June 17, 2020

Fake Progress vs Real Progress

Progress?



Progress can only be thought of as positive if it describes something that helps all of humanity reach its vast potential, while living more harmoniously with each other and all living things. 

There is no use having what is generally understood as progress if it does not meet the above goals.

How can anything that makes conditions worse be considered progress? That would be negative progress, or what I am calling Fake Progress.

Therefore:


- Guns/Bombs/war/militarized police.

Fake progress.


- Ending the reign of terror organized and sanctioned by the state.


Real progress.




- Consumer economies.


Fake progress.


- Cooperative economies.

Real progress.



- Building monuments to the rich.

Fake progress.


 - Toppling statues of individuals that promote the worst of humanity.


Real progress.




- Voting for change.


Fake progress.



- Taking to the streets and demanding change.


Real progress.




- Industrial agriculture.


Fake progress.



- Permaculture.


Real progress.





- World's first trillionaire.


Fake progress

- Global annual income to cover all basic needs.

Real progress



- More stuff.

Fake progress

- More contentment.

Real progress




- Increasing GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth

Fake progress

- Increasing GNH (Gross National Happiness)


Real progress




- Succeeding in a sick system.

Fake progress

- Succeeding on your own terms according to your own values.

Real progress





5 comments:

  1. Anonymous6/17/2020

    The people who work as nurses, the people who work as food workers, you know, the working class, the baby boomers abused their entire lives. Good luck boomers! You'll soon be dependent on those same nurses and food workers who you treated like shit. Maybe you boomer's shouldn't have treated working class and poor people like trash. What goes around comes around.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Class transcends generations. And race. And gender.

      Workers of the world unite.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous6/18/2020

      Dear (what I assume) younger person --- I find it most baffling that you would choose a blog dedicated to simply living, equality, sustainability, and kindness to write these angry posts. There must be many (again, I assume, I don't look for them) blogs out there that claim the superiority of "boomers" or any other artificially named generation that you could attack. Why this one? Every generation from the past to the present has good and caring people, and every generation has nasty, arrogant people. It seems you have been exposed to far too many of the nasty ones, but forget the good and caring ones. What is that "old" saying? You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.... Being kind to EVERYONE, not matter the age or class, is what I was taught and what I practice. Maybe you could give that a try too. If anything, it may help you feel better, and that is where kindness starts. - Mary

      Delete
  2. I was born in 1949--it doesn't get any more baby boomer than that--and have worked and campaigned and marched for racial equality (oh, did I mention I am Indigenous?), world peace (or at least world conversation), and a return to sustainable living all my life. I remember being a child, driving with my father across Saskatchewan in late August and seeing him wipe tears from his eyes as he gazed across the wide expanses of wheat and barley fields that stretched from highway to horizon, shaking his head and saying, "One day they will know what they've done and by the time they realize it, it will be too late." I think we can still turn it around, but it will take work, much work. The hard work of standing by your principles and knowing that even if the change can only be measured with a micrometer it is still a step forward. Mela

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was born in the territory of the Blackfoot Confederacy, so I am familiar with the plowing under of the short grass prairie region. Not just the death of the biome, but also of the people and other living things that depended on it, like the bison. The "taming" of the west, and its inhabitants, is a very sad story.

      It is difficult having been born into a colonial society. I do not belong here, nor do I belong in the land of my ancestors, somewhere in northern Europe. It has been a strange feeling all my life, to be troubled about the behaviour of those that came before me, and paved the way for my privilege.

      And isn't the saying, "Slow progress is better than no progress"? Sometimes patience is required, although things can change quickly, like right now.

      We have to keep up the pressure, and even though difficult, some painful conversations must happen globally. Then they must be acted on. Like Truth and Reconciliation in Canada, which was a good start. I saw the pain, but where is the gain?

      Delete

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