What Is Your Level Of Concern?

With all the recent reports on the state of the planet, I often wonder how concerned people are about all the unintended consequences to our brutal capitalist system, and our part in it as supporters through our consumeristic activities.

In my experience, the level of public concern ranges from totally concerned and feeling a sense of impending doom, to totally lacking concern due to a total lack of awareness of the enormity of our challenges.

There is one group I know of that is so concerned that the word is included in their name. That would be the Union of Concerned Scientists. 

Since 1969 they have been fulfilling their motto: "Science for a healthy planet, and a safer world." Their 200,000 strong membership consists of both private citizens and professional scientists, and they are one of the best hopes we have for turning this thing around.

What is this group of intelligent and aware people concerned about? Here is a partial list:

1. nuclear weapons/nuclear war
2. climate change
3. government interference in the scientific process
4. clean energy
5. toxic waste
6. nuclear energy
7. GMO foods
8. antibiotics in animal feed causing resistance in humans
9. consumerism

Yup, that is a partial list. There are so many things to be concerned about these days that it makes me wonder one thing.

When will the "Union of Concerned Scientists" be changing their name to the "Union of Very Concerned Scientists", or "Gravely Concerned", or "Seriously Concerned", or "Super-Duper Concerned"?

What, exactly, is their true level of concern in 2019, after a full 50 years of being simply concerned? Perhaps it is time for a name change to reflect the new reality in which things are changing faster and faster, and may require a new concern level.

If at their conception in 1969 they considered themselves to be "concerned", then surely by now they must be "Shitting Their Pants" concerned.

I know I am currently at "Majorly Concerned", and that is subject to an upgrade at any given moment, perhaps to "Wickedly Concerned", or "Unbelievably Concerned".

How concerned do you think the scientists should be?

What Gods Do We Worship?

The gods humans across the ages have chosen to worship, have always changed. They are changing again and there is nothing enlightening about any of this new crop of devilish deities.

While the old gods don't get a lot of attention these days, even during religious observances like Christmas, the new gods are constantly celebrated and in your face. Like all good gods, they are omni-present.

Christian monk Thomas Merton warned us about the gods we choose to honour.

Every person becomes the image of the God they adore.
Those whose worship is directed to a dead thing become dead.
Those who love corruption rot.
Those who love a shadow become, themselves, a shadow.
Those who love things that must perish live in dread of their perishing.

The new gods that are adored and that we are using to formulate our image, as I see it, are:


The God of Progress

Cultural anthropologists like John Bodley will tell you all about the dangers of worshipping at the altar of Progress.

"Despite the best intentions of those who have promoted progress, all too often the results have been poverty, longer working hours, and much greater physical exertion, poor health, social disorder, discontent, discrimination, overpopulation, and environmental deterioration—combined with the destruction of the traditional culture."

While Bodley has shown that the benefits of progress are often both illusory and detrimental to tribal peoples when civilization bulldozes their tranquil lives and high standard of living, everything he says applies to the rest of us.

We are all descendants of tribal people, and all the slavering of our attention on the God of Progress has only given us longer, lower quality lives. We are all victims of the worshipping of the God of Progress.



The God of Materialism

It is well established that once we have sufficient food, shelter, and clothing, further material gains do little to improve our well-being. How is it then, that the God of Materialism is even bigger than Jesus or Buddha these days?

In "The High Price of Materialism", author Tim Kasser goes beyond the well known unhappy facts, and looks at how people's materialistic desires effect their well-being.

"Indeed, what stands out across the studies is a simple fact:  people who strongly value the pursuit of wealth and possessions report lower psychological well-being than those who are less concerned with such aims."

Now, what kind of god would knowingly do that to their devotees?

The God of War

Seemingly one of our favourites, the God of War is being worshipped now like never before. Can there be celebrations of other religious events while this brutal lord is being honoured in government temples everywhere?

Journalist John Pilger has been covering wars around the world since visiting Vietnam in 1970. He has pointed out that since 9/11, the US alone has spent $5 trillion dollars on aggressive wars, and shows that the current flight of 12 million refugees from at least four countries is only one consequence.

Imagine what the world could do with $5 trillion dollars if put toward helping rather than murdering.

"The major western democracies are moving towards corporatism. Democracy has become a business plan, with a bottom line for every human activity, every dream, every decency, every hope. 

The main parliamentary parties are now devoted to the same economic policies — socialism for the rich, capitalism for the poor — and the same foreign policy of servility to endless war. This is not democracy. It is to politics what McDonalds is to food."

This time of year is ripe for contemplation and compassion. It is a good time to take a moment to meditate and consider what gods we are really worshipping and celebrating, and why.

These Boots Lasted, But They're Done

Good bye old friends.

In 2010 I did a post about making my old boots last. At that time they had logged 22 years of faithful service. Then I used them for five more years. Now I am going to start making a new pair last. They probably will be my last.

I try to make my possessions last as long as possible.  It is part of my anti-planned obsolescence, anti-upgrade, anti-progress-for-the-sake-of-progress crusade. Or put another way, my pro-make it last plan.

A case in point would be my leather hiking boots. In the 27 years I used them they passed over thousands of kilometres of this beautiful Earth, ranging from mountain tops to endless sandy beaches.

