tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28488412136701101292024-03-13T11:54:00.254-04:00The Easiest Person to FoolA reality based approach to life in the age of scarcity.Irv Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08030800457536589003noreply@blogger.comBlogger161125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2848841213670110129.post-3579923216950568842024-01-16T18:03:00.011-05:002024-01-16T21:14:13.890-05:00The Porcupine Saga, Part 7, When We Met Jack<p><b>Will Harper, late afternoon, Saturday July 21, 2040</b></p>
<p>"Well," said Will Harper, "I guess he must have talked you into it, 'cause there's the sign."</p>
<p>"Oh, we gave him a hard time, just to remind him that he was no longer the boss," said Allan. "Some thought it was a silly name, but they had nothing better to offer. So it didn't take long to reach a consensus. We became the Porcupine Refuge Co-operative, and a couple of days later the sign went up.</p>
<p>"That evening, before shutting down, we agreed to adopt Dad's suggestions about direct democracy and communism, and to get some training for everyone in consensus decision making, ASAP. We came up with a list of decisions that needed to be made soon, to be investigated by a number of new crews over the next few days, and agreed to meet every Tuesday night after supper, unless events called for a meeting sooner than that. Dad and I agreed to visit our neighbour the next day, with an eye to buying his land and equipment. That's the next story I should tell. Right now, probably, since the tour I've promised you would include some spoilers. It's not as long as the last one, so I think we've still got time."</p>
<p>"OK," said Will, "we don't want to be late for supper, but go for it!"</p>
<p><b>Allan Harper, morning, Wednesday, April 10, 2030</b></p>
<p>Allan Harper got out of bed, stretched and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Erica had risen earlier, leaving him to sleep. For most of his working life Allan had been a shift worker, and pretty seriously sleep deprived. He'd promised himself that here at Porcupine he'd make a point of getting enough sleep whenever he could, even if it meant being the last one out of bed. He dressed and left their upstairs bedroom, made his way down the stairs and down the hall into the kitchen.</p>
<p>The breakfast rush was over and the big pot on the back of the woodstove contained only the dregs of that morning's oat porridge with dried fruit. It looked like enough for his purposes though, so Allan started spooning porridge into a bowl and soon found there was indeed enough left to make him a very adequate breakfast. He grabbed a jug of milk from the fridge and a cup of coffee from the pot on the stove and, managing to hold onto all three, headed for the dining room. He found his dad, also not an early riser, alone at one of the big tables, reading. Tom was sitting part way down one side of the table and Allan sat down opposite him.</p>
<p>"Morning," said Tom. "You're eating porridge?"</p>
<p>"Good morning to you, too," said Allan. "You remember I didn't like it when I was a kid?"</p>
<p>"Yes, actually," replied Tom.</p>
<p>"Well, here at Porcupine, I'm making a point of trying new things and some old things that I didn't like before," said Allan. "This porridge, for instance. And it is much better than what we had thirty years ago. Which is odd, since Mom made this porridge too. Different texture, different taste."</p>
<p>"Well, that's made with steel cut oats, instead of rolled oats, and it's got an assortment of dried fruit in it. It's also cooked in a pot on the stove rather than microwaved. Which is your mother's idea—I'm the microwave guy," said Tom. "But I suspect your tastes have changed, as well. I know mine have over the years. Anyway, it's a good thing you like it, since oats are easy to grow around here."</p>
<p>"Glad to hear it," said Allan, and spooned up more porridge.</p>
<p>"You ready for a walk?" asked Tom.</p>
<p>"Soon as I finish eating and brush my teeth," said Allan. "We're heading over to see the neighbour?"</p>
<p>"That's what was decided last night," said Tom. "I seem to remember you volunteering...."</p>
<p>"Yeah, but I'm not sure what I'm supposed to contribute to the effort," said Allan, "diplomacy has never been my strong suit."</p>
<p>"In my opinion you're too modest," said Tom. "But maybe you're supposed to watch out for me—I'm getting old."</p>
<p>"Nah, you're hanging in there pretty well... for a guy your age," said Allan with a wink. "So what exactly is the plan, anyway?"</p>
<p>"<i>Plan</i> may be too strong a word. We're going to walk over there," said Tom, "And check out the supposedly closed bridge on the way. When we get there, we'll introduce ourselves, feel him out and play it by ear. The fact that he's still there indicates to me that he doesn't want to leave, but you never know."</p>
<p>"OK," said Allan, "What's everybody else doing while we go for a walk?"</p>
<p>"Again, pretty much what was decided last night," said Tom. "At breakfast earlier this morning people split off into a number of crews. It's a bit of a job to keep track of them all, but I think I've got it straight...</p>
<p>"Oh yeah?" said Allan.</p>
<p>"Yeah," said Tom. "Our legal crew, Mark and Angie, are in the living room with the door closed, looking into getting us registered as a non-profit co-op, and checking how what we want to do here will fit into the local zoning regulations, and what more we need to do to make it fit."</p>
<p>"Our education crew, made up of Nora, Jane and all the school age kids, is in the addition. Again with the door closed, setting up for some home schooling.</p>
<p>"The metal working crew—Jim, Don, Wilf and Miles—are moving their stuff into the machine shed and setting it up ready to use.</p>
<p>"Andrea and Terry have headed into Inverpen to pick up materials for the sign we're going to put over the gate.</p>
<p>"Erika, Cindy and your mom are the housing crew today. They're out measuring the barns and outbuildings, and have already measured in here. All this with an eye to finding accommodations for everyone, including those who'll be joining us as time goes on, and to setting up a central kitchen and dining/meeting hall."</p>
<p>"So, it's really that simple?" said Allan around another mouthful of porridge. "Everybody just gets together and organizes themselves?"</p>
<p>"It seems that it is," replied Tom. "Especially without a bunch of management people with stupid ideas. A good thing, too—if it wasn't that simple, it might be practically impossible. Then someone like me—probably me, in fact—would be stuck trying to do it, and failing. As it is, I don't have to organize one bit of it."</p>
<p>"You sound pretty happy about that," said Allan. "Somebody's going to do it, though, right?"</p>
<p>"I suspect we all have a part to play," said Tom. "It's certainly not done yet. Right away we need a building crew, and we're missing a carpenter, a plumber, an HVAC guy and an electrician who specializes in residential wiring, instead of industrial and power maintenance guys like you and I. Pretty soon we'll need a garden crew, a farm crew, and a forestry and firewood wood crew, at least.</p>
<p>"But again, I don't have to organize finding those people or putting them to work. Anyway, I'm going to get ready for that walk. Meet you on the front porch shortly."</p>
<p>"OK." said Allan. He tucked into his porridge, finishing it in short order and heading up stairs to brush his teeth and put on a pair of hiking boots, his light jacket and a Blue Jays ball cap. He stuck a pair of leather work gloves in one of the jacket's pockets and headed downstairs. Moments later he found his father sitting on the front steps of the old farmhouse, in his khaki safari jacket, with an olive coloured Tilley hat on his head. "You're looking pretty spiffy. Ready to go?"</p>
<p>"Yep," said Tom, "let's head out."</p>
<p>As they crossed the parking lot towards the front gate, Allan noticed several people moving equipment from a trailer into the machine shed just to the east of the barn. Wilf the welder, Don McPherson, Jim MacKenzie and Allan's step-son Miles were all there and seemed to be working together quite effectively. And having fun while they were at it, to judge from the occasional outburst of laughter. The metal crew, hard at it. Allan found it encouraging to watch.</p>
<p>They went out through the front gate and headed east along the shoulder of the Seventh Concession. Allan couldn't help thinking how much the climate had actually changed over the last few years. When he was a kid in Inverpen, even with the moderating influence of Lake Huron, it had been common to have temperatures below freezing for weeks at a time in winter. And lots of snowfall during those times. Some years the lake even froze over. A few miles inland, like here at Porcupine, it was usually at least a few degrees colder. But this past winter there had only been a few days below freezing and what snow fell melted quickly. The grass in the pasture fields was already turning green and the buds on the row of maple trees along the fence line were opening up.</p>
<p>Looking back at the group of buildings at Porcupine, Allan's thoughts turned back to the work that faced them at the co-operative. "You know, if it's just putting a few partitions inside existing buildings, I'll bet the tradesmen we already have could manage it," said Allan. "That sort of carpentry isn't hard. And you did some drywall work when you built our house back in Inverpen, didn't you?"</p>
<p>"It was a bit of a comedy of errors, but I ended up doing all the drywall finishing in that house," Tom replied. "I hired some guys to put the board up, but they did a terrible job, and the prices I was getting to do the finishing were way too steep. So I decided to do it myself. Started in the closets and by the time I was done I was doing a pretty decent job. It's not really hard. I could show you the basics in a day—the main thing is to work in thin coats. And to do a good job of installing the drywall itself so you don't have too much of a mess to hide with the mud. You're right about the carpentry too. I'm sure we could put in some partitions, even do a bit of wiring and plumbing with the guys we've got. But we need to see what exactly the group wants to do first."</p>
<p>"Sounds like we've got another meeting coming after supper tonight to sort that out," said Allan.</p>
<p>"Maybe so. I know what I'd like to do, but I expect I could be talked into whatever the group prefers" said Tom. "Anyway, this is our turn up ahead here."</p>
<p>They turned left and headed north along the side road. Almost immediately, they came to the "Bridge Closed" sign.</p>
<p>"Where's this bridge?" asked Allan, since it wasn't visible from where they stood.</p>
<p>"I've never been further than this," said Tom, "but I suspect it's a ways ahead yet and then down in the ravine."</p>
<p>"OK, lead on," said Allan</p>
<p>The road went downhill a little and then leveled out for half a mile or so. Then it turned a little to the right to head straight down a steeper slope, at the bottom of which was the creek, with a typical township road concrete bridge across it. Allan couldn't see anything wrong with the bridge, but there was another sign: "Closed to vehicular travel".</p>
<p>His dad went down to the edge of the water on the west side of the bridge and had a closer look. "Yeah, there are some cracks down here, alright," he said. "I don't think she'd stand anything very heavy, but we should be OK. One at a time, if you're worried."</p>
<p>"Sure, why don't you go ahead," said Allan. "I'll stand by to either fish you out of the creek or follow across."</p>
<p>"Nothing to that," said Tom as he reached the other side of the bridge and set out up the higher hill to the north.</p>
<p>Allan would have sworn he could feel the bridge shifting as he crossed, but he made it and caught up to Tom by the time they reached the top of the hill. The land to the north of the creek was at a higher level and it was easier to see how the concession was laid out. The creek meandered southwest, crossing the Seventh Concession just before the next side road to the west, with a good growth of bush along both sides of it for most of the way.</p>
<p>"Now, where I grew up, the farms were square, with two rows of five making up a rectangular concession, about eight tenths of a mile wide by not quite two miles long, adding up to a thousand acres. Here the farms are rectangular, a quarter mile wide along the concession roads, by five eights of a mile deep, with two rows of five making up a square, a mile and quarter on a side. A total of a thousand acres again, but a different shape."</p>
<p>"Interesting," said Allan, "I didn't know that was how it worked. So that's why the locals use 'a mile and a quarter' as a unit of distance all the time."</p>
<p>"Yep," said Tom. "Now that's where we are headed." He pointed to a set of buildings about half way along the Ninth Concession toward the next side road to the west.</p>
<p>"Should we cut across the fields?" asked Allan.</p>
<p>"Well, maybe not," answered Tom. "The ground is still wet and the grass and weeds from last year look pretty tangled."</p>
<p>"OK, by the road then," said Allan.</p>
<p>Even going the long way, it was less than half an hour later when they reached the laneway they were aiming for.</p>
<p>"Looks like his truck is here, so he's likely home," said Allan as they turned in and started toward the house.</p>
<p>"Hope so. I'm just wondering which door we should go to," said Tom. "Probably the side one, nearest to where he parks the truck."</p>
<p>Allan followed his dad up the steps onto the porch. Tom pushed the door bell button and they could hear it ringing inside, but it brought no immediate response. After a minute or two, Tom tried again.</p>
<p>A gruff voice responded almost immediately from inside, "Keep your drawers on, I'm coming."</p>
<p>The door opened, revealing a skinny fellow about Tom's age, dressed in a grubby T-shirt, bibbed overalls and bare feet in ratty house slippers. He hadn't shaved in a couple of days, and it looked like he hadn't combed his hair in just about as long. He had an old double barreled shotgun in his hands, fortunately pointed downwards and well away from them. Allan noted with some relief that while the hammers were cocked, the old guy's finger was well clear of the triggers.</p>
<p>"Who're you and what do you want?" he asked gruffly.</p>
<p>"We're your new neighbours to the south and we just wanted to introduce ourselves," said Tom. "I don't think you'll need that gun to keep us in line."</p>
<p>"Don't worry about the gun," he replied, releasing the hammers, breaking it open, removing both shells and putting them in one of the pockets of his overalls. "It's not intended for you. I'm Jack Collins. Been living here for the last 75 years. Who'd you say you were?"</p>
<p>"I'm Tom Harper and this is my son Allan," said Tom. "We moved into the old McConnell place back in the winter, along with some other folks."</p>
<p>"I see," said Jack, offering his hand, which both Tom and Allan shook in turn." If you'd like to come in, I can put some coffee on."</p>
<p>"That'd be great, Jack," said Tom, and they followed him inside.</p>
<p>Allan was wondering what or who the gun <i>had</i> been intended for, and what exactly they'd interrupted. Jack paused for a moment in the hall to lock the shot gun in his gun safe, and then showed them into the kitchen. "Have a seat at the table there while I put the kettle on."</p>
<p>The place was a bit of a mess and smelled like little effort had be spent on cleaning recently. Allan and Tom sat down and watched while Jack puttered away making coffee in a cone and filter setup. "Yeah, this is pretty old fashioned—got it back in '81, a couple of years after we got married. The darned thing lasted longer than my wife. Still works though, and no need for anything fancier. Actually, I used to say the same thing about Mary," he said, "But now that she's gone, it's not so funny."</p>
<p>The kettle came to a boil and Jack poured some water over the coffee in the filter. "I hope you can excuse me for being kinda rude when you came to the door, I'm not having a great day. Now you said your name's Tom Harper. I've been reading a blog for nearly twenty years now, written by a guy of that name. You don't mean to tell me that you're him?"</p>
<p>"Yep, I am him," said Tom.</p>
<p>"And you just show up at my door, out of nowhere, after all this time, " said Jack.</p>
<p>"Kinda like, yeah," said Tom. "I'm as surprised as you—I don't meet many people around here that follow my blog, and I don't believe you've ever commented."</p>
<p>"Nah," said Jack, "I don't usually comment on social media—guess I'm pretty shy. I can see how my interest in your blog might surprise you, most folks around here voting Conservative and all. But I spent 26 years in the union down at the plant and it changed my attitude, I can tell you. I'd guess that I am as much of a leftist as you, and something of a kollapsnik, too. It's nice to meet you—there's not many neighbours left and none with sensible politics."</p>
<p>Jack shook his head, then poured some more water in the filter cone, set the kettle down and gave the liquid in the cone a stir. "Should be ready in a few minutes."</p>
<p>Allan was interested to see his dad somewhat at a loss for words. It had been happening a lot lately. To be fair, this was unexpected—not the way they'd been thinking things would go at all. He perched on the edge of his seat, eager to see what might happen next.</p>
<p>Before Tom could say anything, Jack cleared his throat and spoke, "So what are you folks doing at the McConnell place—setting up some kind of damn commune?"</p>
<p>Allan thought it was a good thing Tom didn't have his coffee yet—he might have choked on it or spilled most of it on the floor.</p>
<p>"Well, uh, actually yes," said Tom after a moment. "Some kind of commune is exactly what we're trying to set up."</p>
<p>"Don't be embarrassed," said Jack. "The way things are going, that's probably a good idea. Provided you can find the right people to join you. I don't have the connections anymore. Is it just you two so far?"</p>
<p>"No, no—there are twenty of us as of yesterday," said Tom.</p>
<p>"Coming along then. You got a name for it?" asked Jack.</p>
<p>"Yep, we just decided that last night," answered Tom. "We're calling it The Porcupine Refuge Co-operative. The reason for the Porcupine part is a bit of a long story. The Refuge Co-operative part is more straight forward, what with all the people—basically refugees—coming back to this area 'cause things are going so badly in the big cities."</p>
<p>"Uh huh," said Jack, turning to grab a trio of mugs from the cupboard. "Looks like the coffee's done."</p>
<p>He poured the fresh brew into the mugs and set them on the table. "What do you take in it?"</p>
<p>"Just something white," said Tom, "whatever you got."</p>
<p>"Same here," said Allan.</p>
<p>"Well, there's milk in the fridge," said Jack. "Let's see what shape it's in." He pulled a carton of whole milk out of the fridge and gave it a sniff. "Seems OK, even if it is past the 'best by' date. Help yourselves."</p>
<p>As Tom and Allan took care of that, Jack said, "well, if we're going to be neighbours, we should get to know each other a bit. What about your family, Tom?"</p>
<p>"Well, my wife is with us at Porcupine, and we have three kids, including this fellow here," said Tom, nodding at Allan. "And counting Allan's step kids, we have 6 grand children. Allan, his wife and her two kids, grown up now, are at Porcupine too."</p>
<p>Jack nodded. "My wife passed a few years ago. We had two kids, both of whom moved to Alberta for work and aren't talking to me anymore. They're hard right wingers now and part of the 'let the eastern bastard freeze in the dark' crowd. So I'm pretty much alone here. Sold the last of the stock last fall and buried my dog a month ago. Lucky the ground wasn't frozen."</p>
<p>"That's too bad, Jack. A fella can get mighty attached to his dog, not speak of his family" said Tom. "You worked at Bruce Power for a while?"</p>
<p>"Well, yeah. Grew up here, went to high school in Inverpen, apprenticed as a carpenter with a local contractor. Worked for him for a few years, then got a job as a scaffolder at the plant. Those guys have scaffold built for anything you can't reach off a 3 foot step ladder. So it's steady work and the pay and benefits are great. The organization is kinda crazy though, so I retired as soon as I had the rule of 82 and farmed here every since. What about you?"</p>
<p>"I grew up on a farm about a hundred miles east of here," said Tom. "After high school I got a job as an apprentice electrician with Ontario Hydro, doing maintenance work in their switchyards. Ended up in the switchyards here at the plant and eventually got promoted to Crew Foreman. Like you, I retired as soon as I could, by which time the company was called Hydro One and was a separate outfit from OPG and Bruce Power. Still a crazy outfit, though maybe not quite as bad as Bruce Power."</p>
<p>Allan couldn't help chuckling silently at these two old guys grousing about how bad the companies they had worked for had been. During his working life he'd seen some privately owned outfits that were damn poorly organized. And even though he had worked mainly in union shops, the contracts he'd worked under had, at best, included only "defined contribution" pensions, not the gold plated "defined benefits" pensions that Ontario Hydro and its successor companies had. The "rule of 82" had allowed Tom and Jack to retire as soon as their age and accumulated years of service added up to 82, with only a slight discount for each year of service under 35. Allan knew his dad had been 51 when he retired, and gladly accepted that discount in order to get out. Allan had been laid off twice and had cashed out his pension both times to spend the small amount that had accumulated on rent and food.</p>
<p>"The last few years I just been farming for fun," said Jack. "Started collecting old farm machinery too. Which may come in handy if you're right about collapse. What have you been doing since you retired from Hydro One?"</p>
<p>"I had a little print shop the last few years before I retired and expanded it after retiring," replied Tom. "Sold it eventually and got into gardening. Like farming, but smaller, you know. I ran the Community Garden in Inverpen for a few years. Quit that when I turned 70.</p>
<p>"We sold our house in Inverpen to my younger brother and rented a place in Port Elgin. I read a lot, science fiction and non-fiction, write for my blog, do some woodworking and a bit of gardening still. And of course, spend time with the grandkids. Lots of fun there, although with gasoline not available sometimes and expensive when it is, we don't get together as much as I'd like."</p>
<p>At this point Allan twigged to what was guiding this conversation. Tom and Jack were both doing the "FORD" thing for making small talk with a new acquaintance—family, occupation, recreation, dreams. And it seemed to be working pretty well, so far. But he doubted that a couple of old working men like Tom and Jack would be keen on discussing something as airy-fairy as "dreams".</p>
<p>"Anything left you're hoping to do?" asked Jack.</p>
<p>"Well, I'm not much of a bucket list guy, but surviving collapse was my plan. Then this depression hit. Not that much of a surprise, really. But before long Allan here and a lot of other people I know were out of work and in a bad spot, things collapsing around them and nowhere to turn. So I started this 'refuge co-operative', actually putting into practice what I'd been talking about for years on my blog. We're just getting started, and it looks like it'll keep me busy for the rest of my life."</p>
<p>So, Allan observed, it's OK as long as they don't actually say the word "dreams".</p>
<p>"That sounds great, Tom," said Jack. "Myself, I'm kinda just sitting around wondering what I should do with the rest of my life. Not that many years left, I'd guess, but a fella would like to think he's doing something worthwhile with the time he'd got left."</p>
<p>"Well, maybe you could help your neighbours a bit," said Tom. "we're fairly clueless about farming and we'd like to get some stock and plant some crops this spring. Hoping to feed ourselves next winter, you know."</p>
<p>"Feeding yourselves would be good," said Jack. "I'd have to look your operation over, but I would guess I could give you some advice and maybe lend you some machinery. It would give me something to keep going for, if nothing else."</p>
<p>"Well, there's no time like the present," said Tom. "There's always a place at our table for one more—why don't you come back to Porcupine with us when we're finished with this coffee. I could show you around the place and introduce you to the rest of us."</p>
<p>"It's not like I had big plans for supper," said Jack. "There's a back way that cuts across the concession to your place. Saves a bit of time. Let me show you the way and you can fill me in on Porcupine while we walk. Just a minute though, I should change into something more presentable before we go."</p>
<p>Allan watched Jack disappear upstairs and Tom call home on his cell phone to warn them there be one more for supper. Then he just had to ask, "Hey Dad, what do you think we walked in on here?"</p>
<p>"I'm not sure, but maybe it's a good thing we arrived when we did," replied Tom.</p>
<p>In a few minutes Jack came downstairs dressed in brown cargo pants, a checked shirt, and work boots (with socks). He was freshly shaved and had combed his hair. All of which made a big improvement. He grabbed a coat and a feed store cap off a hook in the hallway and moments later they headed out the door and towards the laneway that ran down the center of Jack's farm, pointing straight towards Porcupine.
<hr>
<p>Coming soon, The Porcupine Saga Part 8, When We Met Jack Part 2.</p>
<hr>
<h2><br />Links to the rest of this series of posts: <br />
The Porcupine Saga</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-porcupine-saga-part-1.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 1: A Celebration at Porcupine, Allan Harper, July 21, 2040</a>, published February 24, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-porcupine-saga-when-lights-went-out.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 2: When The Lights Went Out, Part 1, Will Harper, Wednesday, July 19, 2028</a>, published April 30, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/05/the-porcupine-saga-part-3-when-lights.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 3: When The Lights Went Out, Part 2, Will Harper, Thursday, July 20, 2028</a>, published May 16, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-porcupine-saga-part-4-one-last.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 4: One Last Lecture, Part 1, Allan Harper, early afternoon, Tuesday, April 9, 2030</a>; published September 25, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-porcupine-saga-part-5-one-last.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 5, One Last Lecture, Part 2; Allan Harper, late afternoon, Tuesday, April 9, 2030</a>; published October 12, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-porcupine-saga-part-6-sign-above.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 6, The Sign Above Our Gate; Allan Harper, late afternoon, Tuesday, April 9, 2030</a>; published October 12, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-porcupine-sage-part-7-when-we-met.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 7, When We Met Jack;</a> Will Harper, late afternoon, Saturday July 21, 2040; Allan Harper, morning, Wednesday, April 10, 2030; published January 16, 2024</li>
</li>
</ul> Irv Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08030800457536589003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2848841213670110129.post-47744095966462934042023-10-25T21:02:00.012-04:002024-01-16T21:15:52.654-05:00The Porcupine Saga, Part 6, The Sign Above Our Gate<p><b>Allan Harper, later on Tuesday, April 9, 2030</b></p>
<p>
Allan Harper left the old farmhouse and walked across the yard to the big pole barn where they'd been piling everyone's stuff as it came in, ready to be sorted out and distributed. It was getting dark, but a "dusk to dawn" light on a wood pole illuminated the area, and he easily made his way to the person-sized door in the east wall of the building. Entering, he called out, "Dad, you in there?"</p>
<p>"Yeah," Tom replied, "I'm back this way."</p>
<p>Allan picked his way between piles and found his Dad seated at a table which held an elderly desktop computer and a big printer. Behind him were several tables of seedlings with grow lights above and heating pads underneath. Tom had been working on them for the last few weeks—the pole barn was not, strictly speaking, heated, but it had been a warm spring thus far and the plants were doing well.</p>
<p>He nodded to his father and said, "I guess I owe you an apology."</p>
<p>"Maybe so," said Tom, turning away from the computer so he could face Allan. "I gotta tell you that 'fascist' shit cuts pretty deep."</p>
<p>"Yeah, I can see that," said Allan. "So, sorry. But...well, a lot of what you say really does sound fascist to me."</p>
<p>"I am puzzled by that," said Tom, "I've spent a lot of time, on my blog and on social media—even in person, sometimes—helping people identify fascism and talking about what is wrong with it. As I understand it, the two essential things about fascism are: one, a belief in inequality, that some people are significantly better than others, and we would do well to let those superior people lead, and two, that there is an essential identity, often based on race, that characterizes that elite. Right?"</p>
<p>"Sure," said Allan, "no argument there. But there are other elements to fascism, and eco-fascism is one of them. Whenever you start talking about over population as the world's main problem, you set off my 'eco-fascist' detector."</p>
<p>"I think there must be a little more to it than that," said Tom. "Eco-fascist are by definition right wing, which I am certainly not, and they are against immigration, which I am also not. As I was reading just now on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecofascism">Wikipedia</a>, they 'embrace the idea of climate change as a divinely-ordained signal to begin a mass purge of sections of the human race', which I certainly don't agree with."</p>
<p>"So you say," said Allan, "but then you go on and make a liar of yourself."</p>
<p>"How so?" asked Tom, with a puzzled look on his face.</p>
<p>"Well," replied Allan, "you brought up the ideas of carrying capacity and overshoot—overshoot by 170%, I think you said—which implies mega, or maybe even giga, death, and mainly in the third world countries. All very handy for an eco-fascist, who would love to see all those poor, brown people gotten rid of. Environmentalism through genocide, it's been called."</p>
<p>"But I <i>don't</i> think overpopulation is our main problem," said Tom. "And I am not suggesting that we get rid of anyone. Maybe you need to look at little deeper into what I really am saying. Will you give me a chance to explain?"</p>
<p>"Sure," said Allan, "go for it. And you can start with this thing about overpopulation not being the problem—it's seems to me that it follows obviously when you start talking about carrying capacity and overshoot."</p>
<p>"Well, I've met a lot of people who do indeed think that connection is obvious," said Tom, "but I'm not one of them. I think you and I need to talk more about carrying capacity, but first we need to consider the other side of the calculation—the idea of <i>impact</i>. If our impact on the planet is greater than its carrying capacity, then we are in overshoot. Impact is the product of three factors: population, affluence and technology. I=PAT. Affluence, which is equivalent to consumption, is, in my opinion, the thing we should be focusing on. Overconsumption rather than overpopulation."</p>
<p>Tom reached back toward the table and picked up a sheet of paper, which he passed to Allan. "That's a diagram that I've been using as my banner on Facebook for years. I think it sums up some pretty significant information."</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbS_UD5iHhcaY4wuWncNJ1ma7_UECe2C5DiWrFvhvFd7YHNcZM6Oq0gpq3mJiO74BjbNe5ZsTA3WVmQqGe4E2o5xxMemdBTufz_DXNnaraPp-UiOi5Z1X6PKs0jawE7zIq-mErOKQl-UcZ-u8hCT5H56lH78LRtACYwVXrSZVQbVgJzvdI6XgV3xbbKEbR/s2048/GlobalAffluenceGraph.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="1456" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbS_UD5iHhcaY4wuWncNJ1ma7_UECe2C5DiWrFvhvFd7YHNcZM6Oq0gpq3mJiO74BjbNe5ZsTA3WVmQqGe4E2o5xxMemdBTufz_DXNnaraPp-UiOi5Z1X6PKs0jawE7zIq-mErOKQl-UcZ-u8hCT5H56lH78LRtACYwVXrSZVQbVgJzvdI6XgV3xbbKEbR/s600/GlobalAffluenceGraph.jpg"/></a></div>
<p>"OK, let's see," said Allan, "this plots percentage of total world consumption against income divided into deciles."</p>
<p>"That's right" said Tom, "see anything significant?"</p>
<p>"Well, it looks like the top decile—the richest 10% of the world's population—are doing almost 60% of the consuming," replied Allan, "and at the other end, the poorest people are consuming very little."</p>
<p>"Exactly," said Tom. "So if we did as the eco-fascists recommend—got rid of, say, the poorest half of the people living today—what effect would that have on our degree of overshoot? To make that easier for you, I've added it up—the poorest half of us only do about 7% of the consumption."</p>
<p>"Well," said Allan, pulling his smart phone out and starting up a calculator app, "if we are really 170% into overshoot, then reducing consumption by 7%... that's .93 times 1.7... we'd still be 158% or so in overshoot. Considering you're talking about killing over 4 billion people, it hardly seems worth it."</p>
<p>"I'm not talking about killing anybody, but yes, that's my point exactly," said Tom. "Here's another suggestion though—instead of killing anybody, let's try taking the richest 20%, who do nearly 77% of the total consuming, and reducing their consumption by 60%, so they are only consuming at a level that equals about 31% of our current total consumption. This still leaves them doing more than their share of consuming, which they seem to think they are entitled to, even though the other 80% of the population are only doing 23% of the total consumption.</p>
<p>"I've done the calculation, and it brings us down to around 92% of carrying capacity. In other words, not in overshoot at all. That's what an eco-socialist, or a green anarchist like me, thinks we should ideally do. And then we should put a quite a bit of effort into rebuilding our damaged biosphere so as to increase its carrying capacity and give ourselves a comfortable margin to work with. Of course, the 'them' I'm talking about is actually 'us', and that makes it harder."</p>
<p>"I have to admit," said Allan, "that even though you are discussing carrying capacity and overshoot, you don't sound much like an eco-fascist. At least when you are given a chance to go into the details."</p>
<p>"Funny how that works, eh? But I agree, many people in the 'collapse sphere' do deserve to be called ecofascists," said Tom. "They make statements about needing to 'get rid of' a certain number of people to solve the overshoot problem. Then they start talking about how even poor people contribute to overconsumption and how we need to stop the developing world's population from growing so fast. Without even considering that consumption in the developed world is growing faster than population in the developing world. On top of all that, it's clear that these folks have no intention of doing anything about their own contributions to overconsumption or overpopulation."</p>
<p>"Yeah, and it's that kind of thing that gets me pissed off," said Allan.</p>
<p>"And so it should," said Tom. "But a moment ago you said 'if we're 170% into overshoot'. I take it you're questioning that number?"</p>
<p>"More the carrying capacity numbers that it is based on," replied Allan.</p>
<p>"Right," said Tom, "and you were saying something about the whole concept having been debunked?"</p>
<p>"Yes, exactly," said Allan. "As I understand it, carrying capacity is dependent on technology—with better tech the planet could support more of us. It's the T in your I=PAT equation."</p>
<p>"I'll get back to technology in a moment," said Tom, "but first there is an ideological issue that may be causing some confusion here."</p>
<p>"What's that?" asked Allan.</p>
<p>"Well, I've noticed that conventional leftist these days freak out whenever they hear anyone talking about limits," replied Tom. "As I was saying earlier, they think shortages are always fake and just created to keep prices up and profits flowing. I won't deny that does happen sometimes—the so called 'free market' is anything but. Anyway, they do allow as how we live on a finite planet and someday we may run into limits, but surely not yet. I think they are fooling themselves more than anybody else—we are clearly running into some real limits."</p>
<p>"You're really sure about that, are you?" asked Allan.</p>
<p>"Yes, I am," said Tom. "I've observed that among the general population there seems to be a lot of selective blindness and denial where this subject is concerned. As if there has always been enough and always will be, and that's the end of it. But the whole science of ecology doesn't agree. Carrying capacity has proven to be a very solid and useful concept. Sure, it isn't a fixed number—it's actually easiest to calculate afterwards, based on observations, and it varies from year to year responding to factors like rainfall, temperature and so forth. And you are right—it can change based on the sort of technology you are using, but whether technology makes things better or worse is a tossup. I'll give you some links to the organizations that are calculating carrying capacity and <a href="https://www.footprintnetwork.org/our-work/ecological-footprint/">ecological footprint</a>. See for yourself if they are full of shit or not."</p>
<p>"I guess I should do that," said Allan. "I do know that most 'conventional leftists', as you call us, think that only the top 1% or so need to reduce their consumption, and then we can increase the standard of living of the people at the bottom end to something more equitable."</p>
<p>"That's a laudable goal," agreed Tom. "Those folks have a lot of faith in technology actually increasing carrying capacity and/or reducing our impact. Look up 'eco-modernism' if you want a catch phrase to match your 'eco-fascism'".</p>
<p>"Those eco-modernist guys have some good ideas," said Allan. "Right now we are feeding well over eight and a half billion people and doing a better job of feeding the poorest among them than we were even a few years ago. That's mostly due to advances in technology, so I don't see why are you so against it?"</p>
<p>"That's easy," said Tom, "The modern agricultural technology you're talking about is hugely dependent on non-renewable resources. Every calorie that's produced uses up ten calories of fossil fuel energy in the process. Plus minerals like phosphorous and potash, among others. All of which are non-renewable and being used up faster every year."</p>
<p>"But renewable energy sources are growing exponentially," said Allan. "At least they were before the depression hit."</p>
<p>"You're right," said Tom, "but the amount of fossil fuels we're using has been growing as well. Remember when I first started talking about Peak Oil back in the late naughties? We were using about 85 million barrels a day back then. In 2028 we were using well over a 100 million, even with all the renewable energy sources we'd added. The depression has reduced energy use somewhat, but it has also reduced investment in renewables and discovery work for fossil fuels. The big oil companies are spending less every year on finding new resources and borrowing money to pay dividends to their stock holders. And it's been a long time since new discoveries exceeded consumption. Clearly this can't go on forever, even if the depression is giving us a bit of a breather.</p>
<p>"We've gone to the ends of the earth and surveyed essentially all the resources. New finds are getting rarer and smaller, and the quality of the resources being discovered is getting lower, taking more energy and fancier technology to access."</p>
<p>"We do have a lot of faith in technology, " said Allan, "I think it has a huge potential to fix our problems. I'm puzzled as to why you don't see that."</p>
<p>"Well, if you look at history over the last few hundred years, technological advances have always brought about increases in consumption, not decreases, by reducing the costs of goods and services and making them accessible to more people," said Tom. "We have a tendency to think of technology as something that creates energy. In fact, technology uses energy and raw materials, to a large extent non-renewal resources like fossil fuels and metals that can't be replaced. And it produces wastes that have to be dumped in sinks that are another finite resource. Like CO2 from burning fossil fuels accumulating in the the atmosphere and the oceans, causing climate change and ocean acidification. So on the surface it may look like it's helping, but in reality, not so much.</p>
<p>"The idea of <i>decoupling</i>, of developing technology that can maintain and grow our standard of living without having a negative effect on the environment, seems in reality to be nothing but a pipe dream. The T term in I=PAT always seems to be greater than one when you look at it closely. I think technology has an important role to play in our future, as you'll see here if things go as I'm planning. But we are going to have to be very careful not to use it in ways that make things worse."</p>
<p>"Technology saving our asses is a critical to my argument," said Allan, "and now you are telling me it's bullshit?"</p>
<p>"Sorry, but I am," replied Tom, "based on two things: </p>
<p>"one, so far we have achieved only a little bit of <i>relative decoupling</i>, that is, increasing consumption these days doesn't have quite the impact it once had, but we are a long way from absolute decoupling—from actually managing to increase our consumption while at the same time reducing our impact. And there's no clear path to get from here to there.</p>
<p>"And two, the current state of the world is not conducive to further technological development. Not right away, for sure. Currently the whole planet is mired in a pretty serious depression, there's no spare money for anything, and quite a few places are suffering civil unrest or outright war. Climate change is getting worse every year, new pandemics and new variants of the old ones keep popping up and sabotage of our energy infrastructure continues."</p>
<p>"OK, you got me there" said Allan. "I have to admit that, over the last couple of years, I have grown more pessimistic about revolutionary changes ever happening. Whether you're talking about social organization or technology. I had a lot of hope for nuclear fusion as an energy source that could save us, but now it seems like all the research projects are shut down due to lack of funds."</p>
<p>"Fusion would only have been a short term fix," said Tom, "solving the energy shortage only to run us up against other limits in the long run, and pushing us farther into overshoot in the process. Make energy cheap and the waste heat from our increased energy use would soon become a problem, along with shortages of material resources.</p>
<p>"Anyway, I reached the same conclusion about revolutionary change years ago. You really should read my series of blog posts that summarizes the book <a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-club-of-rome-and-system-dynamics.html"><i>The Limits To Growth</i></a>. Sure, the book was published in the early 1970s, and wasn't meant to be a prediction, but since then things have gone pretty much as they said they would if we didn't change from our 'business as usual' approach.</p>
<p>"As I've just said, we do need reduce our level of consumption, and the best way to do that would be to get rid of capitalism. This would significantly reduce the ridiculous overconsumption inherent in the lifestyles of the rich. It would also get rid of the production and consumption of unnecessary products and services needed to create profits so the rich can continue to accumulate wealth. This might not quite get us out of overshoot, but darn close. To get the rest of the way, we could eliminate some of the waste that's built into our system, and if all else fails, try practicing just a little bit of frugality.</p>
<p>"It's not going to happen, though... I expect that we'll continue right on as we are until collapse brings us to a grinding halt—reducing both population and consumption whether we like it or not—and by a lot more than is necessary just to get us out of overshoot. Some of the things causing collapse are consequences of overshoot—climate change in particular. Others are the inherent flaws in our capitalistic system finally catching up with us.</p>
<p>"All that talk with Jim about slow versus fast collapse," Tom said, shaking his head. "It'll happen at the speed it happens. Still, if we can mount some relief efforts, and help people adapt, I think we can slow collapse significantly and save a whole lot of lives. But if we let it get past a certain point, we'll no longer have the resources to do anything about it, and what follows will be a hard, fast collapse with very few survivors.</p>
<p>"Anyway, sorry for the rant. As you know, recently most of my efforts have been focused on adapting to the changes that are coming. Like setting up this place."</p>
<p>"I think I do follow your explanation," said Allan, "and since your focus isn't on eliminating poor brown people, I guess I can live with it. I do have a couple of questions that have been nagging at me for a while, though."</p>
<p>"OK, got for it," said Tom.</p>
<p>"The first thing is this," said Allan. "You been talking about reducing consumption and at the same time you been talking living well. I've been assuming both those things apply to the community you want us to build here, and it seems to me they are contradictory. What about that?"</p>
<p>"You're right in your assumptions," said Tom, "and on the face of it those two things are contradictory. But it seems to me that the capitalists have done everything they can to make sure a lot of our basic needs don't get fulfilled, while at the same time creating a bunch of artificial needs that they can profit from. So people feel they are missing something and spend a lot on consumer goods they've been told they need, but that don't really help. We are going to reduce that here, cutting off the endless marketing that we've all been exposed to, and at the same time doing a much better job of fulfilling our real needs. We should feel better while actually consuming less."</p>
<p>"OK, I think I see what you mean," said Allan, "and it may even work. It's a big change for us to make in how we live, though."</p>
<p>"Yes, it will be," said Tom. "I think you'll find it will be a positive change, though. Not having to worry about earning enough to pay the bills, having worthwhile work that clearly contributes to the community and free time to create our own entertainment and enjoy it with friends in that community, will make a huge difference."</p>
<p>"You know, I think it will," said Allan. "My other question is about sustainability. You haven't been using that word very much, but it is implied in much of what you're planning."</p>
<p>"Yes it is," said Tom, "and it's going to be harder than many of us probably think."</p>
<p>"Well, that's just what I was going to say," said Allan. "Even though we are going to be reducing our consumption, we'll still be dependent on a lot of non-renewable resources. What are you going to do when they run out?"</p>
<p>"Well, many can be replaced with renewable resources," said Tom. "Some quite easily and immediately, others not so much. We need to make those ones last as long as possible, giving ourselves time to find renewable alternatives, or ways of doing without."</p>
<p>"That does sum it up nicely," said Allan. "I just wanted to make sure you are aware of the problem and planning on addressing it. Sounds like you are."</p>
<p>"Oh yes," said Tom. "Those are both good questions. I am a little surprised, though, that you don't have reservations about the ethics of what we are planning to do here."</p>
<p>"How do you mean?" asked Allan.</p>
<p>"Well, we are setting up to live fairly well, while people suffer and die elsewhere," replied Tom</p>
<p>"You can't be expected to do the impossible," said Allan. "Under the conditions that are coming, the developing world, and for that matter, most of the developed world, might as well be on the moon. At least we won't be exploiting them or their resources anymore. And you're planning on significantly reducing our level of consumption, so we won't be taking more than our share locally—probably significantly less."</p>
<p>"That's true, but somehow it doesn't seem like enough," said Tom.</p>
<p>"OK, but didn't I hear you talking about helping pretty much everybody who shows up at our gate?"asked Allan. "And helping out the local communities as much as we can?"</p>
<p>"Sure, but..." said Tom.</p>
<p>"No buts," said Allan, "I think you've got that one covered, as ethically as needs be. But what's this nonsense you're talking about how we should organize this place?"</p>
<p>"What nonsense?" asked Tom.</p>
<p>"Well, based on the bits and pieces I've heard so far, I have to say I am not impressed," said Allan. "Leadership has got to be a pretty important part of any organization, and it seems that you want to do without it altogether. And you'd have us spend a huge part of our time in meetings, hashing out what we are going to do. But perhaps I should give you a chance to make yourself clear?"</p>
<p>"Once again, that would be nice," said Tom. "OK, first let's take a wide view and talk about how we ended up where we are today, organization wise."</p>
<p>"OK," said Allan.</p>
<p>"Earlier, I was talking about how our ancestors lived in egalitarian bands, and it worked very well for them," said Tom. "Nobody called me on it, but I said nothing about how that lifestyle originated. Our nearest primate relatives all live in bands dominated by a single alpha male, and it seems likely that we started out that way too. And stuck with it, up to a point."</p>
<p>"OK," said Allan, "what point was that?"</p>
<p>"Well," said Tom, "most of us have a built in resentment of being dominated. As our intelligence evolved we got to the point where we could imagine something better than putting up with a dominant bully, especially a bully who wasn't very good at his job. Our communication skills had also developed and we could share our thoughts on the matter with our fellows and make plans together to get rid of the bully. At first that might have been just to replace him with someone more agreeable, but if there were no volunteers we were left with the idea of treating everyone as equals and not having one dominant person. This worked so well that we stuck with it."</p>
<p>"But how did we get from there to where we are today, with hierarchies everywhere?" asked Allan.</p>
<p>"Well, eventually we started to live in larger groups," said Tom. "And they worked just fine, on the same egalitarian basis. But at some point, quite a while after that, a few people realized they could set up a hierarchy with themselves at the top and benefit hugely from opportunities this afforded for exploiting the rest of the population. They justified it by saying the larger group was difficult to manage and required a new, better kind of organization. By the time those at the bottom of the hierarchy realized they'd been had, those at the top had a firm grip on the situation. It was too late to do much about it—the rulers maintained a monopoly on force and violence. About all the common people could do, if they didn't want to go along with it, was to head for the hills. And many did.</p>
<p>"Today, we've all been fed propaganda about how hierarchies and leadership are necessary for efficient organizations, and many people accept that without question. But I think we can see that there are other ways of organizing groups, even large groups, other than feudalism or capitalism. Or feudal capitalism."</p>
<p>"And what specifically might those other ways be?" asked Allan.</p>
<p>"Well, I am an anarchist and an egalitarian," answered Tom, "and I believe strongly in direct democracy, based on consensus decision making. That all fits in well with the mutual aid, sharing and co-operation I was talking about earlier this afternoon."</p>
<p>"You know, Dad," said Allan, "you have a way of packing a whole lot of meaning into a few words. How about unpacking that a bit?"</p>
<p>"OK," Tom said with a wry expression on his face. "I guess that <i>was</i> a mess of buzz words that need further explanation. And some background on how I came to these ideas may be called for as well.</p>
<p>"Abraham Lincoln said that no man is good enough to govern another man without his consent. I would go further and say that no man is good enough to govern another man, period. I have worked for many bosses in large and small organizations, and none of them did a very good job of it. Sometimes that was partly the fault of the individual, but it was always the fault of the system as well. I have been a boss myself and I am no better.</p>
<p>"This isn't easy on the boss either—it's a stressful job. A good leader puts more into it, and it takes more out of him. When he finally packs it in, and he will, you are left with finding a replacement. Remember, I'm 75. Even if I am up to the job, and that's not certain, I've only got a few years left. I have no solution to any of this, except to change the system, and not put an individual in charge.</p>
<p>"To misquote <a href="https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/david-graeber-are-you-an-anarchist-the-answer-may-surprise-you">David Graeber</a>, one of my favourite anarchist scholars, 'To understand anarchy you must accept two things: one, that power corrupts and two, that we don't need power—under normal circumstances, people are as reasonable and decent as they are allowed to be and can organize themselves and their communities without being told how. If we take the simple principles of common decency that we already believe we should live by, and follow them through to their logical conclusions, everything will turn out fine.'</p>
<p>"This means that everyone involved must be treated as equal—that's egalitarianism. And direct democracy is when everyone in the community takes part in the decision making process, and decisions are made by discussing things until a consensus is reached."</p>
<p>"Doesn't this take a lot more time than having a leader who the rest of us just follow?" asked Allan.</p>
<p>"It does, somewhat," replied Tom. "but it also results in better decisions, using of all those spare brain cells that would be sitting around unused if we had a single boss, and benefitting from the knowledge and experience of everyone in the group. And when we go to implement the decision, we'll be working together with people who are already convinced that it's the right thing to do. No disgruntled minority working against what's been decided.</p>
<p>"Understand, I am not saying that every last detail must be hashed out in a meeting of the whole group. As I was saying earlier, crews will implement in detail the general decisions of the whole group and deal with the specifics of our day to day operations."</p>
<p>"You really think we'll end up with a net gain using this type of organization?" asked Allan.</p>
<p>"I do," said Tom, "lots of people have used it and with good results. There's another Graeber quote that explains what reaching concensus is really about, 'Consensus isn't just about agreement. It's about changing things around: You get a proposal, you work something out, people foresee problems, you do creative synthesis. At the end of it, you come up with something that everyone thinks is okay. Most people like it, and nobody hates it.'"</p>
<p>"OK, sounds good. But what about leadership," asked Allan, "don't we still need it in some situations?"</p>
<p>"Well, by now, I guess it's obvious that I'm not keen on the very idea of leadership," answered Tom. "I think we should be fiercely proud of not having leaders here.</p>
<p>"But, yes, I'll allow as how there as some situations where it might be beneficial. During emergencies, we should all be prepared to step in and lead if we find ourselves at ground zero—put out the fire, so to speak—then relinquish authority when things are well enough under control for a crew or the collective as a whole to consult and decide what to do long term.</p>
<p>"And there may be room for some different sorts of leadership. The same people who came up with those ideas on group sizes also talk about <a href="https://www.microsolidarity.cc/essays/leadership-as-hospitality">leadership as hospitality</a> rather than domination. I'm not sure exactly what that means in practice, but it might be worth looking into. On the whole, though, direct democracy should be our thing. The only question is whether we are ready to give it a try. Or more specifically, are you ready?"</p>
<p>"I am still doubtful," said Allan, "but yeah, I'll give it a chance."</p>
<p>"Good," said Tom. "As it happens we have an individual among us who is a trained facilitator, and has some experience in assisting groups with consensus decision making."</p>
<p>"Who's that?" asked Allan.</p>
<p>"Angie Ferguson," replied Tom. In response to Allan's raised eyebrow, he went on, "yeah, I know—she introduces herself as a hair stylist, but before she ran out of money and dropped out of school, she was studying political science. She also took some serious courses on facilitating, and did quite a bit of work as a facilitator. I should have gotten her to help from the start today. When we go back to the house, I will invite her to facilitate the rest of our meeting. Get things going on a better footing, I hope."</p>
<p>"OK, I have to admit I am pretty clueless about this approach," said Allan, "maybe we could arrange for some training?"</p>
<p>"An excellent idea," replied Tom. "And now on to another issue."</p>
<p>Tom turned back to the table and picked up a 13"X19" sheet of glossy paper on which was printed a graphic and some text.</p>
<p><b>The Porcupine Refuge Co-operative</b></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsad48hgbqjvL7yQiKc0ljv2z-6Q8ZmGldy2lsUcC1l8vLeHJ_Io69nI9bfFpb5I_HxJCz0gS1KEuq4COtojIgEl5rmnZim9cUTtBURImldub5LLyqtyz8OrBwgqMZY2vuR7WEm3T7J5xlnY14azSRLTjEj86dGv9oSEzzKmJv3cjeD_89pkCIAmTnOxg2/s2748/Porcupine.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: left; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="2748" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsad48hgbqjvL7yQiKc0ljv2z-6Q8ZmGldy2lsUcC1l8vLeHJ_Io69nI9bfFpb5I_HxJCz0gS1KEuq4COtojIgEl5rmnZim9cUTtBURImldub5LLyqtyz8OrBwgqMZY2vuR7WEm3T7J5xlnY14azSRLTjEj86dGv9oSEzzKmJv3cjeD_89pkCIAmTnOxg2/s600/Porcupine.jpg"/></a></div>
"What you got there, Dad?" Allan asked.</p>
<p>"Just an idea for a sign to go over our gate, including a name for this place," replied Tom</p>
<p>"Well, we sure as heck need a name," said Allan, "calling it 'this place' is getting lame."</p>
<p>Tom handed him the sheet and he looked it over. "Porcupine Refuge Co-operative, eh?" Allan said, "I get the 'Refuge Co-operative' part, but what's the connection with porcupines, and what's the graphic? It almost looks like a cave painting."</p>
<p>"It <i>is</i> a cave painting," said Tom, "and while there are various theories about what it means, the one I like best is that the guy on the ground with all the arrows sticking out of him—kind of like a porcupine—is an alpha male who just wouldn't take the hint when the other people in the band suggested that he move on. You can see that the others are pretty thrilled about doing him in."</p>
<p>"And this is a reminder to any individual who tries to set themselves above the rest of us here at 'Porcupine'?" asked Allan.</p>
<p>"You got it in one!" Tom said with a smile. "What do you think?"</p>
<p>"Looks good to me," said Allan. "I hope we can reach a consensus on it, eh?"</p>
<p>"Yes indeed," said Tom, "I hope so too. If you and I are good, perhaps we should head back and see if there's any supper left."</p>
<p>"I'm good, and hungry," said Allan. "Lead on."</p>
<p>When they got back to the house, supper was just finishing up. Karen sat them down at one of the big tables in the dining room, in front of plates of spaghetti and meat sauce. "I hope you two have got whatever it was out of your systems," she said.</p>
<p>"Yep," said Tom, "we're feeling much better now. Would you mind asking Angie to join us?"</p>
<p>"Yes sir," Karen said with a mock salute and headed for the addition. She was back in a moment with Angie.</p>
<p>"Hi Angie," said Tom, "I probably should have had you facilitating this meeting from the get go. Allan and I are all sorted out now and we'd like you to take over and facilitate the rest of the meeting. I need to finished my thoughts on ecology and then go on to the next section.</p>
<p>"Well, if all you are going to do is stand there and talk, maybe take a few questions, there won't really be much facilitating to do, will there?" said Angie.</p>
<p>"I'll grant you that," said Tom. "Not at the start, anyway. But I'm going to end up talking about participatory, consensus decision making. After that I'll introduce you. And then I have a suggestion that will spark our first bit of group decision making."</p>
<p>"I guess that might work," said Angie with a frown. After a moment's thought, she switched to a smile, and added, "OK, let's do it. What's this first decision about?"</p>
<p>"An idea for a name and logo for this place," said Tom. "You take over, give me a chance to make my suggestion and then I'll get out of your hair."</p>
<p>"Somehow I doubt that," replied Angie, "but sure."</p>
<p>"OK, we'll just finish eating and then I'll continue where I left off before."</p>
<p>A few minutes later Allan and Tom entered the addition. Allan took his seat at the back next to Erika, and watched Tom continue to the front of the room and pick up his marker.</p>
<p>"He get you straightened out?" Erika whispered in Allan's ear.</p>
<p>"Yeah, that's pretty much what happened," replied Allan.</p>
<p>"I hope you'll excuse the interruption," said Tom, "at least it gave you a chance to have supper. Anyway, I think Allan and I have our differences sorted out now. And he helped me get my thoughts in order for the rest of this."</p>
<p>Tom went on, going over all of what he and Allan had discussed before supper and, in Allan's opinion, doing a better job of making his points than he had the first time through. There were a few questions, but Tom fielded them all with no trouble.</p>
<p>"So, those are my thoughts on how we should run this place," said Tom. "I know I was never officially appointed boss around here, just sort of fell into by virtue of having started things, but at this point I am officially stepping down. This leaves us without a leader and better off for it. But a central role in participatory decision making is that of the facilitator. A facilitator is not a leader or boss, but more of a referee. And we are fortunate to have among us someone who is a trained and experienced in that role. I think you all know or at least have met Angie Ferguson. Angie, why don't you come on up here and take over from me."</p>
<p>Angie came to the front. Tom handed her his marker and then took a seat beside Karen.</p>
<p>"Maybe take over isn't exactly the right word, since I'm not going to be running things either," said Angie with a wink directed at Tom. "But I take your meaning. We really need to arrange some introductory training in this style of decision making for all of you, and also get a few more people trained as facilitators so we can share that duty around and avoid me becoming another de facto boss. We obviously can't do that tonight though. What we can do is discuss an issue Tom wants to bring up. Back to you, Tom."</p>
