Insight and inspiration in turbulent times.
Instead of abiding by the separatist framing of Modernity, we should start repairing artificially broken interdependencies, learn the re-emergence of relationships, and regenerate ecosystems, and in that way give renewed meaning to what we already know.
It may come as a surprise to most, that my answer for the times is capitalism. What is capitalism? – it is the ethics of a society, whose aim is to maintain its capital – that is, spiritual, pleasurable and human assets, combined with that which maintains all those things – the undiminished vigour of life – in soil, sea, biomass and biodiversity.
“We do a good job telling people what the issues are, Martenson says, but knowing that things are wonky without anything to do about it, well that’s actually worse then useless.” Instead Chris and Adam connect the information that needs to change. Chris goes on to say, “Prosper is the solution space that begins to address the question, what can we do??”
We should be mindful, as ecological economist Herman Daly once remarked, that policy-making in taxation, greenhouse gas emissions, pensions, criminal justice, welfare, etc, requires boundaries.
Economists tell us how consumers on the market, “voting” with their purchasing power got what they wanted and wealthy landowners got the economic theory that they wanted.
“For What’s It’s Worth,” the 1967 Buffalo Springfield song as lyrical, close-up, socio-economic observation, still resonates.
Capital of every kind has to be maintained, and as a civilization adds to its stock of capital, the costs of maintenance rise steadily, until the burden they place on the civilization’s available resources can’t be supported any longer.
