Summary

The author expresses a dire outlook on the current state of the world, acknowledging the inevitability of conflict, environmental degradation, and systemic failures, while advocating for the creation of resilient communities and the acceptance of harsh realities.

Abstract

The article presents a bleak perspective on global affairs, suggesting that we are on the brink of a great war, have surpassed environmental tipping points, and are functioning within a non-existent democratic system. The author, drawing parallels to the pre-World War I era, indicates that diplomatic solutions may no longer be viable, especially in the context of NATO-Russia relations. The piece underscores the urgency of addressing climate change and resource depletion, acknowledging that the damage may be irreversible. Furthermore, it criticizes the capitalist system for prioritizing profit over people and the planet, and it challenges the notion of democracy, claiming it has always been skewed in favor of the elite. The author calls for the development of local, democratic structures and resilient communities as the only meaningful response to the current crises.

Opinions

The author believes that we are at a critical juncture, potentially facing a new great war, with the NATO-Russia relationship mirroring pre-World War I tensions.
There is a strong conviction that the environmental crisis is beyond the point of no return, with climate change and resource scarcity already impacting daily life.
The article suggests that the concept of democracy has been a facade, with real power lying in the hands of a wealthy elite, not the general populace.
The capitalist system is criticized for driving conflicts and exploiting both people and the environment for profit.
The author advocates for the creation of resilient communities and local democratic structures as a response to the perceived failures of the current system.
There is a call for radical acceptance of the current state of affairs, with an emphasis on building collective institutions to navigate through the impending dark times.
The piece implies that hope is not inherent but must be actively created by the collective efforts of communities.
The author recommends looking into examples of successful collective movements and local currencies as models for building a more equitable future.

It Is Time to Accept That We Have Reached The End

Jessica Wildfire and Umair Haque are right in their rants. It is going to get worse. On all fronts.

Today I am going to write what must be my most desperate post ever. But I believe that it is time for some sober acceptance of the state of the world.

I remember New Year 2019. I was cracking a joke to a friend, that we were now entering the roaring 20s again. Little did I know how much truth I had spoken.

This might indeed be the decade, where we will crash and burn. All the signs are there. We have seen it play out before.

The Threat Of A New, Great War

An area, with which I am familiar is conflict resolution and de-escalation.

It is an effect of being a teacher for disadvantaged children. In pedagogical circles, we have a term for it. Low-arousal pedagogy.

You need to imagine conflict as a staircase. The conflicting parties gradually ascend the stairs. As they go up the stairs, it becomes ever harder to descend. Because the stakes get higher.

What counts for individuals and smaller groups also counts for nations and institutions. In international politics, we have reached the top of the stairs. Especially when it comes to relations between NATO countries and Russia.

Nobody wants a war. But it may be inevitable. And we have seen it before. We were in exactly the same place before WW1 started. No more room for diplomacy.

On both sides of the conflict, there are emotionally immature hawks. They scream like little babies. Also, war means business. War is an opportunity for profit. And in our capitalist society, profit is our god.

War, in some form or another, is now inevitable. Let us hope that it does not get nuclear. But with 15.000 nuclear warheads in the world, most of which are in possession of Russia and the U.S, chances are slim.

We Crossed The Tipping Point For Our Planet

The current supply chain shortages are not just due to Covid. They are supply shortages. The time of mindless consumption is over. Who knows where your morning coffee will come from in the future.

We oversold our planet’s natural resources. Climate Change is real and it has already happened. The disasters will get worse. We are in the midst of mass extinction. And yes, our shelves will stay empty in the meantime.

The billionaire elites recognized it. You and I both know, why they want to go to space. Because it is not enough for them to burn our planet. They want to watch the spectacle from above.

It is time to accept that reversing the trend is no longer an option. It is time to start preparing for the worst. The only thing that matters now is building resilient communities.

That we as individuals could solve the crisis was a lie all along anyway. Only collective solutions can take us out of this mess.

There Is Not And Never Was A Functional Democracy

We should stop lamenting about the death of democracy. Democracy never existed. It was always a rigged game, in favor of billionaire elites.

This system is built on exploitation. The exploitation of people and the planet for profit.

Here Is My Problem With Identity Politics

We will never achieve gender quality or racial equality if we ignore wealth inequality.

medium.com

Richard Wolff used to express it like this. You can only have a democracy if you can exercise democratic influence every minute of your life.

Most of us do not have this privilege. How much democratic influence do you have in your workplace? Are you the one deciding what should happen with the profits that you generate?

Did you have a say, when your industry job got outsourced to China?

No, it was a tiny, capitalist elite that called the shots for us. And their wealth buys the political power to keep that way. That was also the case 50 years ago. And the 50 years before that. Democracy is not dead. It was never alive.

It is time we stopped lying to ourselves. There is only us and our communities that matter now. We need to start building the democratic structures that we actually want. There are plenty of good examples out there.

Local currencies

Self-reliant villages and townships

Collective movements

Do you want inspiration? Look at this great movie.

Let us follow these examples. But we should not fool ourselves. Another wave of fascism is in full swing. Exactly like a hundred years ago. We need to prepare ourselves for some dark times.

Is There Hope at All?

I understand, if you think that it is hopeless. It is too much to bear. But hope does not exist. We create it. But first, we need to practice some radical acceptance.

Usually, the night is darkest before dawn. Let us start building the collective institutions we need to rise from the ashes when the time comes.

Along these lines, I would like to give a shoutout to Mike Meyer. He writes some very good and sober pieces like this one below.

Are We Tired of Our Insanity?

Things are not getting better but perhaps clearer

mike-meyer.medium.com

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Also, if you are interested in education, check out my other blog at abenesch.info