<p>"Thanks Angie," said Tom, standing up, but pointedly not resuming his former position at the front of the room. "I think we've all noticed that it's getting pretty awkward not having a name to call 'this place'. So, I have a suggestion."</p>
<p>He'd rolled up the big printout and brought it with him, and now he unrolled it and held it up in front of his chest. "The Porcupine Refuge Co-operative is my suggestion, and it comes with a graphic that I think we should paint on a sheet of plywood and mount above our front gate."</p>
<p>"Where the heck does 'porcupine' come from, and how does it relate to that graphic," asked Erika, "or to what we are doing here?"</p>
<p>Tom was a little thrown by this, and hesitated long enough for Angie to step in, "Bet you thought this would be easy, didn't you Tom?" she said with a grin. "You've already explained this to Allan, right? Just share with us what you said to him."</p>
<p>"Allan made it pretty easy on me," said Tom, "easier than his better half is doing, anyway. So, the graphic is a cave painting..."</p>
<hr>
<p>Coming soon, The Porcupine Saga Part 7, When We Met Jack.</p>
<hr>
<h2><br />Links to the rest of this series of posts: <br />
The Porcupine Saga</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-porcupine-saga-part-1.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 1: A Celebration at Porcupine, Allan Harper, July 21, 2040</a>, published February 24, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-porcupine-saga-when-lights-went-out.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 2: When The Lights Went Out, Part 1, Will Harper, Wednesday, July 19, 2028</a>, published April 30, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/05/the-porcupine-saga-part-3-when-lights.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 3: When The Lights Went Out, Part 2, Will Harper, Thursday, July 20, 2028</a>, published May 16, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-porcupine-saga-part-4-one-last.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 4: One Last Lecture, Part 1, Allan Harper, early afternoon, Tuesday, April 9, 2030</a>; published September 25, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-porcupine-saga-part-5-one-last.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 5, One Last Lecture, Part 2; Allan Harper, late afternoon, Tuesday, April 9, 2030</a>; published October 12, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-porcupine-saga-part-6-sign-above.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 6, The Sign Above Our Gate; Allan Harper, late afternoon, Tuesday, April 9, 2030</a>; published October 12, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-porcupine-sage-part-7-when-we-met.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 7, When We Met Jack;</a> Will Harper, late afternoon, Saturday July 21, 2040; Allan Harper, morning, Wednesday, April 10, 2030; published January 16, 2024</li>
</ul> Irv Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08030800457536589003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2848841213670110129.post-92097748478587845322023-10-12T15:55:00.007-04:002024-01-16T21:16:36.456-05:00The Porcupine Saga, Part 5, One Last Lecture, Part 2<b>Allan Harper, late afternoon, Tuesday, April 9, 2030</b>
<p>Allan Harper checked the time on his phone and cancelled the alarm he had set. If his dad was serious about keeping to a 15 minute break, it was time to be getting back inside. He climbed the steps and went in through the back door of the old farm house, then down the hall to the addition.</p>
<p>"Allan, could you stick you head out the door and call people in?" asked Tom.</p>
<p>"Sure thing Dad," said Allan, turning around to retrace his path to the top of the steps where he called out in a voiced pitched to carry. "Break's over folks, time to come back in."</p>
<p>A few minutes later everyone had returned to their seats in the addition, many with cups or tall glasses of various beverages. Clearly Karen, Allan's mom, had been busy. And probably prepared ahead of time, if Allan knew her at all.</p>
<p>Allan also noticed that the youngest person in the group, the Janes' ten year old son, had been supplied with a stack of books and a box of toys. This lecture Tom was giving was probably pretty boring for the little guy, so it was good to have something to pass the time. Allan rather envied him.</p>
<p>Tom resumed his place at the white board. "Well, during the break I did some quick and dirty polling," he said, "and it seems that, despite having some questions, everyone is on side with my three basic points. That's reassuring" He gestured at the white board where he had listed those points.</p>
<p>Allan noticed that no one objected—it seemed his father had it right.</p>
<p>"I'm beginning to get a better idea of how my presentation today should go, which is good since I'm already about a third of the way through it," said Tom. The audience laughed politely at this bit of self-deprecation and he smiled in response."I can see it's going to fall into three parts. Before the break we talked about how collapse is real, that we can adapt to it, and that the best adaptation is based on community self sufficiency. This second section is going to be mainly about economics and ecology—how this self-sufficient community is going to work. The third section, after supper, we'll talk about specifics of organization and governance—other things we'll have to provide for ourselves."</p>
<p>"So, how is our community going to work?" asked Tom and paused for effect.</p>
<p>"We are now in the midst of a serious economic depression. Capitalism, which we have relied on to provide us with the necessities of life, is failing, and nothing has been organized as yet to replace it. Many of us have found ourselves in a tough spot and we've come here seeking refuge from the storm that has gripped our world.</p>
<p>"But we are creatures of habit and if we don't watch out, we're likely to set things up in the same old way that isn't working, without even realizing that's what we are doing. Before the break I talked about how our community will be egalitarian and based on the principles of primitive communism. I think I neglected to mention that we'll use direct democracy to govern ourselves, possibly because I'll cover it in the third section. But it is another basic element of what I hope we can do here.</p>
<p>"I think these three elements constitute a really strong foundation for our new community. They imply a lot about how that community will function, and by following those implications we can avoid falling into the same old pitfalls. So, I have some ideas about how this should go. As before, I've discussed most of this with at least some of you, in bit and pieces, and now I'll try to bring it all together in one piece, for the whole group."</p>
<p>Tom paused to write on the white board: "Refuge from Capitalistic Society—must be a non-capitalistic society".</p>
<p>"OK, I'm going to start in what may seem like a strange place," said Tom. "And that is with the size of groups we'll be living and working in. The possibilities we will be looking at are: individuals, dyads (two people), crews (three to five people), communes (15 to 150 people) and networks of communes.</p>
<p>"The society we are leaving has pretty much settled on the individual as the only unit of organization when it comes to people. In many ways, the large hierarchical organizations that those individuals work in aren't really human at all. So that's it, just individuals. They're easier to dominate and manipulate, so today's corporations and governments discourage the other sizes of groups. Even dyads, long the basis for fruitful partnerships of many types, are suffering in that society.</p>
<p>"Those other sizes of group have some big advantages and by not using them, conventional society is missing out on a lot of opportunities, of which we will take full advantage. Our basic organizational unit will be the commune, a grouping that is almost completely absent in our society. It brings together enough people to make self-sufficiency possible and to constitute a functioning community. And it allows those people to form the dyads and crews we'll need to accomplish things individuals can't on their own.</p>
<p>"A commune is large enough so that it can be a little cumbersome, so much of the action within our commune will be accomplished by crews. A crew is big enough to make a major contribution but small enough to so it's members can all be on the same page without using any sort of formal organization. Some of our crews will be doing actual physical jobs, others will be assigned to devise answers to questions that would take the whole group forever to discuss.</p>
<p>"The pair bond is evolved right into human beings, so dyads are also a very effective size of group, and sufficient for many jobs. The idea of partnership is basic to dyads, and we'll extend it to the larger groups as well. Sadly we are used to basing relations on dominance and submission. This is a major source of injustice and something we will want to avoid.</p>
<p>"Someday, years down the road, we can hope that others will adopt our approach and we can have a network of communes similar to ours."</p>
<p>Tom turned to the white board and wrote, "Organizational units: the commune, the crew, the dyad and the individual. Someday, a network of communes".</p>
<p>As a tradesman, Allan had done some work in crews and knew how effective they could be, even in a capitalistic organization. Communes were a new thing for him, though he had to admit that this particular one seemed to be working OK, so far.</p>
<p>"I would have thought extended families would have an import role to play here," said Jim MacGregor, "but you haven't even mentioned them at all."</p>
<p>"I have nothing against extended families," said Tom, "clearly, since I have both children and grandchildren in this room. They say it takes a village to raise a child and a commune can play that role. But I didn't mention extended families because capitalism uses families, be they nuclear or extended, to do the reproductive labour required to maintain society without any support from the capitalists. Even though they clearly benefit from that labour, they have externalized it from their own organizations and left the burden sitting squarely on the family.</p>
<p>"This is actually a pretty good example of one of those habits we want to avoid. We'll want to strongly support those who bear, raise and educate our children. And how we do this may end up look quite different from the traditional family. It will be interesting to see what develops."</p>
<p>"Oh," said Jim, "I guess I am an old fashioned guy and I hadn't thought of it that way. But I do see what you mean."</p>
<p>"Great," said Tom. "we all have some work ahead of us when it comes to following those implications I was talking about.</p>
<p>"Anyway, next we need to look at economics. We're used to spending our time working for capitalists, producing commodities or services. Even those of us who are self-employed end up working for the capitalists at the bank. So, they sell those commodities and services, and use some of the money they receive to pay us for our labour, at the lowest rate they can get away with. The rest they keep, to re-invest in their businesses or in other areas for the best return they can manage, always aiming to accumulate more wealth. Having 'enough' simply doesn't enter into it</p>
<p>"Because we've had a consumer economy, if wealth is to be accumulated goods and services must be produced and consumed, regardless of whether they are actually needed or not. Indeed a lot of effort is expended to create artificial demand for whatever the capitalists are set up to produce. This is known as "supply push". And it, along with the endless accumulation of wealth by capitalists, results in our impact on the planet being much heavier than it really needs to be.</p>
<p>"Here we have a different goal, and we will be adopting a very different approach," said Tom. "That goal is surviving, and surviving well. Our labour will be used to supply our needs—water, food, clothing, housing. Once those are taken care of, we'll see to other needs that are less urgent, but still very real. I would encourage us not to fuss much over the gray areas—if we decide to put our time and effort into a thing, we should call it a need. We'll make things (and services) because we need them—this is known as "demand pull", and it has the potential to put us in a situation of abundance that has a much smaller impact on the planet than a supply push economy—we'll only make what we need, and don't have to support the continuous drain of wealth accumulation by capitalists."</p>
<p>"But exactly how would such a demand pull economy work?" asked Tom. "Remember that we want to base it on communistic rather than capitalistic ideals.</p>
<p>"I'll start with ownership and property. Ownership is one of those artificial concepts that has become central to our society. But there is nothing fundamentally real about the concept of owning things. It is one of the fictions that is accepted by everyone as necessary to making society work. What it actually does is make things work for the 1% at the top. In fact, you own the things you can hold onto. Our laws, courts and the police exist largely to help the rich hold onto what they think of as their own. Some benefit does slop over into the middle and lower classes, but if you've ever had something stolen and called the police, you've seen how small that benefit really is."</p>
<p>"I didn't bring much with me, Grandpa," said Tom's step-granddaughter Andrea, "but aren't some of the people here going to be pretty upset if you take away all their stuff?"</p>
<p>"Not so far, Andrea. But then I'm not actually taking away all their stuff," answered Tom. "Let me explain. Property comes in three varieties: personal, private and collective. Personal property includes, at the very least, things like your clothes, shoes, toothbrush and nostalgic items like family photos and keepsakes. You came here with it and you get to keep it. I suspect we'll also come up with a list of personal necessities that we'll supply for everyone, as some people are going to arrive with little more than the clothes on their backs.</p>
<p>"But, in the society we have left behind, a typical household has a lot of stuff that I guess you'd consider personal property. Take the kitchen for example—each household has a whole bunch of appliances, equipment, cutlery, china and so forth. We're going to have one central kitchen that looks after everybody and eliminates a whole lot of duplication of personal property. Another example would be guys like me having a well outfitted shop with a bunch of power tools that get used pretty rarely. We're going to have a 'maker space' and a tool library which eliminates a lot of duplication in those areas."</p>
<p>"There is a somewhat fuzzy line between personal and private property, and no doubt we'll spend some time over the next few months discussing exactly where that line should fall. One of the definitions of private property is that you use it to increase your private wealth. Of course, as a member of our commune, you don't have private wealth, so you don't need private property.</p>
<p>"The third type of property—collective property—belongs to us all," said Tom, " and much of the property that we are 'taking away' falls into this category. You won't be losing it, just sharing it."</p>
<p>"Ask anybody here," said Andrea, "we can all tell stories about common property that get's abused, broken, stolen and so forth."</p>
<p>"I know what you mean," replied Tom. "I've seen those things happen too—in an organization I was in charge of, actually. Close examination has lead me to believe that the people involved didn't really feel any responsability for the stuff in question or expect any consequences when they abused it. Here, the common stuff belongs to us all and that means it belong to you. If it gets broken or lost, the replacement comes out of a common pool of resources. Resources that could have been used for something else that you wanted instead. </p>
<p>"On the other hand, it's important to remember that, in the normal course of events, things do break and get lost and not to get too worked up about it."</p>
<p>"Yeah, you got some good points there, Grandpa," said Andrea.</p>
<p>"Thanks, Andrea," said Tom. "The next thing is work and money. In the world we are leaving you work to get money so you can buy the necessities of life, but with no guarantee that what you earn will be enough. This doesn't apply here, as the commune provides those necessities. Still, we are all going to do some work as part of our lives here. At a minimum, this will be the work that's needed to provide for all of us.</p>
<p>"I am not proposing that we get paid for this or any other work we do here," said Tom. "Indeed I am quite certain that we don't need to use money internally at all. This place will work just fine without it. And I am not suggesting we replace money with some sort of barter system or even a time keeping system. I don't believe that we need to formally keep track of how much each of us does—indeed we'll be better off if we don't. We should switch from extrinsic rewards like wages to intrinsic rewards like knowing that you are helping the members of your community and doing a good job of it.</p>
<p>"For most of our history (or perhaps I should say prehistory) barter and trading (commerce, if you will) were something you did only with strangers and usually with an eye to, as my dad used to say, 'putting one over one them'. When dealing with the members of your own community, you simply shared and did what was needed to make sure everyone had enough.</p>
<p>"In one sense, money is just a set of tokens used to keep score in the complex game that is our economy. Energy is what really makes an economy work, and we'll have our own renewable sources of energy here, mainly firewood. So money in this sense won't be very important to us.</p>
<p>"But in another sense, money is used by the rich to make more money, and control everyone else. In the society we are leaving, money severely limits our options because there is so little we can do without it, and borrowing has become the only way to get enough money to do anything significant. Because it is created via debt and must be paid back with interest, money drives the continual growth of the economy. Having abandoned money we will have eliminated the need for on-going growth and once again reduced our impact on the planet.</p>
<p>"I believe we will find this approach involves less effort to secure the necessities of life. Less than the regular jobs we've been working at, for sure. I think we'll also find it will take less energy and fewer material resources. And it should be much less of a pain in the ass, since we'll be working as part of a partnership we've voluntarily agreed to, rather because some idiot above us in a hierarchy tells us to."</p>
<p>On the board Tom wrote, "Eliminate money, accounting, banking, debt, and the need for growth."
On the next line he wrote, "Personal, Private and collective property." And then stroked out "private".</p>
<p>As a union member, and in his most recent job a union organizer, Allan had developed a pretty strong class consciousness, so he had no problem with this kind of talk. Others weren't so quick to accept.</p>
<p>"That doesn't sound fair," said Nora McGregor, a slim, gray haired women wearing glasses, who was, if Allan remembered correctly, a retired elementary school teacher, "if the most competent people give their all, they'll end up contributing a lot more than lazier or less capable people."</p>
<p>"Fair is only in fairy tales," replied Tom with a grin, which drew a frown from Nora. "But seriously, it is true that some will do more for the community than others. Hell, some of us could probably make a go of it as an isolated individual or family, without the need for a community. But it would be really hard. As members of this community, those exceptional people will have a much easier go of it than they otherwise would. They will be significantly ahead of where they'd be without the community.</p>
<p>"Indeed, none of us should have to go full out on an ongoing basis, or this isn't going to work. Without capitalistic waste, and with the force multiplier of mutual aid, we should all have some time for the things we love to do, and even to be a little lazy. Laziness should not be discouraged when there isn't much to do, and we will set things up so there are times when there isn't much to do, as we have no need to over produce or over consume.</p>
<p>"That's how it worked for the most competent people in those egalitarian bands. They did contribute more, and were expected to share with others who contributed less. If they got uppity about it, they were made fun of, slapped down, and in extreme cases encouraged to go elsewhere."</p>
<p>"The more you say, the worse it sounds to me," said Nora.</p>
<p>"Look, we've all been taught to accept this odd idea of fairness—that if we work hard we'll be compensated fairly, and if we don't, we haven't earned any reward," said Tom. "This is intended to keep our noses to the grindstone, but the only people who really benefit are the capitalists who are exploiting us. It is not fair at all and it totally ignores some of our basic human rights—I mean, what are the people who haven't managed to earn a reward, frequently through no fault of their own, supposed to do?</p>
<p>"We are so immersed in ableism and meritocracy that working to help our community, even if some of its members haven't 'earned' it, sounds backwards to us. But I'll tell you it is the most forward thing you'll ever find. Who would you rather help? Your family, friends and neighbours who genuinely need your help, and most of whom help you as much as they can, or rich people who just want to get richer and don't give a damn about you?"</p>
<p>"When you put it that way," replied Nora, "maybe it's worth a try. We'll see how it goes, anyway."</p>
<p>"Indeed we will," said Tom, and turned to write, "Eliminate ableism and meritocracy. Guarantee basic human rights"</p>
<p>"If my analysis is right, you'll find that on average you'll be working something like 32 hours a week," said Tom. "About half of that will be on 'shit jobs'—work that needs to be done whether you like it or not. You'll do it because you recognize that it does need to be done and if not by you, then who? The other half of will be spent doing what you want to do to help the community. Of course, there will be lumps in the work load, busy times when everyone is working long hard days, and slack times with the opportunity to take it easy.</p>
<p>"Fortunately the forces of capitalism have been sufficiently weakened by the depression that we are going to be able to try all this out without the opposition you would usually expect, and without enacting any formal land reforms," said Tom. "Provided we keep a low profile, and don't stir up trouble the local government or the police, that is.</p>
<p>"Since the start of the depression in the fall of 2028, the offshore capitalists that technically owned this land have disappeared. They are not answering their phones and have stopped paying their taxes and stopped renting the land out to local farmers for cash cropping. The depression has hurt many of those farmers, leaving them in no position to plant a crop, even if they were inclined to do so without a formal rental agreement, so we don't have much competition for use of the land hereabouts. The hundred acres we're sitting on was for sale for back taxes. Of the other nine hundred acres in this concession, seven hundred are in circumstances similar to this farm and two hundred are owned by a farmer who is my age and I suspect would like to retire. We should approach him soon.</p>
<p>"As the depression deepens and governments at all levels lose more and more of their ability to project force and control the situation, we may well be able to just squat on much of this land without paying taxes—making good use of it, rather than letting it just be taken over by thorn brush. And hopefully using what we produce on the land to help those less fortunate in the local community.</p>
<p>"It's a bit of a wild ass guess, but I've been basing my thinking on needing around five acres to support each person," said Tom. "You hear people talking about needing as little as a quarter of an acre, but that is for a vegetable garden only. I'm including producing firewood, building materials, fiber, vegetable oil and alcohol as fuel, as well as food. Add in some scrap metal and we should be pretty much self-sufficient. Of course, this year, until the first harvest starts to come in, we'll continue to buy food and other necessities. And initially we'll have to spend some money on tools, equipment, seeds, nursery stock and livestock."</p>
<p>On the board Tom wrote, "Informal Land Reform, facilitating Self-Sufficiency"</p>
<p>Working five acres of land sounded to Allan like something that might take more than 32 hours per week to work. He was about to speak up when his step-son Miles beat him to it.</p>
<p>"Grandpa Tom ," said Miles, "how do you figure 32 hours a week is going to be enough to take care of five acres of land?"</p>
<p>"Because more than half of that five acres is going to be in woodlot, supplying us with building materials and firewood," said Tom, "of the rest, some is going to be in orchards, field crops, pasture and hay, which we'll work mainly using machinery, driven by tractors or work horses. So this brings us back to about a quarter of an acre of vegetable garden, and even there much of the work can be with machinery."</p>
<p>"Oh," said Miles, " I thought you meant five acres of garden—twenty times as much as that quarter acre. But even a quarter acre is a square a little over a hundred feet on a side. That's still a pretty big garden."</p>
<p>"I won't argue with you there, Miles," said Tom. "It's never been clear to me whether that's supposed to be a quarter acre per person or per family. I grew up on a farm, and we had about a third of an acre of garden, where we grew most of the vegetables for a family of five. So a quarter of an acres is probably a generous estimate. Still, there will be times—planting, weeding, harvest—when some long days will be required of many of us. But averaged over the year, gardening doesn't add up to anywhere near 32 hours a week, so we'll have lots of time for all the other things that need doing."</p>
<p>Miles let it go at that, but a short and curvy young woman spoke up, "So as you say, at the start, we'll be buying more than we produce. Where are we going to get all the money for that?"</p>
<p>Alan thought for a moment and remembered being introduced to her as Angie Ferguson, a hair stylist.</p>
<p>"Money raises its ugly head again... well, I guess I may not have explained this to everyone yet," said Tom, "I expect that the majority of people seeking refuge here will come with little more than they can carry—personal property only and little or no financial resources of any sort. That is the point of having a refuge, after all. But the older folks in this room did come with somewhat more— savings, investments, and pensions—the usual government pensions for those who are over 65, and in a couple of cases, company pensions earned during our working days. These are private property and have already been signed over to our collective.</p>
<p>"So, with those resources, it looks like we've got enough income to keep us all fed and otherwise cared for until the crops start coming in. Also to buy what we'll need in the way of seeds, tools and so forth, and to pay the property taxes on this farm. Some of us have brought part of what's needed with us, and that will save us quite a bit of money."</p>
<p>"Good for you. And good of you older folks to be so generous," said Angie.</p>
<p>"Well, I have to admit we are not altogether altruistic in this," said Tom. "Realistically, if the depression continues as we expect it will, we're looking at those pensions getting discounted soon and eventually disappearing altogether. Our investments won't be reliable either. So we wanted to 'use them before we lose them', so to speak—to create something that we can count to support us as we get older, even if our civilization collapses."</p>
<p>"And in the setup you've been describing, us younger folks will provide that support," said Angie. "Not a bad deal either, since none of us have the resources to set up a place like this on our own, and there will be only a few of you and lots of us."</p>
<p>"I'm glad to hear you feel that way," Tom replied. "though I'm not keen on us being divided into 'you and us'."</p>
<p>"Just a figure of speech," said Angie.</p>
<p>Allan hoped it was. He could see real problems arising if a rift developed between those who had bank rolled the operation and those who ended up doing most of the work. It didn't need to turn out that way, but it easily could.</p>
<p>"Do you think we'll ever be able to make everything we need?" asked a muscular man in who appeared to be in his thirties.</p>
<p>He'd been introduced to Allan as Don McPherson, a fitter mechanic who did blacksmithing and foundry work as a hobby. Clearly a useful fellow to have, and with a keen interest in "making".</p>
<p>"That's mostly a matter of how you define <i>need</i>, " replied Tom, "and how much in the way of money, material resources and effort we're willing to put into any particular thing. At least here we'll have a much better idea of the real cost of things than we did as part of consumer society. Very soon we should start working on a wish list. This, I am sure, will spark much discussion about what we can produce here and what we really need. Some things may always be beyond our reach—solid state electronics and the high end of pharmaceutical and medical tech come to mind."</p>
<p>"I'd agree with you there," Don said, "and I'd add in plastics and rubber, and possibly electricity itself. But maybe that's because those things are outside my 'wheelhouse', so to speak."</p>
<p>Allan, an electrician himself, wondered if he should speak up, but Tom beat him to it. "As an electrician, I can tell you that electricity really isn't that hard. The hard part is providing energy for the prime mover that spins a generator. Even without solid state electronics, we can use wind, solar thermal and of course, firewood. This may not get us the essentially infinite amounts of power that we're used to, but enough for the basics. Electricity is so useful, especially for things like pumping water, refrigeration, lighting and operating power tools, that I have no doubts we'll find a way to generate some. NOt just today, but in the future when all our store bought generators have broken down and we have to build our own."</p>
<p>"Oh, for sure," said Don. "Our current level of technology looks like magic to many people, and it is supported by a global network of such complexity that it might fall apart if any one link fails. But there are suites of technologies that require much smaller and simpler networks. With already existing tools and knowledge, and the extensive opportunities for salvage that currently present themselves, we are in a much better position than those who developed those technologies in the first place."</p>
<p>"Absolutely, Don," agreed Tom, "and the rest of us will be relying on folks like you to make such ideas a reality. Especially since that global network seems ready to collapse at any moment. Thinking about that sort of thing, it's going to be interesting to see how long our governments can continue funding it's new dental and pharma plans, as well as the medical system, and how long much of the technology involved will be available. At some point we're going to have to start doing that sort of thing for ourselves, and it will be a big challenge, especially since most alternative medicine simply doesn't work. In any case, I hope we will be able to attract mlore pharmaceutical and medical people in the near future.</p>
<p>"It might surprise you to know that we already have among us a person who has worked in the biotech industry—my daughter-in-law Erika. She has brought with her a couple of strains of gene tailored bacteria. One produces insulin. I don't think we have anyone at the moment who is insulin dependent, but it's bound to happen as we welcome in more people. The other produces chymosin, an enzyme used in cheese making. She has connections in the field and intends to obtain more cultures for some of the things we couldn't make otherwise. We don't have the tech to engineer these bacteria ourselves, but we can certainly make use of them once we have them."</p>
<p>Allan turned to Erika and said in a low voice, "That's a lot on your shoulders."</p>
<p>"They're broad ones, my dear," she said, "and a good thing, 'cause as he says, there's more yet to be done."</p>
<p>Tom paused for a moment, looking around the room. "I see no one is raising objections to genetically modified organisms, or to my comment about alternative medicine" he said, "it's a big relief to see that that sort of irrationalism hasn't thus far taken root here. As far as solid state technology goes, well, that's a big reach. But lighting is something I don't think we'll want to give up and the efficiency of LEDs argues for putting some effort into producing them, or at least something of similar efficiency. In the meantime, we'll stock up on useful things like that, and it will be quite a few years before the last of the existing LED bulbs gives out on us."</p>
<p>"Anyway, having mentioned five acres per person I think it is time to bring up another concept—that of carrying capacity, and with it the idea of overshoot," said Tom.</p>
<p>"This may be less familiar territory for typical western leftists, who have a tendency to confuse the real physical limits of the planet we are living on with artificial shortages, created by capitalists to keep prices up. The assumption is that if you're talking about limits, you're actually trying to sneak artificial shortages in under cover. We've been told that if we get rid of capitalism and redistribute the wealth more justly, there will be enough to go around for everyone. And if there are real limits, we're nowhere near them yet.</p>
<p>"I think this is pretty unlikely. The best estimates I've read have us already 170% into overshoot. That is, we are consuming 70% more than the biosphere can produce each year, and in the process damaging the biosphere and reducing its carrying capacity. We are also using up non-renewable resources like crazy, without any plan for what to do when they get depleted.</p>
<p>"Carrying capacity is one of those real limits, and in this context, it is simply how many of us a certain area of land can support on an ongoing basis—sustainably, as they say. Of course, this depends on the piece of land—how much it has to give. And on how we choose to live—how much we take from that land. The single most important thing to understand is that in the short term we can take more from the land than is implied by its carrying capacity, like withdrawing the principle of an investment, rather than just living off the interest. When we do so, we degrade the land and actually reduce its carrying capacity. Overshoot is the term used to describe this situation. In the long term overshoot leads to ecological collapse. </p>
<p>"As I said, currently, for the planet as a whole, the human race is in overshoot by about 170%. That's pretty scary, but by being aware of it, and exercising care to stay within the carrying capacity of this chunk of land, I think we can have a decent life here and be generous to the community around us."</p>
<p>On the board, Tom wrote: "Carrying Capacity, Overshoot and Resource Depletion"</p>
<p>At this point Allan had had all he could take. "Just stop right there, Dad," he said, "there's a name for what you are talking about—Eco-Fascism. It's what rich people on the right use to justify austerity and population control or outright genocide for poor countries who they think have too many people. Anyway, carrying capacity is a thoroughly debunked concept. With better technology, the land can support more people. From the sound of this I don't think you're a leftist at all—just a crypto-fascist."</p>
<p>Tom was silent for a moment, his face flushed. "First, you want me to run this place, now you call me a fascist," he said. He paused for another moment, shaking his head, then said, "I am out of here."</p>
<p>He set down his marker on the ledge at the bottom of the white board and stalked out of the room. A moment later, the outside door closed with a bang.</p>
<p>Looking around the room, Allan could see shocked expressions on many faces, though for a start, no one had anything to say.</p>
<p>Then Karen, Allan's mother and Tom's wife, who had been quiet throughout, stood up. "Well, Allan, you caused this problem—I suggest you fix it. Give your dad some time to calm down, and then go find him, apologize and let him explain what he's talking about. See if you can get him to come back. I think you'll find him in the first pole barn. In the meantime, we should get supper on. Anybody want to help?"</p>
<p>Then she left, heading for the kitchen, followed by the handful of people who had been helping with meals for the last few weeks. A buzz of quiet discussion rose throughout the room.</p>
<p>Allan didn't know what to say. Erika looked at him with a quizzical expression on her face. "What the hell was that about?"</p>
<p>"Just the latest episode of a long standing argument," said Allan with a sigh.</p>
<p>"Yeah, well I don't usually like it when your mother gives you orders," Erika said. "But I think you really fucked up this time, and you'd better try what she suggests."</p>
<p>"Oh, I'm gonna," replied Allan. "I just hope I can talk some sense into him."</p>
<p>"Or maybe he can talk some into you," said Erika. "I'm off to the kitchen."</p>
<p>Allan nodded but said nothing more, just sat there with a thoughtful look on his face. It was almost half an hour later when he got up and headed outside to look for his dad.
<hr>
<p>Coming soon, The Porcupine Saga, Part 6: The Sign Above Our Gate</p>
<p>The ideas about group sizes and their functions comes from the <a href="https://www.microsolidarity.cc/essays/five-scales-of-microsolidarity">Microsoldiarity website</a>. Lots of good ideas there, about how to foster belonging in groups and partnership rather than domination/submission, as well as the group sizes thing.</p>
<hr>
<h2><br />Links to the rest of this series of posts: <br />
The Porcupine Saga</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-porcupine-saga-part-1.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 1: A Celebration at Porcupine, Allan Harper, July 21, 2040</a>, published February 24, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-porcupine-saga-when-lights-went-out.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 2: When The Lights Went Out, Part 1, Will Harper, Wednesday, July 19, 2028</a>, published April 30, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/05/the-porcupine-saga-part-3-when-lights.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 3: When The Lights Went Out, Part 2, Will Harper, Thursday, July 20, 2028</a>, published May 16, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-porcupine-saga-part-4-one-last.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 4: One Last Lecture, Part 1, Allan Harper, early afternoon, Tuesday, April 9, 2030</a>; published September 25, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-porcupine-saga-part-5-one-last.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 5, One Last Lecture, Part 2; Allan Harper, late afternoon, Tuesday, April 9, 2030</a>; published October 12, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-porcupine-saga-part-6-sign-above.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 6, The Sign Above Our Gate; Allan Harper, late afternoon, Tuesday, April 9, 2030</a>; published October 12, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-porcupine-sage-part-7-when-we-met.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 7, When We Met Jack;</a> Will Harper, late afternoon, Saturday July 21, 2040; Allan Harper, morning, Wednesday, April 10, 2030; published January 16, 2024</li>
</ul> Irv Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08030800457536589003noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2848841213670110129.post-90734512702959602372023-09-24T18:11:00.010-04:002024-03-12T18:33:50.448-04:00The Porcupine Saga, Part 4, One Last Lecture, Part 1<p><b>Allan Harper, early afternoon, Tuesday, April 9, 2030</b></p>
<p>
From his seat at the back Allan Harper looked around the big room where they all sat. By his count there were twenty of them now, himself included. Seated on an assortment of couches and chairs they pretty well filled up the addition to the old farm house. He and his dad, Tom Harper, had spent the last six weeks tracking these people down and moving them here, to the back end of Inverpen Township. Now Tom had called them all together.</p>
<p>Allan didn't like meetings, having sat through too many pointless ones at work, but he couldn't see any way out of this one, short of setting fire to the house. That would be pretty counterproductive, though, and would probably only serve to delay the meeting anyway. So he resigned himself to sitting through it, doubting that anything useful or important would come of it.</p>
<p>Tom stood at the far end of the room, in front of a big white board with an erasable marker in his hand.</p>
<p>"For the last few weeks there have been few enough of us that we've just made decisions by talking things over after supper every night," said Tom. "Two problems with that. First, we've added five more people today and more are coming. Soon there will be too many of us for such an informal arrangement. Even now, we can't all sit around one table. We need to formalize our decision making a bit. And two, you folks have been letting me just go ahead and run things. You really don't want to do that in the long run."</p>
<p>This struck Allan as his dad being dumb in an all too familiar way. Allan had no doubt that Tom would try to steer the group towards the sort of consensus decision making process that they had often argued about. He just had to speak up. "Why not Dad?" he asked."We need a leader and you seem to know what you are doing, you've got a plan for where we're going with this. If you get too far out of line, don't worry, we'll let you know."</p>
<p>Most of the people in the room nodded their heads and murmured in agreement. But Allan knew his dad wouldn't go along with it.</p>
<p>"We'll get back to that before I'm done here—it's part of what I want to talk about. And Allan, I know you won't let me forget," replied Tom, "But before I do quit running things—and I guarantee I will—there are a few things I want to say."</p>
<p>Allan shook his head and frowned, but decided to hold off from saying anything more for the moment.</p>
<p>"I haven't made any sort of a secret of what I hope we can do here, but I've mostly talked about it in bits and pieces, and to individuals or couples rather than the whole group. I think I should run through the whole idea from top to bottom in one go, in front of you all at once, just so everyone is on the same page," Tom said. "Hmmm... now that I am faced with the task, I can see why I have been doing it in bits and pieces. Bear with me—it's a little hard to know where to start when trying to sum it all up in one go."</p>
<p>He paused for a moment, drew in a noisy breath, exhaled and then went on, "OK, maybe this will do it. There are three basic things that are behind us all being assembled here today. I sure hope that I've already made those things clear to everyone, but just in case, I guess I should go over them again. If something isn't clear, or you think I'm leaving something out, speak up."</p>
<p>Allan could tell his father thought this would be quick and easy. It seemed likely that he was in for a surprise.</p>
<p>Tom paused for a moment, taking in his audience, then continued, "So, three things."</p>
<p>"One, the collapse of our capitalistic industrial civilization."</p>
<p>"We rely on capitalism to provide us with the necessities of life, and jobs to earn the money it takes to buy them, and it is gradually failing to do either. We are seeing this first in the form of rising unemployment, lower paying and more precarious jobs, and poorer working conditions. And second, in rising prices, supply chain failures and a general decrease in the quality and variety of goods that are available, when and if they are available. Or to put it another way, we are experiencing collapse mainly as an increasing level of poverty, as the number of poor people increases and their level of poverty deepens, while the cost of living goes up. I expect all this will continue to get worse, to the point where a great many people will fall out of the bottom of our system and find themselves homeless and hungry. As many of you know personally, that has already started. Pandemics, climate change and the ongoing effort to sabotage our energy infrastructure are all contributing to the situation as well."</p>
<p>He turned to the white board and wrote, "1. Collapse is happening".</p>
<p>As he turned back to his audience, he said, "Moving on to point two—".</p>
<p>"Hang on a minute there Tom, how can you be sure that this mess isn't going to straighten itself out?" asked Terry MacKenzie. Alan knew him as a retired dental hygienist and amateur potter—a nice old guy who Alan quite liked.</p>
<p>"If you mean 'sure' in an absolute sense, Terry," answered Tom, "then of course I am not that sure. But I am pretty damned sure."</p>
<p>"But the economy has been in trouble before," said Terry, "and it has always recovered."</p>
<p>"Actually, that's part of why I am so sure," said Tom. "I don't believe what's wrong at the moment is a matter of the economy being just temporarily out of whack.</p>
<p>"Capitalism is inherently a cannibalistic system—it eats up the very things it relies on for its continued operation. Over the last few hundred years it has gone from crisis to crisis, running up against one set of limits after another and always finding ways around them. Some people think that this can go on forever. I don't agree.</p>
<p>"These days capitalism has pretty much taken over the whole world, depleted natural resources to the point where they can no longer be exploited profitably, depleted human resources to the point where families and society are breaking down and depleted political resources to the point where governments are having difficulty maintaining the systems that makes capitalism itself possible. It seems that capitalism—'business as usual'—has nowhere left to turn. It has finally hit the wall."</p>
<p>"But surely there is some way to reform capitalism so that can get it back on track," said Mark MacKenzie, Terry's husband, a retired lawyer, an avid gardener and a banjo player who was part of the bluegrass group Alan was putting together.</p>
<p>"Well," said Tom, "the present problems are the result of faults that are inherent to the system. The social democracies of the late twentieth century tried to regulate the excesses of capitalism, and they succeeded to some extent, but <i>not</i> completely. And now they have pretty much all been replaced by populist right wing governments who are controlled by the capitalists, who don't want to be regulated or reformed. So, I don't have much hope for that as an overall solution. On the other hand some communities, like the one we are trying to set up here, may manage to reorganize themselves in revolutionary ways so as to get away from the problems of capitalism."</p>
<p>So far, the questions were the kind that Tom was used to fielding, and while it was clear that Terry had surprised him, it didn't look to Allan like it was really bothering him.</p>
<p>"Tom, I have no trouble with the idea that collapse is going to happen," said Jim MacGregor, a retired machinist who had arrived a week before with a pretty complete machine shop stowed in a trailer behind his pickup truck. "And from your blog I know you think it is going to happen slowly. But why slow? I would have thought that once collapse gets started, it will go hard and fast."</p>
<p>"Jim, I've tossed that one back and forth with many other bloggers and kollapsnik friends over the last decade or two ," replied Tom, "and to a large extent it depends on what you means by slow and fast. Days, weeks, months, years, decades? I believe we started collapsing almost 60 years ago, with the energy shocks caused by OPEC in the earlier 1970s. And I'd say we've got another decade or two at least before the process is complete. I've met people who call that a fast collapse and others that think it's really slow."</p>
<p>"Christ," said Jim, "if that isn't slow, I don't know what would be."</p>
<p>"Still, it's only 7 or 8 decades," said Tom. "Rome took several hundred years to collapse and it was a much smaller entity than our current global civilization. Define the speed of collapse as you will, but there are three things I've observed that are beyond doubt:</p>
<p>"One, collapse proceeds unevenly in a geographical sense. Things fall apart in one area while continuing along as usual in others. </p>
<p>"Two, it proceeds unsteadily in a chronological sense. Things decline quickly for a short period of time, then stay the same or even improve somewhat for a long time after that.</p>
<p>"And three, collapse proceeds unequally in the social or 'class' sense, usually hurting the middle and lower classes far more than the one percent at the top.</p>
<p>"All this makes it hard to see that collapse is really happening and it leads people to put off preparing for it, leaving them even more susceptible to it when it happens to them.</p>
<p>"But speaking in an overall sense, things really do go slower than you might expect. Shaky as our society is, it has a lot of momentum and a big majority of people who are trying to keep it going, with a lot of resources devoted to the job. So when things start to decline rapidly, measures are taken to stop it. Even if they don't succeed and there is a local collapse, things tend to get put back together, at least to some extent.</p>
<p>"And so far, collapse has been confined to small enough areas that help has always been available from outside. Or sometimes, when we in the developed countries don't really care much about the affected area, we just conveniently forget about it. The news cycle is short and it moves on. Ask people in New Orleans or Syria."</p>
<p>Unlike his father (and Jim, evidently) Allan wasn't any sort of "kollapsnik", but he did have a lot of personal experience with the decline his Dad was talking about, and while he wasn't sure about Tom's ideology, pragmatically speaking he was ready to go where Tom lead, especially if the food was good and there was a warm place to sleep.</p>
<p>"What do you think about the sabotage that's been going on the last couple of years?" asked Jim.</p>
<p>"I sympathize with the people who are doing it, whoever they are," said Tom. "We're doing nothing about climate change and other insults to the biosphere. We're making no attempt to conserve non-renewable resources. These folks are frustrated by the lack of action. But we have a great deal invested in fossil fuel infrastructure, much of which needs to be abandoned, and it isn't going to be abandoned as long as it's making money for the people who own it. It would be much easier to abandon if it was in a mess, and making that mess is clearly the aim of the saboteurs.</p>
<p>"This is definitely making things decline faster, and the current depression is part of that. Some would argue that a fast collapse is preferable since it quickly gets rid of the old institutions that are holding us back, and it would bring to a halt the damage that is being done to the biosphere and the remaining stocks of non-renewable resources.</p>
<p>"On the other hand, a slow collapse would kill at lot fewer people since it gives us more time to clue in and start adapting—to develop and implement strategies while the resources supplied by civilization are still available. So, personally, I'd prefer not to speed collapse up any further—coping with it a the current rate is going to be challenging enough."</p>
<p>"I suspect that without that sabotage we wouldn't be here, trying to adapt," said Jim with a chuckle. "Just one more question—why do you think humanity can even hope to survive this at all?"</p>
<p>"Well, that's my next point, actually" said Tom. "Point Two, adaptation is possible."</p>
<p>"I won't deny that extinction is a possibility, especially on an individual level—when our current system quits supporting them, a lot of people will be taken by surprise, and many of them just aren't going to make it" said Tom. "But I also maintain that at least some of us are going to make a successful adaptation. To do that, we need to find an area that is likely to miss the worst of climate change (like here in the Great Lakes basin) and the worst of civil unrest (like here in Southwestern Ontario), and set up in a specific location with the resources needed to allow us to be self sufficient—rainfall, ground water, topsoil, existing forests, junk yards to salvage from and so forth (like this area here in Inverpen township)—so we don't have to rely on a system that is falling apart. Given that none of these things are that hard to do, some of us will likely manage it."</p>
<p>Tom turned to the white board and wrote, "2. Adaptation is possible".
And on the next line, "Self-sufficiency and salvage."</p>
<p>"I hear people saying that there is no hope," said Jane Cook, "that it would it be better to enjoy the best of what civilization has left to offer and then go out with a bang."</p>
<p>Jane was a woman in her early forties who had been introduced to Allan as a psychologist and counselor, specializing in PTSD and trauma therapy.</p>
<p>"Well, I suspect that if you really thought that, you wouldn't be here," replied Tom with a smile. "But from one sort of viewpoint it is a fair enough question, I guess.</p>
<p>Allan could tell that his dad didn't really think it was fair at all—this was exactly the kind of thinking that got under Tom's skin.</p>
<p>"And for a while yet, you could probably fiddle while Rome burns, so to speak, if you happen to have the financial resources to support such a lifestyle. But eventually, things are going to get a lot worse. That stage won't be much fun, and it will likely last long enough to be something you'd want to avoid—you'd be going out not with a bang, but a long wimper or perhaps an extended scream. That's why I am here, doing this, instead."</p>
<p>"Well, Tom," Jane said, "I was thinking more along the line that the kind of life we face here might be something to avoid. I've heard people say they'd rather die than go back to the Middle Ages. And death is always an option."</p>
<p>"Well, Jane, a deliberate descent to the Middle Ages is not what I'm planning—this is not a reenactment of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dies_the_Fire"><i>Dies the Fire</i></a>," said Tom. "We'll be aiming to support an early twentieth century level of technology. I will admit that even that will take some getting used to, for people who've been living with the internet for most of their lives."</p>
<p>Alan knew that what his father meant by early twentieth century technology was electricity. As an electrician he expected to play a big role in setting that up, and he was eager to get at it. But he wondered why Jane was giving his dad such a hard time about this.</p>
<p>"And there you bring us to the heart of the problem," said Jane. "These days even many homeless people have a smart phone and can get free wi-fi for an internet fix when they want one. We are all dependent on the internet to some extent, and it's so darned useful that it is hard to argue against it, or imagine doing without."</p>
<p>"Well, that's for us to decide as a group in the weeks to come," said Tom.</p>
<p>"Good, it will be interesting to see what we decide" replied Jane. "And Tom, I hope you know I'm just giving you the gears here. You've asked me to serve as counselor for this group, since we are both expecting the people will have some trouble adapting to our new lifestyle. And I think that is definitely going to be the case. Though actually, looking around this room, I'm pretty impressed—none of us have been checking our phones since we sat down here. So maybe there is hope."</p>
<p>"I think there is Jane," Tom replied. "And I'm hoping the loss of twenty-first century conveniences will be compensated for by getting away from the trials of capitalism and wage slavery. But I do suspect many of us will find need of your help. And there will be others, yet to arrive, who will have had some harrowing experiences on their way here, and will need your help in coping with that trauma."</p>
<p>"I'm beginning to wonder if I'll be the first person to need my help," said Jane. "It's a lot to take in." </p>
<p>"Indeed it is," said Tom. "Anyway, time to move on to my third point: adaptation is best approached as a communal effort."</p>
<p>"It's clear to me that attaining a significant degree of self-sufficiency is best done as a group effort," said Tom. "Looking around the room, I can see that we already have a set of skills and experiences that no one person or even one couple could ever hope to have. There are many ways to organize a group like this, but regardless of which one we chose, a group it must be."</p>
<p>He turned to the white board, and wrote, " Self-sufficiency—a community effort".</p>
<p>At this point Allan was a little surprised to hear his wife Erica speak up. "Tom, people are hard creatures to get along with. Do you really think putting up with all the interpersonal drama is going to be worth it?"</p>
<p>"I know what you mean, Erica," said Tom, "and I feel the same. Very few of us have had the opportunity to try this sort of a living situation. It's going to be a learning experience, and it will take some effort. But, yes, I think that it will definitely be worth it.</p>
<p>"Still, you are right to be concerned. If you look at the history of intentional communities, what you'll see is a lot of failures. Why? Well, several reasons. The single biggest one is that they were often based on magical thinking, the childish idea that if you want something badly enough, you'll get it. And many of the people involved rejected the sort of counting, measuring, calculating and planning that they connected with business—which was exactly what they were trying to get away from. This meant that they were very poorly organized."</p>
<p>"A bunch of hippies, you mean" said Erika.</p>
<p>"More or less," said Tom with a grin. "But another important factor was that they didn't really need the thing to succeed. They had the option of quitting and going back to regular society when the going got tough. We, on the other hand, really need to make this work.</p>
<p>"Some of you may be aware that I am on record as believing that intentional communities are a bad idea. But that was in a <a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2018/07/preparing-for-collapse-few-rants.html">bog post</a> that I wrote about twelve years ago, and a number of things have changed, mainly due to the depression. At that time farm land was extremely expensive, now some of it can be had for back taxes. Most people still had jobs back then, and would have been foolish to leave them, where now unemployment is at a ninety year high and most of us here, if we're not retired, are out of work.</p>
<p>"That puts the idea of an intentional community in a much different light, and that's why I have invited you all here. I am optimistic that we can make this work. We all have similar political leanings—we're flaming commies, to put it bluntly—and that should make it easier to agree on how we're going to organize our community."</p>
<p>A tall, skinny fellow cleared his throat and said, "We just got here today and in case the introductions didn't stick, my name is Wilf Janes—Wilf the Welder, they call me. I am, as you say, a leftist. But I have to wonder, Tom—why you think a little group like this can do any better than the whole of capitalism?"</p>
<p>Allan saw Wilf as a potential friend, but this worried him. He didn't think that Tom had had enough time alone with Wilf to arrange this question, but it sure did lead in the direction he knew his father wanted to go.</p>
<p>"Now we'll never get him stopped, "Allan said quietly to his wife Erika who was sitting next to him.</p>
<p>Tom, who had clearly heard Allan, gave him a cold stare, with one eyebrow raised in question.</p>
<p>Allan put up his hands, palms out, and shook his head—an indication that he didn't want to fight. Not yet, anyway....</p>
<p>"Well... ," Tom went on, "I'm not a fan of capitalism. It's only goal is to make rich people richer. It doesn't have a purpose as far as the rest of us go, except to the extent that it can exploit us in one way or another. And it certainly isn't even trying to fix the problems we're concerned about. As I said a moment ago, it tends to cannibalize the very resources it's dependent on, and because of that it just goes from crisis to crisis. Like the present one. So that sets the bar pretty low."</p>
<p>"Sure," said Wilf, "but I hope you've got more up your sleeve than that."</p>
<p>"Oh, I do," replied Tom. "What I'm thinking of is the power of co-operation and sharing. What is often called mutual aid."</p>
<p>He wrote again on the board: "Mutual Aid, Sharing, Co-operation"</p>
<p>"Doesn't sound like much," said Wilf.</p>
<p>"More than you might think," replied Tom. "We're all used to living in a capitalistic society, where we are urged to compete for artificially limited resources. Mutual aid is scoffed at and its strengths are downplayed. If we all started to help each other, capitalism would lose two of the things it relies on —workers and consumers. We have got some learning to do—none of us have had much practice at this sort of thing. But we shouldn't underestimate its possibilities—a co-operative, communal organization acts as a force multiplier for its members."</p>
<p>He turned to the board and added "—Force Multiplier" to the same line.</p>
<p>"For most of our existence as human beings we lived together in small egalitarian groups. Everyone contributed to the extent of their abilities, and were supported to the extent of their needs and the ability of the community to do so. If that sounds familiar, it's a paraphrase of Marx and a description of primitive communism. This was, and is still, a very effective way of organizing small communities. It allowed our relatively small, slow, and weak species to spread over most of the world and occupy a slot at the top of the food chain."</p>
<p>"Actually, I can accept that," said Wilf. "but people aren't equal, so what's this egalitarian thing?"</p>
<p>"People <i>are</i> all different from one another, and it can be pretty hard to say who is better or worse, given that the situation at hand is always changing," said Tom. "But by equal I mean that each member of this group will have equal rights and privileges and an equal voice in our councils. Also, following that communistic ideal, this won't be strict equality—those who need more will get more, and those who are more capable will give more. And just in case there is any doubt, this is regardless of age, gender, race, sexual preferences or anything else that people can find as an excuse to base a prejudice on."</p>
<p>On the board Tom wrote: "Egalitarian Groups, Primitive Communism—from each... to each..."</p>
<p>Turning back to his audience, Tom said, "Actually, I think we are teetering on the edge of the next major area I want to cover. So maybe this would be a good time for a break and perhaps a stretch and some fresh air. Let's take 15 minutes and when we come back, I'll go over some of the specifics of how I hope this is going to work."</p>
<p>Allan checked the time on his phone and quickly set an alarm for 15 minutes. Standing up, he turned to Erika and said, "let's go outside."</p>
<p>"I see your mom heading for the kitchen," she replied. "I think I should give her a hand."</p>
<p>"OK," said Allan, "See you in a bit."
