A World Without iPhones? Who Can Even Imagine It Any More? Well, Let Me Try
So, I am turning my iPhone off. It makes my present different. Will it make the future any different? It won’t hurt to try!
Society
Root and branch
My primary influences for navigating out of the present mess these days are distributism, civic republicanism, agrarian populism and Thomism, or maybe immanentism … which not a lot of people have heard of. One reason not a lot of people have heard of them is that we’re so caught up in mainstream modernist politics like neoliberalism and socialism that they get no airtime, which I think is regrettable.
Creating a politics of the future
My suggestion here is that a politics of the future that might make a difference would be about reimagining our relationships, with each other and with nature.
The Story of B
We must forget The Great Forgetting, which told us that our culture was all of humanity.
Crazy Town: Episode 105. Who Can Fix the Housing Crisis – NYT Pundits, German Shepherds, or Bilbo Baggins?
Jason, Rob, and Asher are taking out a huge, unaffordable mortgage on the housing crisis. What’s behind the shortage in housing? Why is it that no one, except canine Tik Tok influencers with billion-dollar bank accounts, can afford to own a home??
Why the World Feels Like It’s Falling Apart: The Superorganism Explained in 7 Minutes
In this week’s Frankly — adapted from a recent TED talk like presentation (called Ignite) — Nate outlines how humanity is part of a global economic superorganism, driven by abundant energy and the emergent properties of billions of humans working towards the same goal.
Reciprocity as relational responsibility
When we understand ourselves as part of a web of relations, reciprocity becomes a way of life, not a checklist. It becomes less about immediate repayment, but about how we live in right relation across time, space, and power.
“Stick Together:” An Anthem for the Community Resilience and Resistance Movement
Luke’s song underscores the power of music and art at this moment. I know it helps me personally to stay grounded and sane as we face the topsy-turvy days we are living through.
Reform or ruin
When we talk about societal collapse, we usually talk about the factors that led to the collapse of a given civilization. However, you could also turn this around and ask what factors allow civilizations to avoid societal collapse and major crises.
The Parent and the Pendulum
In this week’s Frankly, Nate explores the themes of attention, awareness, and the psychological impacts of modern life.
From Inner Change to Systemic Change
A commons is a bounded community of shared purpose that stewards its collective wealth with self-devised rules of care, fairness, and mutual benefit. The history of humanity over millennia shows that this is a default social form.
Why building inspiring alternatives is necessary to counter authoritarianism
Not every system can be fixed. But every broken system is an opportunity to build something better. Because once you build it yourself — you never have to ask permission again.
