We should return to the sharing economy of the 2008 crisis. In Spain, as it lasted 10 years, many of its ideas were implemented, including local currencies, time banks and using platforms to find each other, meet in the real world and do things together. It was an economy that helped create and recover true community. The world was falling apart but we were happy.
Is it wrong to think that capitalism is the apocalypse? That we don't go to our jobs in spite of on-going disasters, but that our jobs are the disaster, and that we are constantly forced to co-create the disaster/apocalypse in small steps?
I agree with most of the article, but I think this is a key point. We don't have time to win a long-game against capitalism, as important as mutual aid and co-ops are; what we need is a sense of radical urgency and action befitting the moment, understanding that the time we think we have is largely illusory. It is time that will redound mainly to the benefit of those currently in power, given their means and advantages. I write about this very thing on my page which I recently debuted; I'd appreciate anyone giving it a look if the above resonates with you.
Great article JP! Thanks so much for writing it. I run my own business because I can't handle being a cog in a broken system. My town has flooded twice, plus one cyclone and a few bush fires.
The town was evacuated but I still had to pay the rent for my business and my home and all the bills!
Its definitely hard to be motivated to work when the world is collapsing! At least its not just me, we’re in this together 🤪
I work in healthcare and yeah. We see, every day, the results of one piece of our current dystopia - the failing healthcare system. That, of course, includes pieces of the rest of our failing system including gun violence, drug overdoses and car/scooter/bike/etc accidents.
I really appreciate this piece, it reminds me of a piece I tried to write last year I named "Apocalyptic Realism" that I want to write fully this summer. Basically the like vulgar version is that in order to stay sane and be able to do the work we have to do we should develop a culture and mannerisms that reflect and express the fact that trying to retain an attitude of normalcy is insane in these Apocalyptic conditions. There's a lot of complications, obviously.
This one read like a sermon in the best way. Your capacity to uplift and empower is a gift. Thanks as always for fueling collective hope with strategy and vision.
OK, it’s important to work with the community and build a power base, a base that can be used to challenge the entrenched capitalist structure. But do you think we could manage to preserve private property along the way? I’m not interested in a Communist state, or some sort of Soviet collectivism.
There is a difference between personal property and private property. We are far from reaching communism, and there are many steps before that - but even when/if that point is reached, no one is taking away your personal space and forcing you to live in some kind of group home.
I agree with Stefan, I'd prefer to have a government-supported housing system, like they have in Singapore, rather than the rising levels of homelessness we are seeing worldwide as rental and housing purchase prices become unaffordable in so many countries. Ironically, this means that Singaporese often have spare money to buy real estate in other countries. But of course it doesn't have to be either/or, we can have both private property AND a government supported housing system.
You shouldn’t be a landlord and other people shouldn’t have to suffer because you are a landlord and want to preserve a system of inequity so you can keep profiting personally through passive income routes.
We should return to the sharing economy of the 2008 crisis. In Spain, as it lasted 10 years, many of its ideas were implemented, including local currencies, time banks and using platforms to find each other, meet in the real world and do things together. It was an economy that helped create and recover true community. The world was falling apart but we were happy.
Yes, this! Finding community is the best way we can fight this!
Is it wrong to think that capitalism is the apocalypse? That we don't go to our jobs in spite of on-going disasters, but that our jobs are the disaster, and that we are constantly forced to co-create the disaster/apocalypse in small steps?
I agree with most of the article, but I think this is a key point. We don't have time to win a long-game against capitalism, as important as mutual aid and co-ops are; what we need is a sense of radical urgency and action befitting the moment, understanding that the time we think we have is largely illusory. It is time that will redound mainly to the benefit of those currently in power, given their means and advantages. I write about this very thing on my page which I recently debuted; I'd appreciate anyone giving it a look if the above resonates with you.
All those disaster movies and dystopian novels led us to believe we could at least stop mowing the yard and paying the gas bill. Nope!
thank you for putting some really earnest and practical words around this, this is needed
Great article JP! Thanks so much for writing it. I run my own business because I can't handle being a cog in a broken system. My town has flooded twice, plus one cyclone and a few bush fires.
The town was evacuated but I still had to pay the rent for my business and my home and all the bills!
Its definitely hard to be motivated to work when the world is collapsing! At least its not just me, we’re in this together 🤪
I work in healthcare and yeah. We see, every day, the results of one piece of our current dystopia - the failing healthcare system. That, of course, includes pieces of the rest of our failing system including gun violence, drug overdoses and car/scooter/bike/etc accidents.
Yes, it is truly.... discombobulating. We do what we can, though. Bear witness.
And find community. We have to come out of our isolation, or we will never be able to fight this.
You'll like this satire methinks:
"I couldn't die, I've got court tomorrow": https://tritorch.com/balancez/I%20Couldn%27t%20Die%2C%20I%27ve%20Got%20Court%20Tomorrow.mp4 [1:20mins]
Heija
I really appreciate this piece, it reminds me of a piece I tried to write last year I named "Apocalyptic Realism" that I want to write fully this summer. Basically the like vulgar version is that in order to stay sane and be able to do the work we have to do we should develop a culture and mannerisms that reflect and express the fact that trying to retain an attitude of normalcy is insane in these Apocalyptic conditions. There's a lot of complications, obviously.
This newsletter brings me hope in every issue. Thanks for the glimmers.
This one read like a sermon in the best way. Your capacity to uplift and empower is a gift. Thanks as always for fueling collective hope with strategy and vision.
"Living differently"
good thoughts, thank you for practical steps forward.
OK, it’s important to work with the community and build a power base, a base that can be used to challenge the entrenched capitalist structure. But do you think we could manage to preserve private property along the way? I’m not interested in a Communist state, or some sort of Soviet collectivism.
Full disclosure… I’m a landlord.
There is a difference between personal property and private property. We are far from reaching communism, and there are many steps before that - but even when/if that point is reached, no one is taking away your personal space and forcing you to live in some kind of group home.
Landlords shouldn't exist in the first place
🤡
no. too bad!
I agree with Stefan, I'd prefer to have a government-supported housing system, like they have in Singapore, rather than the rising levels of homelessness we are seeing worldwide as rental and housing purchase prices become unaffordable in so many countries. Ironically, this means that Singaporese often have spare money to buy real estate in other countries. But of course it doesn't have to be either/or, we can have both private property AND a government supported housing system.
I’d be OK with a mixed bag approach, part government supported housing, and part private property housing.
You shouldn’t be a landlord and other people shouldn’t have to suffer because you are a landlord and want to preserve a system of inequity so you can keep profiting personally through passive income routes.