<hr>
<p>Coming soon, The Porcupine Sage, Part 5, One Last Lecture, Part 2</p>
<h2><br />Links to the rest of this series of posts: <br />
The Porcupine Saga</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-porcupine-saga-part-1.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 1: A Celebration at Porcupine, Allan Harper, July 21, 2040</a>, published February 24, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-porcupine-saga-when-lights-went-out.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 2: When The Lights Went Out, Part 1, Will Harper, Wednesday, July 19, 2028</a>, published April 30, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/05/the-porcupine-saga-part-3-when-lights.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 3: When The Lights Went Out, Part 2, Will Harper, Thursday, July 20, 2028</a>, published May 16, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-porcupine-saga-part-4-one-last.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 4: One Last Lecture, Part 1, Allan Harper, early afternoon, Tuesday, April 9, 2030</a>; published September 25, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-porcupine-saga-part-5-one-last.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 5, One Last Lecture, Part 2; Allan Harper, late afternoon, Tuesday, April 9, 2030</a>; October 12, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-porcupine-saga-part-6-sign-above.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 6, The Sign Above Our Gate; Allan Harper, late afternoon, Tuesday, April 9, 2030</a>; published October 12, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-porcupine-sage-part-7-when-we-met.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 7, When We Met Jack;</a> Will Harper, late afternoon, Saturday July 21, 2040; Allan Harper, morning, Wednesday, April 10, 2030; published January 16, 2024</li>
</ul> Irv Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08030800457536589003noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2848841213670110129.post-17595131159178669052023-05-16T15:33:00.008-04:002024-01-16T21:19:53.050-05:00The Porcupine Saga, Part 3: When The Lights Went Out, Part 2<p><b>Will Harper, Thursday, July 20, 2028</b></p>
<p>In the middle of the night Will woke up with a full bladder. As usual he took care of that without needing to turn on a light and disturb Sue, but on the way back to bed he realized the attic fan wasn't running. He flicked on the bathroom light, just to confirm his suspicion. Nothing—the power was out again. But he was only half awake and said to himself, <i>fuck it until morning, it's probably just a hiccup in the process of getting the provincial grid pieced back together, anyway</i>.</p>
<p>In the morning the lights were still out. Coming back from the bathroom, Will sat on the edge of the bed, picked up his cell phone from the night stand and called Joe.</p>
<p>"'lectrical Maintenance. Joe speakin'."</p>
<p>"Hi Joe, it's Will Harper again. What's up with the power outage?"</p>
<p>"You won't believe this one," Joe replied, "All but two of the tower lines leaving the Bruce site fell down in the wind last night. Several towers down in a row on each line, just a couple of miles off site. Hell of a mess."</p>
<p>"I didn't think it was that big a wind," said Will.</p>
<p>"It wasn't," said Joe, "it appears that all the towers that went down were sabotaged so they'd fall in even a moderate wind."</p>
<p>"Shit!"</p>
<p>"It gets worse," said Joe, "same thing happened at Pickering and Darlington, and at three of the ties to the US. And the event in Quebec that started yesterday's outage now appears to have been sabotage too."</p>
<p>"Wow, you folks have got your work cut out for you," said Will, "any guess as to when you'll be turning the province back on?"</p>
<p>"Well, some areas are going to be out longer than others," said Joe. "And with all those 230KV and 500KV lines out and the nukes disconnected from the system, we'll be relying mainly on hydro power and at this time of year there is a limited amount of water available. So we're asking all industrial customers to stay shut down for the duration and there'll be rotating black outs for many residential areas.</p>
<p>"The good news is Unit 8 at Bruce B didn't trip off and is running on condense now, heating the lake while waiting to be connected to some load. The tower lines to Owen Sound and Hanover are still standing, and there are ties to the rest of the system from there. That nuke unit can't respond quickly to changes in load, so we need to get some more dispatchable generation on line as well before we can turn any lights back on. Combustion turbines, natural gas units and/or hydraulic units would do. Even then, though, there still won't be enough generation to carry much load, so we'll have to leave most people turned off, and the system, such as it is, will be pretty unstable. It'll stay like that until we get some of the big lines back up to connect more nuclear units to the system."</p>
<p>"So, what are we talking here—days... weeks?" asked Will.</p>
<p>"For this end of the province, where the load is light, probably a day or so," replied Joe. "But expect random interruptions for weeks after that, until we get the downed lines back in service. As soon as the power does come on, I'd stock up on gasoline for that generator of yours."</p>
<p>"Sounds like a good idea, Joe," said Will. "And other things as well—this is going to play hell with supply chains."</p>
<p>"That's not in my wheelhouse," said Joe, "but yeah, things are going to be a mess for the next few weeks."</p>
<p>"Well, I guess I should let you go," said Will, "try not to work too hard."</p>
<p>"Right now I'm just sitting here in my Hydro truck, looking at the mess," said Joe, "but before long we're going to get real busy. Talk to you later."</p>
<p>"Later."</p>
<p>Will was outright shocked. Nothing like this had ever happened before, and it blew his feeling of having things under control right out of the water. He got dressed in something of a daze, joined Sue down stairs in the kitchen, and told her the news.</p>
<p>"Wow, that's quite a disaster, if I read it right," she said.</p>
<p>"I think you do," said Will. "Gas stations and grocery stores are the first worry. The minute the power comes back on, we need to get out and get stocked up on quite a few things."</p>
<p>"OK, sounds good. You think any of the stores will try to open up without power?" she asked.</p>
<p>"Maybe so, or they might have generators," answered Will. "We should scare up some breakfast and then go see what's what with Inverpen's retailers."</p>
<p>"You want to set up the Coleman stove out on the deck and I'll cook us some breakfast or do you plan to start up the generator right away?" she asked.</p>
<p>"I'll get the generator going and cool down the freezers and fridge. The generator will run the microwave too, and oatmeal is good enough for me." Will said.</p>
<p>"OK, I'll get the oatmeal ready to go and check on the ice in the fridge. Maybe put some more bottles of water in the freezer to freeze."</p>
<p>A repeat performance of the afternoon before ensued. Will had just gotten the generator running, and was wondering what to do about his neighbours when Rick Brown from across the street showed up, with an extension cord in hand.</p>
<p>"Mornin' Will," Rick said.</p>
<p>"Mornin' Rick," said Will. "Can I lend you some electrons?"</p>
<p>"You'll just want me to give them back right away."</p>
<p>"That is the way it works," said Will with a chuckle. Rick was a retired highschool shop teacher, one of the few people around that Will could swap electrical jokes with. "You hear what's going on with the power outage?"</p>
<p>"They've been talking about it on the radio," answered Rick, "sabotage, lines down just outside all the nuclear stations?"</p>
<p>"Yeah, that's about it," said Will. "I've been thinking that I probably should be taking steps to make the gas I've got stored in my shed last longer."</p>
<p>"Hell, it's your generator, I'm just along for the ride, and glad to get it." said Rick, "What are you thinking of?"</p>
<p>"Well, if we only run the generator for a couple of hours in the morning and the same in the evening, it would help a lot," said Will. "That would keep the freezers cold and allow us to use them to make ice to use in our refrigerators. Normally a fridge warms up in a couple of hours after the power goes out, but if you put a few plastic jugs of ice in it, it'll stay cold while the generator is off in the middle of the day and at night. If you don't stand around with the door open, anyway."</p>
<p>"Sounds good to me," said Rick. "How long will your supply of gas last if you do it that way?"</p>
<p>"Well," said Will, "that will be interestng to see. The gas tank on this generator holds 20 liters, and it's rated to run 8 hours at half load on those 20 liters. It's a 5500 watt generator, so half load is 2250 watts. I'm talking about running it 4 hours a day, and I don't expect to every use close to that much power, so let's assume we get 12 hours from a tank, at a guess. That's 3 days per tank of fuel. I've got 3 jerry cans full of gas, 20 liters each, and an empty one I hope to fill up today. So, along with the gas that's in the machine, that would be 15 days altogether. More if we don't use too much power."</p>
<p>"OK, how much power does a fridge or freezer use?" asked Rick.</p>
<p>"Depending on the size, between 100 and 150 watts, running" replied Will. " Quite a bit more while starting, but that surge only lasts for seconds. I've got a fridge and two freezers, which use around 350 watts if they are all running together. But they don't run continuously, of course—they shut down once they get cold enough and start again when they warm up. And Sue's using the microwave right now, which is 900 watts, but it'll only be on for a few minutes."</p>
<p>"We've got a fridge and a freezer," said Rick, "and I may hook some lights up in the evening."</p>
<p>"Me too," said Will. "One thing—be sure not to try to liven up your whole house, say with a double male extension cord. If you forget to open your main breaker, you'll by trying to liven up the whole system. Probably trip my generator off, but it can be pretty hard on any linemen who happen to be working at the time."</p>
<p>"And if I don't forget?" asked Rick.</p>
<p>"It's still against code, but on your head be it," said Will. "Really though, anything you want to run, just unplug it from the receptacle it's plugged into now and plug it into the end of that cord. I see it's a triple ended cord, so that should be good enough. Anything that's wired in solid rather than plugged in, I can show you how to put it on a plug and receptacle so you can easily switch it over to the generator. Someday down the road you might want to get a transfer switch installed."</p>
<p>"Yeah, this'll be fine, for now" said Rick. "So you're expecting to be without power for over two weeks?"</p>
<p>"Well, you know, my buddy in the switchyard crew at Bruce says they might have power back to this area in a day or two. He doesn't think it will be very stable though, lots of random outages, and maybe weeks until things are completely back to normal. How many weeks—who knows."</p>
<p>"Pretty hard to plan a response when you have no idea what's coming," said Rick.</p>
<p>"Yep," said Will, "in many ways, this situation poses more of a challenge than a long term outage. And with power out all over the province, I have some concerns about supply chains, like how long local supplies of fuel and food will last."</p>
<p>"So many relatively short outages, but no chance to top up your fuel supply in between?"</p>
<p>"Something like that. Groceries may be a problem too, and possibly water and sewage" said Will. "Anyway, why don't you plug that cord into my ground fault receptacle up front, just like we did yesterday."</p>
<p>"OK," said Rick, "and you just go ahead and shut down when you figure the time is right."</p>
<p>A few minutes later Will had cords run to his other two neighbours' houses and grabbed his empty jerry can from the shed. He went up front and got the spare, and currently empty, propane tank from the side deck and put them both in the back of the car. He then joined Sue inside at the breakfast table. She had a steaming bowl of oatmeal with chopped dates and a cup of coffee ready for him, just the way he liked it. </p>
<p>"Thanks, Sue," said Will, "as my bother Tom would say, you are a gem! What's on the radio?"</p>
<p>"Talk about the outage, mainly," she answered, "all kinds of speculation about who is responsible for the sabotage. Based on exactly zero facts."</p>
<p>"But no word of anyone actually being caught in the act, eh?"</p>
<p>"No, and no one claiming credit for all the damage either," answered Sue.</p>
<p>"It's early days yet," said Will, "pretty hard to keep anything this widespread secret for long."</p>
<p>"You got that right," said Sue. "So you want to drive around town and see what's open?"</p>
<p>"Yep. At the very least, I'd like to fill up the empty jerry can, the propane tank and the car too," answered Will. "And if any of the grocery stores are open, we should stock up on any basics we're short on. I guess we should do a quick inventory before we leave, and grab the emergency cash stash...."</p>
<hr>
<p>They had no problem getting gas and propane at the Co-op Gas Bar on the corner of Broadway and Queen, cash only. The Gas Bar was operated by The Country Depot, situated in back of them, which was also open, generator purring away in the background. The Circle K convenience store, kitty corner across from the Gas Bar was open too and glad to take cash for a 4 litre bag of milk. As long as supplies lasted. And they too had a generator running, so the milk was cold.</p>
<p>A short cruise down the main street revealed no open stores, so they headed out to the mall. Nobody there was open either. It sounded like No Frills had a generator running to keep their coolers and freezers working, but their doors were locked, and a hand lettered sign said they weren't ready to try selling anything without a working internet connection.</p>
<p>Out on the highway, Sobies, Inverpen's other supermarket, was also closed, as were Canadian Tire, RONA and Home hardware, along with all the other retailers and restaurants in that part of town. </p>
<p>Back home an hour later, Will sat on his side deck and mulled over the mixed results of their retail survey. It occurred to him that none of Inverpen's three pharmacies were open. Fortunately neither he nor Sue had an prescriptions that need to be filled right away. But it would no doubt be a problem for some people. Still, if the power came back on in a day or two, with the stores open and deliveries coming in from out of town, none of this would be insurmountable. <i>That's a pretty big if, though</i>, thought Will.</p>
<p>His brother Tom always said, "the only question you ever have to answer is what to do next."</p>
<p>Well, he needed to shut off the generator soon, and then put up some sort of tent over it so he could leave it out and running if it started to rain. Then he felt an urge to organize some sort of get together with his neighbours, maybe a pot luck or "stone soup" supper. But first, it would be good to see what Tom thought about all this.</p>
<p>Tom answered on the third ring, "Hi Will, how's it going?"</p>
<p>"To hell in a hand basket, seems like," replied Will.</p>
<p>"Maybe so," said Tom, "but are you and Sue OK?"</p>
<p>"Oh, we're fine," said Will, "you and Karen ?"</p>
<p>"We're good," said Tom. "we talked to the kids and they seem to be coping. The power is off, but our generator is working, we've got lots of gas and food—we're hardly even inconvenienced."</p>
<p>"Same here. Most of the stores are closed for now." said Will. "But Joe Manelli at Hydro One says they should have the power back on in a day or two around here."</p>
<p>"OK, so what does Joe say about the sabotage?"</p>
<p>"You've heard about the sabotage?" asked Will</p>
<p>"Yeah, I have my sources," said Tom.</p>
<p>"Joe says most of the tower lines are down just outside all of our nuke plants, and at the main ties to the States, as well" said Will.</p>
<p>"Yes and I understand something similar is happening in the States, and that some of the oil and gas pipelines in both countries have been hit as well," said Tom.</p>
<p>"That so? Sounds like it's even worse than I thought," said Will.</p>
<p>"You've always been an optimist, little brother," said Tom, "so, yeah, probably."</p>
<p>"Ha, ha," replied Will, "what's this all about anyway—why the sabotage, and why now?"</p>
<p>"Looks like some people finally lost patience with the lack of action on climate change and other environmental problems," said Tom.</p>
<p>"And this is going to solve those problems?" said Will, his voice rising with disbelief.</p>
<p>"Well, there is a lot of money sunk in the infrastructure for fossil fuels and consumer culture, and it's still making the owners a lot of money, even though it's fucking up the planet in the process," said Tom. "The argument goes that we'll never change until we're forced to abandon that investment. Like by having it sabotaged repeatedly, and eventually rendered unprofitable."</p>
<p>"Repeatedly?" ask Will, "you mean this is likely to happen again after we get things pieced back together?"</p>
<p>"There are lots of targets that haven't been hit yet, so it seems likely that it will keep on happening," said Tom, "and then, yes, when stuff get's fixed it's likely to be hit again, and again. Maybe until we give up on fixing it. Not my idea and not something I support, but there are a lot of people who have had it up to here with business as usual."</p>
<p>"That sounds pretty extreme," said Will, "isn't there something that could be done to stop the sabotage?"</p>
<p>"You spent your whole career in the utility business, Will," said Tom, "you know how spread out and exposed all of our energy infrastructure is, and how many people it would take to post a guard on all of it, right?"</p>
<p>"I'll give you that Tom," replied Will, "And I guess if you can't guard the whole length of a pipeline or power line, there's little point in guarding it at all. The saboteurs would just find an unguarded section and do their thing there. Tough and expensive to find competent guards, too."</p>
<p>"Exactly," said Tom, "If there is any hope of stopping this, it's in finding the people who are doing the sabotage and putting them in jail. Eventually they'll trip up and give themselves away, but who knows how long that will take."</p>
<p>"So far they have been pretty quiet," Will said. "which unfortunately is a good first step towards not getting caught."</p>
<p>"Not much we can do about that anyway," said Tom. "I am more worried about how the economy is going to react the shock."</p>
<p>"You're be thinking that this is going to lead to a recession?" asked Will.</p>
<p>"Damn right," said Tom, "more likely a depression, and a long one. We've been teetering on the edge of one since the first couple of years of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I think this may push us over the edge. The economy runs on energy and energy systems are what's being hit."</p>
<p>"Yeah, I can see that," said Will, "So the economy will slow down and businesses will close. Lots of people will lose their jobs, and have no money to spend, and it will snowball."</p>
<p>"Yes, all that will likely happen," said Tom, "but you know what really scares me?"</p>
<p>"No," said Will, "what?"</p>
<p>"The system we've set up to supply us with the necessities of life. Energy for sure, but also water, food, medicines, clothing, housing, you name it. There's two issues really. One is the fragility of the production facilities and supply chains. All highly exposed to sabotage. And also hugely dependent on a reliable supply of electricity and diesel fuel at a reasonable price. Not too say raw materials and spare parts that come from far away...."</p>
<p>"Isn't that enough of a problem?" said Will. "What's this second issue?"</p>
<p>"Well, we've let capitalism take over the responsibility for supplying us with all this stuff," said Tom. "The whole system is owned and operated by capitalists. Even though we are totally dependent on them, they aren't in business for our benefit—their only goal is profit. During a depression, as business becomes less profitable they will do a poorer job until finally they just quit. With no thought as to the consequences for the rest of us."</p>
<p>"The 'poorer job' consisting of higher prices, lower quality, less variety and worse service until they finally shut down altogether," said Will, "I've been reading your blog for years, Tom. And I think you've got things figured out just about right. But as you always say, the only thing that matters now is what do we do next. So, uh, what do we do next?"</p>
<p>"Well, what we need to do is adapt to the changes that are coming," said Tom. " First we need to cope with capitalism in crisis, as it gradually crumbles. While we're living through that, we need to be planning ahead for when they finally give up, and have something ready to replace them."</p>
<p>"A bit late to start preparing at this point, isn't it?" asked Will.</p>
<p>"No, I don't think so," said Tom."Fortunately, things aren't going to fall apart all at once, not everywhere, and not for all people. Some particularly unlucky people will be hit really hard—some already have been, for years now, in some parts of the world. But most people not so much. Their power will be out for a few days, they'll be scraping the bottom of their pantry before the grocery stores open, and their gas tanks will be empty. And then it will be back to something like normal for a while.</p>
<p>"For the sharp ones this will be a wakeup call—the incentive they need to get them working on adaptation. I intend to be one of those people and I imagine you will too. Those who don't catch on during this first pass will be given repeated opportunities to do so. And of course there will be some who, years from now, decades maybe, are still saying, 'just another year or so and everything will be back to normal.'"</p>
<p>"All that's pretty abstract," said Will. "what the hell can I do today?"</p>
<p>"Well, the power is off and most stores are closed," said Tom, "so for the moment you're stuck with the preparations you've already done. You can put those preps to work, take notes on how they work, and what you'd like to change or add when you can. I imagine we'll all decide we need deeper pantries, more gas on hand for our generators, maybe some solar panels. So far the municipal water and sewage are working, but we should probably make sure we are ready for those services to fail as well."</p>
<p>"We've still got the composting toilet you left when you sold us this place," said Will. "And the jugs of water in the root cellar. I even change out the water regularly. We've got a small stash of cash, but so far hardly any place to spend it. So I'm thinking that maybe not so important..."</p>
<p>"Now you're getting closer to the crux of this — you can't rely on capitalism so much for what you need," said Tom, "Get more skeptical about any solution that consists mainly of buying things. Get used to living without shopping and most of the other forms of canned entertainment the we've all grown so used to."</p>
<p>"That will be a big change, and a hard one," said Will.</p>
<p>"Damn right. I know old collapsniks whose houses are full of 'preps'. Prepping is what they've been doing for fun for years now. That stuff might last them a year or two at best," said Tom. "Then what are they going to do? They don't even know the people next door to them."</p>
<p>"I guess it's time to reach out to our neighbours and start working on the mutual aid thing," said Will. "I've been thinking about inviting some of the people around here to supper tonight. Also got to put a tarp over the generator."</p>
<p>"Is it going to rain any time soon?" asked Tom.</p>
<p>"Doesn't look like it," answered Will.</p>
<p>"Then I'd say talk that supper over with Sue and if she's keen, go do the inviting first," said Tom. "When you've got a crowd gathered, and you've just filled their stomachs, you can probably get some help with putting that tarp up. Might be the start of a more long term solution."</p>
<p>"You know, I think you're right. I should get going on that," said Will, "And I should let you go so you can do something similar. 'Bye for now."</p>
<p>"'Bye Will."</p>
<hr>
<p><b>Will Harper, Saturday, July 21, 2040</b></p>
<p>"Anyway, we did have a big pot of 'stone soup' that night, with a dozen of our neighbours contributing. The start of a mutual aid project that is a whole other story," said Will Harper, wrapping up the story he'd been telling Alan.</p>
<p>"Well, I'd like to hear that story," said Alan, "but it will have to wait for another day, if you're going to get that tour."</p>
<p>"We can get to the tour in a minute," said Will. "But first, I've got to ask you a question."</p>
<p>"Yes?"</p>
<p>"The sign over your gateway out there—it looks like a cave painting. What's that all about?"</p>
<p>Alan laughed out loud, "It's a reminder of something that happened when we'd only been here a few weeks, and many of us think we ought never forget. The first bunch of us were all moved in, the truck unloaded and taken back to the rental place, and we were sitting around talking, trying to figure out where we were headed. I guess you could say I stuck my foot in it and Dad kinda flipped...."</p>
<p>Coming soon, The Porcupine Sage, Part 4: The Sign Above Our Gate, Alan Harper, Tuesday, April 9, 2030</p>
<h2><br />Links to the rest of this series of posts: <br />
The Porcupine Saga</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-porcupine-saga-part-1.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 1: A Celebration at Porcupine, Allan Harper, July 21, 2040</a>, published February 24, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-porcupine-saga-when-lights-went-out.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 2: When The Lights Went Out, Part 1, Will Harper, Wednesday, July 19, 2028</a>, published April 30, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/05/the-porcupine-saga-part-3-when-lights.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 3: When The Lights Went Out, Part 2, Will Harper, Thursday, July 20, 2028</a>, published May 16, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-porcupine-saga-part-4-one-last.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 4: One Last Lecture, Part 1, Allan Harper, early afternoon, Tuesday, April 9, 2030</a>; published September 25, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-porcupine-saga-part-5-one-last.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 5, One Last Lecture, Part 2; Allan Harper, late afternoon, Tuesday, April 9, 2030</a>; October 12, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-porcupine-saga-part-6-sign-above.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 6, The Sign Above Our Gate; Allan Harper, late afternoon, Tuesday, April 9, 2030</a>; published October 12, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-porcupine-sage-part-7-when-we-met.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 7, When We Met Jack;</a> Will Harper, late afternoon, Saturday July 21, 2040; Allan Harper, morning, Wednesday, April 10, 2030; published January 16, 2024</li>
</ul>
Irv Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08030800457536589003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2848841213670110129.post-13421877646693360462023-04-30T15:32:00.010-04:002024-01-16T21:21:42.201-05:00The Porcupine Saga, Part 2: When The Lights Went Out, Part 1<p><b>Will Harper, Wednesday, July 19, 2028</b></p>
<p>Another drop of sweat ran off Will Harper's brow and into his right eye. He straightened up and leaned on his hoe while running a finger tip through the eye to get rid of the sweat, reducing the stinging to a tolerable level.</p>
<p>It was as hot as Will could remember it ever being in Inverpen, with not even a hint of a breeze off Lake Huron for relief. He still had ten feet left to weed in the row of beans, and as Co-ordinator for the Community Garden, he felt he had to set a good example, keeping the weeds down in his own plot. <i>So damn hot, though</i>.</p>
<p>He set the hoe down and walked to where his water bottle sat in the shade by the fence. He took a good swig of the not very cold water and splashed the last of it on his face. Somewhat refreshed, he picked up the hoe again, did a quick and dirty weeding of the remainder of the row, and decided that the rest of the plot could wait for a cooler day, hopefully soon to come. He locked the gate behind him, put the hoe away in the barn and set off up the hill for home.</p>
<p>Normally he would have taken the walking path along the river, but he had his heart set on a colder drink than lukewarm water, likely available at a coffee shop downtown. So instead of the path under the bridge, he continued up the park's laneway and turned right onto Queen St. It wasn't far to Inverpen's four block downtown. Something didn't seem right and it took Will a moment to figure it out. The town's main street boasted four traffic lights, all visible from where he stood, and none of them were on. A power outage of some sort was in progress, it seemed. The Community Garden didn't have power, so he had no idea when this had started.</p>
<p>He continued up the street to the second intersection and first traffic light. Traffic wasn't heavy and people seemed to be doing a good job of applying the "treat a dead traffic light like a four way stop" rule, but he paused anyway and then crossed gingerly, not wanting to be the first exception. Huron Beans, a coffee shop that he frequented regularly was only a few doors down on the west side of the street, and he stepped inside.</p>
<p>"Any chance of getting a cold drink?" he asked the young woman behind the counter.</p>
<p>"They're in the cooler behind you," she replied, "better get one while they are still cold—the power's off. And we can only take cash, nothing else is working."</p>
<p>"OK." He picked a bottle of still icy cold Diet Coke from the cooler, and fished in his pocket for some change. "How long's the power been off?"</p>
<p>"Since around three, about half an hour ago," she answered. "And that'll be two fifty nine."</p>
<P>She looked up from the calculator app on her smart phone and opened the cash box that sat nearby on the counter.</p>
<p>Will handed her a looney and a twoney. She put them in the cash box and handed him back his change, then noted the sale on a pad that sat next to the cashbox. "The radio isn't working either," she said, indicating a battery powered radio on the shelf behind her. "Or rather, it is, but there's nothing but static on AM and FM, no local stations transmitting. Nothing from farther away either. Must be a pretty wide spread outage."</p>
<p>"Sounds like what happened in 2003 and 2025," Bill replied, dropping the change in the tip jar. "Which is good, since if that's the case, it shouldn't take long to get things back on, at least around here. Power was only out about 4 hours in 2003 and 3 hours in 2025. Do you know if phones are working?"</p>
<p>"The landline here is working—I talked to the boss about how to set up to take cash and keep paper records," she said. "Haven't tried my cell phone yet."</p>
<p>"I'll try mine, and see if I can find out what's going on." Will pulled his smart phone out of his shirt pocket and called Joe, foreman of the crew at Hydro One that Will had worked on before he retired.</p>
<p>Joe answered quickly with " 'lectrical Maintenace. Joe speakin'."</p>
<p>"Hi Joe. It's Will Harper, what's up with the outage?"</p>
<p>"Hi Will, can't talk long, we're just arranging to turn things back on. Another system stability outage, like in 1965, 2003 and 2025. Way too much air conditioning load, and we're connected directly to Quebec now. They had a hiccup and it took out the whole of the northeast. Gotta go."</p>
<p>"Thanks, Joe. Take it easy," replied Will, but Joe was already gone. To the woman behind the counter he said, "The whole of northeastern North America is out. Should be back on in a few hours, though."</p>
<p>"Good to know. We close at 4, do you think the power will be back on by then?"</p>
<p>"I wouldn't think quite that soon." Will responded, not wanting to make promises his former employer couldn't keep. "Well, I'd better be getting home. See you later."</p>
<p>"Yep, see you too," she replied as Will turned and went out the door.</p>
<p>He headed north along Queen St. and then turned left onto Durham St. The heat was starting to get to him and he felt a little shaky, so he stopped for a rest in the shade on the bench in front of the Post Office. Heat waves had grown much more common these last few years as global warming really started to take hold of things, but usually cold, deep Lake Huron moderated things quite a bit. </p>
<p><i>But not so much today</i>, thought Will. He fanned himself with his wide brimmed hat and drank his Coke. In a few minutes, he felt better and continued on his way. </p>
<p>"Hey Sue, I'm home," Will called out as he came in the front door. He proceeded through the kitchen and into the living room, where his wife Sue was relaxing on the couch reading a book. "The power is out. Another system stability outage."</p>
<p>"Yeah, I know the power's off. I brought some of bottles of ice up from the freezer and put them on the top shelf in the fridge to keep things cool," she replied. "I would have got the generator set up, but it's just too heavy to get it out of the shed."</p>
<p>"No problem," said Will, "I am heading in that direction now."</p>
<p>But first, he stopped at the fridge. A little mechanical thermometer hung from the bottom shelf and read nicely within its green zone, a few degrees below 40 Fahrenheit. Sue had rearranged things so that the three bottles of ice were on the top shelf and everything else was closer to the bottom. The temperature seemed to be holding well, but the ice would have to be changed regularly if he couldn't get the power on.</p>
<p>"Hey Sue," said Will, "that ice is really working well in the fridge."</p>
<p>"Thanks, Will," replied Sue, "even better if we can keep the door closed."</p>
<p>Will chuckled at that and headed downstairs to the basement, where he opened the disconnect switch for the electric water heater and pulled the plug for the electric clothes dryer. That finished the short list of loads too heavy for the generator. It wouldn't handle the kitchen range either, if the oven and all four elements where on at once. But he preferred to keep open the option of using one or two elements at a time.</p>
<p>Will continued through his workshop and out the back door. He smiled a little, pleased once more that house was built into the side of a hill, the main floor at the level of the front yard and the basement at level of the back yard. A few steps put him in front of the shed where he stored the generator. The wide single step in front of the shed wasn't attached and could be turned 90 degrees and used as a ramp for rolling things in and out. Will turned it around, then opened the shed's double doors and set the near end of the step/ramp up on the door sill.</p>
<p>It being summertime, the lawnmower sat at the front inside the shed, and Will had to roll it down the ramp and set it aside before he could access the generator. Then he lined the generator, which was significantly heavier than the lawnmower, up with top of the ramp, rolled it carefully down onto the grass and over to the concrete pad under the back deck. He checked its gas tank and found it, as expected, full of gasoline. He turned on the fuel valve and the on/off switch, and set the choke lever to "start". In the afternoon heat the generator started on the second pull. He backed off on the choke and it settled down to run smoothly.</p>
<p>Will went back inside and grabbed the heavy, 240 volt, 30 amp extension cord. He plugged the male end into the generator and then the female end into the male receptacle on the wall next to the door. Then he went back inside, closed the generator disconnect switch on the other side of the wall, walked to the far end of the basement and moved the transfer switch next to the main panel to its "generator" position. The lights came on without so much as a flicker and Will smiled in satisfaction. The big freezer sitting against the north wall of the basement, between the laundry area and the shop, hummed quietly.</p>
<p>Will mused that he could have had a permanently installed generator, with automatic start even. But it would have cost a lot more and wouldn't have been nearly as flexible. On occasion he used the generator elsewhere, such as at the Community Garden. With the back seats folded down it would just fit in their little hatchback.</p>
<p>Back upstairs, he found the small freezer working just fine, but the fridge was cool enough it hadn't even come on yet. He adjusted the fridge's temperature controller down a bit and it started. "Everything looks good, Sue," he said to his wife, "Do I need to get the Coleman stove set up to cook supper?"</p>
<p>"No," she replied, "I was just going to cook burgers on the barbeque anyway. How long do you think the power will be off?"</p>
<p>"Joe says another two or three hours. Since it's not going to be a long outage, I think I'll just leave the generator running until the power comes back on. Doesn't use much gas unless we load it up, anyway. The next thing will be how to tell when the power comes back on, since we're running off the generator."</p>
<p>Sue got up and came into the kitchen. "I'll just turn on the radio."</p>
<p>Will turned to watch her switch on the battery operated radio, which was always tuned to the local FM station. There was nothing but static. Oh well, thought Will, they'll probably be back on not too long after the outage ended. But before he could open his mouth to say so, the announcer's voice came from the radio with a crackle and pop.</p>
<p>"Shoreline FM is back online. We finally got our generator hooked up and running. We'll keep you posted on the power outage as soon as we know something more. For now, let's get back to our usual musical programming."</p>
<p>The sound of 80s rock replaced the announcer's voice and Will asked, "Can we trust them to let us know what's going on?"</p>
<p>"Hope so," said Sue. "I'll just finish this chapter and then get started on supper." </p>
<p>"Sounds good to me," said Will, "I'm gonna go check on the neighbours."</p>
<p>Will went out through the front door, and headed south across his lawn and his neighbour's and up to her front door.</p>
<p>He knocked and after a moment she opened the door and said, "Hi Will.The power's out. Any idea how long it's going to take to get it back on."</p>
<p>"I'm guessing before sunset, Joan. You OK in the meantime?"</p>
<p>"Except for the fridge. I hear things start to go off in a couple of hours?"</p>
<p>"Yep. That's what I hear too. I've got the generator going and I could run an extension cord over here if you'd like?"</p>
<p>"If it's not too much trouble, that would be a big help."</p>
<p>"OK, back in a minute."</p>
<p>Will went down to his back yard and into his workshop and grabbed several long extension cords. It took only of a few minutes to hook one up to the outdoor receptacle at the back of his house and run it over to Joan's front door. She was waiting for him and said, "I guess I can leave the door open a crack and just run this directly into the kitchen and plug the fridge into it."</p>
<p>"It's only going to be for a short while, so yeah. I'll leave you to it while I go check on Vicky and the Browns. Come get me if you need help."</p>
<p>Half an hour later, Will had two more cords running from the outdoor receptacle at the front of the house. One to Vicky's place on the north side, and one to the Browns across the street. Traffic was pretty light on McKenzie Ave., so he didn't worry about having a cord run across the street. The generator still wasn't working hard, even with his house and three others hooked up to it. He spotted Sue on the side deck working at the barbeque and went up the steps to join her. "Any news on the radio?"</p>
<p>"Nothing yet other than an endless parade of golden oldies."</p>
<p>"Anything I can help you with?"</p>
<p>"Could you throw together a salad while I watch these burgers?"</p>
<p>"Sure, no problem."</p>
<p>"I think we'd better eat on the little table out here," said Sue, "it's cooler in the shade of the awning than inside."</p>
<p>"OK, soon as I get that salad together I'll start hauling things out here."</p>
<p>"Things" had included the portable radio, and they were just finishing up supper when the announcer interrupted the music to say. "Word from Hydro One is that maintenance crews will be switching things back on during the next hour or so."</p>
<p>This prediction proved to be true and they had hardly finished cleaning up after supper when the announcer broke in again, "The power is on again. We'll be off the air for a moment while we switch back to grid power."</p>
<p>Standing on his back deck a few minutes later, Will could see clouds rolling in from over the lake, driven by a freshening wind. The temperature had already dropped, a welcome relief from the afternoon's heat. Sticking his head in the door he called out, "Sue, it looks like rain, I'm going to clean up the generator and extension cords before they get wet."</p>
<p>He went down to the basement and switched back to grid power, then put the generator back in the shed away from the threatening rain. He was about to start wrapping up the cords, when all three of his neighbours showed up, cords in hand, coiled up ready to be put away. They had a short chat about the weather and then headed home. Will put the cords away in the basement, then went upstairs to turn on the attic fan and bring some of the cooler air into the house.</p>
<p>Will went to bed that night feeling good about how they had come through the outage, short as it had been. The generator had worked well, and he'd been able to help out the neighbours. It felt like he had things under control. It had cooled down nicely by then, and he looked forward to a good night's sleep—a pleasant change from the sweaty nights of the heat wave they had just come through.</p>
<p>Coming soon, The Porcupine Saga, Part 3, When the Lights Went Out, Part 2, <br>Will Harper, July 20, 2028</p>
<h2><br />Links to the rest of this series of posts: <br />
The Porcupine Saga</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-porcupine-saga-part-1.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 1: A Celebration at Porcupine, Allan Harper, July 21, 2040</a>, published February 24, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-porcupine-saga-when-lights-went-out.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 2: When The Lights Went Out, Part 1, Will Harper, Wednesday, July 19, 2028</a>, published April 30, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/05/the-porcupine-saga-part-3-when-lights.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 3: When The Lights Went Out, Part 2, Will Harper, Thursday, July 20, 2028</a>, published May 16, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-porcupine-saga-part-4-one-last.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 4: One Last Lecture, Part 1, Allan Harper, early afternoon, Tuesday, April 9, 2030</a>; published September 25, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-porcupine-saga-part-5-one-last.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 5, One Last Lecture, Part 2; Allan Harper, late afternoon, Tuesday, April 9, 2030</a>; October 12, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-porcupine-saga-part-6-sign-above.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 6, The Sign Above Our Gate; Allan Harper, late afternoon, Tuesday, April 9, 2030</a>; published October 12, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-porcupine-sage-part-7-when-we-met.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 7, When We Met Jack;</a> Will Harper, late afternoon, Saturday July 21, 2040; Allan Harper, morning, Wednesday, April 10, 2030; published January 16, 2024</li>
</ul>
Irv Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08030800457536589003noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2848841213670110129.post-76642745855456589472023-02-24T19:15:00.018-05:002024-01-16T21:22:54.761-05:00The Porcupine Saga, Part 1<p>Last June, when I published my last blog post, ending the series I'd been working on at that point, I concluded with the following words:<br/>
"The other thing I have been thinking about is writing some fiction. I have not written any fiction since I was in high school (50 plus years ago), so it would be nice to give it a go again. Story telling is a big part of human communication, and might serve as a better way of getting across some of the ideas that I'd like to share."</p>
<p>It took a while to get started, but finally, I am now publishing the first in a series of fictional stories about adapting to collapse.</p>
<h2>A Celebration at Porcupine</h2>
<p><b>Allan Harper, July 21, 2040</b></p>
<p>Allan Harper felt rather amazed to have made it this far through his father's eulogy. Tom's death at 85 had come as no great surprise, but still, it hit Allan harder than he had expected. So many things left unsaid, with no chance now to ever say them. He knew that his dad would have told him this was always the case, and that he had no option but to carry on. Allan could almost hear him saying, "Best get at it."</p>
<p>He cleared his throat and continued, "Before I finish I guess I should say a bit about Dad's role in the founding of Porcupine. He'd been <a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/">blogging about collapse</a> for years, and had always maintained that a time would come when the capitalist system could no longer supply our daily necessities and we'd have to look after ourselves. Further, he maintained that a time would come, before then, when the system had weakened enough that it would be possible to set up something like this without too much official opposition, but not so far that the resources to do so were no longer available. For many people that would have been nothing more than talk, and it would have been easy enough for Dad just to continue talking. He'd always claimed that timing wasn't his strongest suit, but in this case he kept his eyes open for an opportunity, and when one came up, he went for it.</p>
<p>"By the late 2020s offshore investors owned most of the land in this area. It seems that the great majority of them went bankrupt in the crash of 2028, and stopped paying taxes, or doing upkeep on their farms. Many of the local people who'd been renting the land didn't plant a crop in the spring of '29. By that time local government received essentially zero support from the province, which had downloaded the responsibility for most services onto them, leaving them desperate for income of any sort. With shelves often empty at the grocery stores due to supply chain problems, they also badly wanted the local land farmed rather than going to thorn bush, and farmed by people willing to sell locally. Dad got this first hundred acres that we are standing on today for a fraction of the taxes owing, and the rest is history."</p>
<p>Allan paused, noting how the audience in front of him filled all the seating they had set up in the hall. His father had had quite a network—family took up the front row of seating, and close friends a couple of rows behind that, many from Porcupine, but also from the Inverpen and Port Elgin areas, with a few from farther afield. Even some from his working days at Hydro One. And of course most of the residents of Porcupine and many from its more recently established daughter communities had come as well.</p>
<p>Very few people these days would attend a large indoor gathering without wearing a mask, and these folks were no exception. Still, even with their masks on, he could tell they were hanging on his every word. Out of respect for his father, he assumed, rather than anything to do with his skills as an orator. <i>Time to wrap this up,</i> he thought.</p>
<p>Taking a breath, he said, "Well, I guess that concludes the formal part of our celebration of Dad's life. Please do hang around and visit. Drinks and snacks will be served shortly, outside at the back of this building, and you can get there through the kitchen. Supper will be served around six, in the smae area."</p>
<p>Relieved to have that done with, Allan came down off the stage sat between his wife, Erica, and Will Harper, his uncle and Tom's younger brother.</p>
<p>"That really was a fine eulogy—not an easy thing when you're talking about your own father," said Will.</p>
<p>"Living here at Porcupine one gets a lot of practice at public speaking. If you want to have any say in how the place is run, anyway," said Allan. "I miss the old curmudgeon, though, and more than I ever imagined I would." his voice caught a little on the last few words and he wiped a handkerchief across his eyes and blew his nose. "I hear you're interested in the two-bit tour, Uncle Will?"</p>
<p>"Yes, I am," replied Will, and turned to his wife, "Sue, Will's going to show me around the place. I take it you want to stay here and catch up with some of the family that we haven't seen for a while?"</p>
<p>"I do, and we'll manage without you somehow," she answered with a wink. "You two make sure you're not late for supper."</p>
<p>"Little chance of that," Allan said and turned to his partner. "Erika, I am off to give Uncle Will the grand tour. Is Mom OK?"</p>
<p>"Yep," replied Erika, "she just went back to the kitchen to make sure they've got everything under control."</p>
<p>"Eighty years old and still hard at it," Allan said, shaking his head and smiling.</p>
<p>Will stood, and gestured to Allan, "Lead on."</p>
<p>Standing up, Allan looked around the room, mentally putting himself into the "how this must look to someone who doesn't live here" mode, always the prelude to giving a tour, of which he had done more than one.</p>
<p>They stood near the south end of a sixty by one hundred foot pole barn which had started its life as winter housing for cattle. Early in the history of the place, they had cleaned it up, framed in the walls and the ceiling, insulated and put up vapour barrier and drywall, anticipating that it would be a challenge to heat in the winter with just the bare metal sheathing.</p>
<p>The north end of the building contained the kitchen, separated from the main room by a counter that served as a buffet. Just visible through large screen doors at the back of the kitchen, the summer kitchen bustled with the hot work that happened there at this time of year.</p>
<p>Both east and west walls had several doors leading outside. Between those doors stood shelves stuffed with books. On the east side people had started to file by a display of photos and memorabilia from Tom's life.</p>
<p>Windows near the top of the side walls let in enough light at this time of day to illuminate the place, and ventilator fans moved air through the building and out vents in the attic. They were in a lull between waves of the current pandemic, but keeping indoor spaces well ventilated had become an accepted necessity over the past twenty years of pandemics.</p>
<p>"Where would you like to start?" asked Allan.</p>
<p>"Well, the beginning always seems like a good place," Will replied with a chuckle.</p>
<p>Allan grinned and could not resist saying, "You mean like, 'The lord said let there be light and you could see for fucking miles' kind of beginning?"</p>
<p>"I wasn't thinking of quite that far back. You're quoting your father there, you know, and he was quoting the guys he worked with as a first year apprentice," said Will.</p>
<p>"I always wondered where he got that from. So, seriously then, in one sense it started next door in the old farmhouse, where we lived during the first months while we were getting this hall cleaned up. And getting our feet under ourselves, organizationally speaking. In another sense, it started in discussions I had with Dad years before that," said Allan.</p>
<p>Conversation had started in the background, so he said, "It's going to get loud in here—let's go outside where it's quieter."</p>
<p>He led out through one of the doors in the east wall, on through an entrance lean-to and into a large yard surrounded by farm buildings—the hall to the west beind them, an old-style bank barn to the north, a large garage to the east of the barn, the original field stone farm house at the southeast corner of the yard, and a wind mill tower with their water well at the base between the barn and the house. An unusually large number of vehicles occupied the yard between the buildings, indicative of the number of people who had travelled more than walking distance to get here. With fuel rationed when available and more often not to be had at all, it looked like people had been saving up for a while to make the trip. That would certainly have been the case for Allan's older sister Arlene and her family, who had come all the way from Ottawa.</p>
<p>The short school bus belonged to Porcupine and it had brought people from Inverpen, Port Elgin and points between. It had been modified to burn vegetable oil, of which Porcupine produced quite a bit for culinary uses, and occasionally diverted some for use in vehicles. There were also a few cars, mostly small 2 seat electrics, some older gasoline powered cars, and quite a few bicycles, about half of them electric. A few people had even arrived on horseback, and their animals stood in the field east of the house, in the shade of a row of maple trees along the fence line.</p>
<p>"Let's sit here," Allan said and indicated a bench in the shade under the eaves of the lean-to they had just exited.</p>
<p>They both sat down and removed their masks. "We should be OK out here in the open," Allan said.</p>
<p>"I forget I've even got it on," said Will.</p>
<p>"I know what you mean," said Allan, "So, how'd you and Aunt Sue get here today?"</p>
<p>"We rode our electric trikes." Will pointed to a pair of three wheelers, with solar panels propped up next to them. "We've had them for about 10 years, along with those folding solar panels. They should be charged back up before sunset."</p>
<p>"Don't get me wrong, but that's pretty impressive for folks your age."</p>
<p>His Uncle Will was 75, ten years younger than Tom. Allan had turned 55 not long ago. Will was around the same height as him (and as his Dad had been), 5 foot 9 inches, with the same light brown/dark blond hair (now very much salt and pepper) and pot belly. Both sported white beards that had originally been reddish brown.</p>
<p>"The electric assist makes it a whole different thing. You're right—pedaling the hard way this far would probably be beyond us."</p>
<p>"Those hills can be a beast, for sure," said Allan. "So, this isn't your first time here, is it Uncle Will?"</p>
<p>"No, I've brought busloads of hungry folks out from Inverpen a few times, to the feeds you folks put on when the pandemics aren't raging. Much appreciated, too, I must say," Will answered. "But I've never really had a chance to stay and have a look around."</p>
<p>"We can fix that today. And since the free food here definitely doesn't come with a sermon, you may not have heard much about how this place is organized," said Allan.</p>
<p>"Well, Tom and I did discuss what you're doing here, on the phone and in emails," said Will. "But it's different seeing it up close and in person. And the damn pandemics have made that hard to do."</p>
<p>"That's for sure. Anyway, for me, I guess it all started in 2011 or so," Allan said, "I was still in Kitchener-Waterloo back then. I'd dropped out of school, and I taught violin and drove school bus for a living. I was between partners and things got lonesome in the evenings, so I'd call Dad and we'd talk."</p>
<p>"About politics, Peak Oil... that kind of thing?"</p>
<p>"Oh yeah. Dad was just then figuring out the ties between energy and the economy, so he bounced a lot of ideas off me, and it was interesting, in a dark kind of way. Then he started to write it all down and send me these long emails. And the next year, when he started his blog, for the first while most of it was straight from those emails."</p>
<p>"I read <a href=" https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/">his blog</a> from the start, but I didn't know you'd been involved," said Will.</p>
<p>"Don't get the wrong idea," said Allan, "I was NOT a 'kollapsnik' in the sense that Dad used the word. But given how things were going, even back then, I figured there was a good chance that what he expected would actually happen—or maybe worse. I sure didn't look forward to the world turning into a smoking hellscape, though, or taking up a life of manual labour on a subsistence farm. To be fair, Dad didn't really look forward to it either, but he was an avid gardener and while he claimed not to romanticize country life, he did look back with some nostalgia to his childhood on Granddad's farm. So he wasn't afraid to try for a more or less self sufficient set up like we have here."</p>
<p>"And like me, you were pretty sure that there'd be a technological fix before things got too much worse?" said Will.</p>
<p>"Well, at the time I was a typical young leftist," said Allan, "and I thought that if you were talking about carrying capacity and overpopulation, you had to be an eco-fascist. And here Dad was talking about those very things. It made for some heated discussions that had settled down into a tense truce by the early 2020s."</p>
<p>"And as you say, I still believed that a lot could be achieved with technology, if anybody bothered to do the work," said Allan. "The fucking crunchies recognized the problem, but feared many of the technologies that could have done some good—nuclear power and genetic engineering, for example. Those who didn't fear technology wouldn't believe what the real problems were and capitalism went right on cannibalizing the planet. Most poor or middle class people knew their own problems very well and saw that rich people didn't have those problem. So, obviously, the solution was to get rich. The majority of them had little chance of success, and even if they had succeeded, it would only have made the real problems worse. Like I said, we could have done much better. But...."</p>
<p>"But that's not the way it turned out, eh?" asked Will.</p>
<p>"Well no," Allan said, "As you know, I met Erica in the mid twenty teens and we moved to Guelph because she wanted to attend U of Moo. I found a job in a car parts factory, and then started an apprenticeship as an industrial electrician. After a couple of moves, we finally found a nice place with pretty reasonable rent, and things looked good. Especially after Erica graduated and got a job with a biotech company, and I finished my apprenticeship."</p>
<p>"Yeah, I remember your Dad being pretty proud of you," said Will.</p>
<p>"Yeah, I think he was. But then late in 2028 the economy took a definite turn for the worse, and settled in for a real long term, capital D depression," said Allan. "By the fall of '29 there was no end in sight, with things actually getting worse rather than better. I got laid off and the company that Erica was working for went tits up, so she was out of a job too. EI was far from enough to cover our expenses. In January of 2030 we missed our rent and the landlord started grumbling."</p>
<p>"Sounds like you were between a rock and a hard place," said Will.</p>
<p>"Very much so. I agonized for a while about calling Dad for help, and then one day the phone rang and it was Dad, asking how we were doing. He didn't seem surprised when I told him, and said that he could give us a month's rent, but couldn't afford to pay our rent on an ongoing basis. Then he said that he had a better plan for coping with the whole situation. He offered to pick us up and show us around. On the ride here he detailed what he hoped we could do. Much to our surprise he convinced us to give it a try, and to get some of our friends involved. There's a lot more to tell, but none of it would have happened if the economy hadn't fallen apart. Like I said inside, Dad had perfect timing on this one."</p>
<p>"It seems so," said Will. "Much of what he expected has come about in the last ten years, and the adaptations he recommended seem to work pretty well for you here."</p>
<p>"I have to admit that this life suits me better than I had imagined," said Allan, "Dad was one of the crunchiest among us, so we haven't shied back from any technology that fits in under the limitations we're working with. Technology uses energy, and only a limited amount of that is available—but enough to keep us from toiling in the fields from dawn to dusk every day."</p>
<p>"That's good. Maybe just for a few days during planting and harvest though, eh?"</p>
<p>"True, and there's quite a bit of weeding to be done in late June and early July," said Allan. "But many hands make light work."</p>
<p>"I would have thought that a setup like this might have some social advantages that make up for any other shortcomings," said Will.</p>
<p>"Yes, indeed," said Allan, "no feudal overlords or fat-cat capitalists to support and no stupid bosses to contend with either, or rent to pay. The conservative politicians are at arm's length and seem to have other things to worry about. The grub's mighty good, as is most of the company. I still wouldn't have jumped at Dad's invitation to join him here, except that by that point we were looking at sleeping under a bridge."</p>
<p>"And it turned out that Tom wasn't an eco-fascist after all?" said Will.</p>
<p>"No, I have to admit he wasn't," said Allan with a sigh, "I hadn't been reading his blog after the first year or so, or listening well to what he was saying, so I missed <a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2020/10/collapse-you-say-part-3-inputs-and.html ">the part where he explained about that</a>. He wanted to decrease the consumption of the top 30% of people in the world, and increase the standard of living of the bottom 70%. He maintained that if we did this we could reduce the burden we placed on the planet by a factor of two and largely eliminate the overshoot situation."</p>
<p>"And what about limits?" asked Will. "I've never been able to understand why leftists hate the idea of limits so much."</p>
<p>"That's easy—we think it's a lever used by capitalists put up prices, and to force austerity on poor people," said Allan. "And sometimes it is, but it turns out that there really are limits to growth, after all. It's a finite planet and we had already come a lot closer to filling it up than I realized. Anyway, I read Dad's <a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-club-of-rome-and-system-dynamics.html"> series of blog posts about "The Limits to Growth"</a>, and then finally got around to reading the book itself and a few others. All of this with Dad standing by to respond to my questions."</p>
<p>"And I'll bet he had all kinds of data and examples of how overshoot is damaging the biosphere," said Will.</p>
<p>"Yep, and eventually he convinced me that carrying capacity is a valid concept," said Allan, "I'd always seen it represented as a constant value and I knew that was wrong. Traditionally, we have always modified our environment to increase its carrying capacity. I think that led me (and many others) to believe we'd always be able to so."</p>
<p>"But... limits, right?" said Will.</p>
<p>"Yes, limits," said Allan. "This <i>is</i> a finite planet and finally here in the twenty-first century we've just about reached the limit of what can be done in that direction. The Green Revolution was a step too far, leaving us dependent on dwindling non-renewable resources. Dad emphasized that the impact we have on the planet is dependent on both population and consumption. The eco-fascists don't want to change their lifestyle, and they think that getting rid of the poor brown people, or at least stopping them from breeding, would fix things. In fact it would do very little—hell, <a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/02/collapse-you-say-part-6-overpopulation.html ">take them right out of the equation and we would still be solidly in overshoot</a>."</p>
<p>"Didn't Tom maintain that the immediate need was to reduce consumption in the developed world?" asked Will.</p>
<p>"Yeah, and before 2028 it looked like it would never happen. But the way the economy has ground to a halt since then has helped a lot. We're no longer spewing so much carbon into the atmosphere, or chewing through natural resources so quickly." said Allan, "and places like this set an example of how to live sustainably, and even give some back to the planet, if I do say so myself. It has been damned hard on people living in the big cities, though. To the point where they aren't so big anymore...."</p>
<p>"Yep, it has been a lot easier on small towns in the middle of agricultural areas. Places like Inverpen. I was in touch with your dad quite a bit when things began to go downhill," said Will, "trying to figure out what the hell had happened. It seems to me that it all started with a power outage. I can still remember the day...."</p>