My new boots were a steal of a deal in 2004. But I wasn't done with my old ones yet - they were only 16 years old at the time. Just getting started.

Hello new friends.

However, I knew that I would eventually need new boots, and have been carrying the new ones, waiting for the time me and my old boots could agree on a retirement date. Now, with separating flattened soles and wrecked rands, we agreed the time has come.

Enter the newly treated brand new-ish pair.

If these boots last as long as the old ones, I will be an 80 year old dude snowshoeing through the woods, my "new" boots as weathered as I am. There is a goal to work toward. It starts tomorrow - the snow is great.

Pillowy, powder prevails in the back yard woods.

Change Your Ways or Die

One of my favourite new musical acts is The Cactus Blossoms. Here they sing an old-timey country tune with a new-timey message. I hope you enjoy listening to "Change Your Ways or Die (The Buffalo Song)" as much as I do.


"When the river rises over her banks,
better make your home in a higher place.

Or if you stay down by the sand,
you will be washed away to another land.

And when the mountains
swim in the sea,
look around 
you won't find me.

In the end what's done is done.
If you hear it come,
you won't have to run.

You've got to change your ways or die.
If you listen now, 
I'll tell you why.


The buffalo was here to stay. 
Until a fool with a gun, 
came and took him away. 

If you go too far you can't come back.
When the river changes, 
so does the map.

You've got to change your ways or die.
If you listen now, 
I'll tell you why..."

If Life Is Getting Better, Why Do People Feel Worse?

Quotes from:  The Progress Paradox: How Life Gets Better While People Feel Worse by Gregg Easterbrook.

The Problems

“A person needs food, clothing, shelter, medical care, education, and transportation; once attained, these needs are fulfilled. Wants, by contrast, can never be satisfied. The more you want, the more likely you are to feel disgruntled; the more you acquire, the more likely you are to feel controlled by your own possessions.”

“Americans and Western Europeans live in mainly favorable conditions, yet are experiencing a sense of letdown, as many no longer can dream that the years to come will bring them significantly more than they already possess.”

“For at least a century, Western life has been dominated by a revolution of rising expectations: Each generation expected more than its antecedent. Now most Americans and Europeans already have what they need, in addition to considerable piles of stuff they don’t need.”

“Typically, regardless of how much money an American today earns, he or she estimates that twice as much is required to “live well.””

“As incomes rise, people stop thinking, “Does my house meet my needs?” and instead, “Is my house nicer than the neighbour’s?”

The Solutions

“Positive psychology finds that people who take a grateful attitude toward life, counting their blessings rather than inventorying their complaints, tend to be healthier, happier, and more successful than others.”

“New psychological research suggests it is in your self interest to be forgiving, grateful, and optimistic – that these presumptively altruistic qualities are actually essential to personal well-being.”

“Perhaps, at some structural level, for every old problem solved, a new problem will always be created, meaning we should not expect a better life to improve happiness.” 

Medieval vs. Corporate Feudalism

The New Feudalism has many people feeling like peasants.

"By the end of the 15th century, a skilled workman could provision his family with 10 weeks of work and a laborer with 15. 

By the end of the 16th century (after the seizure of the monasteries and guild lands, which signalled the collapse of the system) wages collapsed and the corresponding numbers were 36 and 42 weeks."

- John Médaille

Feeling like a peasant lately? It is no wonder - the parallels between what is happening now and medieval feudalism are striking. Except today's top down structure leaves out the most important aspect - mutual obligations which provided protections during dangerous times.

Now we are expected to fulfill our obligations to those at the top of the feudal pyramid, while they have  absolutely no obligations to us what-so-ever.

Medieval feudalism was much more than an economic system. More importantly, it was a set of social relations with responsibilities on all sides. Even the most arrogant baron felt some obligation to both the king and to his tenants.

Medieval vs. Corporate Feudalism 

Those at the bottom, the peasants, knew what they needed to do in the chain of things, and in turn expected certain services from those at the top. A living wage, food, land, shelter, and protection from marauders was something even the lowest of the low could expect.

It is only when these obligations began to erode that you got the exploitive brand of corporate feudalism we know today.

Is this progress?

The Progress Paradox

The Progress Paradox: If life is getting better, why do we feel worse?

THE PARADOX OF OUR TIMES 

The paradox of our times

Is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers

Wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints

We spend more, but we have less.

We have bigger houses, but smaller families

More conveniences, but less time.

We have more degrees, but less sense

More knowledge, but less judgement

More experts, but more problems

 More medicines, but less wellness.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.

We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often

We have learnt how to make a living, but not a life.

We have added years to life, but not life to years.

We've been all the way to the moon and back 

but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbour.

We have conquered outer space, but not inner space.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted our soul.

We've split the atom, but not our prejudice.

We've higher incomes, but lower morals.

We've become long on quantity but short on quality.

These are the times of tall men, and short character; 
Steep profits, and shallow relationships. 
These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare, 
More leisure, but less fun; 
more kinds of food, but less nutrition.

These are the days of two incomes, but more divorces; 
Of fancier houses, but broken homes. 
It is a time when there is much in the show window, 
and nothing in the stockroom.

A time when technology can bring this letter to you, 
And a time when you can choose, 
Either to make a difference .... 

or just hit, delete.

- His Holiness the Dalai Lama