System Constraints

Principle One: IF the constraints of a system impede the accomplishment of it's stated goals, THEN either the system must be modified, replaced or ignored OR it's goals restated to more accurately reflect it's actual purpose.

Example One: Public Education. The stated or implicit goal of public education in the U$ is to educate our youth and prepare them for life in this society, to make U$ competitive in a global economy. The constraints of segregating each class by age, of discouraging original thought, of encouraging conformity and compliance to rules, regulations and an authority figure arguably constitute training rather than education (how do you define education?). The drugging of an increasing number of students who dare to learn differently than the "sit quietly in class and regurgitate the Standards of Learning goals established by a state and federal board" does not encourage critical thinking (a goal of a true education?) The abrogation of basic rights (freedom of speech, freedom of expression, reasonable expectation of privacy; innocent until proven guilty) within the public schools encourages dependence on government and authorities, arguably not the optimum preparation for a rewarding existence in any society.

If these constraints impede the accomplishment of acquiring an education, one must conclude that the very system of public education as it exists today (2011) must be radically altered. Classes comprised only of students the same age, conducted in buildings very similar architecturally to prisons or industrial enterprises, in which creative thought is discouraged to the point of medicating those most imaginative individuals who dare express themselves differently do not and will not produce free-thinking people capable of evaluating for themselves the efficacy of any given choice or opportunity they may encounter. Failing a complete "overhaul" of this system, or any insistence that spending more and more funds (demanded coercively by the government, by the way) will eventually correct the system of public education in the U$, a restatement of its actual purpose is in order. To wit: the goal of public "education" is to produce compliant, obedient consumers who will not question the authority of government and corporate entities, and who will remain dependent on these entities for their perceived happiness, comfort and security. Either, or.

Radically reform education, or state its true purpose.

Haitian Relief

 

Earthquakes and other natural disasters are unavoidable, but the full extent of their devastating consequences are not. In Haiti, hundreds of thousands of lives were lost, but a large part of this death toll was the indirect consequence of the actions of you and me.

Encouraged to purchase cheap, disposable commodities manufactured throughout the world by populations virtually enslaved to multi-national corporations held accountable only to their stockholders and board of directors (though paradoxically these same entities are now afforded “free speech” in the US in the form of direct corporate sponsorship of our political system by Supreme Court decree, and cannot be held liable for death, destruction, negligence or the willful manipulation of the consciousness of entire populations), our dollars contribute directly to the depopulation of the countryside that has supported indigenous cultures for millenia so that workers are concentrated in urban areas for the convenience of large scale mass marketed producers of the cheap plastic crap we “need” from Malwart. 

Just hours after this natural disaster, economic development interests in the US had posted on their websites the prospects for the economic opportunities afforded to the organizations, governmental and otherwise, who could through relief efforts indebt, and effectively enslave indefinitely the people of Haiti. Bill Clinton and others have already staked claims on beach side resorts on the island, and no doubt look forward to the day in the not too distant future when they can sell you a berth on a cruise ship destination to a fine hotel in Haiti. George Bush has said right out, “People want to send blankets, or food and water. Just send money.” The Better Business Bureau has given the Clinton and Bush foundations which Haitian relief donations are funneled through poor marks for disclosure of distribution of funds, no accountability for or proper listing of board members, and salary figures for staff that I personally find appalling, especially when compared to typical wages of many hard working Americans, much less the pittance offered “third world” wage slaves.

If I had income to dispose of to support the survivors of the earthquake in Haiti, and many people understandably wish to do something for their brothers and sisters, fellow passengers of Spaceship Earth, I could not conceive of giving to any organization, NGO, even the American Red Cross, that I had the slightest suspicion of furthering an agenda that would turn these once proud people into sweatshop laborers or hotel and restaurant staff in service to their corporate overlords, the holders of the debt required to rebuild the country in the image of American cultural consumerist ideals.

Consider, strongly, contributing to Heifer International, whose efforts throughout the world assist people in feeding themselves and their local community. Check out the website. Casa de Mis Amigos are currently organizing an effort to take bamboo to Haiti to build hurricane and earthquake resistant structures, to establish bamboo plantations so that in 4 years, Haitians can grow their own for construction and other purposes, and/or support their other efforts world wide to build community resilience.

As always, look before you leap. Think critically before you sign a check or text money to any organization whose true motives may not be the same as yours..We all wish to help, but doing so blindly, failing to question the authority of government or charitable business, letting anyone think and act for you, rather than thinking for yourself, may not be helping at all.