<p>Coming soon: The Porcupine Saga, Part 2: When The Lights Went Out, Will Harper, July 19, 2028</p>
<h2><br />Links to the rest of this series of posts: <br />
The Porcupine Saga</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-porcupine-saga-part-1.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 1: A Celebration at Porcupine, Allan Harper, July 21, 2040</a>, published February 24, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-porcupine-saga-when-lights-went-out.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 2: When The Lights Went Out, Part 1, Will Harper, Wednesday, July 19, 2028</a>, published April 30, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/05/the-porcupine-saga-part-3-when-lights.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 3: When The Lights Went Out, Part 2, Will Harper, Thursday, July 20, 2028</a>, published May 16, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-porcupine-saga-part-4-one-last.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 4: One Last Lecture, Part 1, Allan Harper, early afternoon, Tuesday, April 9, 2030</a>; published September 25, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-porcupine-saga-part-5-one-last.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 5, One Last Lecture, Part 2; Allan Harper, late afternoon, Tuesday, April 9, 2030</a>; October 12, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-porcupine-saga-part-6-sign-above.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 6, The Sign Above Our Gate; Allan Harper, late afternoon, Tuesday, April 9, 2030</a>; published October 12, 2023</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-porcupine-sage-part-7-when-we-met.html">The Porcupine Saga, Part 7, When We Met Jack;</a> Will Harper, late afternoon, Saturday July 21, 2040; Allan Harper, morning, Wednesday, April 10, 2030; published January 16, 2024</li>
</ul>
Irv Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08030800457536589003noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2848841213670110129.post-11276033719881066112022-06-22T17:40:00.006-04:002022-06-23T16:10:33.736-04:00Time for Change, Part 4—Conclusions<table align="right" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAlY6sqHJA6S0-yhX9U41Z5fIxVuhJlWtg4d5EdrtdcyRPuXfEr9fY8aNADpzHgi9Kp3BG77zJDTdFEhpQgHbNqsrJiVXM0D1YVZdXCzGioT0TKS8uSMp-GfkQj0uUazvZI7HOMC9LUo1UwWD0B9D7GHmvMj-rDNXU4mTsTO8BDGbSwpEUz-9ggIP2Q/s1200/WeaversCreekFalls.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="557" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAlY6sqHJA6S0-yhX9U41Z5fIxVuhJlWtg4d5EdrtdcyRPuXfEr9fY8aNADpzHgi9Kp3BG77zJDTdFEhpQgHbNqsrJiVXM0D1YVZdXCzGioT0TKS8uSMp-GfkQj0uUazvZI7HOMC9LUo1UwWD0B9D7GHmvMj-rDNXU4mTsTO8BDGbSwpEUz-9ggIP2Q/s600/WeaversCreekFalls.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Weavers Creek Falls</span></b><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;">Harrison Park, Owen Sound, Ontario</span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>This is the fourth of several posts that I would have preferred to publish all at once, were it not for the extreme length of such a piece. It will make more sense if you go back and read the whole series, starting with <a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/01/collapse-you-say-part-10time-for-change.html">the first one</a>, if you have not already done so. Maybe even if you have already done so, since it has been months between each of the posts. For those who don't want to re-read the whole series, and since this is the last post, I'll summarize somewhat less briefly than I did in earlier posts. If you want to skip it, <a href="#skip">click here</a>.</p>
<p>Overpopulation and overconsumption (and their consequences) are the most serious problems that we face today. Overpopulation is going to take decades to solve, while overconsumption could be addressed quite quickly if certain obstacles could be gotten out of the way. By reducing our level of consumption, we could reduce our impact on the planet and give ourselves time to reduce our population.</p>
<p>The blame for overconsumption can be laid squarely at the feet of capitalism, with its insatiable hunger to accumulate wealth, its inescapable need for endless growth, its inability to tackle any problem that can't be solved by making a profit and its endlessly blaring marketing machine which convinces us that we must consume, consume, consume. It is important to note that the majority of that consumption is done by a minority of people, the top ten to twenty percent of the richest people in the world. Sadly, I am part of that group and I suspect that many of my readers are as well, even though we wouldn't call ourselves "rich".</p>
<p>Many would lay the blame at the feet of individual people who are greedy, weak and undisciplined. I would say that if you take away the influence of capitalism, you would hardly recognize those people, and they would no longer be causing consumption problems. Solving them, more likely.</p>
<p>In a <a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/05/collapse-you-say-part-9-unintended.html">previous post</a> where I looked at the problems with industrialization, I promised to have a more detailed look at our financial systems and our governments.</p>
<p>In this new series (Time for Change) I am finally doing that.</p>
<p><b>In <a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/01/collapse-you-say-part-10time-for-change.html">Part 1</a> we looked at our financial system</b> and saw that money is a tool that facilitates the accumulation of wealth by capitalists, and a mechanism by which they control the rest of us. It does this by making it possible to keep score in the complex game that is our economy, and pretty much guarantees that the wealthy win. Unfortunately, our financial system creates money as debt, which must be paid back with interest. In order to do that, the economy must continually grow or it will collapse. At the same time, the inevitable consequence of continued growth on a finite planet is also collapse.</p>
<p>But we can do without money and more importantly without keeping score. We need to get rid of money, the financial system and capitalism, and replace them with a system where each of us contributes according to our abilities and receives according to our needs, without keeping track of who is ahead or behind.</p>
<p>If this sounds like some sort of communism, you are right and that is exactly what we need. But anarchistic communism, rather than the autoritarian communism of the twentieth century.</p>
<p><b>In <a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/02/time-for-change-part-2-hierarchies.html">Part 2</a> I discussed the problems with hierarchies, especially with capitalism co-opting governments.</b> The point being that hierarchies and capitalism are potent, and mutually reinforcing, agents of overconsumption.</p>
<p>For my purposes here, a hierarchy is an organization divided into different levels, with direction and co-ordination flowing down from above and wealth flowing up from below. A hierarchy is built like a pyramid, with many people at the bottom and only a very few at the top. There are serious problems with this way of organizing a society.</p>
<p>Like money, hierarchy is a tool designed for the benefit of certain people (those at the top), to be used by them to secure their power, wealth and privileges, and to keep the rest of us in the position where we "belong"—lower down in the hierarchy. In the process, we are prevented from ever realizing that there is any viable alternative. Our civilization is so big and complex only because it has to support hierarchies. If we didn't have to maintain hierarchies for the benefit of those at the top of them, we could adequately take care of ourselves with much simpler organizations, in smaller groups, at less expense—in other words, with less consumption. I usually refer to this phenomenon as the "diseconomies" of scale—the opposite of economies of scale. Economies of scale do exist, of course, but beyond a certain point the organizational costs swamp out the advantages of size. And that point is surprisingly small.</p>
<p><b>In <a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/04/time-for-change-part-3-without.html">Part 3</a> I asked three questions:</b></p>
<p><b>1) Are human beings naturally hierarchical?</b> Are we doomed to drift back into a hierarchical organization even if we successfully get rid of today's hierarchies?</p>
<p>In brief, while it is easy for human societies to fall into the hierarchy trap and suffer for it, we evolved living in small egalitarian groups and have many adaptations which make us good at that way of life and also make it good for us.</p>
<p><b>2) Are there viable alternatives?</b> That is, are hierarchies necessary when we organize ourselves into large groups and take on large projects, or are there others ways?</p>
<p>Hierarchies exist mostly for their own benefit, justified without really being justifiable, and the size of many of our endeavours is more a result of hierarchical organization than the needs of the actual work. There are other perfectly workable ways of organizing our efforts without hierarchies.</p>
<p>The owners, at the top of hierarchies, contribute very little that is of any real use, and most undertakings would work much better if owned by the workers and/or the people who consume their products. On the next level(s) down from the top, people are doing "coordinating work", and I'll admit that much of it is necessary. But it could just as easily be done by the actual working people, as part of their jobs. This sort of self-management would work better, and result in a greater sense of ownership and empowerment for the workers.</p>
<p><a name="skip">I left my third question for today.</a></p>
<p><b>3) Given the strengths of today's hierarchies and capitalism, and their success at propaganda, is there any hope that we can get rid of them?</b></p>
<p>Now that we are aware that hierarchies and capitalism cause more trouble than they are worth and indeed are the main obstacles to solving our most serious problems, we are left with the task of getting rid of them. In other words, removing the people who are running the world today, and who are highly skilled at convincing us that this is the best possible world and that making any major changes would be a mistake. This appears, at first glance, to be a pretty tall order.</p>
<p>After thinking about this question for quite some time, I reminded myself that this blog is about the collapse of our global industrial civilization, or "Business as Usual" (which I will shorten to BAU in what follows). The hierarchies and capitalism I have been talking about are essential parts of BAU, and are collapsing along with it. Only in the context of that collapse is it possible to see what we should do about hierarchies and capitalism. It seems that collapse is going to take care of some of the heavy lifting for us. The devil, of course, is in the details.</p>
<h2>The Collapse of BAU</h2>
<p>It is critical to remember that collapse is not a singular event, but an on-going process. I have said it before, but it bears repeating—what we face is a continued slow, uneven, unsteady and unequal collapse with occasional recoveries along the way, similar to what we have experienced over the last few decades, but getting worse as we go along. This collapse has been going on since the early 1970s, and has a way to go yet.</p>
<p>By uneven, I mean geographically. This is a large planet and despite the interconnectedness of our current system, it is not all going to fall apart at once. Even today, we can see that some areas are suffering greatly, while others continue on as if nothing much is wrong. Of course, as time passes, more areas will suffer and fewer will be left untouched.</p>
<p>By unsteady, I mean chronologically. Collapse goes in fits and starts, with periods where nothing much changes and even occasional partial recoveries.</p>
<p>By unequal, I mean that collapse affects those of different social classes differently. For the most part this means that the lower classes will suffer more from collapse, but it is not always necessarily so. The lower classes have lots of experience in dealing with difficulties—collapse is really just more of the same old shit for them. For the upper classes, such difficulties are new and they are lacking in the skills and mental preparation to cope.</p>
<p>Many people are in a state of denial about collapse. As the process continues, more people will have the opportunity to experience it personally or at least see it taking place nearby, and realize that it really is happening. Many will gain experience coping with temporary failures of infrastructure, supply chains and the financial sector. This will provide motivation to prepare not just by stocking up on supplies and tools, but by networking and starting to build the communities that can eventually replace the current system.</p>
<p>It might seem that the easiest way to get rid of hierarchies and capitalism would be to just let the present system collapse and then step in to build a better one. It's not quite that simple, though. Currently, BAU supplies us with the necessities of life, not because that is a good thing to do, but because it has been a good way to make a profit. It is certain that as the system continues to collapse, this business sector will become less profitable even as prices increase beyond what most people can afford. Capitalism will gradually abandon it, leaving more and more people to their own devices. If we just wait for BAU to collapse, we'll likely starve and freeze in the dark while we wait.</p>
<h2>What to do about collapse</h2>
<p>Clearly, that is to be avoided. What you want to do is to wait until the local system has collapsed far enough that it doesn't have the wherewithal to successfully oppose you, but you still have the resources to build something to replace it. Of course, you'll want to replace it with something that can function autonomously from the system that is falling apart around it, and works "better" than that system. In some cases, your local government will actually be helpful and support a smoother transition. In other cases, they will hinder you and may even have to be opposed violently.</p>
<p>In any case, while you are waiting you shouldn't be idle—there are many useful things you can do.</p>
<p>A while back I wrote <a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2018/07/preparing-for-collapse-few-rants.html">a whole series of posts</a> on preparing for/responding to collapse. Naturally, I would suggest that you read it, but there are some specific elements of such preparation that I want to look at in more detail here.</p>
<p>The first is to get a head start on building the community that you'll need to replace BAU. By that, I mean the organizations like solidarity networks, mutual aid societies and so forth. A large part of that will be learning how to make them work and how to function as an individual within them. We currently live in a society where toxic individualism is rampant and we have been brainwashed to think that no other way of life is possible.</p>
<p>Whatever they have told you, things like co-operation, mutual aid and direct democracy are all powerful ways for people to organize themselves and reduce their dependency on BAU. In groups that practice mutual aid, everyone ends up doing better than they could have individually. Even the strong and skillful, who do not perhaps need as much help as others, still end up better off than they would have without the group. Yes, they will likely end up doing more than some of the other people involved—but still less than what they would have had to do by themselves.</p>
<p>And yes, there will be a few who will take advantage and arrange an easy ride for themselves, but in the small groups where mutual aid works best, it is pretty obvious when someone is slacking off. Shame is an effective tool to encourage them to contribute and most will either mend their ways or leave. The cost of supporting the very few who don't is not nearly enough to outweigh the benefits of being part of the group.</p>
<p>To succeed, such community building efforts need to be based on clear and present needs. If you're living in an area where collapse has not yet struck, where BAU is still "working" fairly well, then trying to put a community together because you think it will be needed someday isn't going to work. Those involved (including you) simply won't have the motivation to make it work, to stay together, when there are easier alternatives all around you. Especially when that community is made up of people who haven't yet had much practice at such things. A quick look at the history of intentional communities will show how hard it is to succeed at this.</p>
<p>So first, take every opportunity to work, and play, with people in your community. Build a network of friends and acquaintances. Get a reputation for contributing, reciprocating and carrying your weight. Then, when the need arises, you can get together with people you already know and respond more effectively.</p>
<p>Many kollapsniks recommend withdrawing from our present society, but I would suggest just the opposite. You should be socially and politically active. Ideally, you want to live in a society which will collapse as gently as possible, providing a solid social safety net and encouraging and supporting your community building efforts. You need to work to ensure that the society you are living in is as much like that as possible.</p>
<p>In my opinion, such societies are on the left side of center politically. An example would be the contrast between Pierre Trudeau's government back in the day here in Canada encouraging and actually subsidizing housing co-ops versus the red state city in the U.S. that has recently made <a href="https://www.cracked.com/article_33732_a-city-in-kansas-just-made-roommates-illegal.html">having roommates illegal</a>. My point being that better governments will welcome efforts by people to be self sufficient, and will set things up to make it easier to do so.</p>
<p>Progressive social democracies do their best to help oppressed minorities and will do a better job of supporting all their citizens as things get worse. They will be easier places to practice mutual aid. They will also be more willing to abandon BAU to at least some extent as it malfunctions more and more. This will include reducing the burning fossil fuels, reducing carbon emissions, reducing the amount of damage we are doing to the biosphere and changing the way we use materials to conserve dwindling non-renewable resources as much as possible.</p>
<p>Societies on the right side of center will do everything they can to keep BAU working for as long as possible, regardless of the consequences, and to maintain capitalism's control over working class people, preventing us from gaining any degree of independence and from building our own organizations. These regressive, conservative societies are much easier to fall out the bottom of and will actively discourage groups coming together to practice mutual aid. And because they will also stick rigidly to BAU for as long as possible, they will do a good bit of damage in the process, ensuring that collapse is deeper and harder than it needs to be.</p>
<p>Such societies promote the traditional working class to the petit bourgeoisie, so that they come to identify with the upper classes, seeing themselves as "temporarily embarrassed millionaires" who are not interested in solidarity with other working class people. This results in behaviors that are clearly against their own best interests, especially when it comes time to vote. They are willing to go as far to the right as it takes to protect their perceived entitlements. Ironically, modern business unions are also part of this regressive effort.</p>
<p>The result is an almost universal drift to the right politically—exactly the opposite direction from what we would prefer. A big part of our work will be to oppose that drift.</p>
<p>As times get worse, people look for politicians who can promise them some relief. Right wing politicians are always ready to do this, and as their promises do not involve giving up on BAU, or even any change in our lifestyles, they are popular at election time. I predict that we will go through a few more decades of rightward drift, ending up with outright fascism in many cases. Indeed this trend will be a major part of the collapse of our societies, since those right wing politicians won't be able to keep their promises, if they ever intended to do so in the first place. We need to be very suspicious of politicians offering easy solutions.</p>
<p>Of course, we have already tried fascism—really tried it—and it really didn't work. Read up on the history of Germany, Italy and Spain in the twentieth century. I don't expect it will work any better this time around when the underlying problems are considerably worse than they were a century ago. The right wing regimes will weaken and people will eventually rise up to get rid of them. Sadly, there will be a lot of suffering involved in this process. However, when it is over, another generation will have seen up close what's wrong with right wing politics and fascism in particular and will refuse to give such ideologies even a moment of their time. Really though, we could save ourselves a lot of trouble if we could avoid being fooled by the "rightists" in the first place.</p>
<p>Collapse will be less destructive in those places that started out further to the left, and managed, at least to some extent, to stay that way. Based on what I've just said about right and left wing governments, it is tempting to look ahead to a future consisting of one of two extremes:</p>
<p>1) People become more aware of what is happening and insist on change, leading to a soft and controlled decline, with a smaller population and a lower rate of consumption that is within the planet's carrying capacity. Not much more damage would be done to the biosphere than we have already done and not too many more non-renewable resources would be used up, leaving the world a more survivable place. Unfortunately, this seems improbable, as most of the people who are currently running things will fight it every step of the way.</p>
<p>2) We refuse to accept that the system isn't working and put every effort into keeping BAU going until the very last possible moment, resulting in a deep, hard collapse which will wipe out most of mankind, do far more damage to the biosphere than option 1 and use up even more of the remaining non-renewable resources. This sort of collapse would be much harder for any survivors. Sadly, it seems quite likely.</p>
<p>I am always suspicious, though, when situations are framed in terms of two irreconcilable extremes. This sort of polarized thinking blinds you to many other possibilities. A great many (and more realistic) futures lay on spectrum ranging between those two extremes, and even on spectrums that run between different points altogether and in different directions.</p>
<p>Not all people are helpless (far from it), nor are they incapable of imagining different and better ways of living. I think it is important to allow dissensus, letting people hold different opinions and try different things. We should agree to disagree, and wish each other well along the way, even offering to help when it is to our mutual advantage. Then we can observe what does and does not work. Realistically, many people will get their timing or their organizations (or both) wrong, and will have a much harder time of it than needs be. Others will do better, and in the process, they will learn a great deal. That is, perhaps, the best we can hope for.</p>
<p>Some people, of course, won't be willing to go along with dissensus, and will try to force the rest of us to see things their way and do what they want. Such folks, if they take their shenanigans far enough, are worthy of our active opposition. Even so, the fast and violent collapse you read about in collapse fiction is just that, fiction. While it certainly makes for thrilling stories, it's not very realistic. We just won't have the resources available to spend on extensive conflict.</p>
<p>What I've been try to point out in these last few posts is there are many things that we have tried repeatedly and that just don't work—hierarchies, capitalism and money to mention just a few. We'd be best to leave them on the junk heap of the past and carry on with things that we know do work—solidarity, co-operation, mutual aid, direct democracy, self management and community ownership of resources.</p>
<p>Some people would suggest taking action to help speed up collapse. I do NOT think this is a good idea. It would mean doing actual harm, and that harm will be felt most acutely by those at the bottom of the heap, who are already suffering more than the rest of us.</p>
<p>There is always more to say, but I think this would be a good place to wrap up this set of posts. At one point I promised to talk about the third item in the I=PAT equation—technology. When I finally get inspired to write about that, it can go in a standalone post and doesn't need to be tacked onto the end of this series.</p>
<p>The other thing I have been thinking about is writing some fiction. I have not written any fiction since I was in high school (50 plus years ago), so it would be nice to give it a go again. Story telling is a big part of human communication, and might serve as a better way of getting across some of the ideas that I'd like to share.
</p><hr />
<p>During the last couple of years I've been reading a number of very interesting books and websites, which bear upon what we are discussing. Here is a list of these, along with a few that I've read previously, but that also have been a help.</p>
<h3>Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next), by Dean Spade</h3>
<p>Mutual aid is the radical act of caring for each other while working to change the world.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.deanspade.net/mutual-aid-building-solidarity-during-this-crisis-and-the-next/">The Author's website</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.versobooks.com/books/3713-mutual-aid">At Verso Books</a>
</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mutual-Aid-Building-Solidarity-During/dp/1839762128/">Buy on Amazon</a></li>
</ul>
<h3> Fascism Today: What It Is and How To End It, by Shane Burley
</h3>
<p><b>A detailed map of the far right and a game plan for building the mass movement that will stop it.</b></p>
<p> We can no longer ignore the fact that fascism is on the rise in the United States. What was once a fringe movement has been gaining cultural acceptance and political power for years. Rebranding itself as "alt-right" and riding the waves of both Donald Trump's hate-fueled populism and the anxiety of an abandoned working class, they have created a social force that has the ability to win elections and inspire racist street violence in equal measure.</p>
<p>Fascism Today looks at the changing world of the far right in Donald Trump's America. Examining the modern fascist movement's various strains, Shane Burley has written an accessible primer about what its adherents believe, how they organize, and what future they have in the United States. The ascension of Trump has introduced a whole new vocabulary into our political lexicon—white nationalism, race realism, Identitarianism, and a slew of others. Burley breaks it all down. From the tech-savvy trolls of the alt-right to esoteric Aryan mystics, from full-fledged Nazis to well-groomed neofascists like Richard Spencer, he shows how these racists and authoritarians have reinvented themselves in order to recruit new members and grow.</p>
<p>Just as importantly, Fascism Today shows how they can be fought and beaten. It highlights groups that have successfully opposed these twisted forces and outlines the elements needed to build powerful mass movements to confront the institutionalization of fascist ideas, protect marginalized communities, and ultimately stop the fascist threat.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/fascismtodayendit/page/n7/mode/2up">View online or download in a variety of formats.</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.akpress.org/fascism-today.html">At AK Press</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fascism-Today-What-How-End/dp/1849352941/">Buy on Amazon</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Debt, The First 5000 Years, by David Graeber</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debt:_The_First_5000_Years">The Wikipedia article</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.unwelcomeguests.net/Debt,_The_First_5000_Years">Whole text online, The entire audiobook</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Debt-Updated-Expanded-First-Years/dp/1612194192/ref=sxts_entity_rec_bsx_s_def_r00_t_aufl">Buy on Amazon.com</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Hierarchy in the Forest: the evolution of egalitarian behavior, by Christopher Boehm</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.christopher-boehm.com/books/hierarchy-in-the-forest-the-evolution-of-egalitarian-behavior">At the author's webswite</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hierarchy-Forest-Evolution-Egalitarian-Behavior/dp/0674006917">Buy at Amazon.com</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>The Art of Not Being Governed, by James C. Scott</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_Not_Being_Governed">The wikipedia article</a></li>
<li><a href="https://libcom.org/files/Art.pdf">pdf file online</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Art-Not-Being-Governed-Anarchist/dp/0300169175/">Buy at Amazon.com</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Against the Grain, a deep history of the earliest states, by James C. Scott</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Against_the_Grain:_A_Deep_History_of_the_Earliest_States">The wikipedia article</a></li>
<li><a href="https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300182910/against-grain">At the author's university (Yale) website</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Against-Grain-History-Earliest-States/dp/030024021X/">Buy at Amazon.com</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Living at the Edges of Capitalism: Adventures in Exile and Mutual Aid, by Andrej Grubacic</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520287303/living-at-the-edges-of-capitalism">At the author's university website</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Living-Edges-Capitalism-Adventures-Mutual/dp/0520287304/">Buy at Amazon.com</a></li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<h3>The Dawn of Everything, by David Graeber and David Wengrow</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dawn_of_Everything">The wikipedia article</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dawn-Everything-New-History-Humanity/dp/0374157359/">Buy at Amazon.com</a></li>
</ul>
<h3> No Bosses: A New Economy for a Better World, by Michael Albert</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participatory_economics">Wikipedia article on Participatory Economics</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/No-Bosses-Economy-Better-World/dp/178279946X/">Buy <i>No Bosses</i> at Amazon.com</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Balancing Two Worlds: Jean-Baptiste Assiginack and the Odawa Nation, 1768-1866, by Cecil King</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.manitoulin.com/assiginack-historical-figure-new-biography/">Review of <i>Balancing Two Worlds</i></a>, on the Manitoulin Expositor website.</li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Baptiste_Assiginack">Wikipedia </a> article about Jean-Baptiste Assigninack </li>
<li><a href="https://ojibwe-cultural-foundation.myshopify.com/products/balancing-two-worlds-by-cecil-king ">Buy <i>Balancing Two Worlds</i></a>, from the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Websites</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href=" http://seasol.net/ ">Seattle Solidarity Network</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/seattle.solidarity">Seattle Solidarity Network on Facebook</a></li>
<li><a href="https://libcom.org/tags/seattle-solidarity-network"> Seattle Solidarity Network on libcom.org</a></li>
<li><a href=" https://www.microsolidarity.cc/">Microsolidarity</a></li>
<li><a href="https://economicsfromthetopdown.com/2021/12/08/hierarchy-zoom-bombed/">Hierarchy Zoom Bombed</a> </li>
</ul>
<hr />
<h2><br />Links to the rest of this series of posts: <br />
Collapse, you say? / Time for Change</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2020/06/collapse-you-say.html">Collapse You Say? Part 1, Introduction</a>,
Tuesday, 30 June 2020</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2020/09/collapse-you-say-part-2-inputs-and.html">Collapse, you say? Part 2: Inputs and Outputs</a>,
Wednesday, 30 September 2020</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2020/10/collapse-you-say-part-3-inputs-and.html">Collapse, you say? Part 3: Inputs and Outputs continued</a>, October 7, 2020 /li>
</li><li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/01/collapse-you-say-part-4-growth.html">Collapse, you say? Part 4: growth, overshoot and dieoff</a>, January 2, 2021</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/01/collapse-you-say-part-5-over-population.html">Collapse, you say? Part 5: Over Population</a>, January 8, 2021</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/02/collapse-you-say-part-6-overpopulation.html">Collapse, you say? Part 6: Over Population and Overconsumption</a>, Februrary 21, 2021</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/03/collapse-you-say-part-7-needs-and-wants.html">Collapse, you say? Part 7: Needs and Wants, Human Nature, Politics</a>, March 8, 2021</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/05/collapse-you-say-part-8-factors-which.html">Collapse, you say? Part 8: Factors which made industrialization possible</a>, May 13 , 2021</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/05/collapse-you-say-part-9-unintended.html">Collapse, you say? Part 9: Unintended Consequences of Industrialization</a>, May 20 , 2021</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/01/collapse-you-say-part-10time-for-change.html">Collapse You Say? Part 10/Time for Change, Part 1: Money</a>, January 5, 2022</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/02/time-for-change-part-2-hierarchies.html">Time for Change, Part 2: Hierarchies</a>, Februray 16, 2022</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/04/time-for-change-part-3-without.html">Time for Change, Part 3: Without Hierarchies?</a> April 23, 2022</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/06/time-for-change-part-4.html">Time for Change, Part 4: Conclusions</a> June 22, 2022</li>
</ul>
Irv Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08030800457536589003noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2848841213670110129.post-52104036643339509262022-04-23T22:05:00.004-04:002022-06-23T16:15:59.034-04:00Time for Change, Part 3: Without Hierarchies?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU1nNZEOJr54Syw097R13ialvplpWEM8TEggiLeMUQwvgE4opu6X6lzkuGmGwtRwePvHkp44HFeU86AFcOFKSy72OJooliooNyXRW_H311gM-R3rh12wHMo3HNE51OK5m9Z92AWZyQCFlD9sA1AIArMOlxZNvUKSaRTddlvQeINtP9TPRnFxKSLwISKQ/s681/WebbwoodFalls-2Cropped.jpg" style="clear: right; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="404" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU1nNZEOJr54Syw097R13ialvplpWEM8TEggiLeMUQwvgE4opu6X6lzkuGmGwtRwePvHkp44HFeU86AFcOFKSy72OJooliooNyXRW_H311gM-R3rh12wHMo3HNE51OK5m9Z92AWZyQCFlD9sA1AIArMOlxZNvUKSaRTddlvQeINtP9TPRnFxKSLwISKQ/s400/WebbwoodFalls-2Cropped.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><b>Webbwood Falls</b><br />about 2 hours drive <br />east of Kincardine</span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>This is the third of several posts that I would have preferred to publish all at once, were it not for the extreme length of such a piece. It will make more sense if you go back and read the whole series, starting with the <a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/01/collapse-you-say-part-10time-for-change.html">first one</a>, if you have not already done so. To briefly and inadequately summarize, I'll just say that overpopulation and overconsumption (and their consequences) are the most serious problems that we face. Overpopulation is going to take decades to solve, while overconsumption could be addressed quite quickly if certain obstacles could be gotten out of the way. By reducing our level of consumption, we could reduce our impact on the planet and give ourselves time to reduce our population.</p>
<p>The blame for overconsumption can be laid squarely at the feet of capitalism, with its insatiable hunger to accumulate wealth, its inescapable need for endless growth, its inability to tackle any problem that can't be solved by making a profit and its endless blaring marketing machine which convinces us that we must consume, consume, consume. It is important to note that the majority of that consumption is done by a minority of people, the top ten to twenty percent of the richest people in the world. Sadly (from my viewpoint), I am part of that group and I suspect that many of my readers are as well, even though we wouldn't call ourselves "rich".</p>
<p>In a <a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/05/collapse-you-say-part-9-unintended.html">previous post</a> where I looked at the problems with industrialization, I had promised to have a more detailed look at our financial systems and our governments.</p>
<p>In this new series I am finally doing that. In <a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/01/collapse-you-say-part-10time-for-change.html">Part 1</a> we looked at our financial system and saw that money is a tool that facilitates the accumulation of wealth by the rich, and a mechanism by which they control the rest of us. It does this by making it possible to keep score in the complex game that is our economy, and pretty much guarantees that the wealthy win. Unfortunately, our financial system creates money as debt, which must be paid back with interest. In order to do that, the economy must continually grow, or it will collapse. At the same time, the inevitable consequence of continued growth on a finite planet is also collapse.</p>
<p>In <a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/02/time-for-change-part-2-hierarchies.html">Part 2</a> I discussed the problems with hierarchies, especially with governments that have been co-opted by capitalism. The point being that overconsumption is our most pressing problem and hierarchies and capitalism are potent, and mutually reinforcing, agents of overconsumption.</p>
<p>So, I think I've made it clear that we can do without money and capitalism, but can we really do without hierarchies? I'll break that question into several parts today.</p>
<p>1) Are human beings naturally hierarchical? Are we doomed to drift back into hierarchical organizations even if we successfully get rid of today's hierarchies?</p>
<p>2) Are there viable alternatives? That is, are hierarchies necessary when we organize ourselves into large groups and take on large projects, or are there others ways?</p>
<p>3) Given the strengths of today's hierarchies and their success at propaganda, is there any hope that we can get rid of them?</p>
<p>We are repeatedly told that the answer to these questions is yes, no and no, respectively. But if we look a little closer, I think we will find different answers (no, yes and yes). Part of what will lead us to those answers is that, in order to reduce consumption to a sustainable level, we need to only do things that are really necessary—that actually provide the necessities of life to the human race. My definition of necessities is probably wider than yours, but it definitely doesn't include helping hierarchies grow and become more powerful, or helping capitalists accumulate wealth.</p>
<p><b>OK, question 1. Are humans naturally hierarchical?</b></p>
<p>In an <a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/03/collapse-you-say-part-7-needs-and-wants.html">earlier post</a> I said that for most of our pre-history people lived in egalitarian hunter gatherer bands, and that we have evolved to be best suited to similar circumstances. One of my readers (Stephen Kurtz) objected, pointing out that people are naturally hierarchical—an assertion that he found to be obviously correct, but which just didn't sound right to me, based on my personal experience of living with other human beings. I have to thank Stephen, since his comment motivated me to do some reading that resolved this seeming contradiction. It seems that, yes, people do have innate drives to dominate and to submit, in varying degrees. So we can easily fall into the trap of hierarchical organization, with a few of those who prefer to dominate making it to the top, and the rest of us stuck underneath them. How then does one explain all those egalitarian societies in our past? And even a few remaining at present.</p>
<p>Well, it seems that we also have a strong innate resentment of being dominated. In small bands of people, where there is only room for one leader, most people realize that they cannot reasonably hope to be that person. If they let an upstart take over and run things, they will be stuck submitting to him for the rest of their lives, or they will have to leave the band. That is exactly what happens among gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos, our nearest relatives. And it was probably our "original" state, as well, if you look far enough back.</p>
<p>Graeber and Wengrow, in <i>The Dawn of Everything</i> spend a lot of time trying to avoid the question of whether our original state was hierarchical or egalitarian. I am not nearly so worried about this—I think you can argue that at one time our distant ancestors did live in primitive hierarchies like our primate relatives. But this was before we were fully human, and it was only when we found another, more egalitarian, way of living that we really became fully human.</p>
<p>At some point in our past, our ancestors realized that it was possible to prevent upstarts from taking over (with careful vigilance and suitable tactics to control them), and thus to live in an egalitarian society. You didn't get to dominate, but at least you didn't have to submit, and it seems that for most of us this was preferable. Over time, techniques for controlling upstarts were finely honed. These include ridicule, criticism, ostracism, and murder. Once such a system is functioning smoothly, it discourages would be upstarts from acting on their deviant impulses. And it provides a much less stressful social environment for people to live in.</p>
<p>I should note here that from most of the reading I've done on this subject I was left with the impression that these egalitarian bands lived pretty much in isolation. It has recently been suggested to me by a reliable source (thanks, Helga Ingeborg Vierich), that this wasn't so. She says, "bands, in fact, are temporary camping groups, part of a much larger community that shares the same dialect or language, numbering in the many hundreds, or even thousands, of people. Most of these people know each other, or at least know of each other through their individual social networks of friends and family. And camping parties do change in membership from camp to camp and so they rarely consist of the same households over the course of the year." This is supported by what I've read of the Anishinabek in colonial times (Cecil King's book on Jean-Baptiste Assiginack).</p>
<p>Living and evolving in small egalitarian groups fine-tuned our empathy, our communication skills, our tendency toward altruism and our dislike of being dominated. All these thing are innate characteristics of human beings today. So it seems very likely that we could indeed learn to live in non-hierarchical societies again, if given the opportunity. And there is little reason to think we would subsequently backslide into hierarchies. Especially if we keep alive the memories of how bad it was for most of us to live in hierarchical societies.</p>
<p>There will, of course, be an initial learning curve for things like consensus decision making. But excellent training materials and skilled trainers already exist, so this should not be an insurmountable obstacle.</p>
<p>In my <a href=" http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/01/collapse-you-say-part-10time-for-change.html">recent post on money</a>, I commented on differences in attitude towards the contributions of skilled/successful people in egalitarian societies and in our modern society. Such people in egalitarian communities see their contributions as part of their responsibility to support their community. It is just what human beings do, to the extent of their abilities, without expecting to go on to accumulate wealth, fame or power, or to set themselves above their fellows.</p>
<p>This is strongly in contrast to our modern society where successful people are expected to accumulate wealth, and to use it to accumulate more, without necessarily benefiting their fellows at all.</p>
<p>I think a parallel can be drawn here with differences between leadership in egalitarian societies and hierarchical societies.</p>
<p>Of course, in an egalitarian society, much less in the way of leadership is needed, and what is needed can be much more informal. Still, people will look to individuals with talent, skills and experience in a particular area to provide guidance, mentoring and leadership in that area.</p>
<p>A leader in such societies is expected to be capable and successful "economically", but also generous, impartial, patient and in control of his temper, a good orator capable of winning over an audience and skilled at settling disputes. But never arrogant, parsimonious (cheap), mean, overbearing, boastful or aloof. Because a leader was expected to be generous and help the unfortunate in his community from his own resources, he was often the poorest person in that community. (The content of this paragraph was picked out of various places in Christopher Boehme's book, Hierarchy in The Forest))</p>
<p>To sum it up, in egalitarian societies, a leader's role is to benefit his society rather than himself. To borrow a term from the Zapatistas, you should "lead by obeying"—always keeping in mind the needs and the desires of the people you lead, rather than your own personal ambitions.</p>
<p>In hierarchies people seek leadership roles for several reasons: more pay, more power and control over their futures, increased upward mobility and so on. A leader in a "front line" position is a modern hierarchy is not in that different a situation from a leader in an egalitarian society, except that he has above him a hierarchy which has some expectations of him that have little or nothing to do with the welfare of those he leads. The job is to get the working people to do what those higher up want them to do. But you can't do that without winning the co-operation of your workers. So this is a balancing act, but many leaders are oblivious and lead with their gaze focused upward, often with amusing results.</p>
<p>Still, leaders are an absolute necessity in a hierarchy, lest the working class rise up and start seeing to their own needs, rather than the desires of those above them.</p>
<p><b>2) Are there viable alternatives to hierarchical organizations?</b></p>
<p>We are told that large groups, living in more complex ways, tackling large and complex projects, require hierarchies to successfully organize them. This seems a self serving opinion, since such hierarchies largely exist to perpetuate their own existence and growth, and funnel wealth up to those at the top.</p>
<p>I'll admit that co-ordination is required whenever people work together. To borrow from Michael Albert (of <a href="https://truthout.org/articles/what-is-participatory-economics-an-interview-with-michael-albert/">Participatory Economics</a> fame), probably about 20% of the work done in a typical modern enterprise is co-ordination work. At present that labour is done by a special 20% of the people in the organization, who occupy all but the bottom-most layer of the organization's hierarchy. It could just as easily be shared out among all the employees, as 20% of their work, completely eliminating the upper tiers of the hierarchy.</p>
<p>If we do away with the co-ordinator and owner classes, allow the employees to manage themselves and share onerous duties equally among each other, things would actually work much better. Without any hierarchy at all.</p>
<p>Workers who have a grasp of how the organization works beyond their own immediate task can cope better with the inevitable unexpected situations that always come up. When "shit jobs" are shared equally among all workers, a good deal of resentment is eliminated. Workers who manage themselves gain a sense of empowerment, are more highly motivated, and can innovate more effectively than managers in a hierarchy, because of their intimate knowledge of affairs on the shop floor. All this works best when owners are eliminated and workers can decide how much of a surplus to aim for and what to do with it when they succeed in generating it. In many cases, workers will choose more leisure time rather than additional material rewards. And that will also contribute to reducing overconsumption.</p>
<p>That's in larger organizations. Reducing overconsumption will mean taking on fewer large endeavours, so there will be less need for large organizations. As I have already suggested, today's large organizations exist primarily to promote their own existence and growth, and facilitate the accumulation of wealth by their owners. They serve little other purpose. Most of what really needs to be done could be done by smaller groups and eliminate a bit chunk of consumption in the process. With the benefit of reducing the amount of co-ordination required.</p>
<p>Borrowing here from <a href="https://www.microsolidarity.cc/essays/five-scales-of-microsolidarity">Microsolidarity</a>, I would suggest the people naturally function as individuals, duos (two people), crews (3 to 8 people) and congregations (30 to 200 people). Above that there is the "crowd", which is the larger community in which the smaller groups are embedded. We evolved in bands that were very similar to "congregations", and within those bands smaller groups similar to "crews" took on tasks that were too big for one or two people. In both cases, it seems to me that we evolved, and still have, innate abilities to function well in these kinds of groups.</p>
<p>A congregation should be based in an actual geographical area and be made up of the people living there. Their primary concern should be securing the necessities of life for themselves, a situation where producers and consumers are the same people and regulating supply and demand is greatly simplified. The individuals, duos and crews within a congregation will provide the mechanisms for actually securing those necessities.</p>
<p>Capitalism has done its best over the last couple of centuries to eliminate crews and congregations, because those types of group open up the possibility of co-operation, mutual aid and self sufficiency, and make it hard for capitalist hierarchies to control people.</p>
<p>So, it seems clear to me that we could indeed eliminate large hierarchical organizations and a lot of the effort and consumption that goes into creating and maintaining them, and still have, through self management and community ownership, much of what those organizations officially claim to be trying to achieve. As Noam Chomsky said, if you cannot justify a power structure (hierarchy), it should be eliminated. As I would say, you will have a hell of a time justifying most power structures.</p>
<p>Am I missing any other important roles that hierarchies play or situations in which they are needed?</p>
<p>One possibility is the military. Currently the military is set up in a very hierarchical way, so much so that we have trouble imagining it could be otherwise. In fact, though, the best militaries come from societies with a very flat structure, and the worst from societies with very rigid hierarchical power structures. The chaos of war rewards initiative at the lowest levels, similar to the peace time organizations I was just talking about. Which should cast some serious doubt on our assumptions about the military.</p>
<p>And of course the other thing is that militaries are currently necessary because of the conflicts for land and resources that arise between our hierarchical organizations (countries, primarily). Eliminate them and conflicts should be much smaller and less frequent, probably not requiring formal standing armies at all. Smaller organizations, making decision that they themselves have to live with, should get into fewer conflicts.</p>
<p>Many people will tell your that hierarchical organizations are necessary to co-ordinate our response to disasters. This is supported by <a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/p/the-distaster-mythology.html">the disaster myth</a> which would have us believe that the people on the ground in disasters are largely helpless. But, in fact, people do a pretty good job of helping themselves, especially if they have access to the resources they need. What hinders people helping themselves in disasters is a lack of such resources, primarily due to fiscally conservative politicians who will not spend money on planning ahead for disasters. Small groups doing their own planning and keenly aware that they will suffer personally from the effects of short range thinking, are much more likely to do a good job of planning ahead, setting aside resources and training their people to respond in disaster situations.</p>
<p>We currently have large regulatory hierarchies, which are needed to control the excesses of capitalism. When those making decisions are the same ones who will be affected by them, better decisions will be made. People who can organize themselves to survive climate change, biosphere disruption and resource depletion will plan so as to mitigate these things at present and avoid them in the future. With capitalism and oligarchies removed, the temptation to seek short term personal gain instead of planning for the long term should be significantly reduced.</p>
<p>Of course, some will scoff at all of this, saying that this is just communism, which didn't work in the twentieth century and won't work now. What I am talking about is anarcho-communism, or perhaps, eco-anarcho-communism would be a better term. The communist regimes of the twentieth century were authoritarian communitsts, and from that came their problems. They made the mistake of throwing out the old owner/co-ordinating classes (aristocracy and bureaucracy) who had been running their countries and then replacing them with a new co-ordinating class based on the "party". The new co-ordinators were no better than the old ones. Little changed for most people, who had no opportunity to self manage, and who gave the party the absolute minimum of co-operation that they could get away with. As you might expect, this didn't work very well. But it is a mistake to judge communism on how it worked in those cases.</p>
<p>In Russia, before the October Revolution, the workers had already set something close to anarcho-communism, but when Lenin and the Bolsheviks took over they soon eliminated that, and set up an authoritarian state that had little in common with the sort of communism that I am advocating.</p>
<p>In my next post we'll look at the answer to my third question—given the strengths of today's hierarchies and their success at propaganda, is there any hope that we can get rid of them?</p>
<hr />
<p>During the last few months I've been reading a number of very interesting books and websites, which bear upon what we are discussing. Here is a list of those books, along with a few that I've read previously, but that also have been a help.</p>
<h3>Debt, The First 5000 Years, by David Graeber</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debt:_The_First_5000_Years">The Wikipedia article</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.unwelcomeguests.net/Debt,_The_First_5000_Years">Whole text online, The entire audiobook</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Debt-Updated-Expanded-First-Years/dp/1612194192/ref=sxts_entity_rec_bsx_s_def_r00_t_aufl">Buy on Amazon.com</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Hierarchy in the Forest: the evolution of egalitarian behavior, by Christopher Boehm</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.christopher-boehm.com/books/hierarchy-in-the-forest-the-evolution-of-egalitarian-behavior">At the author's webswite</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hierarchy-Forest-Evolution-Egalitarian-Behavior/dp/0674006917">Buy at Amazon.com</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>The Art of Not Being Governed, by James C. Scott</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_Not_Being_Governed">The wikipedia article</a></li>
<li><a href="https://libcom.org/files/Art.pdf">pdf file online</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Art-Not-Being-Governed-Anarchist/dp/0300169175/">Buy at Amazon.com</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Against the Grain, a deep history of the earliest states, by James C. Scott</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Against_the_Grain:_A_Deep_History_of_the_Earliest_States">The wikipedia article</a></li>
<li><a href="https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300182910/against-grain">At the author's university (Yale) website</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Against-Grain-History-Earliest-States/dp/030024021X/">Buy at Amazon.com</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Living at the Edges of Capitalism: Adventures in Exile and Mutual Aid, by Andrej Grubacic</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520287303/living-at-the-edges-of-capitalism">At the author's university website</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Living-Edges-Capitalism-Adventures-Mutual/dp/0520287304/">Buy at Amazon.com</a></li>
</ul>
</p>
<h3>The Dawn of Everything, by David Graeber and David Wengrow</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dawn_of_Everything">The wikipedia article</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dawn-Everything-New-History-Humanity/dp/0374157359/">Buy at Amazon.com</a></li>
</ul>
<h3> No Bosses: A New Economy for a Better World, by Michael Albert</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participatory_economics">Wikipedia article on Participatory Economics</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/No-Bosses-Economy-Better-World/dp/178279946X/">Buy <i>No Bosses</i> at Amazon.com</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Balancing Two Worlds: Jean-Baptiste Assiginack and the Odawa Nation, 1768-1866, by Cecil King</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.manitoulin.com/assiginack-historical-figure-new-biography/">Review of <i>Balancing Two Worlds</i></a>, on the Manitoulin Expositor website.</li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Baptiste_Assiginack">Wikipedia </a> article about Jean-Baptiste Assigninack </li>
<li><a href="https://ojibwe-cultural-foundation.myshopify.com/products/balancing-two-worlds-by-cecil-king ">Buy <i>Balancing Two Worlds</i></a>, from the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Websites</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://economicsfromthetopdown.com/2021/12/08/hierarchy-zoom-bombed/">Economics from the Top Down: Hierarchy Zoom Bombed</a></li>
<li><a href=" https://www.microsolidarity.cc/">Microsolidarity</a></li>
<hr />
<h2><br>Links to the rest of this series of posts: <br />
Collapse, you say? / Time for Change</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2020/06/collapse-you-say.html">Collapse You Say? Part 1, Introduction</a>,
Tuesday, 30 June 2020</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2020/09/collapse-you-say-part-2-inputs-and.html">Collapse, you say? Part 2: Inputs and Outputs</a>,
Wednesday, 30 September 2020</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2020/10/collapse-you-say-part-3-inputs-and.html">Collapse, you say? Part 3: Inputs and Outputs continued</a>, October 7, 2020 /li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/01/collapse-you-say-part-4-growth.html">Collapse, you say? Part 4: growth, overshoot and dieoff</a>, January 2, 2021</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/01/collapse-you-say-part-5-over-population.html">Collapse, you say? Part 5: Over Population</a>, January 8, 2021</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/02/collapse-you-say-part-6-overpopulation.html">Collapse, you say? Part 6: Over Population and Overconsumption</a>, Februrary 21, 2021</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/03/collapse-you-say-part-7-needs-and-wants.html">Collapse, you say? Part 7: Needs and Wants, Human Nature, Politics</a>, March 8, 2021</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/05/collapse-you-say-part-8-factors-which.html">Collapse, you say? Part 8: Factors which made industrialization possible</a>, May 13 , 2021</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/05/collapse-you-say-part-9-unintended.html">Collapse, you say? Part 9: Unintended Consequences of Industrialization</a>, May 20 , 2021</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/01/collapse-you-say-part-10time-for-change.html">Collapse You Say? Part 10/Time for Change, Part 1: Money</a>, January 5, 2022</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/02/time-for-change-part-2-hierarchies.html">Time for Change, Part 2: Hierarchies</a>, Februray 16, 2022</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/04/time-for-change-part-3-without.html">Time for Change, Part 3: Without Hierarchies?</a> April 23, 2022</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/06/time-for-change-part-4.html">Time for Change, Part 4: Conclusions</a> June 22, 2022</li>
</ul>
Irv Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08030800457536589003noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2848841213670110129.post-86281296125176575542022-03-27T18:19:00.001-04:002022-03-27T18:42:49.323-04:00What I've Been Reading, February 2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrcy8reSwmrDmIII5edDsjlhSB9VOcOsz-5Eq0EXM3Y49tcHOdfRsWQOETvw2ZtjhqxXrOwGHRRkX-1_rA1zVIDwbyA472D2zmg_KS6jBngqEZMGBCM1C2C41GBbvONfMJo52DH8rlz7dmFqyB75q4Yn1o9DH3tR_6S_tQYvpiErtVpEanwwclqq9YoA/s1300/Library2.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrcy8reSwmrDmIII5edDsjlhSB9VOcOsz-5Eq0EXM3Y49tcHOdfRsWQOETvw2ZtjhqxXrOwGHRRkX-1_rA1zVIDwbyA472D2zmg_KS6jBngqEZMGBCM1C2C41GBbvONfMJo52DH8rlz7dmFqyB75q4Yn1o9DH3tR_6S_tQYvpiErtVpEanwwclqq9YoA/s600/Library2.jpg"/></a></div>
<h1>Links</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://7labs.io/tips-tricks/bypass-publication-paywalls.html">Bypass paywalls on popular online publications for free</a>, by 7 Labs.<br />
There is a lot of important information out there that is behind paywalls, many requiring expensive subscription to overcome.</li>
<li><a href=" ttps://12ft.io/">Show me a 10ft paywall, I’ll show you a 12ft ladder.</a><br />
"Prepend 12ft.io/ to the URL of any paywalled page, and we'll try our best to remove the paywall and get you access to the article."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Above the Fold</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/1/how-ottawa-residents-took-care-of-each-other-when-no-one-else-did?utm_source=sendinblue&utm_campaign=Coronavirus%20%2008032022&utm_medium=email">How Ottawa residents took care of each other when no one else did</a>, by Jillian Kestler-D'Amours, AL JAZEERA<br />
"How Ottawa residents took care of each other when no one else did."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/Is-the-Prime-Minister-of-Canada-Justin-Trudeau-underestimating-the-power-and-or-political-influence-of-Canadian-truckers/answer/Rathkeale-T">Is the Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau underestimating the power and/or political influence of Canadian truckers?</a> by Rathkeale T., Quora</li>
<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/In-other-words-the-Emergencies-Act-will-give-Trudeau-the-authority-to-jail-evict-and-confiscate-the-property-of-anyone-he-views-as-threatening-his-regime-Really-Canada/answer/Danny-Philp">In other words, the Emergencies Act will give Trudeau the authority to jail, evict, and confiscate the property of anyone he views as threatening his regime. Really Canada?</a> by Danny Philp, Quora<br />
In short, no.
