened state, to do so. And as far as heroism goes...I think we have just confused the idea and replaced it with how everyone felt about most popular kids in high school: you talk some shit but are unable to stop talking about it, compare yourself to it, all the while unable to stop watching it. Why else would $18 million have been spent on a fucking Kardashian wedding? And I say its confused only because we can all agree that Mark's comments about everyday heroes is true, so we all know it exists. We just lost sight and have chosen to mistaken the popular kids with inherent and good character.
@everyone: read this article! great writing and interesting perspective that captures a certain feeling of this time in regards to Occupy Wall Street. Enjoy!
http://matadornetwork.com/bnt/if-we-get-occupy-right-we-get-everything-right/
Sorry, everyone! I'm almost a week late on this, but with good reason - I was without internet. I'm the volunteer. I live in Morocco on a little less than $250/month - talk about sustainable. It's more than enough.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to comment specifically on the prospect of sustainability in America - though I do plan to share some words on the Arab Spring in the future.
This is an interesting topic. In a History and Philosophy of Sustainability course professors and students generally agreed that the pursuit of sustainable technology would have to yield at least an equal amount of profits. Investing in solar panels are less obvious an option if there is even a slim possibility that the homeowner will be moving in the next five or even ten years. Another argument brought up was that of convenience. If a sustainable option requires even one extra step, you may as well get back to the drawing board. Then those metaphysical…How sustainable is it to create new "sustainable" products over recycling old ones? After all, going vintage is the ultimate green.
But I don't think it's that we're lazy, per se. Americans are of the most ambitious and efficient people on the planet. Albeit we'd prefer the five minute drive to Chik-fil-a to walking 20 minutes any and every day -regardless of the fiscal, environmental and physical consequences-, time is money and cash is king.
…so I'll play the cynic. Americans are not going to change until they (we) have to. Our powerhouse tech-corporations. Those brilliant monsters. They will step in when they must - when the price is right. We've seen it before, when Einstein wrote that famous letter to FDR about Nazi Germany creating a bomb of unimaginable force. We gathered our resources, flew Al out State-side, and created his biggest regret. Necessity IS the mother of invention.
Mother nature can scream and cry all she wants, but we'll continue to find new ways to exploit her. We have suitable technology for alternative energy, so why haven't we implemented them? Exxon/Mobile, Chevron, BP, etc. won't have it. They've got us by the balls.
So I rest my case with this: humans adapt, but we're not going to get off the couch until someone sets it on fire.
first off i just want to say that the reply font color is FANFUCKINGTASTIC. i havent even read everything yet i just HAD to say this immediately. ok now i will read and then post again.
ReplyDeletewell that was overwhelming!!! i am trying to find some way in my head to organize and group and structure this thing to avert internet disaster of blog throw up that never moves in any specific direction....
ReplyDeleteobviously everyone here is intelligent, and realizes that revolution, like everything else, is cyclical. when talking about the revolution of the 60s and 70s leading to the greed of the 80s and 90s, we are assuming that there actually WAS a revolution of the 60s and 70s. i propose this to everyone:
do some research on the googlemachine ... find what you think a real revolution is ... what defines it ... im talking throughout all time and the world. lets all bring back ONE example of a revolution! we need to define what we are trying to create if we want to make it happen :)
oh man i cant wait to push 'publish' and see this black font turn colors!
ps. i am not saying that there was not a revolution in the 60s and 70s, i am just saying lets get big, and then break it down. :)
ReplyDelete@Mark: I feel awkward using the "@" symbol.
ReplyDeleteTo Mark: You are right that heroes still exist, but similar to what Jill said, I was trying to convey that society doesn't flaunt it's heroes like it does it's Kardashians. We need to celebrate heroes like we do villains, more than we do villains, so that we don't have to search the 8th page in the newspaper to find the story about the guy who pulled off the road to save someone.
As to my idea of moral dichotomy, every action you take is either good or bad. Even thoughts you have either make the world better or make the world worse. It might be difficult to see the impact of an action (killing an ant might starve a spider who would have killed a mosquito that could have cured AIDS), but every action you take can be measured based on the outcome. I am not saying we will ever truly understand whether we are performing morally or not, but the best we can do is to use our limited perspective to strive to do right and to make the world better. There are things that each of us do that, clearly, do not make the world a better place (drugs, alcohol, promiscuity, using too many paper towels). We should be weary of those actions and try to limit them.
To Jill: I think you are right that the gifts of our forefathers are ours to use to make the world better. I just think that we should not get too distraught over the fact that we see the world as sucking. In reality, the world is pretty awesome. We should look at the good too and feel a sense of awe in it, all the while trying to clean up the mess.