(September 18, 2012)
Having re-read this post and checking the efficacy of the links, I am struck by the progress, or rather lack thereof, made to relieve human suffering in Haiti. If only they were on board like the Dominican Republic (fine purveyors of one of my favorite drugs, peddled to white people for centuries, and largely responsible for human slavery "back in the day" i.e. white sugar) perhaps the billions allegedly raised to help them (by building vacation resorts in which they are allowed to cook and clean) could have alleviated some suffering and helped rebuild something besides palaces. After the UN "accidentally" infested the water with cholera to stimulate a vaccination program, I almost gave up any hope of seeing any of the billions raised by the Red Cross and other ngo's go for something other than directors salaries and other important expenses. Oh, wait a minute, I have given up hope on this matter, as it is only resurrected by the presstitutes (thanks James Howard Kunstler) of the mainstream media on the anniversary of the disaster, and slowly fades from the concerns of most of us. In the words of Vonnegut "so it goes." 

Transition

Are you familiar with the concept of peak oil and the consequences it will have for our civilization?

Maybe you should be. In southwest Virginia, USA, Katuah bioregion (the central & southern Appalachian mountains) concerned individuals are uniting to help build resilient communities in response to peak oil, climate change, global financial collapse and environmental degradation. Transition Southwest Virginia and the Permaculture Center of Southwest Virginia are among a growing contingent of organizations created to facilitate this effort. Find a transition community near you and lend a hand. Please. Earth needs us.
Transition SWVA

Psychedelic Psychriblings

Wanna help create Designs for a Visionary Future? I do. All images, including any you may wish to share, can be protected by a creative commons license. That way, no one can make money from them (legally) without your explicit consent, though they are otherwise free to use (go ahead, get out the silk screen kit and make yourself a t-shirt) as long as proper attribution is given. How cool is that?

...as seen on facebook

"Everyone wants the pause that refreshes" very beautiful words from Terence [McKenna]. Accompanied by a very well put together video. His lectures of this nature often cause a conundrum in my head, I've always kept an open mind to the idea of Kurzweil's "Law of Accelerated Returns". With the hopes that humanity is such a striving force of evolution that the problems we face today will stand little to no significance with the technology of tomorrow.
Throwing a blind eye to the way we've treated our earth and each other really isn't possible at this point though, but no one ever said evolution wasn't a dirty, cut-throat process.......

reply from Northfork Hippy

Let me be the first to say it, if your statement (that no one ever said it) is true: Evolution is not a dirty, cut-throat process. Period.

Within the empires of Western Civilization* the simplification of systems necessary to maintain some semblance of a sustainable Earth, where fossil fuels are not the basis for basically every aspect of our survival (food, shelter, entertainment), with the deleterious side effects of burning through millions of years worth of accumulated sunlight in a century or two (acidified oceans, change in climate, dumbing down and behavioural control of entire populations through propaganda and the distribution of drugs both overtly in the form of alcohol, anti-depressants and narcotics, or covertly in the form of food additives and genetically modified organisms) given that; change or "evolution" is inevitable.

Every civilization that has out-stripped its resource base has fallen, as will ours. Whether the american empire can sustain itself through the continued use of facist, corporatacratic and wasteful energy utilization is not in question. The question seems to be how long such draconian practices will be tolerated by the people actually building the pyramids for these Pharaohs. At some point (the sooner the better for the sake of 1000's of surviving species on this Planet) this extravagant way of life will end. We don't have a jungle or desert or forest or horticultural regime (in the case of our "Middle Ages") to sink back into as earlier peasants of failed civilizations did.

**the great mystery of why these experiments in congregating people into large populations totally dependent on a surrounding, limited resource base always fail is a source of endless amusement to me. What happened to the Inca's, et al? Seriously? Some effin' mystery! :D**

Back to the original assertion that Evolution is neither cut-throat nor dirty: only those of U$ with the most to lose fear the inevitable crash of the financial markets, the shift in food production as the result of change in climate, and the Transition to a steady state energy economy. In Belize, as I am fond of saying, because our dear friend Joe Bageant lived there (google him if you're not familiar with his work), in Belize they will hardly notice the difference. "Undeveloped" or "3rd World" countries in general may experience no more than a temporary disconnection from satellite communications, if their mesh networks even desire or require them. In Belize the nets will be mended, the beer drank and enough fish for a few more days caught. As it has been forever, and forever could be.

Don't confuse evolution, with it's distortion of Darwins' ideas of survival of the fittest and all that taken out of context rubbish with the failing of another empire. Evolution continues apace, both physical and evolution of Consciousness, regardless of which band of talking monkeys think they are calling any or all of the shots.

It's not dirty, Friends. Nor is it cut-throat. It's Natural, and there aint a goddam thing you can do to stop its ultimate unravelling. Hey, Shift Happens. Kick back and enjoy!

*Civilization in this context is used rather loosely because civilization done rightly and mindfully and artfully can be a really good thing, not the failed attempts at sustaining unsustainable populations that are often given the name, and that always have and always will eventually fall. (and all of us peasants will, as always, survive.)