</li>
<li><a href="https://www.resilience.org/stories/2022-02-24/the-limits-to-growth-at-50-from-scenarios-to-unfolding-reality/?fbclid=IwAR0jvzibPo7rT5uxZHTwjAFftkXXMS3o_95EgOqeBoOSBveBAoMiMyHO0jg">The Limits to Growth at 50: From Scenarios to Unfolding Reality</a>, by Richard Heinberg, Resilience</li>
<li><a href="https://www.resilience.org/stories/2022-02-22/dennis-meadows-on-the-50th-anniversary-of-the-publication-of-the-limits-to-growth/">Dennis Meadows on the 50th anniversary of the publication of The Limits to Growth</a>, by Richard Heinberg and Dennis Meadows, resilience</li>
</ul>
<h3>Miscellaneous</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href=" https://medium.com/predict/spacexs-latest-rocket-engine-will-dominate-space-d35213cd3e9e"> SpaceX’s Latest Rocket Engine Will Dominate Space</a>, by Will Lockett, Medium—Predict<br />
"Elon’s Raptor 2 engine is in another league."<br />
It is pretty amusing, really, when you get to the end of the article and find out they are having trouble controlling the build up of heat in the rocket engine, and it is a long way from delivering on the promises touted early in the article.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Coronavirus</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://trumpisacriminal.quora.com/So-far-approximately-777-000-people-have-died-from-COVID-19-in-the-USA-That-is-about-0-25-percent-of-the-total-US-popul-86">So far approximately 777,000 people have died from COVID-19 in the USA. That is about 0.25 percent of the total US population as of 2021 according to census. How does that justify lockdowns and mandatory vaccinations when it is so mild?</a> by Samantha Morrow, Quora</li>
</ul>
<h3>Housing</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://guelph-back-grounder.blogspot.com/2022/02/housing-revisited-part-one-do-we-need.html">Housing Revisited: Part One, Do We Need Citizen Barracks/Dorms?</a> by Bill Hulet, The Guelph Back-Grounder</li>
<li><a href="https://guelph-back-grounder.blogspot.com/2022/02/housing-revisited-part-two-housing.html">Housing Revisited, Part Two: the Housing Crisis—Branch and Root</a>, by Bill Hulet, The Guelph Back-Grounder</li>
</ul>
<h3> Capitalism, Communism, Anarchy</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.legalreader.com/thedacare-medics-row-shows-worker-clout/?fbclid=IwAR0AVG9Zdq3FjS-NHIvTPdZoONlweJ7DydU9cF8Jyq2BLIgJJyBZXdhd1Rs">ThedaCare Medics Row Shows Worker Clout</a>, by Dawn Allen, Legal Reader<br />
"Seven ThedaCare medics quit for better jobs. At first, a judge said they couldn’t go, a stunning decision in an economy which should be golden for workers."</li>
</ul>
<h3>The New Fascism, the Far-Right and Antifa </h3>
<p>I hear a lot of well educated people saying that the people some of us are calling fascists don't meet all the criteria for being "real" fascists. Others have even accused us of calling anyone we disagree with a fascist. I predict that a few decades (maybe just a few years) from now those same people will be saying they wish they hadn't been quite so fussy with their definitions, and had acted sooner to oppose these "new fascists", even if they weren't identical to the fascists of the twentieth century. The following four paragraphs, by Shane Burley, are the best short defintiion of fascism I have yet come across.</p>
<p>There has to be a reliable base point when we are looking at something we think to be fascist, especially when it runs a certain level of subtlety that isn’t apparent on its own terms. I have defined fascism using two key primary points: inequality and essentialized identity.</p>
<p>Inequality: The belief that human beings are not equal for immutable reasons, such as intelligence, capacity, spiritual caste, etc. This inequality is not just fact, but it is a sacrament, meaning that society should be constructed with cleanly defined hierarchies, which are natural, and that society would then be healthier when those hierarchies are made explicit and enforced. This also lends itself to the importance of elitism, that there must be an elite ruler caste, even though they usually reject the existing ruling class. </p>
<p>Essential identity: Our identities are fixed and define us, they are not socially constructed or chosen. The most common of these is racial given white nationalism as the dominant form of Western fascism, but it could also include gender (male tribalism), specific ethnicities (inter-European nationalism), sexual orientation (extreme queer-phobia), or religion (Hindutva). And when I say essentializing identities I mean that it is not just an identity that is true (like being of African heritage), but that the identity defines you in some way as incidence. </p>
<p>There are several points that I consider very important in the definition of fascism, but often put just secondary to the two critical points. This would include a mythology about its tribal group, the sanctity of violence, revolutionary strategy (in some degree), authoritarianism, populism, and the appropriation of the Left. While these almost always exist in relationship to fascism, they are not defining of fascism because they may exist outside of fascism. It is not uncommon to interact with revolutionary left movements that are authoritarian or fetishize violence, and while that may be abhorrent, it does not make them fascist.</p>
<li><a href="https://truthout.org/articles/what-is-fascism-an-excerpt-from-fascism-today-what-it-is-and-how-to-end-it/"> What Is Fascism? An Excerpt From “Fascism Today: What It Is and How to End It”</a>, by Shane Burley, Truthout</li>
</ul>
<h3>Genetic Engineering</h3>
<p>Before jumping to the erroneous conclusion that this section was paid for by Monsanto, stop for a moment and understand that organic agriculture/food is a multi-billion dollar per year industry that relies on fear to get people to buy its products. Millions of dollars are spent to convince you that non-organic food is dangerous. In fact both conventionally grown and organic foods are equally safe. Sadly neither method of agriculture is even remotely sustainable.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://grist.org/series/panic-free-gmos/">Panic-free GMOs</a>, A Grist Special Series by Nathanael Johnson<br />
"It’s easy to get information about genetically modified food. There are the dubious anti-GM horror stories that recirculate through social networks. On the other side, there’s the dismissive sighing, eye-rolling, and hand patting of pro-GM partisans. But if you just want a level-headed assessment of the evidence in plain English, that’s in pretty short supply. Fortunately, you’ve found the trove."<br />
A series of articles that does a pretty good job of presenting the facts about GMOs. I plan to include one article from this series here each month.</li>
<li><a href="https://grist.org/food/block-party-are-activists-thwarting-gmo-innovation/"> Block party: Are activists thwarting GMO innovation?</a>, by Nathanael Johnson, Grist<br />
"GM technology hasn't lived up to its hype. Genetic-engineering proponents blame activists. Here's a deeper look at the GMO blame game."<br />
I have to say that Mr. Johnson leans pretty heavily to the anti-GMO side in this one, even thought the facts he presents don't support that.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Practical Skills</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://craftsmanprotools.com/bandsaw-resawing/">9 Bandsaw Resawing Tips And Tricks You Should Know</a>, by Bright Ochuko, Craftsman Pro Tools</li>
<li><a href="https://craftsmanprotools.com/deal-with-planer-snipe/">8 Ways To Prevent Or Deal With Planer Snipe</a>, by Bright Ochuko, Craftsman Pro Tools</li>
</ul>
<h3>Debunking Resources</h3>
<p>These are of such importance that I've decide to leave them here on an ongoing basis.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debunker">Debunking</a>, Wikipedia </li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudoscience">Pseudoscience</a>, Wikipedia</li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_topics_characterized_as_pseudoscience"> List of topics characterized as pseudoscience</a>, Wikipedia</li>
<li><a href="https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Main_Page">Rational Wiki</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/">Science Based Medecine</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.quackwatch.org/">Quackwatch</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.snopes.com/">Snopes</a>, debunks or validates urban legends</li>
<li><a href="http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/index.html">Bad Astronomy</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.skeptic.com/">The Skeptics Society</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/true-5-factchecking-websites/">The 8 Best Fact-Checking Sites for Finding Unbiased Truth</a>, by Megan Ellis, MUO—Make Use Of</li>
<li><a href="https://www.painscience.com/">Pain Science</a>, by Paul Ingraham </li>
<li><a href=" https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/FLICC_Taxonomy_of_Logical_Fallacies.jpg?fbclid=IwAR3jMZJT2os4If5wy-zF1tYPzzkxWlUfHmp-Rm8ew3rBxGb4ahffN-JzF8E ">Techniques of Science Denial</a></li>
</ul>
<h1>Books</h1>
<h2>Fiction</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Light-Chaser-Peter-F-Hamilton/dp/1250769825/">Light Chaser</a>, by Peter F. Hamilton and Gareth L. Powell<br />
"Amahle is a Light Chaser – one of a number of explorers, who travel the universe alone (except for their onboard AI), trading trinkets for life stories. But when she listens to the stories sent down through the ages she hears the same voice talking directly to her from different times and on different worlds. She comes to understand that something terrible is happening, and only she is in a position to do anything about it. nd it will cost everything to put it right."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Desolation-Called-Peace-Teixcalaan/dp/1529001641/">A Desolatioin Called Peace</a>, by Arkady Martine<br />
"A Desolation Called Peace is the spectacular space opera sequel to A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine, winner of the 2020 Hugo Award for Best Novel."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bright-Morning-Star-Simon-Morden/dp/1912950340/">Bright Morning Star</a>, by Simon Morden<br />
"Simon Morden has won the Philip K. Dick Award and been a judge on the Arthur C. Clarke Award. He is a bona fide rocket scientist, with degrees in Geology and Planetary Geophysics. In Bright Morning Star he delivers perhaps his finest work to date, a ground-breaking take on first contact. Sent to Earth to explore, survey, collect samples and report back to its makers, an alien probe arrives in the middle of a warzone. Witnessing both the best and worst of humanity, the AI probe faces situations that go far beyond the parameters of its programming, and is forced to improvise, making decisions that have repercussions for the future of our entire world."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gallowglass-S-J-Morden/dp/1473228557/">Gallowglass</a>, by Simon Morden<br />
"Jack Van Der Veerden is on the run. From his billionaire parents' chilling plans, from his brutal bodyguard, from a planet on the brink of climate chaos.<br />
"Seeking freedom out in space, he gets a job on a mining ship chasing down an asteroid. Crewed by mercenaries and misfits, they all want a cut of the biggest payday in history. A single mistake could cost Jack his life - and that's before they reach their destination. The bounty from the asteroid could change lives and save nations - and corrupt any one of them. Because in space, it's all or nothing: riches beyond measure, or dying alone in the dark."</li>
</ul>
<h2>Non-Fiction</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/No-Bosses-Economy-Better-World/dp/178279946X/">No Bosses: A New Economy for a Better World</a>, by Michael Albert<br />
"Providing hope and direction to sustain commitment on the path to change, No Bosses is about winning a new world.<br />
"Life under capitalism. Rampant debilitating denial for the many next to vile enrichment of the few. Material deprivation, denial, and denigration. Dignity defiled. Michael Albert's book No Bosses advocates for the conception and then organization of a new economy. The vision offered is called participatory economics. It elevates self-management, equity, solidarity, diversity, and sustainability. It eliminates elitist, arrogant, dismissive, authoritarian, exploitation, competition, and homogenization. No Bosses proposes a built and natural productive commons, self-management by all who work, income for how long, how hard, and the onerousness of conditions of socially valued work, jobs that give all economic actors comparable means and inclination to participate in decisions that affect them, and a process called participatory planning in which caring behavior and solidarity are the currency of collective and individual success."</li>
</ul>
Irv Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08030800457536589003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2848841213670110129.post-26727328059525844292022-03-07T16:58:00.004-05:002022-03-10T10:38:19.402-05:00What I've Been Reading, January 2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSIGPADolns/X_5bVjM9WpI/AAAAAAAADmo/GY1vQKAjbdgMvHyN2aZbPa8VAkY07SCaACLcBGAsYHQ/s1183/BookShelvesCropped.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: left; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="1183" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSIGPADolns/X_5bVjM9WpI/AAAAAAAADmo/GY1vQKAjbdgMvHyN2aZbPa8VAkY07SCaACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/BookShelvesCropped.jpg"/></a></div>
<h1>Links</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://7labs.io/tips-tricks/bypass-publication-paywalls.html">Bypass paywalls on popular online publications for free</a>, by 7 Labs.<br />
There is a lot of important information out there that is behind paywalls, many requiring expensive subscription to overcome.</li>
<li><a href="https://12ft.io/">Show me a 10ft paywall, I’ll show you a 12ft ladder.</a><br />
"Prepend 12ft.io/ to the URL of any paywalled page, and we'll try our best to remove the paywall and get you access to the article."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Above the Fold</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://eand.co/good-luck-learning-to-live-with-the-pandemic-youre-going-to-need-it-c733b56f1393"> Good Luck “Learning to Live With the Pandemic” — You’re Going to Need It</a>, by Umair Haque, Medium—Eudaimonia<br />
Why “Learning to Live With the Pandemic” is an Intellectual Fraud and a Moral Disgrace</li>
<li><a href="https://politicsofcanada.quora.com/Why-are-these-Canadian-lorry-drivers-protesting-about-the-Covid-vaccine-What-are-the-reasons-If-they-are-vaccinated-2">Why are these Canadian lorry drivers protesting about the Covid vaccine? What are the reasons? If they are vaccinated & catch it, any symptoms are mild, so what is the issue then?</a> Danny Philp, Quora</li>
</ul>
<h3>Miscellaneous</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.resilience.org/stories/2022-01-17/living-without-machines/">Living without ‘machines’</a>, by Andrew Curry, Reslience <br />
A review of Mark Boyle’s book, <i>The Way Home</i></li>
</ul>
<h3>Coronavirus</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-does-COVID-19-keep-mutating-to-require-new-vaccines-while-smallpox-mumps-polio-etc-dont/answer/Dr-Jo-6"> Why does COVID-19 keep mutating to require new vaccines while smallpox, mumps, polio, etc. don't?</a> by Dr Jo, Quora</li>
<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/Was-British-prime-minister-Boris-Johnson-incorrect-when-he-stated-that-the-covid-vaccines-doesn-t-protect-you-from-catching-the-disease-and-doesn-t-protect-you-against-passing-it-on/answer/Gill-Bullen">Was British prime minister Boris Johnson incorrect when he stated that the covid vaccines "doesn’t protect you from catching the disease and doesn’t protect you against passing it on”?</a> by Gill Bullen, Quora<br />
I don't know if I agree with the author's unusually positive portrayal of Boris Johnson, but the rest of this is quite good.</li>
<li><a href=" https://www.quora.com/Are-mRNA-vaccines-the-main-cause-of-the-increasing-spread-of-the-COVID-19-because-they-help-the-way-the-SARS-CoV-2-virus-replicates/answer/Richard-Smedley-4"> Are mRNA vaccines the main cause of the increasing spread of the COVID-19, because they help the way the SARS-CoV-2 virus replicates?</a> by Richard Smedley, Quora<br />
In short, no.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-are-COVID-19-vaccinations-politicized-with-a-lot-of-hesitancy-in-the-United-States-when-there-was-a-national-celebration-when-the-polio-vaccine-came-in-1955/answer/Mike-Jones-169">Why are COVID-19 vaccinations politicized with a lot of hesitancy in the United States when there was a national celebration when the polio vaccine came in 1955?</a> by Mike Jones, Quora<br /></li>
</ul>
<h3>The New Fascism, the Far-Right and Antifa </h3>
<p>I hear a lot of well educated people saying that the people some of us are calling fascists don't meet all the criteria for being "real" fascists. Others have even accused us of calling anyone we disagree with a fascist. I predict that a few decades (maybe just a few years) from now those same people will be saying they wish they hadn't been quite so fussy with their definitions, and had acted sooner to oppose these "new fascists", even if they weren't identical to the fascists of the twentieth century.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://truthout.org/articles/what-is-fascism-an-excerpt-from-fascism-today-what-it-is-and-how-to-end-it/"> What Is Fascism? An Excerpt From “Fascism Today: What It Is and How to End It”</a>, by Shane Burley, Truthout<br />
"There has to be a reliable base point when we are looking at something we think to be fascist, especially when it runs a certain level of subtlety that isn’t apparent on its own terms. I have defined fascism using two key primary points: inequality and essentialized identity.<br />
Inequality: The belief that human beings are not equal for immutable reasons, such as intelligence, capacity, spiritual caste, etc. This inequality is not just fact, but it is a sacrament, meaning that society should be constructed with cleanly defined hierarchies, which are natural, and that society would then be healthier when those hierarchies are made explicit and enforced. This also lends itself to the importance of elitism, that there must be an elite ruler caste, even though they usually reject the existing ruling class. <br />
Essential identity: Our identities are fixed and define us, they are not socially constructed or chosen. The most common of these is racial given white nationalism as the dominant form of Western fascism, but it could also include gender (male tribalism), specific ethnicities (inter-European nationalism), sexual orientation (extreme queer-phobia), or religion (Hindutva). And when I say essentializing identities I mean that it is not just an identity that is true (like being of African heritage), but that the identity defines you in some way as incidence. <br />
There are several points that I consider very important in the definition of fascism, but often put just secondary to the two critical points. This would include a mythology about its tribal group, the sanctity of violence, revolutionary strategy (in some degree), authoritarianism, populism, and the appropriation of the Left. While these almost always exist in relationship to fascism, they are not defining of fascism because they may exist outside of fascism. It is not uncommon to interact with revolutionary left movements that are authoritarian or fetishize violence, and while that may be abhorrent, it does not make them fascist.
"
</li>
<li><a href="https://abeautifulresistance.org/site/2019/4/3/no-thats-not-what-fascism-is?rq=fascism"> No, that’s not what fascism is</a>, by Shane Burley, Gods & Radicals Press</li>
</ul>
<h3> Food</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/a-microbiome-scientist-at-large/3-huge-challenges-crushing-cultured-meat-ffc0443c6331">3 Huge Challenges Crushing Cultured Meat</a>, by Sam Westreich, PhD, Medium—Sharing Science<br />
"We’ll need to solve these problems if we want “lab-cultured” meat to, well, grow."</li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/no-fear-in-food-science/rice-milk-vs-cows-milk-5fda92d3b796">Rice Milk vs. Cow’s Milk</a>, by Abbey, Medium—Food Science Fusion<br />
"There’s a clear winner here"</li>
</ul>
<h3>Genetic Engineering</h3>
<p>Before jumping to the erroneous conclusion that this section was paid for by Monsanto, stop for a moment and understand that organic agriculture/food is a multi-billion dollar per year industry that relies on fear to get people to buy its product. Millions of dollars are spent to convince you that non-organic food is dangerous. In fact both conventionally grown and organic foods are equally safe. Sadly neither method of agriculture is even remotely sustainable.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://grist.org/series/panic-free-gmos/">Panic-free GMOs</a>, A Grist Special Series by Nathanael Johnson<br />
"It’s easy to get information about genetically modified food. There are the dubious anti-GM horror stories that recirculate through social networks. On the other side, there’s the dismissive sighing, eye-rolling, and hand patting of pro-GM partisans. But if you just want a level-headed assessment of the evidence in plain English, that’s in pretty short supply. Fortunately, you’ve found the trove."<br />
A series of articles that does a pretty good job of presenting the facts about GMOs. I plan to include one article from this series here each month.</li>
<li><a href="https://grist.org/food/is-genetic-engineering-a-doomed-effort-to-reinvent-natures-wheel/">Is genetic engineering a doomed effort to reinvent nature’s wheel?</a> by Nathanael Johnson, Grist<br />
"It’s not very exciting to say that each avenue of research project should be funded on its merits. It would be much more powerful if I could make the case that GE food can just never deliver as much public good as money spent elsewhere. But there’s just not good evidence for that the case.<br />
Indeed, it’s clear that genetic engineering can provide a huge monetary return on investment. The success of commercial biotech hints that the technology also could provide return on investment for the environment, and for humanity, if we pursued the right avenues. We don’t need GMOs to save the world. But they could probably help."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Practical Skills</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37d2J40rw7I&ab_channel=TAOutdoors"> 10 Bushcraft Knife Skills in 10 Minutes</a>, by TA Outdoors, YouTube<br />
I found this trilogy of videos pretty amazing, in that it has some useful ideas that I hadn't encountered before.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hukEChgGDw&ab_channel=TAOutdoors"> 10 Bushcraft Axe Skills in 10 Minutes</a>, by
TA Outdoors, YouTube</li>
<li><a href=" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rih5GRuwMLA&ab_channel=TAOutdoors"> 10 Bushcraft Saw Skills in 10 Minutes</a>, by TA Outdoors, YouTube</li>
</ul>
<h3>American Politics</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href=" https://www.quora.com/What-was-the-reason-why-Trump-installed-Tata-in-the-Pentagon-during-the-closing-days-of-his-administration-What-role-was-he-supposed-to-play-in-Trumps-plan-to-retain-power-and-why-did-it-fail/answer/Nelson-McKeeby">What was the reason why Trump installed Tata in the Pentagon during the closing days of his administration? What role was he supposed to play in Trump's plan to retain power, and why did it fail?</a> by Nelson McKeeby, Quora<br />
Scary, but not surprising, that people like Brigadier General Tata exist.</li>
<li><a href="https://uspolitics.quora.com/Do-the-people-who-I-believe-that-Joseph-Biden-won-fair-and-square-cant-base-it-on-numbers-because-these-numbers-were-20">The people who believe that Joseph Biden won fair and square can't base it on numbers, because these numbers were given to us. So, are they essentially basing it on the fact that the news simply declared it?</a> by John Scott, Quora<br /></li>
</ul>
<h3>Linguistics</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href=" https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/01/17/how-the-chinese-language-got-modernized"> How the Chinese Language Got Modernized</a>, by Ian Buruma, The New Yorker<br />
"Faced with technological and political upheaval, reformers decided that Chinese would need to change in order to survive."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Debunking Resources</h3>
<p>These are of such importance that I've decide to leave them here on an ongoing basis.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debunker">Debunking</a>, Wikipedia </li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudoscience">Pseudoscience</a>, Wikipedia</li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_topics_characterized_as_pseudoscience"> List of topics characterized as pseudoscience</a>, Wikipedia</li>
<li><a href="https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Main_Page">Rational Wiki</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/">Science Based Medecine</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.quackwatch.org/">Quackwatch</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.snopes.com/">Snopes</a>, debunks or validates urban legends</li>
<li><a href="http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/index.html">Bad Astronomy</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.skeptic.com/">The Skeptics Society</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/true-5-factchecking-websites/">The 8 Best Fact-Checking Sites for Finding Unbiased Truth</a>, by Megan Ellis, MUO—Make Use Of</li>
<li><a href="https://www.painscience.com/">Pain Science</a>, by Paul Ingraham </li>
<li><a href=" https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/FLICC_Taxonomy_of_Logical_Fallacies.jpg?fbclid=IwAR3jMZJT2os4If5wy-zF1tYPzzkxWlUfHmp-Rm8ew3rBxGb4ahffN-JzF8E ">Techniques of Science Denial</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Science Based Medicine</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/antivaccine-hero-andrew-wakefield-scientific-fraud/">Antivaccine hero Andrew Wakefield: Scientific fraud?</a> by David Gorski, Science Based Medicine</li>
<li><a href="https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/48/4/456/284219">Vaccines and Autism: A Tale of Shifting Hypotheses</a>, by Stanley Plotkin, Jeffrey S. Gerber, Paul A. Offit, Oxford Academic—Clinical Infectious Diseases</li>
</ul>
<h3>Gender and Sexuality</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://psyche.co/ideas/affirming-transgender-peoples-identities-is-more-than-politeness">Affirming transgender people’s identities is more than politeness</a>, by David Matthew Doyle, Psyche</li>
</ul>
<h3>Artificial Intelligence</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/@RebelScience/why-tesla-cannot-solve-full-self-driving-378a8214b4ff">Why Tesla Cannot Solve Full Self-Driving</a>, by Rebel Science, Medium<br />
"Deep Learning Is Hopelessly Flawed"<br />
"The brain can instantly perceive any pattern or object in sharp detail even if it has not seen anything like it before. A deep neural net would be blind to it."</li>
</ul>
<h1>Books</h1>
<h2>Fiction</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shards-Earth-extraordinary-trilogy-Architecture-ebook/dp/B08PDFPBY8/ref=sr_1_1">Shards of Earth</a>, by Adrian Tchaikovsky</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Artifact-Space-Miles-Cameron/dp/1473232619/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0">Artifact Space</a>, by Miles Cameron</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Elder-Race-Adrian-Tchaikovsky/dp/1250768721/">Elder Race</a>, by Adrian Tchaikovsky </li>
</ul>
Irv Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08030800457536589003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2848841213670110129.post-45044637485649758342022-02-16T14:12:00.008-05:002022-06-23T16:17:01.705-04:00Time for Change, Part 2: Hierarchies<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhnJ3zhypEUs8-5slzF7uZrX60-qbaju0Qm2U2Ytzt86UIMdcW2t3sgyxkmK9Fxbr2lyARs_vPNsMpXsS07DxWtRsBjMrNjmZerdBYQnMVmkIlrrDGSCH39VPGn2oDJHw0Xww-PjAI0rVRMxIUHeXzUjJfqebJ84YjyoCwQjWTy6ExLk1l_pNGvPl1lw=s1600" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="928" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhnJ3zhypEUs8-5slzF7uZrX60-qbaju0Qm2U2Ytzt86UIMdcW2t3sgyxkmK9Fxbr2lyARs_vPNsMpXsS07DxWtRsBjMrNjmZerdBYQnMVmkIlrrDGSCH39VPGn2oDJHw0Xww-PjAI0rVRMxIUHeXzUjJfqebJ84YjyoCwQjWTy6ExLk1l_pNGvPl1lw=s600" width="600" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Pinnacle Rock Falls</b><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">about 2 hours drive east of Kincardine</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>This is the second of several posts that I'd have preferred to publish all at once, were it not for the extreme length of such a piece. I would suggest that you go back and read the <a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/01/collapse-you-say-part-10time-for-change.html">first one</a>, if you have not already done so. To briefly and inadequately summarize, I'll just say that overpopulation and overconsumption (and their consequences) are, in my opinion, the most serious problems we face. Overpopulation is going to take decades to solve, while overconsumption could be addressed quite quickly if certain obstacles could be gotten out of the way. By reducing our level of consumption, we could reduce our impact on the planet and give ourselves time to reduce our population.</p>
<p>The blame for overconsumption can be laid squarely at the feet of capitalism, with its insatiable hunger to accumulate wealth, its inescapable need for endless growth, its inability to tackle any problem that can't be solved by making a profit and its endless blaring marketing machine which convinces us that we must consume, consume, consume. It is important to note that the majority of that consumption is done by a minority of people, the top ten to twenty percent of the richest people in the world. Sadly, I am part of that group and I suspect that many of my readers are as well, even though we wouldn't call ourselves rich.</p>
<p>In a <a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/05/collapse-you-say-part-9-unintended.html">previous post</a> where I looked at the problems with industrialization, I had also promised to have a more detailed look at our financial systems and our governments. </p>
<p>In this new series I am finally doing that, and <a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/01/collapse-you-say-part-10time-for-change.html">last time</a> we looked at our financial system and saw that money is a tool that facilitates the accumulation of wealth by the rich, and a mechanism by which they control the rest of us. It does this by making it possible to keep score in the complex game that is our economy. Unfortunately, our financial system creates money as debt, which must be paid back with interest. In order to do that, the economy must continually grow, or it will collapse. At the same time, the inevitable consequence of continued growth on a finite planet is also collapse.</p>
<p>I then asked if we could do without keeping score—without money—and concluded that we could indeed, and to the benefit of most everyone. Especially since the collapse we are facing will hurt people of all socio-economic classes.</p>
<p>Today I'll take a similar look at our governments (and most of the rest of our organizations), identify the problems with them and ask if we could do without them.</p>
<p>These days our families, communities, businesses and so on all the way up to our countries and the UN are organized as hierarchies, and most have been since they were first created. Like money, this sort of organization is a tool designed for the benefit of certain people (those at the top), to be used by them to secure their power, wealth and privileges, and to keep the rest of us in the position where we "belong"—lower down in the hierarchy. And in the process, to stop us from ever realizing that there is any viable alternative.</p>
<h2>Inherent Failings of Hierarchies</h2>
<p>We are told that a global civilization like ours is so big and complex that it simply couldn't function without a hierarchical organization. I would say just the opposite—that our civilization is so big and complex only because it has to support hierarchies. If we didn't have to maintain hierarchies for the benefit of those at the top of them, we could adequately take care of ourselves with much simpler organizations, in smaller groups, at less expense—in other words, with less consumption.</p>
<p>I usually refer to this phenomenon as the "diseconomies" of scale—the opposite of economies of scale. Economies of scale do exist, of course, but beyond a certain point the organizational costs swamp out the advantages of size. And that point is surprisingly small.</p>
<p>In a small group, say 200 people or less, no formal organization at all is required. With little effort, everybody gets to know each other, and to know what's going on. Decisions can be made by direct democracy, where the whole group gets together, talks things over and a consensus is reached. I'll be talking about that at length later in this series, but the thing to realize here is that even in small organizations, if there is a hierarchy, it introduces problems.</p>
<p>In a hierarchy, even one that is ideally organized and where everyone involved is a willing participant and eager to do their part, information must flow upward from where the actual work is going on to the appropriate decision making level, and decisions must flow down to where they will be actually implemented. This involves a lot of non-productive effort done by people who must be supported by those who are productive.</p>
<p>Of course, real hierarchies are far from ideal. Things are done in unnecessarily complex ways just to support the hierarchy and in many cases to make it look more impressive. The people at the top are inevitably isolated from the rest of the organization and rarely have the information they need to make good decisions. I was a supervisor and then a manager, after years of being a worker, and I was shocked by how quickly I lost touch with things at the workface. And I was trying very hard not to be influenced by the bullshit flowing down from higher in the hierarchy. Often, low level managers wallow in that stuff enthusiastically.</p>
<p>Many managers are not particularly capable of making good decisions. And even those that are frequently focus on their own benefit, with little concern for anything else.</p>
<p>But beyond all this, there are other problems that result from how hierarchies have to be established and maintained. In real hierarchies most of the people involved are not there willingly and are not particularly eager to do their part. They must be forced to do so, which is another cost of running a hierarchy. To be absolutely clear, inequality is an inherent feature of hierarchies, and can only be maintained by exploiting and oppressing those in its lower classes and blaming that situation on those same oppressed people. Let's have a closer look at how this works.</p>
<p>There are three basic mechanisms for establishing and maintaining a hierarchy—physical coercion, bureaucracy and charisma. Any one of these mechanisms can be used to build some sort of hierarchy, any two can make a pretty solid hierarchy, but when all three function together you get the situation we have today—that of being firmly stuck with our existing hierarchies.</p>
<p>One assumes that physical coercion started with a leader simply forcing his will on his followers. The next step would be surrounding himself with some bullies to who he could delegate that job. One suspects that this was not too effective for the rulers as their control wouldn't extend much beyond their own physical reach. Even with henchmen, this improved only a little, since those guys had their own interests and spent much of their time seeing to them. And there were always a few who, when the opportunity arose, were willing to step into their leader's place. Killing him, if necessary, to get rid of him.</p>
<p>Actually, this sort of organization wasn't too onerous for those being ruled. You had a number of options—quiet disobedience or just leaving, possibly to set up your own more agreeable organization in another location.</p>
<p>But since then, the techniques of physical coercion have been considerably refined. Today, states claim a monopoly on violence, which they implement through police forces and the military. If this is managed with a light enough touch, the populace may well be willing to go along quietly. Or, in totalitarian states, there is little alternative and people suffer under a much heavier touch.</p>
<p>Bureaucracy amounts to a state monopoly on information. Everyone in a hierarchy needs information and controlling it is an effective way of keeping people in line. Much of how money and debt are used as a mechanism of control falls under this category.</p>
<p>Charisma is a way of influencing people without using force or bureaucracy. It is easy enough to imagine how charismatic leaders may have taken over small groups. But even in our supposed democratic countries, what is an election but a popularity contest, whereby the most charismatic leaders are chosen. Often with little thought as to their effectiveness at governing. And while using charisma to influence people may seem like a pretty benign way to run a hierarchy, it is still a form of coercion. And just as onerous as any other form, especially if you are not blinded by your leaders' charm, which can happen if things don't go well under their rule.</p>
<p>Beyond the three basics, religion has long been a way of getting people to willingly accept their placed at the bottom of hierarchies. And, in our modern world of mass media, propaganda has become an extremely effective way of controlling the population. In both cases, as Voltaire noted, if you can get people to believe in absurdities they will be willing to commit atrocities.</p>
<p>Because of all this, the bottom of a hierarchy (and that's where most people live), is not a very pleasant place. And in our modern hierarchies, for many people, there is simply nowhere else to go. You can't even head for the hills, as they are already occupied by people also living in hierarchies.</p>
<p>Another problem with hierarchies is that they love to grow. Even taking into account what I've said about diseconomies of scale, the people at the top still benefit by having more people below them, more people to tax. Living, as we do, on a finite planet this leads to trouble. First, hierarchical countries, with their drive to expand, do not make good neighbours, and this leads to conflict. War is expensive and destructive and for the people actually doing the fighting, pretty horrific. Second, the inevitable has finally happened and we as a species have grown to the point where we are running out of room, depleting non-renewable resources and destroying the bio-sphere on which we rely for the necessities of life.</p>
<h2>Co-optation of Our Hierarchies by Capitalism</h2>
<p>If all this wasn't bad enough (and it certainly is), most hierarchies on the planet today have been co-opted by capitalists and are devoted to the goals of capitalism—the accumulation of ever more wealth into the hands of the capitalists. Which is bringing us up against the limits of life on this finite planet even quicker and harder than otherwise would have happened.</p>
<p>Capitalism goes hand in hand with industrialization and really came into its own during the last couple of centuries when heat engines, driven by burning fossil fuels, made possible production at much higher levels than when most everything had to be done using human or animal muscle power. This lead to a time of unprecedented material abundance in what we now call "the developed nations."</p>
<p>There was a time, not too long ago, when this looked like the greatest thing that had ever happened, but burning all that coal, oil and natural gas have had some negative consequences. Beyond climate change and resource depletion, the primary consequences result from the fact that fossil fuels are non-renewable resources. We used the "lowest hanging fruit" first. By the early 1970s the energy cost of accessing what was left had increased to where it started to cause problems for our economies. Capitalism soon found itself in the early stages of collapse. Since then things have grown continually worse—the middle class has continually decreased in size and economic inequality between the bottom and top of our hierarchies has increased to an unprecedented degree.</p>
<p>Still, capitalism has managed to maintain its hold on our governments, and I think that deserves a closer look. You might assume that your government is at the top of the hierarchy you live in. That has been true at many times in the past—with aristocracies, for instance. But today the situation is more complex.</p>
<p>Representative democracies are a prime example. They are a particularly clever tool for giving the people the illusion that their government is for the people, by the people and of the people, when in reality it serves mainly the plutarchs—wealthy capitalists who sit quietly above the supposedly representative government, exercising a great deal of influence on its policies, solely for their own benefit.</p>
<p>Pretty much everyone is supposed to have a vote in representative democracies, so how can this be? Easily—election campaigns are huge popularity contests. The way the mass media work today this makes them expensive endeavours and while politicians do accept donations from the working class, most of their financial support comes from the wealthy. Those donations come with strings attached, and politicians are expected to rule in such a way as to benefit the wealthy people who support them.</p>
<p>Politicians do make election promises to attract support from the majority of voters, who are not rich. Once they get elected, the trick is to spend as little money and effort as possible on keeping those promises, keeping the voters somewhat happy while changing not the systems that support the plutarchs. Who, of course, provided the majority of financial support for their campaigns, and hopefully will continue to do so in the future.</p>
<p>Another mechanism used by capitalists to increase their control of our societies has been to organize their businesses as corporations, and then gain those corporations rights similar to, and in some cases exceeding, those of people. This makes it harder for governments to regulate their activities.</p>
<p>Over the last few decades "neoliberalism" has become the standard ideology of the great majority of governments the world over, be they democratic or totalitarian. The Wikipedia article on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoliberalism">Neoliberalism</a> says it is generally associated with policies of economic liberalization, including privatization, deregulation, globalization, free trade, austerity and reductions in government spending in order to increase the role of the private sector in the economy and society. Through these mechanisms our governments have been even more thoroughly co-opted by capitalism, giving businesses much more freedom to do as they will.</p>
<p>Neoliberalism has been sold to the people by convincing us that whatever is good for business is good for us as well.</p>
<p>There was a time, in the 1800s and early 1900s, when there was a very clear distinction between the working class and the upper classes. Working people knew quite well where their interests lay. But in the mid-twentieth century when the economy was growing very fast, some of the vast wealth that was being accumulated was allowed to trickle down to the working class. The result was that many people in the working classes came to see their interests as lying with the capitalists. They came to see themselves as "temporarily embarrassed millionaires", expecting to strike it rich "any day now". And so they began to vote with the rich, even though that is clearly not in their own best interest. And thus neo-liberalism was able to triumph. This continues even until today in some countries.</p>
<p>But despite the neo-liberal propaganda that we all benefit, economic inequality has continued to grow, and more and more people are falling out the middle class, and out of the bottom of the economy altogether, first to become jobless and eventually to become homeless and often suicidal.</p>
<h2>Social Injustice and Structural Violence</h2>
<p>The inequality that is inherent to hierarchies results in social injustice and structural violence.</p>
<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structural_violence">Structural violence</a> refers to "the avoidable limitations that society places on groups of people that constrain them from meeting their basic needs and achieving the quality of life that would otherwise be possible. These limitations, which can be political, economic, religious, cultural, or legal in nature, usually originate in institutions that exercise power over particular subjects. It is therefore an illustration of a power system wherein social structures or institutions cause harm to people in a way that results in 'maldevelopment and other deprivations'."</p>
<p>There always seem to be groups of people in any hierarchial society who aren't really welcome and who are forcefully kept at or near the bottom level. These include the poor (working, jobless and homeless), women, BIPOC* and LGBTQ* people, those with physical and mental challenges, the aged, and probably others who I am forgetting. And of course, that's just what the rest of us are supposed to do—forget about these people and leave them to suffer.</p>
<p>You can recognize structural violence when you see people at a higher level in a hierarchy complaining about just not being able to understand what those below them are complaining about, while the people at the lower level have a keen understanding of those above them. This occurs because those who are above have power over those below, and can simply tell them what to do without having to know anything much about them. Those at the lower level have no choice but to serve those above and, in order to do so successfully, have to understand the people above them very well.</p>
<p>One clear example of this is when you see men saying that there is just no understanding women or keeping them happy. At the same time it is clear that our wives, mothers and daughters do a great job of keeping us happy. They put a lot of effort into understanding us in order to be able to do so, largely because they have no choice in the matter, while we, sitting at the top of our little family patriarchies, can easily get away with just not making the effort. Of course, this situation has improved quite a bit over the last century or so, but there is still a long way to go.</p>
<h2>Summing Up</h2>
<p>This has been a whirlwind tour of the issues with hierarchies, but I think I've hit on the high points:</p>
<ul>
<li>There is a great deal of waste involved in running a hierarchy and this makes our overconsumption problem even worse, while only benefiting those at the top.</li>
<li>Our modern hierarchies are enabling capitalism, which is the main source of our overconsumption problems.</li>
<li>Economic inequality and social injustice are inherent to hierarchies and prevent the realization of billions of peoples' potential, which is much needed if we are to successful face the challenges ahead of us.</li>
</ul>
<p>Many people in the "collapse sphere" feel that we should not worry about "minor" social injustices, and instead focus on preparing for and adapting to the economic, resource, and environmental problems that are already far along the way to causing the collapse of our society. I disagree. Both social injustice and collapse result from the same issues inherent in our hierarchies and in capitalism. Any adaptation that doesn't address them both is sure to fail. Anyone who tells you different is playing "divide and conquer" games, and whether they want to admit it or not, what they really want is to keep the existing system going as long as possible—business as usual and damn the consequences.</p>
<p>So, it's clear to me that hierarchies, especially when combined with capitalism, are not a good thing. Would it be possible to do without them? I think so, and in my next post I'll go into the details of how that might work.</p>
<hr>
<p>For those who aren't up on the jargon I've been using:</br>
*BIPOC = Black, Indigeous and People of Colour</br>
*LGBTQ = Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual and Queer</p>
<hr>
<p>During the last few months I've been reading a number of very interesting books, which bear upon what we are discussing. Here is a list of those books, along with a few that I've read previously, but that also have been a help.</p>
<h3>Debt, The First 5000 Years, by David Graeber</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debt:_The_First_5000_Years">The Wikipedia article</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.unwelcomeguests.net/Debt,_The_First_5000_Years">Whole text online, The entire audiobook</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Debt-Updated-Expanded-First-Years/dp/1612194192/ref=sxts_entity_rec_bsx_s_def_r00_t_aufl">Buy on Amazon.com</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Hierarchy in the Forest: the evolution of egalitarian behavior, by Christopher Boehm</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.christopher-boehm.com/books/hierarchy-in-the-forest-the-evolution-of-egalitarian-behavior">At the author's webswite</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hierarchy-Forest-Evolution-Egalitarian-Behavior/dp/0674006917">Buy at Amazon.com</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>The Art of Not Being Governed, by James C. Scott</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_Not_Being_Governed">The wikipedia article</a></li>
<li><a href="https://libcom.org/files/Art.pdf">pdf file online</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Art-Not-Being-Governed-Anarchist/dp/0300169175/">Buy at Amazon.com</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Against the Grain, a deep history of the earliest states, by James C. Scott</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Against_the_Grain:_A_Deep_History_of_the_Earliest_States">The wikipedia article</a></li>
<li><a href="https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300182910/against-grain">At the author's university (Yale) website</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Against-Grain-History-Earliest-States/dp/030024021X/">Buy at Amazon.com</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Living at the Edges of Capitalism: Adventures in Exile and Mutual Aid, by Andrej Grubacic</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520287303/living-at-the-edges-of-capitalism">At the author's university website</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Living-Edges-Capitalism-Adventures-Mutual/dp/0520287304/">Buy at Amazon.com</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>The Dawn of Everything, by David Graeber and David Wengrow</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dawn_of_Everything">The wikipedia article</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dawn-Everything-New-History-Humanity/dp/0374157359/">Buy at Amazon.com</a></li>
</ul>
<hr />
<h2><br>Links to the rest of this series of posts: <br />
Collapse, you say? / Time for Change</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2020/06/collapse-you-say.html">Collapse You Say? Part 1, Introduction</a>,
Tuesday, 30 June 2020</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2020/09/collapse-you-say-part-2-inputs-and.html">Collapse, you say? Part 2: Inputs and Outputs</a>,
Wednesday, 30 September 2020</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2020/10/collapse-you-say-part-3-inputs-and.html">Collapse, you say? Part 3: Inputs and Outputs continued</a>, October 7, 2020 /li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/01/collapse-you-say-part-4-growth.html">Collapse, you say? Part 4: growth, overshoot and dieoff</a>, January 2, 2021</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/01/collapse-you-say-part-5-over-population.html">Collapse, you say? Part 5: Over Population</a>, January 8, 2021</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/02/collapse-you-say-part-6-overpopulation.html">Collapse, you say? Part 6: Over Population and Overconsumption</a>, Februrary 21, 2021</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/03/collapse-you-say-part-7-needs-and-wants.html">Collapse, you say? Part 7: Needs and Wants, Human Nature, Politics</a>, March 8, 2021</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/05/collapse-you-say-part-8-factors-which.html">Collapse, you say? Part 8: Factors which made industrialization possible</a>, May 13 , 2021</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/05/collapse-you-say-part-9-unintended.html">Collapse, you say? Part 9: Unintended Consequences of Industrialization</a>, May 20 , 2021</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/01/collapse-you-say-part-10time-for-change.html">Collapse You Say? Part 10/Time for Change, Part 1: Money</a>, January 5, 2022</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/02/time-for-change-part-2-hierarchies.html">Time for Change, Part 2: Hierarchies</a>, Februray 16, 2022</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/04/time-for-change-part-3-without.html">Time for Change, Part 3: Without Hierarchies?</a> April 23, 2022</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/06/time-for-change-part-4.html">Time for Change, Part 4: Conclusions</a> June 22, 2022</li>
</ul>Irv Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08030800457536589003noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2848841213670110129.post-15854740335311763492022-02-05T16:11:00.008-05:002022-03-07T12:11:31.435-05:00What I've Been Reading, December 2021<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSIGPADolns/X_5bVjM9WpI/AAAAAAAADmo/GY1vQKAjbdgMvHyN2aZbPa8VAkY07SCaACLcBGAsYHQ/s1183/BookShelvesCropped.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: left; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="1183" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSIGPADolns/X_5bVjM9WpI/AAAAAAAADmo/GY1vQKAjbdgMvHyN2aZbPa8VAkY07SCaACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/BookShelvesCropped.jpg"/></a></div>
<h1>Links</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://7labs.io/tips-tricks/bypass-publication-paywalls.html">Bypass paywalls on popular online publications for free</a>, by 7 Labs.<br />
There is a lot of important information out there that is behind paywalls, many requiring expensive subscription to overcome.</li>
<li><a href="https://12ft.io/">Show me a 10ft paywall, I’ll show you a 12ft ladder.</a><br />
"Prepend 12ft.io/ to the URL of any paywalled page, and we'll try our best to remove the paywall and get you access to the article."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Above the Fold</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://godsandradicals.org/2016/11/12/solidarity-networks/"> Solidarity Networks</a>, by Gods & Radicals<br /></li>
<li><a href="https://seasol.net/about/"> Seattle Solidarity Network </a><br /></li>
"Seattle Solidarity (“SeaSol”) is a volunteer network of working people who believe in standing up for our rights. Our goal is to support our fellow workers’ strikes and struggles, build solidarity, and organize to deal with specific job, housing, and other problems caused by the greed of the rich and powerful. Join us! Let’s fight to win."
<li><a href="https://www.microsolidarity.cc/">Microsolidarity</a>, by Richard D. Bartlett, Microsolidarity <br />
"In late 2018, Richard D. Bartlett published a proposal to start a "microsolidarity" group — a small mutual aid community for people to do a kind of personal development, in good company, for social benefit."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.microsolidarity.cc/articles/proposal"> Courage Before Hope: A Proposal to Weave Emotional and Economic Microsolidarity</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.microsolidarity.cc/articles/2-update-2020">Microsolidarity: Update 2020</a><br />
"How To Weave Social Fabric-- 3 Essential Pillars For a New Mutual Aid Community"</li>
</ul>
<h3>Miscellaneous</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/01/03/does-wisdom-really-come-from-experience"> Does Wisdom Really Come from Experience?</a>, by Rachel Syme, The new Yorker<br />
" In “70 Over 70,” we learn what binds—and separates—the old and the young."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/Can-someone-seriously-explain-to-me-how-theres-even-an-argument-for-completely-unregulated-abortion-laws/answer/Gareth-Jones-59"> Can someone seriously explain to me how there's even an argument for completely unregulated abortion laws?</a> by Gareth Jones, Quora<br />
"OK. The argument is called “Canada”, believe it or not."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/the-fading-ways-of-indigenous-arctic-hunters">The Fading Ways of Indigenous Arctic Hunters</a>, by Ben Taub, The New Yorker<br />
"Ragnar Axelsson’s portraits from Greenland reveal the effects of climate change on ice floes, sled dogs, and a traditional culture."</li>
<li><a href=" https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/04/finland-happiness-lagom-hygge.html"> The Grim Secret of Nordic Happiness</a>, by Jukka Savolainen, Slate<br />
"It’s not hygge, the welfare state, or drinking. It’s reasonable expectations."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Reactions to "The Dawn of Everything"</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/the-straight-dope/everything-we-know-about-the-rise-of-man-is-wrong-afdf766f1695">Everything we “know” about the rise of Man is wrong</a>, by David Wineberg, Medium--The Straight Dope<br />
"For 350 years, it has been common knowledge that Man went from bands of hunter-gatherers, to pastoralists, to farming, to industry. In parallel, Man lived in families, in tribes, in villages and then in cities, as technology improved. Technology, the third parallel, took us from the stone age through the bronze age and the iron age to the industrial revolution. All neat, tidy and clearly separable. David Graeber and David Wengrow claim there is no evidence for this. In The Dawn of Everything, they show proof of an unbelievable variety of living styles, governance and intellectual activity all over the world and throughout time. It was never a straight line progression. It was never the result of technology. And possibly most stunning, the larger the population was did not also mean more restrictions, more crime, more laws, or more inequality. This is an important book."</li>
<li><a href="https://theecologist.org/2021/dec/17/all-things-being-equal">All things being equal</a>, by Nancy Lindisfarne Jonathan Neale, Ecologist<br />
Based on it's harsh criticism of the antropological establishment it was inevitable that someone would write a negative review of The Dawn of Everything. This review reads like the authors only read parts of the book and didn't understand most of those. The only point I agree with is that Graeber and Wengrow are largely blind to the ecological and resource limits faced by human societies on this planet.</li>
</ul>
<h3>The Other News</h3>
<p>News that is being ignored by North American mass media</p>
<ul>
<li><a href=" https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/12/20/we-will-bury-neoliberalism-global-celebration-follows-leftist-victory-chile"> 'We Will Bury Neoliberalism': Global Celebration Follows Leftist Victory in Chile</a>, by Jake Johnson, Common Dreams<br /></li>
</ul>
<h3>Coronavirus</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://nomoretrump.quora.com/Why-do-so-many-medical-personnel-in-the-U-S-refuse-to-be-jabbed-with-COVID-vaccines-25">Why do so many medical personnel in the U.S. refuse to be vaccinated against COVID?</a> by
Edward Meeker, Quora<br />
"When I find the actual statistics reported by hospitals etc. the percentage is almost always below 1%"</li>
<li><a href=" https://medium.com/microbial-instincts/what-autopsies-of-vaccinated-people-with-covid-vaccines-show-ddc00cc16d14"> What Autopsies of Vaccinated People (With Covid Vaccines) Show</a>, by Shin Jie Yong, Medium--Microbial Instincts<br />
" And why it’s important to know them (and their limitations)"</li>
<li><a href=" https://www.quora.com/When-experts-say-artificial-immunity-created-by-a-COVID-19-vaccine-is-superior-to-natural-immunity-are-they-lying/answer/Jonathan-Trueman"> When "experts" say artificial immunity created by a COVID-19 vaccine is superior to natural immunity, are they lying?</a> by Jonathan Trueman, Quora</li>
</ul>
<h3> Capitalism, Communism, Anarchy</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://jacobinmag.com/2021/12/weston-family-business-empire-wealth-exploitation-low-wage-labor">The Secret to the Weston Family’s Wealth Is Exploitation, Not Hard Work</a>, by Mitchell Thompson, Jacobin<br />
"Canada’s ruling class is fond of praising the Westons for representing an ethical form of capitalism. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The Westons made their fortunes by ruthlessly exploiting workers."</li>
</ul>
<h3> Food</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20211110-the-uk-village-that-lost-its-cheese">Cheddar has conquered the world, but it hasn't been produced in its namesake English town for years. Now, an award-winning dairy is putting Cheddar, England back on the map</a>, by Lizzie Enfield, BBC--Travel--Food & Hospitality | Food | England | Great Britain<br />
I made a couple of batches of cheddar (among other cheeses) before Christmas. Should be ready to eat a Christmas 2022, although even longer aging would produce an even more flavourful cheese.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Genetic Engineering</h3>
<p>Before jumping to the erroneous conclusion that this section was paid for by Monsanto, stop for a moment and understand that organic agriculture/food is a multi-billion dollar per year industry that relies on fear to get people to buy its product. Millions of dollars are spent to convince you that non-organic food is dangerous. In fact both conventionally grown and organic foods are equally safe. Sadly neither method of agriculture is even remotely sustainable.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://grist.org/series/panic-free-gmos/">Panic-free GMOs</a>, A Grist Special Series by Nathanael Johnson<br />
"It’s easy to get information about genetically modified food. There are the dubious anti-GM horror stories that recirculate through social networks. On the other side, there’s the dismissive sighing, eye-rolling, and hand patting of pro-GM partisans. But if you just want a level-headed assessment of the evidence in plain English, that’s in pretty short supply. Fortunately, you’ve found the trove."<br />
A series of articles that does a pretty good job of presenting the facts about GMOs. I plan to include one article from this series here each month.</li>
<li><a href="https://grist.org/food/rat-retraction-reaction-journal-pulls-its-gmos-cause-rat-tumors-study/">Rat retraction reaction: Journal pulls its GMOs-cause-rat-tumors study</a>, by Nathanael Johnson, Grist<br />
"Retractions are typically the result of big goofs and frauds -- but in this case, the problem was inordinate attention paid to inconclusive results."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Practical Skills</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skcqFTi3s_A&ab_channel=CyprienOutdoorAdventures">Building complete and warm survival shelter | Bushcraft earth hut, grass roof & fireplace with clay</a>, by Cyprien Outdoor Adventures, YouTube<br />
"I built my little mud house to hide in nature,I used dead wood for the structure,clay and stones for the fireplace and grass for the roof. Here there are a lot of wild boars,I settled on their territory!"</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEJywXIluhk&ab_channel=HomeWithMyBookshelf">Nålebinding tutorial part 1 - Oslo stitch</a>, by
HomeWithMyBookshelf, YouTube<br /></li>
</ul>
<h3>Debunking Resources</h3>
<p>These are of such importance that I've decide to leave them here on an ongoing basis.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debunker">Debunking</a>, Wikipedia </li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudoscience">Pseudoscience</a>, Wikipedia</li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_topics_characterized_as_pseudoscience"> List of topics characterized as pseudoscience</a>, Wikipedia</li>
<li><a href="https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Main_Page">Rational Wiki</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/">Science Based Medecine</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.quackwatch.org/">Quackwatch</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.snopes.com/">Snopes</a>, debunks or validates urban legends</li>
<li><a href="http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/index.html">Bad Astronomy</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.skeptic.com/">The Skeptics Society</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/true-5-factchecking-websites/">The 8 Best Fact-Checking Sites for Finding Unbiased Truth</a>, by Megan Ellis, MUO--Make Use Of</li>
<li><a href="https://www.painscience.com/">Pain Science</a>, by Paul Ingraham </li>
<li><a href=" https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/FLICC_Taxonomy_of_Logical_Fallacies.jpg?fbclid=IwAR3jMZJT2os4If5wy-zF1tYPzzkxWlUfHmp-Rm8ew3rBxGb4ahffN-JzF8E ">Techniques of Science Denial</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Pseudoscience, Quacks and Charlatans</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://thinkingispower.com/detox-products-are-bunk/">Detox products are bunk</a>, by Melanie Trecek-King, Thinking Is Power</li>
<li><a href=" https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/six-exhausting-misconceptions-that-many-of-you-still-hold-fd4c776a7276"> Six Exhausting Misconceptions That Many of You Still Hold</a>, by Sean Kernan, Medium-- Lessons from History<br />
"Let’s set the record straight on a few historical and scientific myths."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/pseudoscience-history/looking-iridology">Looking at Iridology</a>, by Joe Schwarcz PhD, McGill--Office for Science and Society<br />
"Separating Sense from Nonsense"</li>
</ul>
<h3>There is No God, and Thou Shall Have No Other Gods</h3>
<p>I don't think I've made any secret of the fact that I am an atheist, but I may not have made it clear that I think any sort of worship is a bad thing and that believing in things is to be avoided whenever possible. Indeed, I do not believe in belief itself. That's what the "Thou shall have no other gods" is about—it's not enough to quit believing in whatever God or Gods you were raised to believe in, but also we must avoid other gods, including material wealth, power and fame.</p>
<p>Further, many people today (including most atheists) follow the religion of "progress", which is based on the belief that mankind is destined to follow a road that leads from the caves ever upward to the stars, and that however bad things seem today, they are bound to be better tomorrow due to technological advancement and economic growth. This is very convenient for those who benefit most from economic growth, but it is hardly based on any sort of science and leads to a great deal of confused thinking.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href=" https://medium.com/science-and-critical-thinking/surprises-within-latest-data-on-decline-of-us-religion-4146abc06d23">Surprises within latest data on decline of US Religion</a>, by David Gamble, Medium-- Science and Critical Thinking<br />
" On 14th December 2021, Pew issued their latest update on the religious landscape in the US. For the non-religious, it appears to be very good news. The decline of religion in the US continues unabated."</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<h3>Poverty, Homeless People, Minimum Wage, UBI, Health Care, Affordable Housing</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://slowcharacter.medium.com/let-there-be-money-joe-manchin-534fe89c537f">Let There Be Money, Joe Manchin</a>, by Sharon Woodhouse, Medium<br />
"Bathtubs, Modern Monetary Theory, and UBI"<br />
Not sure how valid Modern Monetary theory is--I'd rather do away with money altogether.</li>
</ul>
<h1>Books</h1>
<h2>Fiction</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Aurora-Rising-Alastair-Reynolds/dp/0316462586/">Aurora Rising (The Prefect Dreyfus Emergencies, 1) </a>, by Alastair Reynolds</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Leviathan-Falls-James-S-Corey/dp/0316332917/">Leviathan Falls (The Expanse Book 9) </a>, by James S. A. Corey</li>
<li><a href="">Elysium Fire (The Prefect Dreyfus Emergencies, 2) </a>, by Alastair Reynolds</li>
</ul>
Irv Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08030800457536589003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2848841213670110129.post-60952642568194371112022-01-05T15:26:00.007-05:002022-06-23T16:18:28.460-04:00Collapse You Say, Part 10/Time for Change, Part 1: Money<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPCItmkJ-SaqPiZsQ1jM6YMjJmVa5bv1QfUh-_-i7K-jScDi7PAaLIAKDdCCqkjJugezLnvd1S1xh6tkjmkj5NBsyvTWxwSulhCxj0S2CI143lFjYD68Tt3Ph47tgQhb2j9Jicp4urmWmV2IXZCEmhudNV4PMlticu7wGfN6UEoakAhAelFhZBwPknwA=s1600" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPCItmkJ-SaqPiZsQ1jM6YMjJmVa5bv1QfUh-_-i7K-jScDi7PAaLIAKDdCCqkjJugezLnvd1S1xh6tkjmkj5NBsyvTWxwSulhCxj0S2CI143lFjYD68Tt3Ph47tgQhb2j9Jicp4urmWmV2IXZCEmhudNV4PMlticu7wGfN6UEoakAhAelFhZBwPknwA=s600" width="600" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><b>Waves, rocks and ice on the Lake Huron shore</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Earlier in this series (Parts <a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/01/collapse-you-say-part-5-over-population.html ">5</a> and <a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/02/collapse-you-say-part-6-overpopulation.html">6</a>) I looked at overpopulation and overconsumption and concluded that while both are serious problems, overpopulation is going to take decades to solve, while overconsumption could be addressed quite quickly. By reducing our level of consumption, we would reduce our impact on the planet and give ourselves time to reduce our population.</p>
<p>In my <a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/05/collapse-you-say-part-9-unintended.html">last post</a> I looked at some of the unintended and negative consequences of the industrialization we've experienced over the last few centuries. I concluded that most of the blame for overconsumption can be laid squarely at the feet of capitalism, with its insatiable hunger to accumulate wealth, its inescapable need for endless growth, and its inability to tackle any problem that can't be solved by making a profit. These days some people are calling capitalism a "death cult", based on those characteristics and the fact that we live on a finite planet. I think they are quite right to do so.</p>
<p>Clearly, the blame for overconsumption should not fall on the supposed innate greed and materialism of individual, ordinary people. The upper classes (mainly capitalists) are superlative consumers and do a great deal of harm themselves. And their marketing efforts have turned the rest of us into pretty good consumers, too. Turn off their incessantly blaring marketing machine and things would be quite different—reducing consumption would look at lot more doable. We'd have a real chance of solving both of our major problems (overpopulation and overconsumption), getting ourselves out of overshoot and avoiding at least part of the die-off that is currently looming ahead of us.</p>
<p>It seems that at this point in this series of posts I am done trying to show that collapse is real and I'm ready to look at what we can do about it. And that is why I am changing the name of this series in the middle of it. It is, indeed "time for change". In truth, I probably should have made the name change starting at <a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/03/collapse-you-say-part-7-needs-and-wants.html">Part 7</a>, but it's too late for that now.</p>
<p>Of course, many people in the "collapse sphere" will tell you that what we face is a predicament, not a problem—in the sense that it can't be solved, only adapted to. To those folks I would say, relax—I agree. My idea of a solution to the problems facing us <i>is</i> for us to adapt to them, and that adaptation will probably look a lot like collapse to many of you. We need to have fewer people, all consuming at lower levels that can be sustained by the biosphere, and we must start using up non-renewable resources at a drastically lower rate, until we can manage to replace them with renewables. To quote <a href="http://archdruidmirror.blogspot.com/2017/06/a-fashion-for-austerity.html#:~:text=All%20this%20implies,care%20to%20name">John Michael Greer</a>, we need to get by with LESS—less energy, less stuff, less stimulation (entertainment). If we choose to do nothing, we'll get there via a brutally hard and deep collapse. But if we deliberately work at adapting instead of trying to save "business as usual", we can get there by a much gentler route, with a lot less grief, and with a better outcome at the end. Still involving major changes to our supposedly "non-negotiable" lifestyles, though.</p>
<p>At the end of my last post (months ago) I promised to tie up a couple of loose ends in my discussion of finance and government, and to talk about how to solve our overconsumption problem by getting rid of capitalism. Over these last few months, I've come up with a wealth of material on these topics and so what was to have been a single post will now be broken up into at least three: I'll be talking about money (finance) today, hierarchies (government) in my next post and what to do about capitalism in the one after that.</p>
<h2>Money</h2>
<p>Money is a tool and, like all technology, it is not neutral but is designed to be used by certain people for a certain purpose. Money is used by rich people to make more money—to accumulate wealth, and to control poor people. Sure, it can be adapted to other purposes, but I don't believe we can ever stop it from being used for those basic, inherent purposes.</p>
<p>If you study basic economics, you'll be told that money has three primary uses: as a medium of exchange, a unit of account and a store of value. All three of those really just amount to keeping score in the complex game that is our economy. That score keeping is done in ways that facilitate the business of accumulating wealth. This helps those with lots of money get more of it, and works against those with little. We are told that not keeping score would be even worse, but the more I look into it, the less reason I see to believe that.</p>
<p>Capitalism started out with capitalists using their own money to build infrastructure (factories, mines, railways, etc.) to build stuff, which could then be sold for a profit. This soon changed to using borrowed money to do the same. The banks did very well on that, and before long the other capitalists saw that it is possible to use money directly to make more money, dispensing with factories and production of physical goods. This is known as "financialization" and while there are still lots of factories, making lots of stuff (much of it unnecessary), the financial sector is in some ways the business success story of the last century.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, our financial system creates money as debt, which must be paid back with interest. In order to do that, the economy must continually grow. If growth stops or even slows down, it collapses. At the same time, the eventual consequence of growth is also collapse.</p>
<p>The other primary use of money is as a tool for social control. Everything we need has been monetized—the only way to obtain the necessities of life (and much else) is to pay for them with money. Only a very few people live self-sufficiently today, outside of this system. The rest of us need money to live, and a job to obtain that money. In capitalist societies, most of the value created by your work goes to the capitalists, with as little as possible going to you as wages. This makes it challenging to get ahead.</p>
<p>During my lifetime, it stopped being possible to save up enough money to buy large ticket items like an education, a car, a house and so forth. For most people, especially those without rich parents, such things are necessities and can only be had by going into debt to get the required money up front. And it is getting harder and harder to pay back that debt. But that debt must be paid back is a strong value in our culture. To declare bankruptcy and effectively have your debts forgiven means losing essentially everything you have worked for. This leaves us in a position of being under the control of the banks, with very little that we can do about it.</p>
<p>If you look closely, though, you'll see that while not paying debts has nasty consequences for the lower classes, people in the upper classes can often come to some other arrangement if their debts become too onerous. In particular, capitalists whose businesses fail often walk away with little or no consequences since those businesses are set up as corporations with "limited liability".</p>
<p>So, it's pretty clear that in any society that uses money (keeps score) and makes accumulation of wealth a goal, the result will be ever growing inequality between the upper classes and everyone else. In the past, many societies that used money and debt, even without capitalism in the modern sense of the word, found that for the lower classes debt grew over the years until it crippled society. That was because the lower classes played an important part in those societies and when they were crushed under a mountain of debt, the whole society was negatively affected. It was necessary to have a "jubilee" every so often and forgive debts in order to get things working again. </p>
<p>But under modern capitalism, that's never going to happen—the lower classes are, to an ever greater extent, seen as not having an important role to play. Much of traditional work has been replaced by automation. If we are crippled by debt, it doesn't immediately bring our whole society to a halt. Indeed, much of that debt is held by the upper classes, who see it as a benefit. For the rest of us, debt offers a means to allow us to continue consuming, borrowing money just to give it back to the capitalists, with little time for thought about long term consequences.</p>
<p>Most of us are like fish swimming in a sea of money and monetary concerns, unaware that there is any alternative. We are certainly told that there is not. But we need to ask ourselves if money and this whole "keeping score" thing is beneficial or even necessary? Is there any way we could manage to get by without money?</p>
<p>Economists will tell you that money was invented to get away from the inconveniences of barter. But anthropologists who have actually studied pre-monetary societies, would tell you that that is nonsense—barter was used rarely, mainly for trading with strangers. Inside a community, among people who know each other, there are ways of living without money or barter. We'll go into more detail on that in a bit.</p>
<p>Conservative moralists, who have a great deal of influence these days, are concerned about "moral hazard"—telling us that keeping score using money is necessary to maintain fairness, and make sure that people don't take advantage of each other. In fact, very few people do take advantage. And keeping score mostly leads to growing inequality, which is in itself unfair.</p>
<p>And, of course, accountants would have us believe that the whole of modern civilization would grind to a halt if their ledgers didn't balance.</p>
<p>That's all very convenient for those at the top who actually do benefit, but most of these things could be eliminated without hurting the rest of us. And what's really necessary could be rearranged to benefit us and not just the rich.</p>
<p>If we turn to the study of anthropology again, we find that quite frequently during our prehistory we lived in small egalitarian bands who did just fine without money and largely without keeping score. What little score keeping there was, was informal and aimed at censuring people who didn't share well, to prevent accumulation rather than facilitating it.</p>
<p>For such hunter gatherers getting an adequate supply of protein was often challenging and that is one reason why hunting larger game was done enthusiastically, even though it was often not very successful. Hunters were expected to share the meat when they did make a kill, and generally did so, without expecting thanks or any special treatment for making this contribution.</p>
<p>Scientists studying such societies have observed that altruism (sharing) is a strong part of the culture, and have been puzzled about how altruism could be selected for on an evolutionary basis. It would seem that any individual with an inclination to share would inevitably be taken advantage of by less altruistic people, and individuals with innate altruistic impulses would soon be selected out of the gene pool. And indeed they would have been, if selection was acting solely on individuals. But selection also acted on the level of bands, and bands whose members shared well did better and were selected for strongly enough that such behaviour was eventually evolved into human beings. Mutual aid is a powerful tool for achieving success in groups and a major factor in the evolution of many species, certainly including our own.</p>
<p>Even today one can observe that there is a great deal of benefit to acting on a basis of mutual aid, working together altruistically in groups. In societies such as ours where there seems to be an ethos against altruism (a la Ayn Rand), people still do act altruistically, often as if compelled to do so. This tends to reduce the effectiveness of money as a control mechanism, and so it is not popular with those in power, but it still happens. And even in large capitalistic companies, in those cases where people are still working together in groups, you will find a co-operative, egalitarian culture, because it is the best way of getting the work done. Of course, management prefers to isolate workers, so as to better control them. Solidarity is a dangerous thing, from management's viewpoint.</p>
<p>Hunter gatherers had very little in the way of possessions—their nomadic lifestyle didn't allow for much in the way of accumulation. So you might say that money would have been of little use to them anyway.</p>
<p>But many tribal societies practicing herding or even sedentary agriculture, who had more in the way of possessions, and more opportunity to accumulate wealth, often got along without money or score keeping as well. In some such cultures, when you compliment another's possession, the owner is obligated to give you that possession. Strange as it seems to us, this is the basis of exchange in these societies and it works just fine for them. Since everyone is subject to the same rules, being greedy backfires very quickly.</p>
<p>It has become clear to me that the concept of fairness is quite different between monetary and non-monetary cultures. Diametrically opposite, in fact.</p>
<p>In our monetary society, fairness means playing by the rules, rules that are intended to facilitate accumulation. Successful people are expected to accumulate wealth. Indeed that is our definition of success—we are taught to admire such people, and to aspire to be like them.</p>
<p>In pre-monetary societies, fairness meant behaving altruistically—sharing, being generous and serving the other people in your community rather than taking advantage of them. Because the groups were small, it was obvious to everyone when an individual failed to share and do their part, and such individuals faced censure from their fellows.</p>
<p>If they had kept score you would see that, over time, the rest of the community came to be more and more indebted to skilled people. To our modern eyes, it might seem like the less skilled were taking advantage of the more highly skilled, but they didn't see it that way. Indeed it was frowned upon for successful people to put on airs in such cultures, or to use their skills to accumulate wealth. They considered it their responsibility to support their community. It was seen as just what human beings do, to the extent of their abilities. And everyone expected that their needs would be seen to by their community, to the extent that was possible. The result of all this was strongly beneficial to the community as a whole, including those we might see as being taken advantage of.</p>
<p>If that sounds like communism to you —from each according to their ability and to each according to their needs—you're right. That is exactly what it was, and a good thing, too.</p>
<p>Occasionally, in our lengthy pre-historic past, the idea of money (or at least the concept of credit) was adopted by various cultures. It caught on pretty quickly because it could be used for all the "advantages" we've been discussing here. In some cases there were also built in mechanisms for redistributing wealth—things like potlatches, funeral feasts and so forth, so that inequality didn't grow destructively, and runaway growth didn't have its inevitable environmental effects.</p>
<p>In other cases where inequality was allowed to accumulated across generations, the mass of people soon caught on and rebelled, reverting to more equitable ways of organizing things. In still other cases, societal collapse resulted. And finally, in cases where neither of those things happened, you ended up with the societies that eventually developed into to our modern capitalist civilization. Sadly, by the time those who were on the losing end of such arrangements realized what was going on, it was too late—those at the top of the organization were firmly in control, and not interested in changes that would impinge negatively on them. We were stuck in the sort of societies we currently have. Which brings us to the subject of hierarchies, which I will get to in my next post.</p>
<p>What I am intending to suggest here is that there are ways of supplying the needs of a society without causing inequality to grow. And without needing the economy to grow endlessly beyond the capacity of the planet to support. The sort of examples I've mentioned here are only a very few of the ways this might be done and I believe we may yet come up with new ideas that work even better.</p>
<p>In closing, I should probably (for the sake of completeness, but with little hope of achieving it) make a few comments on markets and property.</p>
<h3>Markets</h3>
<p>At the most basic level, markets exist to place a value on goods and services. But never forget—the value of goods only needs to be determined because we are keeping score, and using money to do it. In any case, the supposed magic of the "free market" is largely theoretical. At best, it can only work when all the players involved have roughly equal power. In capitalism, the capitalists have considerably more power than workers and consumers, and love markets because they are open to manipulation and control. Being able to game the market actually creates many of the problems inherent to capitalism.</p>
<h3>Property and Ownership</h3>
<p>The concept of private property is central to enabling the accumulation of wealth. The strong take what they wish, have the power to hold onto it, and use it to generate further wealth. Civilization consists largely of having laws to protect the private property of the rich and a police force to enforce them.</p>
<p>In such a system, owners have the right to abuse their property and deplete its resources, with consequences that are currently beginning to come due the world over (climate change, habitat destruction, resource depletion). In a sustainable society, land and resources would be the property of the community as a whole and that ownership would be about stewardship not exploitation.</p>
<p>We should also be clear that there is a distinction here between private and personal property. Personal property consists of items that you use in daily life (like your toothbrush, and your shoes and clothes). A community might elect to extend personal property rights to tools, homes and garden plots. But if you take property rights much further, you end up with individuals having the right to exploit land and resources to their own benefit and the detriment of the community and planet as a whole. Which is exactly what we want to avoid.</p>
<hr>
<p>During the last few months while I've been dragging my feet about writing for this blog, I've been reading a number of very interesting books, which bear upon what we are discussing. Here is a list of those books, along with a few that I've read previously, but that also have been a help.</p>
<h3>Debt, The First 5000 Years, by David Graeber</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debt:_The_First_5000_Years">The Wikipedia article</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.unwelcomeguests.net/Debt,_The_First_5000_Years">Whole text online, The entire audiobook</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Debt-Updated-Expanded-First-Years/dp/1612194192/ref=sxts_entity_rec_bsx_s_def_r00_t_aufl">Buy on Amazon.com</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Hierarchy in the Forest: the evolution of egalitarian behavior, by Christopher Boehm</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.christopher-boehm.com/books/hierarchy-in-the-forest-the-evolution-of-egalitarian-behavior">At the author's webswite</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hierarchy-Forest-Evolution-Egalitarian-Behavior/dp/0674006917">Buy at Amazon.com</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>The Art of Not Being Governed, by James C. Scott</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_Not_Being_Governed">The wikipedia article</a></li>
<li><a href="https://libcom.org/files/Art.pdf">pdf file online</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Art-Not-Being-Governed-Anarchist/dp/0300169175/">Buy at Amazon.com</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Against the Grain, a deep history of the earliest states, by James C. Scott</h3>
<ul>
<li>a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Against_the_Grain:_A_Deep_History_of_the_Earliest_States">The wikipedia article</a></li>
<li><a href="https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300182910/against-grain">At the author's university (Yale) website</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Against-Grain-History-Earliest-States/dp/030024021X/">Buy at Amazon.com</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Living at the Edges of Capitalism: Adventures in Exile and Mutual Aid, by Andrej Grubacic</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520287303/living-at-the-edges-of-capitalism">At the author's university website</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Living-Edges-Capitalism-Adventures-Mutual/dp/0520287304/">Buy at Amazon.com</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>The Dawn of Everything, by David Graeber and David Wengrow</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dawn_of_Everything">The wikipedia article</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dawn-Everything-New-History-Humanity/dp/0374157359/">Buy at Amazon.com</a></li>
</ul>
<hr />
<h2><br>Links to the rest of this series of posts: Collapse, you say?</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2020/06/collapse-you-say.html">Collapse You Say? Part 1, Introduction</a>,
Tuesday, 30 June 2020</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2020/09/collapse-you-say-part-2-inputs-and.html">Collapse, you say? Part 2: Inputs and Outputs</a>,
Wednesday, 30 September 2020</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2020/10/collapse-you-say-part-3-inputs-and.html">Collapse, you say? Part 3: Inputs and Outputs continued</a>, October 7, 2020 /li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/01/collapse-you-say-part-4-growth.html">Collapse, you say? Part 4: growth, overshoot and dieoff</a>, January 2, 2021</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/01/collapse-you-say-part-5-over-population.html">Collapse, you say? Part 5: Over Population</a>, January 8, 2021</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/02/collapse-you-say-part-6-overpopulation.html">Collapse, you say? Part 6: Over Population and Overconsumption</a>, Februrary 21, 2021</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/03/collapse-you-say-part-7-needs-and-wants.html">Collapse, you say? Part 7: Needs and Wants, Human Nature, Politics</a>, March 8, 2021</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/05/collapse-you-say-part-8-factors-which.html">Collapse, you say? Part 8: Factors which made industrialization possible</a>, May 13 , 2021</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/05/collapse-you-say-part-9-unintended.html">Collapse, you say? Part 9: Unintended Consequences of Industrialization</a>, May 20 , 2021</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/01/collapse-you-say-part-10time-for-change.html">Collapse You Say? Part 10/Time for Change, Part 1: Money</a>, January 5, 2022</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/02/time-for-change-part-2-hierarchies.html">Time for Change, Part 2: Hierarchies</a>, Februray 16, 2022</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/04/time-for-change-part-3-without.html">Time for Change, Part 3: Without Hierarchies?</a> April 23, 2022</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/06/time-for-change-part-4.html">Time for Change, Part 4: Conclusions</a> June 22, 2022</li>
</ul>Irv Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08030800457536589003noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2848841213670110129.post-21755854484822656632021-12-28T18:24:00.004-05:002021-12-29T13:33:49.689-05:00What I've Been Reading, November 2021<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSIGPADolns/X_5bVjM9WpI/AAAAAAAADmo/GY1vQKAjbdgMvHyN2aZbPa8VAkY07SCaACLcBGAsYHQ/s1183/BookShelvesCropped.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: left; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="1183" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSIGPADolns/X_5bVjM9WpI/AAAAAAAADmo/GY1vQKAjbdgMvHyN2aZbPa8VAkY07SCaACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/BookShelvesCropped.jpg"/></a></div>
<h1>Links</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://7labs.io/tips-tricks/bypass-publication-paywalls.html">Bypass paywalls on popular online publications for free</a>, by 7 Labs.<br />
There is a lot of important information out there that is behind paywalls, many requiring expensive subscription to overcome.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Above the Fold</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZlXJ3YqkMA&ab_channel=NovaraMedia">David Graeber: A Celebration of His Life</a>, hosted by Ash Sarkar, Novar Media<br />
"David Graeber’s life and work leaves an indelible mark on thinkers and activists from London through New York, from Rojava to Quebec. To celebrate his life and work Novara Media are hosting a live stream with academics, activists, and politicians who have been influenced by, and who were an influence on, his intellectual endeavours and activist pursuits."</li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/politically-speaking/rogue-state-run-by-billionaires-biggest-threat-to-the-human-race-355ee408b765">Rogue State Run By Billionaires Biggest Threat to the Human Race</a>, by Glen Hendrix, Medium--Politically Speaking<br />
"The rest of the world is becoming aware, and that will have consequences"<br />
And just in case it isn't obvious, that rouge state is the U.S. of A.</li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/world-issues-politics-economics-and-more/the-considerations-needed-to-change-our-world-be362ad099e1">The Considerations Needed to Change Our World</a>, by Tessa Schlesinger, Medium<br />
"We are so out of time. Why is no one speaking about designing new political and economic systems?"</li>
<li><a href="https://www.sciencenews.org/article/human-history-society-dawn-of-everything-book">‘The Dawn of Everything’ rewrites 40,000 years of human history</a>, by Bruce Bower, Science News<br />
"A new book recasts social evolution as surprisingly varied"<br />
Just finished reading this. I am very nimpressed.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Miscellaneous</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://sandramicheller.medium.com/what-they-dont-tell-you-before-moving-to-scandinavia-615bba8ed395">What They Don’t Tell You Before Moving To Scandinavia</a>, by Sandra Michelle, Medium<br />
"Reporting from Stockholm, truly shocked."</li>
<li><a href="https://gen.medium.com/how-elite-hobbies-let-billionaires-pay-no-tax-f013fd56f6f4">How Elite Hobbies Let Billionaires Pay No Tax</a>, by Cory Doctorow, Medium--
Gen<br /></li>
<li><a href="https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2021/12/department-energy-standards-trumps-losing-incandescent-lightbulb-ban/">Sure Looks Like Donald Trump Is Gonna Lose the Lightbulb War</a>, by Oliver Milman, Mother Jones<br /></li>
</ul>
<h3>Supply Chain Trouble/Economic Collapse</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/@ryan79z28/im-a-twenty-year-truck-driver-i-will-tell-you-why-america-s-shipping-crisis-will-not-end-bbe0ebac6a91">I’m A Twenty Year Truck Driver, I Will Tell You Why America’s “Shipping Crisis” Will Not End</a>, by Ryan Johnson, Medium<br />
This fellow actually knows what he is talking about, and it isn't good news. Just one more problem that can't be solved by capitalism.</li>
<li><a href="https://shellyfaganaz.medium.com/why-food-shortages-will-hit-america-hard-572034231f">Why Food Shortages Will Hit America Hard</a>, by Shelly Fagan, Medium<br />
"Consumers don’t understand how food gets to their table"</li>
<li><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/everywhere-you-look-the-global-supply-chain-is-a-mess-11616019081?fbclid=IwAR05aDdYFK-VRUfB9SezrX2gXOcLLsSOnzIUQsg8XhpKKmXRrMXTRTIyWiM">Everywhere You Look, the Global Supply Chain Is a Mess</a>, by Sean McLain in Tokyo, Christopher M. Matthews in Houston and Costas Paris in New York, <br />
"Winter storms and crammed ports in the U.S. add to disruptions of production and supplies during the pandemic"</li>
<li><a href="https://points.datasociety.net/after-supply-chain-capitalism-bca0d5ce2ae1">After Supply Chain Capitalism</a>, by Ingrid Burrington, Medium--Point, Data & Society<br />
The insistence that dignity and life aren’t as essential as efficiency and market performance needs to be undermined with a social safety net that protects all people, including and especially workers most at risk, whether faced with a pandemic or simply faced with run-of-the-mill cruelties of capitalism.</li>
<li><a href="https://eand.co/its-not-a-supply-chain-crisis-it-s-a-failing-economy-b5f8aee2064c">It’s Not a Supply Chain Crisis — It’s a Failing Economy</a>, by Umair Haque, Medium--Eudaimonia<br />
"The Age of Consumption is Over — And Now We’re Heading for the Greatest Collapse in Economic History"<br />
Always good to have a dissenting voice, and we can count on Umair Haque for that. And most of what he's saying is spot on.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Coronavirus</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-are-mRNA-COVID-19-vaccines-so-controversial/answer/Chris-OLeary-19">Why are mRNA COVID-19 vaccines so controversial?</a> by Chris O'Leary, <br />
"These vaccines are safe, and they are effective. Stop listening to people who would celebrate your death."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-of-the-long-term-effects-of-the-COVID-19-vaccine-that-people-should-know-before-taking-it/answer/Dr-Jo-6">What are some of the long-term effects of the COVID 19 vaccine that people should know before taking it?</a> by Dr Jo, Quora</li>
<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/How-do-vaccine-passports-violate-rights-outlined-in-the-Canadian-Charter-of-Rights-and-Freedoms/answer/Gareth-Jones-59">How do 'vaccine passports' violate rights outlined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms?</a> answered by Gareth Jones, Quora<br /></li>
<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/How-can-the-vaccines-be-working-when-some-people-like-Andrew-Marr-who-have-had-both-vaccines-still-get-badly-infected-with-covid-19/answer/C-Stuart-Hardwick"> How can the vaccines be working when some people like Andrew Marr who have had both vaccines still get badly infected with covid-19?</a> by C Stuart Hardwick, Quora<br /></li>
<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/How-likely-will-there-be-annual-coronavirus-shots-for-the-U-S/answer/Dr-Jo-6">How likely will there be annual coronavirus shots for the U.S.?</a> by Dr Jo "Just another physician", Quora</li>
<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-have-producers-of-the-covid-19-vaccines-not-made-it-with-the-traditional-method-of-using-deactivated-virus-which-is-shown-to-be-very-effective-against-stuff-like-polio/answer/Franklin-Veaux">Why have producers of the covid-19 vaccines not made it with the traditional method of using deactivated virus which is shown to be very effective against stuff like polio?</a> by Franklin Veaux, Quora<br /></li>
<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/To-all-the-people-who-have-taken-the-COVID-19-vaccine-how-is-it-going/answer/Richard-Smedley-4">To all the people who have taken the COVID-19 vaccine, how is it going?</a>, by Richard Smedley, Quora<br /></li>
</ul>
<h3>Collapse</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://survivingtomorrow.org/america-will-be-twelve-countries-very-soon-58d900389257">America Will Be Twelve Countries Very Soon</a>, by Jared A. Brock, Medium--Surviving Tomorrow<br />
"It’s inevitable and here’s why"</li>
</ul>
<h3>Responding to Collapse</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://theconversation.com/life-in-a-degrowth-economy-and-why-you-might-actually-enjoy-it-32224">Life in a ‘degrowth’ economy, and why you might actually enjoy it</a>, by Samuel Alexander, The Conversation<br />
"What does genuine economic progress look like? The orthodox answer is that a bigger economy is always better, but this idea is increasingly strained by the knowledge that, on a finite planet, the economy can’t grow for ever."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7vvda/living-off-the-grid-is-not-cheap">I Lived Off the Grid—And I’m Still Broke</a>, by Kevin Maimann, Vice<br />
"After a couple months of cold mornings dumping buckets of composting shit, I’m as broke as ever."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Genetic Engineering</h3>
<p>Before jumping to the erroneous conclusion that this section was paid for by Monsanto, stop for a moment and understand that organic agriculture/food is a multi-billion dollar per year industry that relies on fear to get people to buy its product. Millions of dollars are spent to convince you that non-organic food is dangerous. In fact both conventionally grown and organic
<ul>
<li><a href="https://grist.org/series/panic-free-gmos/">Panic-free GMOs</a>, A Grist Special Series by Nathanael Johnson<br />
"It’s easy to get information about genetically modified food. There are the dubious anti-GM horror stories that recirculate through social networks. On the other side, there’s the dismissive sighing, eye-rolling, and hand patting of pro-GM partisans. But if you just want a level-headed assessment of the evidence in plain English, that’s in pretty short supply. Fortunately, you’ve found the trove."<br />
A series of articles that does a pretty good job of presenting the facts about GMOs. I plan to include one article from this series here each month.</li>
<li><a href="https://grist.org/food/playing-the-field-corn-likes-to-sleep-around-and-that-makes-it-hard-to-control-gmos/">Playing the field: Corn likes to sleep around — and that makes it hard to control GMOs</a>, by Nathanael Johnson, Grist<br />
"Pollen spreads, so GMO genes get around. That's everyone's problem -- whether you like your farming organic or industrial."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Practical Skills</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href=" https://thepowertoolwebsite.com/panel-glue-ups"> 12 Tips For Making Flatter Panel Glue Ups</a>, by Adam, The Power Tool Webiste<br /></li>
</ul>
<h3>Canadian Politics</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/Does-Erin-O-Toole-s-popularity-as-shown-in-the-2021-Canadian-federal-election-pose-a-warning-sign-of-a-Trump-like-Prime-Minister-in-Canada-in-the-future-given-he-possesses-many-of-the-same-traits-as-Trump/answer/Kathy-O-56https://www.quora.com/Does-Erin-O-Toole-s-popularity-as-shown-in-the-2021-Canadian-federal-election-pose-a-warning-sign-of-a-Trump-like-Prime-Minister-in-Canada-in-the-future-given-he-possesses-many-of-the-same-traits-as-Trump/answer/Kathy-O-56">Does Erin O’Toole’s popularity as shown in the 2021 Canadian federal election pose a warning sign of a Trump-like Prime Minister in Canada in the future given he possesses many of the same traits as Trump?</a> by Kathy O, Quora<br />
Some interesting stuff in the comments section, worth having a look at. All I would add is that while O'Toole seems to be smart enough to realize you can't win a Canadian election with Republican policies, many of the members of his party don't agree. A slim majority voted "no" when asked if climate change is real. So I suspect it's only a matter of time before O'Toole is replaced by someone whose politics are farther right, albeit less realistic.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Linguistics</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.motherjones.com/media/2021/11/omicron-variant-pronunciation-classics-scholars-british-american/">I Asked Seven Classics Experts How to Say “Omicron.” Come Down the Rabbit Hole With Me</a>, by James West, Mother Jones<br />
And this guy doesn't mention the way I pronounce omicron: oh-mycron.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Dancing on Graves</h3>
<p>A different sort of grave dance today, since the deceased is David Graeber, a man I hold in great esteem.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/11/david-graeber-dawn-of-everything.html">David Graeber’s Possible Worlds</a>, by Molly Fischer, Intelligencer<br />
"The Dawn of Everything author left behind countless fans and a belief society could still change for the better."<br />
“Since one cannot know a radically better world is not possible, are we not betraying everyone by insisting on continuing to justify and reproduce the mess we have today?” </li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZlXJ3YqkMA&ab_channel=NovaraMedia">David Graeber: A Celebration of His Life</a>, hosted by Ash Sarkar, Novar Media<br />
"David Graeber’s life and work leaves an indelible mark on thinkers and activists from London through New York, from Rojava to Quebec. To celebrate his life and work Novara Media are hosting a live stream with academics, activists, and politicians who have been influenced by, and who were an influence on, his intellectual endeavours and activist pursuits."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Debunking Resources</h3>
<p>These are of such importance that I've decide to leave them here on an ongoing basis.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debunker">Debunking</a>, Wikipedia </li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudoscience">Pseudoscience</a>, Wikipedia</li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_topics_characterized_as_pseudoscience"> List of topics characterized as pseudoscience</a>, Wikipedia</li>
<li><a href="https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Main_Page">Rational Wiki</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/">Science Based Medecine</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.quackwatch.org/">Quackwatch</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.snopes.com/">Snopes</a>, debunks or validates urban legends</li>
<li><a href="http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/index.html">Bad Astronomy</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.skeptic.com/">The Skeptics Society</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/true-5-factchecking-websites/">The 8 Best Fact-Checking Sites for Finding Unbiased Truth</a>, by Megan Ellis, MUO--Make Use Of</li>
<li><a href="https://www.painscience.com/">Pain Science</a>, by Paul Ingraham </li>
<li><a href=" https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/FLICC_Taxonomy_of_Logical_Fallacies.jpg?fbclid=IwAR3jMZJT2os4If5wy-zF1tYPzzkxWlUfHmp-Rm8ew3rBxGb4ahffN-JzF8E ">Techniques of Science Denial</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Science</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/11/09/1052773575/in-jupiters-swirling-great-red-spot-nasa-spacecraft-finds-hidden-depths">In Jupiter's swirling Great Red Spot, NASA spacecraft finds hidden depths</a>, by Brendan Byrne, NPR<br /></li>
</ul>
<h3>Lacking an Owner's Manual</h3>
<p>The human body/mind/spirit doesn't come with an owner's manual, and we continually struggle to figure out how best to operate them. </p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.artofmanliness.com/people/social-skills/3-things-no-one-ever-told-you-about-making-friends-in-adulthood/">3 Things No One Ever Told You About Making Friends in Adulthood</a>, by Brett & Kate McKay, Art of Manliness</li>
</ul>
<h3>Humour</h3>
<p>These are great times for political satire.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/the-haven/former-trump-national-security-advisor-warns-deep-state-putting-covid-vaccine-in-salad-dressing-ce7cb91d85bc">Former Trump National Security Advisor Warns ‘Deep State’ Putting COVID Vaccine in Salad Dressing</a>, byJohnny Robish, Medium--Rgw Haven <br />
At least I think this is satire....</li>
</ul>
<h1>Books</h1>
<h2>Fiction</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fall-Dodge-Hell-Neal-Stephenson/dp/0062458728/">Fall; or, Dodge in Hell: A Novel</a>, by Neal Stephenson</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dune-Chronicles-Book-1/dp/0441013597/">Dune</a>, by Frank Herbert<br />
I first read this 50 years ago and have re-read it a couple of time since then. Not a bad book, but certainly over rated.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Non-Fiction</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dawn-Everything-New-History-Humanity/dp/077104982X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1Q5MH2ZXY1QYV&keywords=the+dawn+of+everything+a+new+history+of+humanity&qid=1640727833&s=books&sprefix=The+Dawn+of+Everything%2Cstripbooks%2C72&sr=1-1">The Dawn of Everything: a new history of humanity</a>, by David Graeber and David Wengrow<br />
</li>
<li><a href="https://www.versobooks.com/books/3836-what-we-don-t-talk-about">What We Don't Talk About Sex and the Mess of Life</a>, by JoAnn Wypijewski</li>
</ul>
Irv Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08030800457536589003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2848841213670110129.post-89390888863428441912021-11-16T16:47:00.002-05:002021-11-16T17:09:33.494-05:00What I've Been Reading, September and October 2021<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSIGPADolns/X_5bVjM9WpI/AAAAAAAADmo/GY1vQKAjbdgMvHyN2aZbPa8VAkY07SCaACLcBGAsYHQ/s1183/BookShelvesCropped.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: left; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="1183" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSIGPADolns/X_5bVjM9WpI/AAAAAAAADmo/GY1vQKAjbdgMvHyN2aZbPa8VAkY07SCaACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/BookShelvesCropped.jpg"/></a></div>
<h1>Links</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://7labs.io/tips-tricks/bypass-publication-paywalls.html">Bypass paywalls on popular online publications for free</a>, by 7 Labs.<br />
There is a lot of important information out there that is behind paywalls, many requiring expensive subscription to overcome.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Above the Fold</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/humans-being-humane/reflections-about-my-rich-friends-593fbe57b89f">Reflections about My Rich Friends</a>, by Tessa Schlesinger, Medium<br />
"They all started with nothing and became very rich…"</li>
<li><a href="https://theapeiron.co.uk/if-you-make-34-000-youre-part-of-the-one-percent-ebd6ae7a3ed3">If You Make $34,000, You’re Part Of The One Percent</a>, by Matt Lillywhite, <br />
"A crash course in western privilege."</li>
<li><a href="https://aeon.co/essays/for-arendt-hope-in-dark-times-is-no-match-for-action">When hope is a hindrance</a>, by Samantha Rose Hill, Aeon<br />
"For Hannah Arendt, hope is a dangerous barrier to courageous action. In dark times, the miracle that saves the world is to act"</li>
<li><a href="https://doctorow.medium.com/debts-that-cant-be-paid-won-t-be-paid-ec71699eb74f">The first David Graeber Foundation meetup, between Thomas Piketty and Michael Hudson</a>, by Cory Doctorow, Medium<br />
"Debts that can’t be paid, won’t be paid"</li>
</ul>
<h3>Miscellaneous</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://doctorow.medium.com/what-kind-of-emergency-is-our-emergency-f42f78a30de4">Kim Stanley Robinson on the structure of feeling of this perilous moment</a>, by Cory Doctorow, Medium<br /></li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/counterarts/what-is-up-with-american-trucks-f7b0de6f3183">What Is Up With American Trucks?</a> by Quinten Dol, Medium<br />
"We’re all suffering for your masculinity crisis."<br />
I'd say this is a case of vehicle manufacturers talking advantage of our innate, and often frustrated, drive to dominate. Culture takes advantage of those innate drives and uses them towards its own ends, in this case to make a tidy profit. And make no mistake, selling those trucks is a lot more profitable than selling smaller, more appropriate vehicles.</li>
<li><a href=" https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/review-a-dune-sanded-to-dullness"> Review: A “Dune” Sanded to Dullness</a>, by Richard Brody, The New Yorker<br />
"Whereas David Lynch’s 1984 adaptation turned Frank Herbert’s fantasy world into a visceral cinematic experience, Denis Villeneuve’s version remains in the realm of worthy principles."<br />
I read Dune in highschool,around 50 years ago, and have re-read it at least once since then, as well as most of the sequels and prequels, but not recently. Still, it seems this reviewer has got some of his details mixed up and is clearly a fan of Lynch's version.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a38023702/dune-movie-2021-review/">Denis Villeneuve’s Dune Is A Future-Shock Masterpiece</a>, by Chris Nashawaty, Esquire<br />
A more positive review. But I just have to say it, Dune is certainly not the best science fiction book I have ever read, and despite being praised for introducing a generation to ecological ideas, it makes at least one significant mistake, ecology wise. Only in an appendix does it address the question of where all the oxygen is coming from on Arrakis, and even then it doesn't answer the question of where the sandworms are getting the energy to release all that oxygen.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-enduring-appeal-of-dune-as-an-adolescent-power-fantasy">The Enduring Appeal of “Dune” as an Adolescent Power Fantasy</a>, by Ed Park, The New Yorker<br />
"When you’re a teen-ager like Paul Atreides, it can seem like authority figures are always forcing you to do pointless, excruciating things."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.sciencenews.org/article/vikings-north-america-date-newfoundland">Vikings lived in North America by at least the year 1021</a>, by Bruce Bower, Science News<br />
"Scientists used tree ring data to more precisely date a UNESCO historic site in Newfoundland"</li>
</ul>
<h3>Coronavirus</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://covid19.quora.com/I-am-not-an-antivaxxer-I-took-all-vacines-I-ever-should-according-to-my-doctor-but-I-feel-strange-about-covid-vacines-3">I am not an antivaxxer, I took all vacines I ever should according to my doctor, but I feel strange about covid vacines. I feel like they have not been tested enough (takes years for other vacines). Can you debunk my worries about long term effects?</a> by Emily Doyle, Quora<br />
An excellent answer!</li>
<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/Could-there-be-more-potential-health-issues-with-a-rushed-Covid-19-vaccine-vaccines-usually-take-years-of-development-than-the-actual-virus/answer/C-Stuart-Hardwick">Could there be more potential health issues with a rushed Covid 19 vaccine (vaccines usually take years of development) than the actual virus?</a> by C Stuart Hardwick, Quora<br />
"It’s as safe as any medicine ever produced. The mRNA vaccine is safer than any vaccine ever produced because it’s made in a way that is inherently more targeted and less prone to contamination or allegen inclusion, using a technology that is new to the public but that has been successfully used in human cancer treatment for 20 years."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Co-operation, Mutual Aid and Direct Democracy</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/worker-cooperatives-are-more-productive-than-normal-companies/">Worker Cooperatives Are More Productive Than Normal Companies</a>, by Michelle Chen, The Nation<br />
"When maximizing profits isn’t the only goal, companies can actually work better."</li>
</ul>
<h3> Capitalism, Communism, Anarchy</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://londonreal.tv/david-graeber-american-anarchist/">David Graeber
American Anarchist</a>, Brian Rose interviews David Graeber on London Real<br />
"When I say the word anarchist you probably have an image of a bomb-throwing skinhead shouting slogans and facing down riot police. This week’s London Real guest David Graeber is going to change that image forever. A self-proclaimed anarchist, David is far more the picture of the soft-spoken, thoughtful academic than a combative activist. But David’s credentials as a campaigner and anti-capitalist thinker speak volumes."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Agriculture</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/163735/myth-regenerative-ranching?fbclid=IwAR0WYyDnbmFm_X6ITAOjSckZ_AGoYvGdIcL_GjeqhMn5-QZ3Sjv3VRmPKYY "> The Myth of Regenerative Ranching</a>, by Jan Dutkiewicz, Gabriel N. Rosenberg, The New Republic<br />
"The purveyors of “grass-fed” beef want you to believe that it solves meat’s environmental problem. But this is merely a branding exercise, not a climate solution."</li>
<li><a href="https://thecounter.org/lab-grown-cultivated-meat-cost-at-scale/">Lab-grown meat is supposed to be inevitable. The science tells a different story</a>, by Joe Fassler, The Counter<br />
"Splashy headlines have long overshadowed inconvenient truths about biology and economics. Now, extensive new research suggests the industry may be on a billion-dollar crash course with reality."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Recipes and Cooking</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/one-table-one-world/lost-in-the-sauce-11a557cf322d"> Lost In The Sauce</a>, by Nicholas Hayward, Medium—One table, One World<br />
"Sauce Hacks, Simple-Delicious"</li>
</ul>
<h3>Genetic Engineering</h3>
<p>Before jumping to the erroneous conclusion that this section was paid for by Monsanto, stop for a moment and understand that organic agriculture/food is a multi-billion dollar per year industry that relies on fear to get people to buy its product. Millions of dollars are spent to convince you that non-organic food is dangerous. In fact both conventionally grown and organic foods are equally safe. Sadly neither method of agriculture is even remotely substainable.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://grist.org/series/panic-free-gmos/">Panic-free GMOs</a>, A Grist Special Series by Nathanael Johnson<br />
"It’s easy to get information about genetically modified food. There are the dubious anti-GM horror stories that recirculate through social networks. On the other side, there’s the dismissive sighing, eye-rolling, and hand patting of pro-GM partisans. But if you just want a level-headed assessment of the evidence in plain English, that’s in pretty short supply. Fortunately, you’ve found the trove."<br />
A series of articles that does a pretty good job of presenting the facts about GMOs. I plan to include one article from this series here each month.</li>
<li><a href="https://grist.org/food/gmo-labeling-trick-or-treat/">GMO labeling: Trick or treat?</a>, by Nathanael Johnson, Grist<br />
"Many of the arguments against Washington state's GMO labeling initiative make sense. Here's why, despite that, it should pass."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Practical Skills</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/one-table-one-world/the-real-secret-to-non-stick-cast-iron-dc8520dda04a">The Real Secret to Non-Stick Cast Iron</a>, by Paul Thomas Zenki, Medium—One Table, One World<br />
Sure, this might just as well have gone in the Recipes and Cooking section.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Writing Skills</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href=" https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/comma-queen-to-whom-it-may-concern"> Comma Queen: To Whom It May Concern</a>, by Mary Norris, The New Yorker<br /></li>
</ul>
<h3>Debunking Resources</h3>
<p>These are of such importance that I've decide to leave them here on an ongoing basis.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debunker">Debunking</a>, Wikipedia </li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudoscience">Pseudoscience</a>, Wikipedia</li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_topics_characterized_as_pseudoscience"> List of topics characterized as pseudoscience</a>, Wikipedia</li>
<li><a href="https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Main_Page">Rational Wiki</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/">Science Based Medecine</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.quackwatch.org/">Quackwatch</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.snopes.com/">Snopes</a>, debunks or validates urban legends</li>
<li><a href="http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/index.html">Bad Astronomy</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.skeptic.com/">The Skeptics Society</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/true-5-factchecking-websites/">The 8 Best Fact-Checking Sites for Finding Unbiased Truth</a>, by Megan Ellis, MUO—Make Use Of</li>
<li><a href="https://www.painscience.com/">Pain Science</a>, by Paul Ingraham </li>
<li><a href=" https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/FLICC_Taxonomy_of_Logical_Fallacies.jpg?fbclid=IwAR3jMZJT2os4If5wy-zF1tYPzzkxWlUfHmp-Rm8ew3rBxGb4ahffN-JzF8E">Techniques of Science Denial</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Science</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.space.com/giant-comet-bernardinelli-bernstein-activity-beyond-saturn"> Astronomers spot first activity on giant megacomet beyond Saturn</a>, by Elizabeth Howell, space.com<br />
"New Zealand-based astronomers had a time-zone advantage while watching the massive comet."</li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/popular-science/the-moons-south-pole-is-hiding-something-massive-and-mysterious-2cee3580f872">The Moon’s South Pole Is Hiding Something Massive and Mysterious</a>, by Neel Patel, Medium—Popular Science</li>
<li><a href="https://www.sciencenews.org/article/nasa-lucy-first-mission-trojan-asteroids-launch-space">5 cool things to know about NASA’s Lucy mission to the Trojan asteroids</a>, by Lisa Grossman, Science News <br />
"The spacecraft is the first headed to the space rocks that tag along in Jupiter’s orbit"</li>
</ul>
<h3>Lacking an Owner's Manual</h3>
<p>The human body/mind/spirit doesn't come with an owner's manual, and we continually struggle to figure out how best to operate them. </p>
<li><a href=" https://www.quora.com/How-do-you-handle-a-situation-where-someone-shows-up-empty-handed-to-a-potluck-and-then-wants-to-leave-with-a-load-of-leftovers/answer/Karlea-Morallo"> How do you handle a situation where someone shows up empty handed to a potluck and then wants to leave with a load of leftovers?</a> by Karlea Morallo, Quora<br />
Chock this up to the concept of mutual aid—one of the most powerful ideas in human culture.</li>
<li><a href="https://psyche.co/guides/how-to-maintain-a-healthy-brain-to-reduce-the-risk-of-dementia">How to maintain a healthy brain</a>, by Kailas Roberts, Aeon-Psyche<br />
"Adopt these lifestyle changes and you will not only sharpen your mind today but also reduce your risk of dementia later on"</li>
</ul>
<h1>Books</h1>
<h2>Fiction</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Dies-Fire-S-M-Stirling/dp/0451460413/">Dies the Fire</a>, by S. M. Stirling</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Protectors-War-S-M-Stirling/dp/0451460774/">The Protectors War</a>, by S. M. Stirling </li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Meeting-at-Corvallis-S-Stirling/dp/0451461665/">A Meeting at Corvallis</a>, by S. M. Stirling </li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Daughter-Morning-Star-Longmire-Mystery/dp/0593297253/">Daughter of the Morning Star: A Longmire Mystery</a>, by Craig Johnson</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Proximity-police-always-know-where/dp/1916022308/">PROXIMITY: A Gripping Near Future Techno Thriller (iMe Series Book 1)</a>, by Jem Tugwell</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Invisible-Sun-Charles-Stross/dp/1250807107/">Invisible Sun (Empire Games Book 3)</a>, by Charles Stross</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Finwell-Shamans-Tales-Golden-Clipper/dp/1940575176/">Finwell Bay</a>, by Nathan Lowell</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Agency-Jackpot-Trilogy-William-Gibson/dp/1101986948/">Agency</a>, by William Gibson</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Galactic-North-Alastair-Reynolds/dp/0575083123/">Galactic North</a>, by Alastair Reynolds</li>
<li><a href=" https://www.amazon.com/Inhibitor-Phase-Revelation-Alastair-Reynolds/dp/0316462764/ ">Inhibitor Phase</a>, by Alastair Reynolds</li>
</ul>
<h2>Non-Fiction</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href=" https://ojibwe-cultural-foundation.myshopify.com/products/balancing-two-worlds-by-cecil-king">Balancing Two Worlds: Jean-Baptiste Assiginack and the Odawa Nation, 1768-1866</a>, by Cecil King</li>
<li><a href="">The Tragedy of the Worker, Towards the Proletarocene</a>, by The Salvage Collective<br />
Sadly, this book falls into the typical leftist mistake of discounting the possibility that there actually are too many people on this planet.</li>
<li><a href=" https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0941936546/"> The Complete Manual of Wood Bending: Milled, Laminated, and Steambent Work </a>, by Lon Schleining </li>
</ul>
Irv Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08030800457536589003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2848841213670110129.post-64349258204768412922021-09-22T16:06:00.001-04:002021-09-23T15:41:42.087-04:00What I've Been Reading, July and August 2021<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSIGPADolns/X_5bVjM9WpI/AAAAAAAADmo/GY1vQKAjbdgMvHyN2aZbPa8VAkY07SCaACLcBGAsYHQ/s1183/BookShelvesCropped.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: left; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="1183" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSIGPADolns/X_5bVjM9WpI/AAAAAAAADmo/GY1vQKAjbdgMvHyN2aZbPa8VAkY07SCaACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/BookShelvesCropped.jpg"/></a></div>
<h1>Links</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://7labs.io/tips-tricks/bypass-publication-paywalls.html">Bypass paywalls on popular online publications for free</a>, by 7 Labs.<br />
There is a lot of important information out there that is behind paywalls, many requiring expensive subscriptions to overcome.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Above the Fold</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/the-bad-influence/were-on-track-for-the-global-collapse-predicted-by-the-club-of-rome-in-1972-6771887ae009">We’re On Track For The Global Collapse Predicted By The Club Of Rome In 1972</a>, by Patrick Metzger, Medium--Apocalypse Porn<br />
This article says it straight up, and the only objection I would have is that the blame is laid on people in general. I disagree with this--the problem is caused by over consumption, and that's caused by the ongoing marketing efforts of the world's capitalists. Stop them, and human behaviour would quickly change for the better.</li>
<li><a href="https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2021/08/10/Save-Ourselves-Need-Very-Different-Economy/https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2021/08/10/Save-Ourselves-Need-Very-Different-Economy/">To Save Ourselves, We’ll Need This Very Different Economy</a>, by William E. Rees, TheTyee<br />
"What would ‘getting serious’ about the survival of civilization look like?"<br />
"The pandemic is a big problem. Climate change is an even bigger problem. But the meta-problem is ecological overshoot."</li>
<li><a href="https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2019/09/18/Climate-Crisis-Wipe-Out/https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2019/09/18/Climate-Crisis-Wipe-Out/">Yes, the Climate Crisis May Wipe out Six Billion People</a>, by William E. Rees, TheTyee<br />
"William E. Rees is professor emeritus of human ecology and ecological economics at the University of British Columbia."<br />
"Creator of the ‘ecological footprint’ on life and death in a world 4 C hotter."<br />
"This is an election year in Canada. Ask your candidates — sitting MPs in particular — just how much time they have spent contemplating these issues or debating them in caucus."</li>
<li><a href=" https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/critical-race-kimberle-crenshaw/"> The Predictable Backlash to Critical Race Theory: A Q&A With Kimberlé Crenshaw</a>, by Jon Wiener, The Nation<br />
“Wherever there is race reform, there’s inevitably retrenchment.”</li>
<li><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01266-z">Pseudoscience and COVID-19 — we’ve had enough already</a>, by Timothy Caulfield, Nature<br />
"The scientific community must take up cudgels in the battle against bunk."</li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/writers-blokke/the-real-problem-that-caused-maga-low-cognitive-ability-42d00a1cc37a">The Real Problem That Caused MAGA: Low Cognitive Ability</a>, by Code Switcher, Medium--Writers' Blokke<br /></li>
</ul>
<h3>Miscellaneous</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://psiloveyou.xyz/what-dog-ownership-taught-me-about-fear-and-anxiety-in-america-d2661bff8533">What Dog Ownership Taught Me About Fear and Anxiety in America</a>, by Anastasia Frugaard, Medium--P.S. I Love You<br />
"Are Americans scared of dogs, or of one another?"</li>
<li><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/women-athletes-uniform-changes-1.6122725?fbclid=IwAR1Y8-cx8WWVyZLPQCov7B9D_2h4VsmjvQYlz-i4lY5z5Tu7H2hMl9yD-qQ">Women athletes are pushing back against the uniform status quo</a>, by Jenna Benchetrit, CBC News<br />
"The decision to wear comfortable competition clothing has been both celebrated and criticized"<br />
This is the only Olympics related link I'll be posting. Let the women wear whatever they want. Modest or revealing, it should be their choice.</li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/fearless-she-wrote/5-period-myths-women-wished-men-would-stop-believing-b6dec6b42577">5 Period Myths Women Wished Men Would Stop Believing</a>, by Carlyn Beccia, Medium--Fewarless She Wrote<br />
"I am here to save you from grizzly bears"</li>
</ul>
<h3>Structural Violence</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://jessicalexicus.medium.com/you-can-help-the-ones-in-front-of-you-7562daeb9baa"> You Can Help The Ones In Front Of You</a>, by Jessica Wildfire, Medium</li>
</ul>
<h3>Black Lives Matter, Race, Racism</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://andreacoleman.medium.com/5-misconceptions-i-had-about-white-men-before-i-started-dating-one-c875bab4fe8b">5 Misconceptions I Had About White Men Before I Started Dating One</a>, by Andrea Coleman, Medium</li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/illumination-curated/we-tried-the-white-countryside-but-racism-made-us-come-back-e0d30622667">We Tried The White Countryside But Racism Made Us Come Back</a>, by Rebecca Stevens A., Medium--Illumination<br />
"In some places, black folks are simply not welcome"</li>
<li><a href="https://beingblackinwhite.medium.com/simply-an-american-79efcf6f1bca">Simply an American</a>, Medium--Black in-White</li>
<li><a href="https://aninjusticemag.com/i-enjoyed-having-white-allies-in-antiracism-while-it-lasted-390f51ff95c9">I Enjoyed Having White Allies In Antiracism While It Lasted</a>, by Rebecca Stevens A., Medium--An Injustice<br />
"But now, most of them have gone silent"</li>
</ul>
<h3>Coronavirus</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/why-many-scientists-say-unlikely-sars-cov-2-originated-lab-leak?utm_campaign=news_daily_2021-09-07&et_rid=785642457&et_cid=3911632">Call of the Wild</a>, by Jon Cohen, Science <br />
"Why many scientists say it’s unlikely that SARS-CoV-2 originated from a “lab leak”"</li>
<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/My-father-believes-that-unvaccinated-people-will-create-variants-of-coronavirus-and-keep-the-pandemic-going-Is-there-any-evidence-for-this-and-also-how-will-the-unvaccinated-create-variants-if-they-dont-contract/answer/Dr-Jo-6">My father believes that unvaccinated people will create variants of coronavirus and keep the pandemic going. Is there any evidence for this and also, how will the unvaccinated create variants if they don't contract coronavirus?</a> by Dr Jo, Quora <br />
"The biologists are right. But to understand why—there’s the rub—you may need a slight introduction to viral mutation, natural selection, and the role of the unvaccinated in spreading and breeding plagues. I’ll provide all of this—and then indulge in some speculation about where we might go from here. Perhaps you shouldn’t read this if you are (a) mentally a bit unstable, for example prone to depression; or (b) stuck in a pre-Darwinian mind set."</li>
<li><a href=" https://www.quora.com/Does-African-herbal-medicine-cure-the-coronavirus/answer/Dr-Jo-6"> Does African herbal medicine cure the coronavirus?</a>, by Dr Jo, Quora</li>
<li><a href="https://slate.com/technology/2021/07/covid-delta-variant-risk-vaccinated-breakthrough-cases.html">The New COVID Panic</a>, by Susan Matthews, Slate<br />
"What vaccinated people should really know about their risk from the delta variant."</li>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/abuttenheim/status/1417461705571983362/photo/1">The UK's vaccine rollout has dramatically reduced Covid-19 deaths</a>, by Alison Buttenheim
@abuttenheim, Twitter</li>
<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/Is-there-a-possibility-to-actually-contract-the-COVID-19-virus-by-taking-the-vaccine-shots/answer/Chris-OLeary-19">Is there a possibility to actually contract the COVID-19 virus by taking the vaccine shots?</a>, by Chris O'Leary, Quora</li>
<li><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/08/covid-vaccination-timeline-children/619729/">Why Is It Taking So Long to Get Vaccines for Kids?</a> by Rachel Gutman, The Atlantic<br />
"A few things still need to happen before the shots can be authorized for Americans younger than 12."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/Does-it-make-sense-for-a-fully-vaccinated-person-to-wear-a-mask-in-public-indoor-settings-like-supermarkets-I-dont-ask-for-an-answer-from-a-legal-standpoint/answer/Michael-Barnard-14">Does it make sense for a fully vaccinated person to wear a mask in public indoor settings like supermarkets (I don't ask for an answer from a legal standpoint)?</a> by Michael Barnard, Quora<br />
What this guy has to say makes complete sense to me. A short answer and well worth the time to read.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/What-do-COVID-19-pro-vaxxers-have-to-say-after-seeing-vaccine-side-effects/answer/Glenn-R-Anderson">What do COVID-19 pro-vaxxers have to say after seeing vaccine side effects?</a> by Glenn R. Anderson, Quora<br />
"Do you understand that even though no medication comes without risks, that the possibility of death from COVID-19 far outweighs any miniscule threat associated with vaccines?<br />
Then grow up, stop your whining, and get the damn shot."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/Is-it-likely-everyone-vaccinated-or-not-has-breathed-the-COVID-19-virus-into-their-lungs-to-whatever-amount-since-the-early-months-of-2020-Why-haven-t-we-all-been-infected/answer/C-Stuart-Hardwick">Is it likely everyone, vaccinated or not, has breathed the COVID-19 virus into their lungs to whatever amount since the early months of 2020? Why haven’t we all been infected?</a> by C Stuart Hardwick, Quora</li>
</ul>
<h3> Capitalism, Communism, Anarchy</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/djmckenna00/status/1269218616861437952?s=21&fbclid=IwAR0l7QzJXkZTrRBezli5tg4xTsLSKEz0gILMbe-gCATgBUwspkbzjAvkFvo">Most theft is wage theft</a>, by Dave McKenna, Twitter</li>
</ul>
<h3>The New Fascism, the Far-Right and Antifa </h3>
<p>I hear a lot of well educated people saying that the people some of us are calling fascists don't meet all the criteria for being "real" fascists. Others have even accused us of calling anyone we disagree with a fascist. I predict that a few decades (maybe just a few years) from now those same people will be saying they wish they hadn't been quite so fussy with their definitions, and had acted sooner to oppose these "new fascists", even if they weren't identical to the fascists of the twentieth century.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href=" https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/07/is-it-finally-time-to-begin-calling-trumpism-fascism.html">Is It Finally Time to Begin Calling Trumpism Fascist?</a> by Ed Kilgore, New York Magazine--The Intelligencer <br />
"Perhaps the lurch of Trumpism into something resembling fascism will abate or even reverse itself, particularly as its Republican captive audience comes to believe it can win power by more conventional means. I’m not sure I will believe it until Trump supporters abandon the big lie about 2020, stop pursuing anti-democratic tactics, and demobilize their, well, fascistic rhetoric."</li>
<li><a href="https://truthout.org/articles/antifascists-stopped-proud-boys-from-entering-portlands-city-center-on-sunday/">Antifascists Stopped Proud Boys From Entering Portland’s City Center on Sunday</a>, by Shane Burley, Truthout</li>
</ul>
<h3>Collapse</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href=" https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/eye-opening-data-that-will-change-your-outlook-on-life-6e18cf9a8a31">Eye-Opening Data That Will Change Your Outlook on Life</a>, by Mia Thompson, Medium<br />
"You’re totally wrong about almost everything."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Responding to Collapse, </h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://progresstexas.org/blog/greg-abbott-essentials-tips-another-power-grid-failure?fbclid=IwAR0gDN2y__grN3-d9ixRZXi_WTPHpaLUmUblfnJPnwqF8OtDpMdbm61CJIE">Greg Abbott Essentials: Tips for another power grid failure</a>, by Diana Gómez, Progress Texas<br />
"Looking for a quick guide to prepare for another Texas GOP energy grid failure? We’ve got you covered."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Climate Change, or rather, actually, Global Warming</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/world-issues-politics-economics-and-more/whats-the-real-reason-nations-aren-t-doing-anything-about-climate-change-9a107137c1c3">What are the Real Reasons Nations aren’t Doing Anything About Climate Change?</a> by Tessa Schlesinger, Medium <br />
"I know that you’re waiting for them to do something…"</li>
</ul>
<h3>Recipes and Cooking</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/illumination/the-secret-to-making-your-good-soup-glorious-be453127ed63">The Secret to Making your Good Soup Glorious</a>, by Malky McEwan, Medium<br />
"A top chef let me in on this trick and science agreed with him"<br />
This is essentially the same trick my wife taught me. Or if you end up frying the soup ingredients in a frying pan, be sure to deglaze the pan and put the resulting liquid into the soup. There is a lot of flavour there you don't want to miss out on.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Genetic Engineering</h3>
<p>Before jumping to the erroneous conclusion that this section was paid for by Monsanto, stop for a moment and understand that organic agriculture/food is a multi-billion dollar per year industry that relies on fear to get people to buy its product. Millions of dollars are spent to convince you that non-organic food is dangerous. In fact both conventionally grown and organic foods are equally safe. Sadly neither method of agriculture is even remotely substainable.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://grist.org/series/panic-free-gmos/">Panic-free GMOs</a>, A Grist Special Series by Nathanael Johnson<br />
"It’s easy to get information about genetically modified food. There are the dubious anti-GM horror stories that recirculate through social networks. On the other side, there’s the dismissive sighing, eye-rolling, and hand patting of pro-GM partisans. But if you just want a level-headed assessment of the evidence in plain English, that’s in pretty short supply. Fortunately, you’ve found the trove."<br />
A series of articles that does a pretty good job of presenting the facts about GMOs. I plan to include one article from this series here each month.</li>
<li><a href="https://grist.org/food/a-16th-century-dutchman-can-tell-us-everything-we-need-to-know-about-gmo-patents/">A 16th-century Dutchman can tell us everything we need to know about GMO patents</a>, by Nathanael Johnson, Grist<br />
"Today's agribusiness patent holders have locked out innovation. The annals of maritime exploration offer a way out. Really! "</li>
</ul>
<h3>Practical Skills</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://getpocket.com/explore/item/3-basic-compass-skills-everyone-should-learn">3 Basic Compass Skills Everyone Should Learn</a>, by Outdoor Life--The Editors <br />
"Advances in GPS technology are no replacement for basic navigation skills."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Writing Skills</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/born-to-write/what-is-it-about-official-medium-publications-that-they-are-so-badly-written-and-so-boring-b5ea73771b80">What is it About Official Medium Publications That They are So Badly Written and So Boring?</a> by Tessa Schlesinger, Medium<br />
"In the sixteen months I’ve been on Medium, I’ve never been able to bring myself to read a single article in any of the official Medium Publications."</li>
</ul>
<h3>American Politics</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/bidens-invisible-ideology">Biden’s Invisible Ideology</a>, by Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker<br />
"The President has deployed an exasperating but effective strategy to counter Trumpism."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Canadian Politics</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-more-than-leadership-or-policy-its-the-conservative-temperament-thats/"> More than leadership or policy, it’s the Conservative temperament that’s putting off voters</a>, by Andrew Coyne, The Globe and Mail</li>
<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-has-Canadas-Conservative-Party-faced-such-a-challenge-in-finding-a-leader-Canadians-regard-as-highly-as-Stephen-Harper-was-over-his-11-years-as-leader/answer/Scott-Welch">Why has Canada's Conservative Party faced such a challenge in finding a leader Canadians regard as highly as Stephen Harper was over his 11 years as leader?</a> by Scott Welch, Quora<br /></li>
</ul>
<h3>Linguistics</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://wordsforgranted.libsyn.com/why-english-is-highly-irregular-interview-with-arika-okrent">Why Is English Highly Irregular? (Interview with Arika Okrent)</a>, on Words for Granted - An etymology and linguistics podcast, with Lee Delhi</li>
</ul>
<h3>Dancing on Graves</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/aug/08/rightwing-radio-host-dick-farrel-anti-vaxxer-dies-covid">Rightwing radio host and anti-vaxxer dies of Covid</a>, by Edward Helmore, The Guardian--US News<br />
"Dick Farrel was a vociferous critic of Dr Anthony Fauci and urged people not to get vaccinated"</li>
</ul>
<h3>Debunking Resources</h3>
<p>These are of such importance that I've decide to leave them here on an ongoing basis.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debunker">Debunking</a>, Wikipedia </li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudoscience">Pseudoscience</a>, Wikipedia</li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_topics_characterized_as_pseudoscience"> List of topics characterized as pseudoscience</a>, Wikipedia</li>
<li><a href="https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Main_Page">Rational Wiki</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/">Science Based Medecine</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.quackwatch.org/">Quackwatch</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.snopes.com/">Snopes</a>, debunks or validates urban legends</li>
<li><a href="http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/index.html">Bad Astronomy</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.skeptic.com/">The Skeptics Society</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/true-5-factchecking-websites/">The 8 Best Fact-Checking Sites for Finding Unbiased Truth</a>, by Megan Ellis, MUO--Make Use Of</li>
<li><a href="https://www.painscience.com/">Pain Science</a>, by Paul Ingraham </li>
<li><a href=" https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/FLICC_Taxonomy_of_Logical_Fallacies.jpg?fbclid=IwAR3jMZJT2os4If5wy-zF1tYPzzkxWlUfHmp-Rm8ew3rBxGb4ahffN-JzF8E ">Techniques of Science Denial</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Science</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.space.com/giant-comet-bernardinelli-bernstein-activity-beyond-saturn"> Astronomers spot first activity on giant megacomet beyond Saturn</a>, by Elizabeth Howell, space.com<br />
"New Zealand-based astronomers had a time-zone advantage while watching the massive comet."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Lacking an Owner's Manual</h3>
<p>The human body/mind/spirit doesn't come with an owner's manual, and we continually struggle to figure out how best to operate them. </p>
<li><a href="https://jessicalexicus.medium.com/the-sexiest-things-you-can-ever-do-for-her-58743b354c51">The Sexiest Things You Can Ever Do for Her</a>, by Jessica Wildfire, Medium<br />
"Guaranteed to blow her mind, anytime."</li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/panacea-publication/the-system-of-mathematics-i-wish-i-had-known-long-ago-186e7d773da4">The system of mathematics I wish I had known long ago</a>, by Theodorrism, Medium<br />
"Go on. Learn. Do this for yourself."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Gender and Sexuality</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href=" https://aninjusticemag.com/jk-rowling-again-2ead61294ba6"> JK Rowling, again…</a>, by Gemma Stone, Medium--An Injustice<br /></li>
</ul>
<h3>Poverty, Homeless People, Minimum Wage, UBI, Health Care, Affordable Housing</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-are-homeless-prevention-steps-such-as-adding-spike-where-people-sleep-used-Do-they-do-anything-to-curtail-the-issue/answer/Anna-Butler">Why are homeless prevention steps (such as adding spike where people sleep) used? Do they do anything to curtail the issue?</a>, by Anna Butler, Quora<br />
"These devices are simply to move homeless people out of sight and out of mind."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Education</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-23/job-ready-relevant-university-degree-humanities-stem/12652984">Job ready university degrees may not be the tertiary education solution we are hoping for</a>, by Rosemary Barnes, ABC News<br />
I always chuckle when I hear arts graduates talk about having been taught critical thinking skills and logic. Remember the nonsense that many of them believe in.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Humour</h3>
<p>These are great times for political satire.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.thebeaverton.com/2020/11/trudeau-if-canadians-keep-us-in-power-for-thirty-more-years-we-promise-to-eventually-do-something-about-the-environment/">Trudeau: If Canadians keep us in power for thirty more years, we promise to eventually do something about the environment</a>, by Mary Gillis, The Beaverton--Climate Change<br />
"The environment was unable to be reached for comment because it is currently in the middle of a spiralling crisis that will only get catastrophically worse."</li>
</ul>
<h1>Books</h1>
<h2>Fiction</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Angel-Station-Walter-Jon-Williams/dp/1521498008/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0">Angel Station</a>, by Walter Jon Williams</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/First-Omega-Megan-OKeefe-ebook/dp/B08T4WXHPS/ref=sr_1_1">The First Omega</a>, by Megan E. O'Keefe</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cosmic-Fever-Eric-J-Adams/dp/168433330X/">Cosmic Fever</a>, by Eric J. Adams</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Adaptation-Mack-Reynolds-Dallas-Mccord/dp/9353421446/">Adaptation</a>, by Mack Reynolds</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Walking-Aldebaran-Adrian-Tchaikovsky-ebook/dp/B07P75S1H2/">Walking to Aldebaran</a>, by Adrian Tchaikovsky</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shade-Tor-Com-Original-Steven-Gould-ebook/dp/B003V4B4UC/">Shade</a>, by Steven Gould</li>
<li><a href=" https://www.amazon.com/Initial-Fold-first-contact-adventure/dp/1916105602/">Initial Fold</a>, by Nick Adams</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Psalm-Wild-Built-Monk-Robot-Book-ebook/dp/B08H831J18/">A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot Book 1)</a>, by Becky Chambers</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Edges-Inverted-Frontier-Linda-Nagata/dp/1937197263/ ">Edges (Inverted Frontier Book 1)</a>, by Linda Nagata</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Silver-Inverted-Frontier-Linda-Nagata/dp/193719728X/">Silver (Inverted Frontier Book 2)</a>, by Linda Nagata </li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Red-First-Light-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B00O65X7ZU/">The Red: First Light (The Red Trilogy Book 1)</a>, by Linda Nagata </li>
</ul>
<h2>Non-Fiction</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Living-Edges-Capitalism-Adventures-Mutual/dp/0520287304/">Living at the Edges of Capitalism</a>, by Andrej Grubacic and Denis O'Hearn</li>
<li><a href=" https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Mountain-Kurds-Self-Determination-Cleansing/dp/1629636517/">The Battle for the Mountain of the Kurds</a>, by Thomas Schmidinger</li>
</ul>
Irv Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08030800457536589003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2848841213670110129.post-9081380105408475252021-07-24T17:50:00.001-04:002021-07-26T16:51:07.812-04:00What I've Been Reading, June 2021<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSIGPADolns/X_5bVjM9WpI/AAAAAAAADmo/GY1vQKAjbdgMvHyN2aZbPa8VAkY07SCaACLcBGAsYHQ/s1183/BookShelvesCropped.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: left; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="1183" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSIGPADolns/X_5bVjM9WpI/AAAAAAAADmo/GY1vQKAjbdgMvHyN2aZbPa8VAkY07SCaACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/BookShelvesCropped.jpg"/></a></div>
<h1>Links</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://7labs.io/tips-tricks/bypass-publication-paywalls.html">Bypass paywalls on popular online publications for free</a>, by 7 Labs.<br />
There is a lot of important information out there that is behind paywalls, many requiring expensive subscription to overcome.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Above the Fold</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://eand.co/our-civilization-is-dying-because-its-addicted-to-fossil-fuels-25519fb57b34">Our Civilization is Dying Because It’s Addicted to Fossil Fuels</a>, by Umair Haque, Medium—Eudaimonia<br />
"Why We Need to Treat Clean Energy as Our Moonshot, Or Everything Collapses"<br />
Umair is right that our civilization is dying because it's addicted to fossil fuels. But he's wrong about finding a clean alternative. Even if we could, it would create as many problems as it solved.</li>
<li><a href="https://jessicalexicus.medium.com/no-we-cant-just-leave-assholes-alone-anymore-79d37816a3da">No, We Can’t Just Leave Assholes Alone Anymore</a>, by Jessica Wildfire, Medium<br />
“Left unchallenged, assholes took over America—along with most of the world. Now this class of assholes dominates our politics. They steer our economies. They run our media. They dole out promotions to other assholes, and punish anyone for trying to do the right thing. They tell us what to do and how to think. Now they’re even trying to tell us how to vote, and how to love.”</li>
<li><a href="https://marker.medium.com/the-myth-and-liability-of-americas-obsession-with-rugged-individualism-cf0ba80c2a05">The Myth — and Liability — of America’s Obsession with Rugged Individualism</a>, by Scott Galloway, Medium—Marker<br />
“The Ayn Rand image of the solo entrepreneur — Hank Rearden toiling alone in his laboratory to invent a new kind of steel — is a pernicious deception.”<br />
Many of my fellow Canadians will feel smug that we suffer much less from toxic individualism than the USA, but being better than the USA is a pretty minor achievement.</li>
<li><a href="https://eand.co/if-you-think-socialisms-unaffordable-you-don-t-understand-capitalism-c8c53b30a4e3">If You Think Socialism’s Unaffordable, You Don’t Understand Capitalism</a>, by UmairHaque, Medium-Eudaimonia<br />
“How Hidden Hyperinflation Left Americans Broke, and What to do About It”</li>
<li><a href="https://jessicalexicus.medium.com/we-cant-afford-for-everyone-to-have-their-own-opinion-anymore-1ef575b22540">We Can’t Afford for Everyone to Have Their Own Opinion Anymore</a>, by Jessica Wildfire, Medium<br />
“It’s getting us killed.”</li>
<li><a href="https://eand.co/why-the-american-right-is-having-a-meltdown-about-race-e519b529e0c7">Why the American Right is Having a Meltdown About Race</a>, by Umair Haque, Medium—Eudaimonia<br />
“How White Rage Happens, And Why It Still Defines American Life”</li>
<li><a href="https://aeon.co/essays/our-epistemic-crisis-is-essentially-ethical-and-so-are-its-solutions?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethits">Lies and honest mistakes</a>, by Richard V Reeves, Aeon—Psyche<br />
"Our crisis of public knowledge is an ethical crisis. Rewarding ‘truthfulness’ above ‘truth’ is a step towards a solution"<br />
"Working against this constitution are the forces of what Rauch labels ‘troll epistemology’. Trolls seek not the truth, but the destruction of an enemy, ideological or personal. Trolls not only fail to display the virtues of sincerity and accuracy, they work in precisely the opposite direction, deliberately offering up distorted visions of reality, based on cherry picked information."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Miscellaneous</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://psyche.co/ideas/why-it-took-us-thousands-of-years-to-see-the-colour-violet">Why it took us thousands of years to see the colour violet</a>, by Allen Tager, Aeon—Psyche</li>
<li><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/american-chronicles/britney-spears-conservatorship-nightmare">Britney Spears’s Conservatorship Nightmare</a>, by Ronan Farrow and Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker<br />
“How the pop star’s father and a team of lawyers seized control of her life—and have held on to it for thirteen years.”</li>
<li><a href="https://onezero.medium.com/a-deadly-mosquito-borne-illness-is-brewing-in-the-northeast-d3283c71c6a0">A Deadly Mosquito-Borne Illness Is Brewing in the Northeast</a>, by Oscar Schwartz, Medium—One Zero<br />
“EEE kills almost half of its victims, and cases are on the rise”<br />
Fortunately, there are only a few cases.</li>
<li><a href="https://onezero.medium.com/unraveling-the-secret-supply-chain-behind-an-amazonbasics-battery-e7b9ead4d72e">Unraveling the Secret Origins of an AmazonBasics Battery</a>, by Sarah Emerson, Medium—One Zero<br />
“One of Amazon’s smallest and most popular products has a surprisingly large footprint”</li>
<li><a href="https://psiloveyou.xyz/things-my-danish-husband-still-doesnt-get-about-america-f20b9367cd52">Things My (Danish) Husband Still Doesn’t Get About America</a>, by Anastasia Frugaard, Medium—P.S. I Love You<br />
“Two polar-opposite people from two polar-opposite countries”</li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/the-atlantic/what-quitters-understand-about-the-job-market-77719bb6545d">What Quitters Understand About the Job Market</a>, by Derek Thompson, Medium—The Atlantic<br />
“More Americans are telling their boss to shove it. Is the workplace undergoing a revolution — or just a post-pandemic spasm?”
YOLO=You Only Live Once</Li>
<li><a href="https://elemental.medium.com/inside-the-revolutionary-treatment-that-could-change-psychotherapy-forever-8be035d54770">Inside the Revolutionary Treatment That Could Change Psychotherapy Forever</a>, by Ben Blum, Medium—Elemental<br />
“IFS therapy is upending the thinking around schizophrenia, depression, OCD, and more”<br />
IFS=internal family systems therapy</li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/climate-conscious/5-looming-environmental-crises-that-rival-climate-change-e78077c465d6">5 Looming Environmental Crises That Rival Climate Change</a>, by Dustin T. Cox, Medium—Climate Conscious<br />
"Humans are transgressing planetary boundaries on several fronts"<br />
"Even if carbon sequestration and other technologies catch up to climate change, we must still learn to live on far less if we hope to survive the coming environmental crises."</li>
<li><a href=" https://medium.com/curious/im-an-environmental-scientist-and-i-don-t-care-if-you-recycle-ffe25e215a86"> I’m an Environmental Scientist, and I Don’t Care If You Recycle</a>, by Ono Mergen, <br />
"Here is what you can do instead"</li>
</ul>
<h3>Coronavirus</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/bloomberg/the-last-and-only-foreign-scientist-in-the-wuhan-lab-speaks-out-592941dfb6f9">The Last–And Only–Foreign Scientist in the Wuhan Lab Speaks Out</a>, by Michelle Cortez, Medium—Bloomberg<br />
“Virologist Danielle Anderson paints a very different picture of the Wuhan Institute”</li>
<li><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-parents-with-unvaccinated-kids-need-to-know-about-the-delta-variant-this-summer-11625477400?st=38uq3ypqx7zesgk&mod=pktemail7">What Parents With Unvaccinated Kids Need to Know About the Delta Variant This Summer</a>, by Alina Dizik, The Wall Street Journal<br />
"Is summer travel OK? How vulnerable are younger kids? Doctors answer your questions."</li>
</ul>
<h3> Capitalism, Communism, Anarchy</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2014/1/1/are-mexicos-zapatista-rebels-still-relevant">Are Mexico’s Zapatista rebels still relevant?</a> by Duncan Tucker, Aljazeera<br />
“Twenty years after the uprising, activists say Zapatistas have influenced radical movements around the world.”</li>
<li><a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/zapatista-chiapas-caracoles/">The Zapatista Revolution Is Not Over</a>, by Kurt Hackbarth and Colin Mooers, The Nation<br />
“1994 saw one of the most significant indigenous rebellions of the 20th century. Today, their political experiment continues.”</li>
<li><a href="https://eand.co/how-capitalism-taught-americans-to-love-exploitation-5db12d3a6e93">How Capitalism Taught Americans Exploitation Was Good For Them</a>, by Umair Haque, Medium—Eudaimnia<br /></li>
</ul>
<h3>The New Fascism, the Far-Right and Antifa </h3>
<p>I hear a lot of well educated people saying that the people some of us are calling fascists don't meet all the criteria for being "real" fascists. Others have even accused us of calling anyone we disagree with a fascist. I predict that a few decades (maybe just a few years) from now those same people will be saying they wish they hadn't been quite so fussy with their definitions, and had acted sooner to oppose these "new fascists", even if they weren't identical to the fascists of the twentieth century.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://eand.co/if-you-want-to-grapple-with-the-trump-years-you-have-to-understand-the-fascist-world-america-made-c8e5ee537bef">What “White Privilege” Really Means is We Live in a Fascist World</a>, by Umair Haque, Medium—Eudaimonia<br />
“How We Live in a Fascist World — and White People Have No Idea”</li>
</ul>
<h3>Resource Depletion, formerly (and still including) Peak Oil</h3>
<p>The change in title stems from the fact that it's not just oil that is peaking.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/climate-conscious/peak-phosphorus-may-be-more-alarming-than-climate-change-c6fd0fc69414">Peak Phosphorus May Be More Alarming Than Climate Change</a>, by Dustin T. Cox, Medium—Climate Conscious
<br />
“Phosphorus is essential to life and the world is running out of it”</li>
</ul>
<h3>Climate Change, or rather, actually, Global Warming</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://eand.co/this-is-why-we-should-stop-calling-it-climate-change-1468bd7e68f4">This is Why We Should Stop Calling it Climate Change</a>, by Umair Haque, Medium—Eudaimonia<br />
“The Words 'Climate Change' May End Up Being The Biggest Lie Ever Told”</li>
<li><a href="https://onezero.medium.com/this-is-what-the-earths-climate-will-look-like-in-2050-e4edc91be08f">This Is What the Earth’s Climate Will Look Like in 2050</a>, by Julia Slingo, Medium—One Zerp<br />
“The future under climate change can seem frighteningly vague and variable. A top climatologist explains what to expect in 2050.”</li>
<li><a href="https://thelogicofscience.com/2016/10/18/debunking-25-arguments-against-climate-change-in-5-sentences-or-less-each/">Debunking 25 arguments against climate change in 5 sentences or less (each)</a>, by Fallacy Man, The Logic of Science<br />
"Climate change is arguably one of the most misunderstood and controversial topics among the general public. Misinformation abounds, and many people are left debating whether or not we are causing it, and even whether or not it is happening at all. Among scientists, however, there is no serious debate, and there hasn’t been for many years. The evidence for climate change is extremely solid, despite what many blogs and politicians will tell you. Therefore, I want to try to correct some of that misinformation. Yesterday, I posted an extremely lengthy article debunking 25 myths and bad arguments about climate change. Today, I am posting the same information, but in a much more condensed form. I have attempted to address each argument in under 5 sentences. Obviously I had to leave out a lot of information, so if you want the more detailed explanations, please see the original post (each short response is accompanied by a link for the full-length explanation)."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Gardening</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/brassica-rapa-vegetable-domestication">the deep roots of the vegetable that ‘took over the world’</a>, by Gemma Tarlach, Atlas Obscura<br />
“A study digs up the origin of the single species that gives us turnips, bok choy, broccoli rabe, and more.”</li>
</ul>
<h3>Genetic Engineering</h3>
<p>Before jumping to the erroneous conclusion that this section was paid for by Monsanto, stop for a moment and understand that organic agriculture/food is a multi-billion dollar per year industry that relies on fear to get people to buy its product. Millions of dollars are spent to convince you that non-organic food is dangerous. In fact both conventionally grown and organic foods are equally safe. Sadly neither method of agriculture is even remotely substainable.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://grist.org/series/panic-free-gmos/">Panic-free GMOs</a>, A Grist Special Series by Nathanael Johnson<br />
"It’s easy to get information about genetically modified food. There are the dubious anti-GM horror stories that recirculate through social networks. On the other side, there’s the dismissive sighing, eye-rolling, and hand patting of pro-GM partisans. But if you just want a level-headed assessment of the evidence in plain English, that’s in pretty short supply. Fortunately, you’ve found the trove."<br />
A series of articles that does a pretty good job of presenting the facts about GMOs. I plan to include one article from this series here each month.</li>
<li><a href="https://grist.org/food/soil-proprietor-do-gmos-promote-dirt-conservation/">Soil proprietor: Do GMOs promote dirt conservation?</a> by Nathanael Johnson, Grist<br />
" Genetically engineered crops are supposed to make it easier for farmers to protect the earth by plowing less. But the record is spotty."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Practical Skills</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-free-up-storage-space-in-gmail/">How to Free Up Space in Gmail</a>, by Boone Ashworth and Lorne Goode, Wired<br />
“Google offers 15 GB of free storage with every account, but many users are hitting the limit. Use these tips to clear some room, and tidy your inbox while you're at it.”<br />
I've had a gmail account since shortly after gmail cameout, but I only recently switched to using gmail for all my email. Lots to learn.</li>
</ul>
<h3>American Politics</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://ed-thoughts.medium.com/republicans-have-dug-their-grave-biden-can-bury-them-c32b06316f33">Republicans Have Dug Their Grave, Biden Can Bury Them</a>, by ED Mathews, Medium<br />
“3 things Biden can do to ensure progressive wins for years to come”</li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/politically-speaking/is-trump-crazy-or-just-stupid-ee359795d42b">Is Trump Crazy Or Just Stupid?</a> by Caren White, Medium—Politics<br />
“His statements the past few days make very little sense”</li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/politics-fast-and-slow/the-democratic-establishment-is-panicking-about-nina-turner-e8001a4d53d1">The Democratic Establishment is Panicking About Nina Turner</a>, by Lauren Elizabeth, Medium—Politics: Fast and Slow<br />
“And it could be too little too late.”</li>
</ul>
<h3>Dancing on Graves</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/06/how-donald-rumsfeld-deserves-be-remembered/619334/">How Rumsfeld Deserves to Be Remembered</a>, by George Packer, The Atlantic<br />
“America’s worst secretary of defense never expressed a quiver of regret.”</li>
</ul>
<h3>Debunking Resources</h3>
<p>These are of such importance that I've decide to leave them here on an ongoing basis.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debunker">Debunking</a>, Wikipedia </li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudoscience">Pseudoscience</a>, Wikipedia</li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_topics_characterized_as_pseudoscience"> List of topics characterized as pseudoscience</a>, Wikipedia</li>
<li><a href="https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Main_Page">Rational Wiki</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/">Science Based Medecine</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.quackwatch.org/">Quackwatch</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.snopes.com/">Snopes</a>, debunks or validates urban legends</li>
<li><a href="http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/index.html">Bad Astronomy</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.skeptic.com/">The Skeptics Society</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/true-5-factchecking-websites/">The 8 Best Fact-Checking Sites for Finding Unbiased Truth</a>, by Megan Ellis, MUO—Make Use Of</li>
<li><a href="https://www.painscience.com/">Pain Science</a>, by Paul Ingraham </li>
<li><a href=" https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/FLICC_Taxonomy_of_Logical_Fallacies.jpg?fbclid=IwAR3jMZJT2os4If5wy-zF1tYPzzkxWlUfHmp-Rm8ew3rBxGb4ahffN-JzF8E ">Techniques of Science Denial</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Gender and Sexuality</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/@notCursedE/nigella-lawson-mobbed-by-transphobes-e71e77e6e8b4">Nigella Lawson mobbed by transphobes</a>, by Gemma Stone, Medium</li>
</ul>
<h3>There is No God, and Thou Shall Have No Other Gods</h3>
<p>I don't think I've made any secret of the fact that I am an atheist, but I may not have made it clear that I think any sort of worship is a bad thing and that believing in things is to be avoided whenever possible. Indeed, I do not believe in belief itself. That's what the "Thou shall have no other gods" is about—it's not enough to quit believing in whatever God or Gods you were raised to believe in, but also we must avoid other gods, including material wealth, power and fame.</p>
<p>Further, many people today (including most atheists) follow the religion of "progress", which is based on the belief that mankind is destined to follow a road that leads from the caves ever upward to the stars, and that however bad things seem today, they are bound to be better tomorrow due to technological advancement and economic growth. This is very convenient for those who benefit most from economic growth, but it is hardly based on any sort of science and leads to a great deal of confused thinking.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/the-haven/scientists-there-is-no-life-after-death-31471693412f">Scientists: There Is No Life After Death</a>, by Clem Samson, Medium—The Haven<br />
Yes, I know this is supposed to be humour. As it happens I seriously agree with pretty much all of it.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Poverty, Homeless People, Minimum Wage, UBI, Health Care, Affordable Housing</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://gen.medium.com/the-rents-too-damned-high-520f958d5ec5">The Rent’s Too Damned High</a>, by Cory Doctorow, Medium—Gen<br />
“A human right, commodified and rendered zero-sum.”</li>
<li><a href="https://jessicalexicus.medium.com/heres-why-you-re-broke-according-to-wealthy-americans-who-skim-my-articles-e44c05673d0d">Here’s Why You’re Broke, According to Wealthy Americans Who Skim My Articles</a>, by Jessica Wildfire, Medium<br />
“The view from the top is judgmental.”<br />
“These people are straight up bullies, and what they need more than anything is a hard punch in their pocket books. They need to be reminded that all their 'hard won success' was supported by an infrastructure that no longer exists for the vast majority of Americans.”</li>
</ul>
<h3>Humour</h3>
<p>These are great times for political satire.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/the-haven/oh-thats-why-the-police-opened-the-gates-and-let-the-trump-rioters-in-the-capitol-9256668c3eb3">Oh, That’s Why The Police Opened the Gates and Let the Trump Rioters in the Capitol!</a> by Simon Black, Medium<br />
“The Purge was going to begin in two minutes!”<br />
I've chosen to classify this as humour. I could be wrong.</li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/parlor-tricks/the-letter-from-donald-trump-to-joe-biden-left-in-the-oval-office-d40a09ec5e30">The Letter From Donald Trump to Joe Biden Left in the Oval Office</a>, by Jay Sizemore, Medium—Satire</li>
</ul>
<h1>Books</h1>
<h2>Fiction</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dreaming-Stars-BOOK-II-AXIOM/dp/0369330358/ref=sr_1_1">The Dreaming Stars: Book II of the Axiom</a>, by Tim Pratt</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Forbidden-Stars-Book-III-Axiom/dp/0857667696/ref=pd_sbs_1/130-4178717-2171824"> The Forbidden Stars: Book III of the Axiom</a>, by Tim Pratt</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/One-Day-This-Will-Yours-ebook/dp/B08WTLYQTC/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0">One Day All This Will Be Yours</a>, by Adrian Tchaikovsky</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Expert-Systems-Champion-Brother/dp/1250766397/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0">The Expert System's Champion</a>, by Adrian Tchaikovsky</li>
</ul>
<h2>Non-Fiction</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/What-Makes-Civilization-Ancient-Future-dp-0199699429/dp/0199699429/ref=mt_other">What Makes Civilization</a>, by David Wengrow</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Short-History-Nearly-Everything/dp/076790818X/ref=sr_1_1">A Short History of Nearly Everything</a>, by Bill Bryson<br />
Not so good. As one of the Amazon reviewers said: "Fast food for the mind."</li>
</ul>
Irv Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08030800457536589003noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2848841213670110129.post-32825042053237826002021-06-29T18:43:00.002-04:002021-07-01T15:00:57.181-04:00What I've Been Reading, May 2021<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSIGPADolns/X_5bVjM9WpI/AAAAAAAADmo/GY1vQKAjbdgMvHyN2aZbPa8VAkY07SCaACLcBGAsYHQ/s1183/BookShelvesCropped.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: left; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="1183" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSIGPADolns/X_5bVjM9WpI/AAAAAAAADmo/GY1vQKAjbdgMvHyN2aZbPa8VAkY07SCaACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/BookShelvesCropped.jpg"/></a></div>
<h1>Links</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://7labs.io/tips-tricks/bypass-publication-paywalls.html">Bypass paywalls on popular online publications for free</a>, by 7 Labs.<br />
There is a lot of important information out there that is behind paywalls, many requiring expensive subscription to overcome.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Above the Fold</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://libcom.org/forums/news/no-genuine-revolution-interview-graeber-evrensel-newspaper-29122014">No. This is a Genuine Revolution - Interview with Graeber by Evrensel Newspaper</a>, by David Graeber and Pinar Öğünç, Libcom.org<br />
This interview is about Graeber's impression of Rojava after visiting there.
<li><a href="https://abeautifulresistance.org/site/2021/4/29/not-all-extremists-are-equal"> Learning My Left From My Right</a>, by John Halstead, Gods & Radicals Press<br />
"We have witnessed the creep (and sometimes the sprint) of fascism in recent years into the center of American political life, and yet most people still have no idea what fascism is—much less its opposite, anarchism. (Even some on the left are confused.) Fascism will continue to shape our political future in the coming decades, so we need to educate people, in terms that they can understand, without the jargon or theoretical minutiae, about hierarchy and the state, and the possibility of a world without either. This is the lesson I learned after having my work co-opted by fascists: It is not enough to articulate a critique of capitalism—as I did in my article about distributism; if we do not also clearly distinguish ourselves from the fascists, then we will end up losing the debate to both."</li>
<li><a href="https://caitlinjohnstone.substack.com/p/divide-and-brainwash-notes-from-the">Divide And Brainwash: Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix</a>, by Caitlin Johnstone, Caitlin's Newsletter<br />
"One of the biggest challenges for a developing anti-imperialist, at least in my experience, is learning to differentiate between those who actually want to end the oligarchic empire and those who just want the empire to act a bit more cosmetically nice than it does. These are two completely different positions, especially because the latter is pure fantasy: you cannot have a globe-dominating unipolar power structure that doesn't use violent force to maintain that world order. Yet the two groups often wind up moving in overlapping circles."</li>
<li><a href="https://jessicalexicus.medium.com/its-time-to-ditch-the-abundance-mindset-it-paves-the-way-to-inequality-e00d3300af20">It’s Time To Ditch The Abundance Mindset — It Paves The Way to Inequality</a>, by Jessica Wildfire, Medium<br />
"We need collective growth, not just personal."<br />
"If you’re one of those positivity wranglers, maybe it’s time for you to shut up and listen. Follow some of that advice you give about having an open mind and hearing hard truths."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90640964/what-would-happen-if-the-world-stopped-shopping?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethits">What would happen if the world stopped shopping?</a> by J. B. Mackinnon, Fast Company<br />
"Fast fashion is destructive and exploitative—and yet millions of people rely on it for work. In a new book, J.B. MacKinnon explores these complexities."</li>
<li><a href="https://aeon.co/essays/for-97-of-human-history-equality-was-the-norm-what-happened">How equality slipped away</a>, by Kim Sterelny, Aeon<br />
"For 97 per cent of human history, all people had about the same power and access to goods. How did inequality ratchet up?"</li>
<li><a href="https://adebayoadeniran.medium.com/the-poorest-in-society-are-not-worth-saving-6c112bed25e">The Poorest in Society are Not Worth Saving</a>, by Adebayo Adeniran, Medium<br />
"Despite the yawning chasm between the haves and have nots and the perpetual gaslighting of the poorest in our midst, why do the poor keep voting against their interests?"<br />
"I am sorry that I have to say this, for as long as the poorest continue to vote against their interests, they aren’t worth saving — they should watch as the NHS is being dismantled and privatized to silicon valley, post Brexit or see how much smaller their world is about to become without the ECHR acting as a bulwark against the insatiably rapacious excesses of the tech giants."<br />
I have remarked many times about poor Americans voting Republican and poor Canadians voting Conservative. Here, at some length is an of similar behaviour in the UK.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Miscellaneous</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://aeon.co/videos/cultural-wisdom-begets-cozy-temporary-homes-for-the-nenets-of-the-siberian-arctic?utm_source=Aeon+Newsletter&utm_campaign=dc1d4dd41b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2021_05_24_01_16&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_411a82e59d-dc1d4dd41b-69420337">The Nenet Choom—Pitching the tent</a>, by Nomadic Architechture, AEON<br />
"Cultural wisdom begets cozy temporary homes for the Nenets of the Siberian Arctic"</li>
<li><a href="https://www.hempbuildmag.com/home/as-lumber-prices-surge-hemp-blocks-get-a-closer-look?fbclid=IwAR0TzMnPLudkQeDBojUxXDs1fIWUr752D4Im1ag6yf8ITUVwOm4wkxZOxJI">Lumber Prices Surge, Hemp Blocks Get a Closer Look</a>, by Jean Lotus, HempBuild Magazine<br />
If this would work on a localized, non-industrial scale then it would really have a future.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/viking-dwelling-iceland-may-be-oldest-ever-found-180975176/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=socialmedia&fbclid=IwAR3moxhyUER9VTgBJlUX9OBq9PGLEN3H3F0OnK1PrlJXSZZElz3zJz6FneM">Newly Excavated Viking Dwelling May Be Oldest Found in Iceland</a>, by Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine</li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/humans-being-humane/herr-professor-sorry-but-i-am-not-your-student-a-quick-rant-244fee66859d">Herr Professor, Sorry, But I am not Your Student. A Quick Rant.</a>, by Tessa Schlesinger, Medium<br />
“I am a professor, and I would like your email so that we can privately discuss your views on Medium.”</li>
</ul>
<h3>The Other News</h3>
<p>News that is being ignored by North American mass media</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Massive-Blaze-Engulfs-Tehran-Refinery-Hours-After-Sinking-Of-Iranian-Warship.html">Massive Blaze Engulfs Tehran Refinery Hours After Sinking Of Iranian Warship</a>, by ZeroHedge, OilPrice.com<br /></li>
</ul>
<h3>Structural Violence</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://juliecohenauthor.medium.com/yes-it-is-all-men-642172b959d2">Yes, it is all men.</a>, by Julie Cohen, Medium<br />
"Even normal ones."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Suddenly, "liberal" is a dirty word</h3>
<p>And with good reason, it seems.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href=" https://novaramedia.com/2019/12/11/the-centrist-delusion-middle-ground-politics-isnt-moderate-its-dangerous/"> The Centrist Delusion: ‘Middle Ground’ Politics Aren’t Moderate, They’re Dangerous</a>, by Raoul Martinez, Novara Media<br />
"In a world of competing narratives serving competing interests, there’s always a temptation to gravitate to the political centre ground, the would-be midpoint between two apparent extremes, with its aura of moderation, reasonableness and realism. After all, isn’t the truth supposed to be ‘somewhere in the middle’, a composite of competing claims? The simple answer is no. Not in science and not in politics. When there are two opposing sides to a debate, sometimes the midway position is empirically false or morally abhorrent. In every civilisation, the centre ground of political opinion has been home to dangerous, inaccurate and oppressive ideas."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Coronavirus</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/starts-with-a-bang/no-science-clearly-shows-that-covid-19-wasnt-leaked-from-a-wuhan-lab-438430a00e4e">No, Science Clearly Shows That COVID-19 Wasn’t Leaked From A Wuhan Lab</a>, by Ethan Siegel, Medium<br />
"It occurred naturally, and scientists know this for certain."</li>
</ul>
<h3> Capitalism, Communism, Anarchy</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/world-issues-politics-economics-and-more/six-myths-that-capitalists-believe-779580abc41b"> Six Myths that Capitalists Believe</a>, by Tessa Schlesinger, Medium<br />
"We’ve been told some things so often that we think they’re fact. They’re not."</li>
</ul>
<h3>The New Fascism, the Far-Right and Antifa </h3>
<p>I hear a lot of well educated people saying that the people some of us are calling fascists don't meet all the criteria for being "real" fascists. Others have even accused us of calling anyone we disagree with a fascist. I predict that a few decades (maybe just a few years) from now those same people will be saying they wish they hadn't been quite so fussy with their definitions, and had acted sooner to oppose these "new fascists", even if they weren't identical to the fascists of the twentieth century.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://eand.co/is-britain-becoming-a-fascist-society-3ea147fccad5"> Is Britain Becoming a Fascist Society?</a>, by Umair Haque, Medium— Eudaimonia & Co<br />
"Why Brexit Britain is Imploding into Rage, Hate and Stupidity"</li>
</ul>
<h3>Economic Contraction and Growing Inequality</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://kunstler.com/podcast/kunstlercast-344-chatting-with-dr-tim-morgan-of-surplus-energy-economics/?fbclid=IwAR3l5xa4hTZD7nu1mjJbmoQs4z7XWH7eKsuy4BhM8YdydyoVjX7cAUlu5b8 https://kunstler.com/podcast/kunstlercast-344-chatting-with-dr-tim-morgan-of-surplus-energy-economics/?fbclid=IwAR3l5xa4hTZD7nu1mjJbmoQs4z7XWH7eKsuy4BhM8YdydyoVjX7cAUlu5b8"> PODCASTMay 26, 2021
KunstlerCast 344 — Chatting with Dr. Tim Morgan of Surplus Energy Economics</a>, by James Howard Kunstler with Dr. Tim Morgan, kunstler.com</li>
</ul>
<h3>Agriculture</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.agdaily.com/lifestyle/lies-coming-from-impossible-foods-senior-vp/">Viewpoint: The outright lies coming from Impossible Foods’ VP</a>, by Amada Zaluckyj—The Farmers Daughter USA, AgDaily</li>
</ul>
<h3>Recipes and Cooking</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.gardenbetty.com/unusual-edible-plants-vegetables/"> 11 Vegetables You Grow That You Didn’t Know You Could Eat</a>, by Linda Ly, Garden Betty<br />
"Plant 'scraps' aren't just for the compost bin. Go zero waste in the kitchen (and discover exciting new flavors and textures) simply by learning how to use the whole vegetable from top to tail."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Genetic Engineering</h3>
<p>Before jumping to the erroneous conclusion that this section was paid for by Monsanto, stop for a moment and understand that organic agriculture/food is a multi-billion dollar per year industry that relies on fear to get people to buy its product. Millions of dollars are spent to convince you that non-organic food is dangerous. In fact both conventionally grown and organic foods are equally safe. Sadly neither method of agriculture is even remotely substainable.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://grist.org/series/panic-free-gmos/">Panic-free GMOs</a>, A Grist Special Series by Nathanael Johnson<br />
"It’s easy to get information about genetically modified food. There are the dubious anti-GM horror stories that recirculate through social networks. On the other side, there’s the dismissive sighing, eye-rolling, and hand patting of pro-GM partisans. But if you just want a level-headed assessment of the evidence in plain English, that’s in pretty short supply. Fortunately, you’ve found the trove."<br />
A series of articles that does a pretty good job of presenting the facts about GMOs. I plan to include one article from this series here each month. (This month it's two closely related articles.)</li>
<li><a href="https://grist.org/food/in-the-insecticide-wars-gmos-have-so-far-been-a-force-for-good/">In the insecticide wars, GMOs have so far been a force for good</a>, by Nathanael Johnson, Grist<br />
"Plants engineered to produce their own bug-killing toxins really have helped farmers cut the use of nastier chemical insecticides. "</li>
<li><a href="https://grist.org/food/roundup-ready-aim-spray-how-gm-crops-lead-to-herbicide-addiction/"> Roundup-ready, aim, spray: How GM crops lead to herbicide addiction</a>, by Nathanael Johnson, Grist<br />
"Herbicide-resistant crops make it easy for farmers to rely on hefty quantities of weedkiller. Then the weeds evolve, and we have to up the ante."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Practical Skills</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://naturalpathways.wordpress.com/2010/12/07/how-to-make-a-kiln/#comment-127">How to make a kiln</a>, by wildelycreative, Natural pathways</li>
</ul>
<h3>American Politics</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/Are-you-satisfied-that-the-2020-presidential-election-was-fair-and-honest/answer/Lee-Th%C3%A9">Are you satisfied that the 2020 presidential election was fair and honest?</a> by Lee Thé, Quora</li>
</ul>
<h3>Debunking Resources</h3>
<p>These are of such importance that I've decide to leave them here on an ongoing basis.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debunker">Debunking</a>, Wikipedia </li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudoscience">Pseudoscience</a>, Wikipedia</li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_topics_characterized_as_pseudoscience"> List of topics characterized as pseudoscience</a>, Wikipedia</li>
<li><a href="https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Main_Page">Rational Wiki</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/">Science Based Medecine</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.quackwatch.org/">Quackwatch</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.snopes.com/">Snopes</a>, debunks or validates urban legends</li>
<li><a href="http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/index.html">Bad Astronomy</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.skeptic.com/">The Skeptics Society</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/true-5-factchecking-websites/">The 8 Best Fact-Checking Sites for Finding Unbiased Truth</a>, by Megan Ellis, MUO—Make Use Of</li>
<li><a href="https://www.painscience.com/">Pain Science</a>, by Paul Ingraham </li>
<li><a href=" https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/FLICC_Taxonomy_of_Logical_Fallacies.jpg?fbclid=IwAR3jMZJT2os4If5wy-zF1tYPzzkxWlUfHmp-Rm8ew3rBxGb4ahffN-JzF8E ">Techniques of Science Denial</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Science</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/nova-in-cassiopeia-brightens-suddenly/">Nova in Cassiopeia brightens suddenly</a>, by Bob King, Sky & Telescope<br />
"A star in the constellation Cassiopeia that flared into view during mid-March has erupted to naked-eye visibility. Catch it while you can!"</li>
<li><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41557-020-0543-z">Practical science at home in a pandemic world</a>, by Daren J. Caruana, Christoph G. Salzmann & Andrea Sella, Nature—Chemistry<br />
"There are plenty of online resources to ensure that learning can continue for students who cannot access universities during a pandemic, but what options are there for practical aspects of science courses? Daren J. Caruana, Christoph G. Salzmann and Andrea Sella offer a manifesto for home-based experiments."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Lacking an Owner's Manual</h3>
<p>The human body/mind/spirit doesn't come with an owner's manual, and we continually struggle to figure out how best to operate them. </p>
<ul>
<li><a href=" https://entrylevelrebel.medium.com/the-most-important-factor-for-wellness-has-nothing-to-do-with-food-exercise-or-time-management-c726f6dc13dd"> The Most Important Factor for Wellness Has Nothing to Do With Food, Exercise, or Time Management</a>, by Jessica Stillman, Medium</li>
</ul>
<h3>Gender and Sexuality</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://libcom.org/meo-mun-fight-partial-freedom-vietnam">The Fight for Partial Freedom in Vietnam</a>, by Mèo Mun, libcom.org<br />
At the start, this piece seems to be about far left politics, but read a little further and you'll see it's really about LGBTQ issues. And of course, the two go together rather well.</li>
</ul>
<h3>There is No God, and Thou Shall Have No Other Gods</h3>
<p>I don't think I've made any secret of the fact that I am an atheist, but I may not have made it clear that I think any sort of worship is a bad thing and that believing in things is to be avoided whenever possible. Indeed, I do not believe in belief itself. That's what the "Thou shall have no other gods" is about—it's not enough to quit believing in whatever God or Gods you were raised to believe in, but also we must avoid other gods, including material wealth, power and fame.</p>
<p>Further, many people today (including most atheists) follow the religion of "progress", which is based on the belief that mankind is destined to follow a road that leads from the caves ever upward to the stars, and that however bad things seem today, they are bound to be better tomorrow due to technological advancement and economic growth. This is very convenient for those who benefit most from economic growth, but it is hardly based on any sort of science and leads to a great deal of confused thinking.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/humans-being-humane/is-belief-in-god-a-good-thing-or-a-bad-thing-219269d8fc5a">Is Belief in God a Good Thing or a Bad Thing?</a> by Tessa Schlesinger, Medium<br />
This article raises an interesting question, and ends up justifying belief in God, but not belief in religion. As it happens, I disagree, and see no justification for either.</li>
</ul>
<h1>Books</h1>
<h2>Fiction</h2>
<p>I re-read several books by Steven Gould this month. Books which I find myself coming back to about once a year. Nothing profound, but a good distraction.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Recursion-Novel-Blake-Crouch/dp/1524759791/">Recursion, A Novel</a>, by Blake Crouch</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Blind-Waves-Steven-Gould/dp/0812571096/ ">Blind Waves</a>, by Steven Gould</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Helm-Steven-Gould-ebook/dp/B00427YUD0/ ">Helm</a>, by Steven Gould</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wildside-Steven-Gould/dp/0765342464/">Wildside</a>, by Steven Gould</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Expert-Systems-Brother-Adrian-Tchaikovsky/dp/1250197562/">The Expert System's Brother</a>, by Adrian Tchaikovsky</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wrong-Stars-Book-Axiom/dp/0857667092/ ">The Wrong Stars</a>, by Tim Pratt</li>
</ul>
<h2>Non-Fiction</h2>
<p>I finally finished reading A Peoples History of the United States. And I am over half way through Hierarchy in the Forest, by Christopher Boehm.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hierarchy-Forest-Evolution-Egalitarian-Behavior/dp/0674006917/ref=sr_1_1">Hierarchy in the Forest: The Evolution of Egalitarian Behavior</a>, by Christopher Boehm<br />
"Are humans by nature hierarchical or egalitarian? Hierarchy in the Forest addresses this question by examining the evolutionary origins of social and political behavior. Christopher Boehm, an anthropologist whose fieldwork has focused on the political arrangements of human and nonhuman primate groups, postulates that egalitarianism is in effect a hierarchy in which the weak combine forces to dominate the strong."</li>
</ul>
Irv Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08030800457536589003noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2848841213670110129.post-92011606561444382512021-05-20T20:24:00.021-04:002022-06-23T16:20:34.973-04:00Collapse You Say, Part 9: Unintended Consequences of Industrialization<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pk6ZZUauXaQ/YKhXw1qkC-I/AAAAAAAADvo/0lkG3J2_kW4bg65eYi-ya7ifFOXwWhWHACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/SunsetMay21-2021.jpg" style="clear: right; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="521" height="600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pk6ZZUauXaQ/YKhXw1qkC-I/AAAAAAAADvo/0lkG3J2_kW4bg65eYi-ya7ifFOXwWhWHACLcBGAsYHQ/s600/SunsetMay21-2021.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;">Sunset Over Lake Huron</span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>In my <a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/05/collapse-you-say-part-8-factors-which.html">last post</a> I looked at some of the factors that made industrialization possible, and with it the huge growth in consumption that now threatens the continued survival of our civilization.</p>
<p>During the industrial age all those factors interacted in complex and unpredictable ways, producing not just the intended results (more wealth and power for the already rich and powerful), but also a variety of unintended, and in many cases unwelcome, consequences. So much so that at this point the switchover to fossil fuels as an energy source, and the industrialization that it enabled, is starting to seem like a mistake for all but the small number who have profited the most from it. Unfortunately, while many people are beginning to have an inkling that something isn't right, very few have any idea what it might be.</p>
<p>Some of these unintended consequences are contributing to collapse in general, others are specifically related to the issue of overconsumption. So as not to lose sight of the big picture, I am going to talk about both.</p>
<h2>Resource Depletion, declining surplus energy</h2>
<p>When it came to fossil fuels and various other mineral resources, we used the low hanging fruit first. That is, the highest quality and easiest to access resources. </p>
<p>Those days are over and, while there are still large quantities of hydrocarbons in the earth's crust, they are, for the most part, in forms and locations that are much more difficult to access and which provide less surplus energy. Starting in the 1970s our economy has been confronted, for the first time since we started using fossil fuels, with reduced availability of surplus energy. Despite everything governments and central banks have been able to do, real growth has slowed. This has caused problems for our financial system, as we'll see in more detail in a moment.</p>
<p>Fossil fuels were a one-time windfall of abundant surplus energy. That is now gone and there's no going back to the way things were. We used that windfall in such a way as to leave relatively little in the way of a positive legacy. All the available alternative, renewable energy sources have a significantly lower <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_return_on_investment">EROEI</a>, providing much less surplus energy. Not enough to sustain economic growth of the sort we have become accustomed to. Probably not even enough to maintain our high tech civilization. </p>
<p>Depleted reserves of many important minerals are also going to make it difficult to maintain that civilization. </p>
<p>Depletion of non-renewable resources is a very serious problem which we hardly take seriously at all. Economists assure us that we can always find substitutes for anything that is becoming depleted, but they are flat out wrong. There are many things for which there just aren't any practical substitutes—fossil fuels, copper, and phosphorous being high on the list.</p>
<p>There are many things we can do to reduce the rate at which such resources are being depleted, but eventually we will still run out. It seems to me that this will necessitate significant changes to our supposedly non-negotiable lifestyles.</p>
<p>Resource depletion is, of course, a result of overconsumption, rather than a cause.</p>
<h2>Climate Change, Ocean Acidifcation</h2>
<p>When fossil fuels are burned, carbon that was trapped underground million of years ago is released back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide (CO2). CO2 is a greenhouse gas and increased amounts of it in the atmosphere are leading to a variety of changes in our climate—mainly heating, but also shifting of rainfall patterns and more and heavier storms. CO2 is also strongly absorbed by the oceans, resulting in ocean acidification, with negative effects on many of the oceans' ecosystems.</p>
<p>Methane (CH4, natural gas) is also a significant greenhouse gas. Quite a lot of it leaks into the atmosphere between the well head and where it is finally used. And higher temperatures release methane from where it is currently trapped in permafrost and undersea deposits of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methane_clathrate">methane clathrates</a>.</p>
<p>The effects of climate change, such as rising seas destroying shoreline properties and agriculture suffering from heat and drought are going to be very hard to cope with in the years to come, and will be a major factor in the continuing collapse of our civilization.</p>
<p>Climate change is also a result of overconsumption, rather than a cause. Many of the negatives effects of overconsumption actually show up as climate change. </p>
<h2>Pollution, Habitiat Destruction, Ecosphere Damage</h2>
<p>Of course greenhouse gases are a form of pollution, but there are many other types of pollution resulting from industrial activities, which have had negative effects on the planets ecosystems and will continue to do so for a long time yet.</p>
<p>The spread of mankind across the globe and more recently the spread of the large scale agriculture and forestry needed by our population, has resulted in the destruction of habitats for many species, and a decrease in biodiversity.</p>
<p>Elsewhere in this series I have said quite a bit about the carrying capacity of the planet and how growth of human population and consumption has resulted in our overshooting that capacity. The important thing to understand is that when we overuse the services provided to us by the biosphere, the biosphere suffers and it's carrying capacity decreases, making the overshoot even worse.</p>
<p>Pollution, habitat destruction and biosphere damage from overuse are all effects of overconsumption.</p>
<h2>The "New" World</h2>
<p>The so-called "new" world was, of course, not empty. The history of the European colonization is largely a story of the oppression, and in some cases outright genocide, of indigenous people by Europeans. While it is convenient to pretend otherwise, this is still going on and has a destructive effect on societies that continue to let it happen. This too is an effect of overconsumption, albeit somewhat indirectly.</p>
<h2>The Financial System </h2>
<p>The financial sector of the economy provides services to do with managing money. But what is money, anyway? If you've studied economics, you were told that money is used as a medium of exchange, a unit of account and a store of value. That's more or less true, but the most important thing about money is that it can be used to make more money. That's how businesses operating in the financial sector make their profits. It's also what drives growth, or perhaps "necessitates growth" would be a better way of putting it.</p>
<p>In a rapidly growing economy there is a great demand for money to build new infrastructure. Existing money is insufficient, so that demand can only be provided using credit, and "fractional reserve banking" is the solution. This simply means that banks are allowed to lend out more money than they have on deposit, usually by a factor of ten. Money is created (out of thin air, basically) when a bank makes a loan. So, in one very important sense, money is debt. Today that is the only way that new money enters the economy. In order to make a profit, banks require debts to be paid back with interest, using money to make money. And by the way, when a loan is paid off, the money essentially disappears, back where it came from.</p>
<p>Where does the money to pay the interest come from? Well, you might say, if a business is profitable, it will be earning more than enough money to pay the interest. True, but where does the money it earns come from? From other businesses and people, who have taken out loans which also have to be paid back with interest. And of course, the money for that interest comes from yet more loans.</p>
<p>As long as the economy is growing, this works just fine. But if growth slows a point is reached where profits fall off and businesses struggle to make loan/interest payments. They are understandably hesitant to take out new loans and banks are reluctant to issue them. If this goes on, eventually businesses can't get credit to finance their day to day operations, and with no new money entering the system they can't pay the interest on their loans. Businesses start to default on their loans and if enough loans are in default, banks themselves start failing.</p>
<p>Banks can reduce their interest rates to allow for lower rates of economic growth, offering cheap credit to stimulate growth, but when interest rates have been reduced close to zero, little more can be done. Over the last few decades the robust economic growth we had previously experienced was replaced by market bubbles (fake growth) and the crashes that happen when those bubbles burst.</p>
<p>All this is why financiers, business men, politicians and even many working class people are so concerned about maintaining economic growth. But economic growth means growth in consumption, and has lead to our current overconsumption problems. It seems that in order to address those problems we will have to stop economic growth and actually experience "degrowth", until our consumption reaches a level that the planet can support on a sustainable basis. In order to do this, we need a financial system that doesn't break when growth stops.</p>
<p>It is important to understand that, despite all this talk of money, what really drives the economy is surplus energy. It seems ironic to me that, after forcing growth in the economy for the last few centuries, the financial system is now struggling because of reduced surplus energy, a situation brought about by overconsumption caused by growth. So, clearly, the financial system is one of the causes of overconsumption.</p>
<p>Throughout the history of the blog I have been talking about these three factors: resource depletion (including Peak Oil), environmental degradation (including Climate Change), and a financial system that drives growth, and can't cope with degrowth, as being the main causes of collapse. I could stop here, but it has become clear to me that overconsumption is also contributing to collapse and there are a number of other factors that cause overconsumption. We need to have a closer look those factors if we are going to figure out how to get them under control.</p>
<h2>Capitalism and Industrialization</h2>
<p>Industrialization was achieved largely using a system called capitalism. It consists of an upper class who own the means of production and a working class who do the work involved in the production.</p>
<p>Based on their ownership of the means of production, the upper class claims the right to the majority of the profit from that production, even though they do very little of the work involved. The working classes are paid either a wage based on the time they spend working or a piece rate based on the quantity of production they do. In either case, the owners try to pay as little as possible in order to maximize their profits, and since the working class has no other way of making a living, they can co-operate or starve.</p>
<h3>Capitalism and Industrialism as a cause of over consumption</h3>
<p>The main goal of capitalism is to facilitate the accumulation of further wealth by the upper class. Unfortunately, "enough" is not a concept that enters into it, as capitalists are always looking to grow their enterprises and increase their wealth. Indeed, in modern public corporations, stockholders are liable to object if growth is not speedy enough. And, of course, as I said in the last section, the way our financial sector is organized forces capitalists keep to growing their enterprises.</p>
<p>Industrialization has allowed us to produce ever more goods ready to be consumed. As long as there is a demand for those goods, the economy will grow. I suspect that at the start of the industrial age, when most manufactured goods were still made slowly and laboriously by human muscle power, there was a good deal of pent up demand for those goods. As we industrialized, factories were able to make goods more cheaply and in great quantities. It wasn't long before there was a problem of over production, or under consumption, depending on how you look at it.</p>
<p>In addition to that, the nature a factory is to produce large amounts of one particular thing, and once you've invested in a factory, there had better be a market for that thing, whether anyone really needs it or not. This results in the "supply push" model of business, driven by the need to pay off investments in production equipment, and of course, to accumulate more wealth.</p>
<p>Many strategies have been devised to increase consumption, so as to keep up with production, and ensure the flow of wealth into the capitalists pockets. Today these include, but aren't limited to, the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>consumerism, where people are encouraged to see themselves defined in terms of what they buy, and to justify their existence by buying more</li>
<li>marketing, or the manufacturing of demand, especially for new and supposedly better goods</li>
<li>fads, fashion, collecting</li>
<li>planned obsolescence</li>
<li>frequent technological upgrades</li>
<li>deliberate waste</li>
<li>greed seen as a good thing</li>
</ul>
<p>All these strategies to drive consumption have messed with our heads to the point where most of us consumers have a very strange world view. For example, when discussing how to consume less, many of us are liable to start by asking what we need to buy in order to do that. I mean, how else would you solve a problem than by buying something?</p>
<p>Initially, working class people were underpaid and weren't a major force of consumption. It took a long time and a great many strikes to stop the upper classes from thinking of the working class as anything but workers. Sometime in the middle of the twentieth century, working people, at least in the developed world, finally came to be seen as consumers as well as workers, and in some cases were even paid enough to consume effectively. Of course, this only increased our overconsumption.</p>
<p>But even so, capitalists are still their own best customers, the champions of consumption. Globally speaking, the upper classes, the top 10% by income, do about 60% of the consuming. The bottom 50% of people by income only do a little over 7% of the consuming. So it is clear where any attempts to curb overconsumption must focus. Lest we get too smug, though, it is sobering to remember that the top 10% includes about 800 million people—most of the people in the developing world, including most middle class people and even many working class people.</p>
<p>This is also why it would do no good to get rid of poor people, even those whose population is growing quickly. They consume so little that they simply aren't a factor in our overshoot problem.</p>
<p>In any case, we all must do our part to stop goods piling up at the output of factories, and to keep service providers busy. The way the system is set up, failure to do this leads to the shutdown of factories, layoffs, unemployment and, worst of all, reduced profits for the owners. (Sarcasm, yes, but also factual.)</p>
<p>So, capitalism is the driving force behind overconsumption, and as such is causing the slow collapse we've experienced over the last 50 years or so. But capitalism has other negative effects on society as well.</p>
<h3>Negative Effects of Capitalism on Society</h3>
<p>Under feudalism there was a web of obligations flowing in both directions. Yes, serfs had to work for their lords. But since there was no other way of getting the work done, the lords had to provide the serfs with a way to feed, clothe and house themselves. This mainly consisted of providing access to a "commons", where serfs could grow crops and graze livestock for their own use, gather firewood and so forth. The level of use of the commons was closely regulated, either by the feudal lord or the community that relied on that commons, so there was no "tragedy of the commons".</p>
<p>Under capitalism there is no such web of obligations. The commons was soon enclosed by capitalists who saw it as an under used resource, and proceeded to over use it (a real tragedy). The only way remaining for working class people to satisfy their needs was to buy them from the capitalists using money they earned working for the capitalists. If the capitalists overproduced and the demand for labour went down, workers got laid off and the owners had no obligation whatever to support them.</p>
<p>Capitalism can't even attempt to solve problems where the solution doesn't involve making a profit. Such issues are ignored or, at best, left for government to solve. Even providing what is needed by the populace is only an indirect result of capitalistic production, and if it becomes unprofitable, capitalists stop doing it.</p>
<p>Capitalists feel entitled to an ever growing slice of the economic pie. As long as the economy was growing fast enough, they could have that and everyone else could see some improvement in conditions as well, since the whole pie was growing. But for the last few decades while economic growth has slowed and capitalists have still insisted on taking a growing slice of it, what remains for the rest of us has continually decreased, and economic inequality has increased significantly.</p>
<p>To be clear, all of us in the developed world are going to be consuming a lot less, either deliberately in an attempt to get overconsumption under control, or unintentionally because we've refused to recognize the reality of collapse and it has continued whether we like it or not.</p>
<p>But with the capitalist fixation on economic growth it is certainly a lot harder to do anything effective about over consumption.</p>
<h2>Government</h2>
<p>During the industrial era many countries switched from aristocracies to some form of representative democracy. Government of the people, by the people, for the people. But this did not make as big a change as one might think.</p>
<p>Because of the need to fund election campaigns politicians find themselves very much beholden to the rich (mainly capitalists). Not only are capitalists incapable of addressing any problem who's solution would stop them from making a profit, but they make sure that government doesn't try to implement any such solution. These plutarchs, hidden behind representative democracies, are short sighted enough that they are unwilling to do anything to slow growth or reduce consumption. The difficultly we are having in implementing any real solutions to climate change is just the most obvious example of this.</p>
<p>Other countries have ended up under totalitarian dictatorships, which tend to be poor and in need of financial support. So the same thing happens, with those who lend them money actually in charge.</p>
<hr>
<p>To sum up what I've been saying today about overconsumption—it is not a result of innate greed, not a failing of the human race as a whole, but rather caused by a capitalistic upper class bent on maintaining economic growth and the accumulation of wealth at all costs, with no thought of the negative consequences that await us down the road. They have convinced most of us, and themselves as well, that growth and consumption can go on forever on a finite planet.</p>
<p>There are still a few loose ends from the sections on finance and government, but we'll deal with those next time. That discussion will lead us into the main thrust of my next post—what to do about overconsumption.</p>
<h2><br>Links to the rest of this series of posts: Collapse, you say?</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2020/06/collapse-you-say.html">Collapse You Say? Part 1, Introduction</a>,
Tuesday, 30 June 2020</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2020/09/collapse-you-say-part-2-inputs-and.html">Collapse, you say? Part 2: Inputs and Outputs</a>,
Wednesday, 30 September 2020</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2020/10/collapse-you-say-part-3-inputs-and.html">Collapse, you say? Part 3: Inputs and Outputs continued</a>, October 7, 2020 </li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/01/collapse-you-say-part-4-growth.html">Collapse, you say? Part 4: growth, overshoot and dieoff</a>, January 2, 2021 </li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/01/collapse-you-say-part-5-over-population.html">Collapse, you say? Part 5: Over Population</a>, January 8, 2021 </li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/02/collapse-you-say-part-6-overpopulation.html">Collapse, you say? Part 6: Over Population and Overconsumption</a>, Februrary 21, 2021 </li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/03/collapse-you-say-part-7-needs-and-wants.html">Collapse, you say? Part 7: Needs and Wants, Human Nature, Politics</a>, March 8, 2021 </li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/05/collapse-you-say-part-8-factors-which.html">Collapse, you say? Part 8: Factors which made industrialization possible</a>, May 13 , 2021 </li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/05/collapse-you-say-part-9-unintended.html">Collapse, you say? Part 9: Unintended Consequences of Industrialization</a>, May 20 , 2021 </li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/01/collapse-you-say-part-10time-for-change.html">Collapse You Say? Part 10 / Time for Change, Part 1: Money</a>, January 5, 2022 </li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/02/time-for-change-part-2-hierarchies.html">Time for Change, Part 2: Hierarchies</a>, Februray 16, 2022</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/04/time-for-change-part-3-without.html">Time for Change, Part 3: Without Hierarchies?</a> April 23, 2022</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/06/time-for-change-part-4.html">Time for Change, Part 4: Conclusions</a> June 22, 2022</li>
</ul>Irv Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08030800457536589003noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2848841213670110129.post-24054273353332051302021-05-13T17:41:00.005-04:002022-06-23T16:22:12.577-04:00Collapse you say? Part 8, Factors which made industrialization possible<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5YKFr1QdP3w/YJ2cM87ztzI/AAAAAAAADt0/MBzRMvPbjJkXQzikGNp8azTERUClfNRawCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Firewood.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5YKFr1QdP3w/YJ2cM87ztzI/AAAAAAAADt0/MBzRMvPbjJkXQzikGNp8azTERUClfNRawCLcBGAsYHQ/s600/Firewood.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"><b>Half of next winter's firewood, </b><br />still to be hauled to the back yard and stacked neatly.</span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>
In my <a href="">last post</a> I discussed a number of issues (needs and wants, human nature and politics) that I felt we needed a grasp of before I could go on with the rest of this series. If you haven't read that post yet, it might be a good idea to read it before going on.</p>
<p>Earlier in this series, I identified ecological overshoot leading to the dieoff of much of the human race as a serious problem looming ahead of us. A problem that we are failing to address. Both overpopulation and overconsumption are major contributors to this situation, but overconsumption is the issue which we have the most chance of addressing in time to make a difference—to get us through the bottleneck we are facing. It will, however, require a fairly major change in attitude for many, if not most, people. I think we need to understand why we are overconsuming before we tackle this problem, and that is going to be the subject of my next few posts.</p>
<p>Our economy has grown significantly over the last few hundred years, since 1700 or so, during what might be called the "industrial age". With it affluence and consumption have increased as well, at least in the developed world, to the point where this is no longer a blessing, but a serious problem. The confluence of a number of factors have made this possible, and I'll be spending today's post discussing those factors. In subsequent posts we'll look at the consequences of industrialization, how this has led to overconsumption, and what we might do about the problem.</p>
<h2>Surplus Energy</h2>
<p>I must give a nod to my Peak Oil friends and acknowledge that fossil fuels have played a key role in enabling economic growth during the last few hundred years of our history.</p>
<p>For any particular energy source, it takes a certain amount of energy to access that energy. Surplus energy is what's left over to be used, and it's what makes an economy work. The more surplus energy, the greater the potential for economic growth.</p>
<p>In pre-industrial economies, mechanical energy comes primarily from muscles (human or animal) and to a lesser degree from wind and falling water. Heat energy comes mainly from burning biomass (firewood, peat, dung, straw, etc.) and to a lesser degree from the heat of the sun. None of these energy sources provided enough surplus energy to drive strong economic growth.</p>
<p>At the start of the industrial age the demand for firewood was getting ahead of the forests of Europe, and those in need of heat were forced to turn to coal. This was fairly easy to do since there were deposits of coal on or near the surface of the land, and it got the industrial revolution off to a good start. </p>
<p>Coal was followed in the latter half of the late 19th century by oil and in the twentieth century by natural gas. All are still being used in large quantities. The high level of surplus energy from these fossil fuels enabled the building of our industrial civilization.</p>
<h2>Technology</h2>
<p>Soon enough after the start of the coal age colliers were forced to dig deeper to satisfy demand, and when they went below the level of the local water table, it was necessary to pump the water out of the mines before they could be worked. This unprecedented demand for mechanical energy soon resulted in the development of heat engines that could convert the energy of burning fuel into mechanical energy. Once that energy was available, we found a great many other things to do with it beyond just pumping water out of coal mines. This included railways and various sorts of factories where steam engines and eventually electric motors replaced muscle power.</p>
<p>Before industrialization, most goods had been made in small shops employing only a few people, or in peoples' homes, using almost entirely muscle power. The availability of manufactured goods was limited by this and there was significant pent up demand. So the new factories found strong demand for their products.</p>
<h2>The "New" World</h2>
<p>In the late Renaissance and early industrial periods Europeans "discovered" several new continents that they had not previously know about. They ruthlessly moved in to exploit the wealth of these "new" areas. This gave industrialism a boost in terms of lands that it could treat as empty and natural resources waiting to be developed.</p>
<h2>Social Structure </h2>
<p>It seems to me that any egalitarian society, faced with the prospect of industrialization, would probably have decided it wasn't worth the trouble—the great possibilities for amassing wealth just wouldn't have held that large an attraction, given the amount of work involved for the majority of the people to benefit just a few. And indeed such societies were colonized and still haven't been successfully industrialized.</p>
<p>At the other end of the political spectrum, totalitarian societies may well have been too inflexible and at least initially rejected industrialization because of the amount of change it entailed, the unwelcome challenge to the existing order of things. And indeed, during the process of industrialization, inflexible aristocracies were eventually overthrown or reduced to mere figureheads and replaced with ruling classes friendlier to industrialization.</p>
<p>Europe seems to have had just the right combination of an upper class at least some of whom (particularly rich merchants) saw change as an opportunity to amass great wealth and hungry lower classes with no choice but to work for the upper classes. Especially after the enclosure of the commons left them with no way to be self sufficient.</p>
<p>Preindustrial wealth mainly took the form of productive land, and there was only so much land available. Industrialization offered many new sources of wealth—things like mines, factories, railroads, banks, etc.</p>
<h2>Capitalism</h2>
<p>The new upper classes soon became what we now know as "capitalists". Capitalism is an economic and political system which exploits the labour of the working class and facilitates the accumulation of wealth by rich capitalists. It had existed in a nascent form before but really blossomed during industrialization. Indeed capitalism and industrialization went hand in hand and reinforced each other.</p>
<h2>The Financial System</h2>
<p>The financial sector of the economy provides services to do with managing money. It had already existed for some time, but what it really needed was a rapidly growing economy to enable it to use money to make more money in a really effective way. The high surplus energy of fossil fuels made such growth possible. As with capitalism, finance and industrialization went hand in hand.</p>
<h2>Government</h2>
<p>The state, with legal systems and police to enforce the concepts of possession and property and to enforce claims, in the form of debt, on others' productivity, was, as always, primarily the servant of the upper classes. Practically every government in the world was eager to support the capitalists and financiers in their effort to industrialize.</p>
<hr>
<p> </p>
<h2>Unintended Consequences</h2>
<p>During the industrial age all these factors (and many others) interacted in complex and unpredictable ways, producing not just the intended results (more wealth for the rich and powerful), but also a variety of unintended, and in many cases unwelcome, consequences. So much so that at this point the switchover to fossil fuels as an energy source, and the industrialization that it enabled, is starting to seem like a mistake to all but the small number who have profited most from it. Some of these unintended consequences are contributing to collapse in general, others are specifically related to the issue of overconsumption.</p>
<p>I'll be going into detail on that in my next post.</p>
<p>I expect many will find this a short and unsatisfying post (I certainly do), but the alternative was making this the first section of a very long post, so I decided to stop here and continue next time with what I hope will be the more interesting part and not discouragingly long.</p>
<h2><br>Links to the rest of this series of posts: Collapse, you say?</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2020/06/collapse-you-say.html">Collapse You Say? Part 1, Introduction</a>,
Tuesday, 30 June 2020</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2020/09/collapse-you-say-part-2-inputs-and.html">Collapse, you say? Part 2: Inputs and Outputs</a>,
Wednesday, 30 September 2020</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2020/10/collapse-you-say-part-3-inputs-and.html">Collapse, you say? Part 3: Inputs and Outputs continued</a>, October 7, 2020 </li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/01/collapse-you-say-part-4-growth.html">Collapse, you say? Part 4: growth, overshoot and dieoff</a>, January 2, 2021 </li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/01/collapse-you-say-part-5-over-population.html">Collapse, you say? Part 5: Over Population</a>, January 8, 2021 </li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/02/collapse-you-say-part-6-overpopulation.html">Collapse, you say? Part 6: Over Population and Overconsumption</a>, Februrary 21, 2021 </li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/03/collapse-you-say-part-7-needs-and-wants.html">Collapse, you say? Part 7: Needs and Wants, Human Nature, Politics</a>, March 8, 2021 </li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/05/collapse-you-say-part-8-factors-which.html">Collapse, you say? Part 8: Factors which made industrialization possible</a>, May 13 , 2021 </li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/05/collapse-you-say-part-9-unintended.html">Collapse, you say? Part 9: Unintended Consequences of Industrialization</a>, May 20 , 2021 </li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/01/collapse-you-say-part-10time-for-change.html">Collapse You Say? Part 10 / Time for Change, Part 1: Money</a>, January 5, 2022 </li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/02/time-for-change-part-2-hierarchies.html">Time for Change, Part 2: Hierarchies</a>, Februray 16, 2022</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/04/time-for-change-part-3-without.html">Time for Change, Part 3: Without Hierarchies?</a> April 23, 2022</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/06/time-for-change-part-4.html">Time for Change, Part 4: Conclusions</a> June 22, 2022</li>
</ul>Irv Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08030800457536589003noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2848841213670110129.post-30585903155527376022021-05-05T20:10:00.004-04:002021-05-05T20:31:09.874-04:00What I've Been Reading, March and April 2021<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSIGPADolns/X_5bVjM9WpI/AAAAAAAADmo/GY1vQKAjbdgMvHyN2aZbPa8VAkY07SCaACLcBGAsYHQ/s1183/BookShelvesCropped.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: left; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="1183" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSIGPADolns/X_5bVjM9WpI/AAAAAAAADmo/GY1vQKAjbdgMvHyN2aZbPa8VAkY07SCaACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/BookShelvesCropped.jpg"/></a></div>
<h1>Links</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://7labs.io/tips-tricks/bypass-publication-paywalls.html">Bypass paywalls on popular online publications for free</a>, by 7 Labs.<br />
There is a lot of important information out there that is behind paywalls, many requiring expensive subscription to overcome.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Above the Fold</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/freedom-learn/201105/how-hunter-gatherers-maintained-their-egalitarian-ways">How Hunter-Gatherers Maintained Their Egalitarian Ways</a>, by Peter Gray Ph.D., Psychology Today<br />
"The important lessons from hunter-gatherers are about culture, not genes."</li>
<li><a href="https://digressionsnimpressions.typepad.com/digressionsimpressions/2019/05/as-claude-l%C3%A9vi-strauss-often-pointed-out-early-homo-sapiens-were-not-just-physically-the-same-as-modern-humans-they-were.html">On Graeber and Wengrow and Institutional Flexibility</a>, by Eric Schliesser, Digressions&Impressions</li>
<li><a href="https://www.eurozine.com/change-course-human-history/">How to change the course of human history (at least, the part that’s already happened)</a>, by David Graeber and David Wengrow, Eurozine<br />
"The story we have been telling ourselves about our origins is wrong, and perpetuates the idea of inevitable social inequality. David Graeber and David Wengrow ask why the myth of ‘agricultural revolution’ remains so persistent, and argue that there is a whole lot more we can learn from our ancestors."
"But on one thing we insist. Abandoning the story of a fall from primordial innocence does not mean abandoning dreams of human emancipation – that is, of a society where no one can turn their rights in property into a means of enslaving others, and where no one can be told their lives and needs don’t matter. To the contrary. Human history becomes a far more interesting place, containing many more hopeful moments than we’ve been led to imagine, once we learn to throw off our conceptual shackles and perceive what’s really there."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7s-dn9P33k&ab_channel=NovaraMedia">A Lot of People Don't Want to Win | James Butler Meets David Graeber</a>, YouTube—Novara Media<br />
"At The World transformed 2018 James Butler met with David Graeber to talk Momentum,dual power, co-option, the extra-parliamentary left and winning."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpoJIkqEXYo&ab_channel=RSA">David Graeber on the Value of Work</a>, by David Graeber, YouTube<br />
"Does the world really need neuroadvertisers, PR researchers and branding consultants? Renowned academic and coiner of the ‘we are the 99%’ slogan, David Graeber is a passionate advocate for meaningful work. After famously condemning the 21st century phenomenon of ‘bullsh*t jobs’, in this short animation he investigates the philosophical underpinnings of employment, and calls for a reformulation of what work should be."</li>
<li><a href=" https://aeon.co/essays/the-tragedy-of-the-commons-is-a-false-and-dangerous-myth">The miracle of the commons</a>, by Michelle Nijhuis, Aeon<br />
"Far from being profoundly destructive, we humans have deep capacities for sharing resources with generosity and foresight."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Miscellaneous</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.zmescience.com/science/monkeys-and-wolves-domestication-423/"> Monkeys and wolves forge alliance that resembles domestication done by humans</a>, by Tibi Puiu, ZME Science<br />
"In Ethiopia's grasslands, huge herds of gelada monkeys might be in the process of domesticating wolves."</li>
<li><a href=" https://www.cracked.com/image-pictofact-6346-15-lies-about-firearms-movies-and-video-games-told-you/">15 Lies About Firearms Movies and Video Games Told You</a>, by Cracked Writers and Andres Diplotti, Cracked<br />
"There's something about firearms. Regardless of our ideas about gun control, we can't help but admire a sleek, well-honed, lubricated death machine. Guns have two main purposes: First, being cool (and making you look and feel cool by association), and in a distant second place, causing an awful lot of harm. So they're kind of like mechanical cigarettes (and to some people, just as addictive).<br />
And yet, considering how many firearms most people have seen, the average person knows remarkably little about them. We're here to help fix that."</li>
<li><a href="https://aeon.co/videos/a-bach-cello-piece-played-atop-a-mountain-is-as-exhilarating-as-you-d-expect">A Bach cello piece played atop a mountain is as exhilarating as you’d expect</a>, cellist Ruth Boden, Director: Gavin Carver, Aeon video<br />
"Andante (a musical term meaning ‘at walking pace’) follows the cellist Ruth Boden as she climbs 10,000 feet to a peak in Oregon’s Wallowa Mountains for a deeply personal, yet breathtakingly public solo performance. With her prized cello strapped to her back, Boden reflects on how she wants to do something with music that transcends the commonplace, and on the particular joy of playing from Bach’s cello suite at ‘the top of the world’."</li>
<li><a href="https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-five-universal-laws-of-human-stupidity">The Five Universal Laws of Human Stupidity</a>, by Corinne Purtill, Quartz/Pocket<br />
"We underestimate the stupid, and we do so at our own peril."</li>
<li><a href=" https://psyche.co/ideas/why-i-shut-down-an-argument-in-my-philosophy-for-children-class">Why I shut down an argument in my philosophy for children class</a>, by Amy Reed-Sandoval, Aeon—Psyche</li>
<li><a href="https://aeon.co/videos/abundance-has-made-fat-an-enemy-but-its-been-a-friend-to-humans-for-millennia">What fat is for</a>, Director and Animator: Ermina Takenova; Producer: Kellen Quinn; Writer: Nicola Williams, <br />
"Abundance has made fat an enemy, but it’s been a friend to humans for millennia"</li>
<li><a href="https://mashable.com/feature/generation-ships/"> The interstellar dream is dying</a>, by Chris Taylor, Mashable<br />
"Sending "generation ships" to colonize the cosmos makes less sense the more we look at it."<br />
Of course, many of us have doubts about our civilization making it to the 22nd century at all.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2021/may/02/could-you-wear-a-dress-for-100-days">Could you wear a dress for 100 days?</a> by Emma Beddington, The Guardian<br />
"When Emma Beddington took part in a challenge to wear the same dress for 100 days, she wasn’t expecting to feel the positive force of sisterhood alongside a few neat cleaning hacks."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Black Lives Matter</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/illumination-curated/5-of-the-most-hurtful-racial-microagressions-i-have-heard-in-my-life-268f9dcb525b">5 Of The Most Hurtful Racial Microaggressions I Have Heard In My Life</a>, by Rebecca Stevens A., Medium—Illumination<br />
"And you’d be surprised by what people can say"</li>
</ul>
<h3>Coronavirus</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/On-a-scale-of-1-10-10-being-the-highest-how-serious-is-the-corona-virus/answer/Krister-Sundelin">On a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest), how serious is the corona virus?</a>, by Krister Sundelin, Quora<br /></li>
<li><a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/02/18/967462483/how-herd-immunity-works-and-what-stands-in-its-way">How Herd Immunity Works — And What Stands In Its Way</a>, by Thomas Wilburn, Richard Harris<br />
"What will it take to finally halt the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S.? To answer that question, we've created a simulation of a mock disease we're calling SIMVID-19."</li>
</ul>
<h3>The New Fascism, the Far-Right and Antifa </h3>
<p>I hear a lot of well educated people saying that the people some of us are calling fascists don't meet all the criteria for being "real" fascists. Others have even accused us of calling anyone we disagree with a fascist. I predict that a few decades (maybe just a few years) from now those same people will be saying they wish they hadn't been quite so fussy with their definitions, and had acted sooner to oppose these "new fascists", even if they weren't identical to the fascists of the twentieth century.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2021/04/28/dhss-a28.html">Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas announces “domestic violence review” at Department following January 6 fascist coup attempt</a>, by Jacob Crosse, World Socialist Website<br />
"The fact is, backward, reactionary and fascistic attitudes have been allowed to fester within the ranks of the US police, military and intelligence agencies for decades under both Democratic and Republican administrations."</li>
</ul>
<h3> Capitalism, Communism, Anarchy</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://annehelen.substack.com/p/the-capitalism-is-broken-economy">The 'Capitalism is Broken' Economy</a>, by Anne Helen Petersen, Culture Study<br />
"feel like we've moved beyond 'burnout' and more to 'the pandemic has illuminated that nearly every aspect of modern society is fundamentally unlivable' "</li>
</ul>
<h3>Climate Change</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/04/12/bidens-jobs-plan-is-also-a-climate-plan-will-it-make-a-difference">Biden’s Jobs Plan Is Also a Climate Plan. Will It Make a Difference?</a> by Elizabeth Kolbert, The new Yorker<br />
"The Administration has an ambitious vision for combating global warming, but it’s only a start."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/may/03/receding-glaciers-causing-rivers-to-suddenly-disappear">Receding glaciers causing rivers to suddenly disappear</a>, by Jenna Kunze, The Guardian<br />
"Global phenomenon known as river piracy demands urgent adaptation from ecosystems and people who rely on their flow"</li>
<li><a href=" https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/04/study-says-antarctic-ice-sheet-melt-to-lift-sea-level-higher-than-thought/"> Antarctic Ice Sheet melting to lift sea level higher than thought, study says</a>, by Juan Siliezar, Harvard Gazette—Science and Technology<br />
" New calculations show the rise due to warming would be 30% above forecasts"</li>
<li><a href="https://theconversation.com/there-arent-enough-trees-in-the-world-to-offset-societys-carbon-emissions-and-there-never-will-be-158181">There aren’t enough trees in the world to offset society’s carbon emissions – and there never will be</a>, by Bonnie Waring, The Conversation</li>
</ul>
<h3>Energy</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://themobilist.medium.com/with-a-blockbuster-week-vw-has-ignited-a-new-phase-in-the-electric-war-e77b61c49234">With a Blockbuster Week, VW Has Ignited a New Phase in the Electric War</a>, by Steve LeVine, Medium—Mobilist<br />
"A multifront race in batteries, plants, and to be #2 behind Tesla"</li>
</ul>
<h3>Recipes and Cooking</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/aha-moments/11-genius-cooking-hacks-i-wish-i-had-known-earlier-in-life-df07a084e177">11 Genius Cooking Hacks I Wish I Had Known Earlier in Life</a>, by Karthik Rajan, Medium—Food | Parenting | Family<br />
Some interesting ideas here, none of which I have tried. There is a fad these days for recipes with few ingredients. For the most part I don't agree that this is likely to give good results. And doing things quickly, from where I sit, is almost always a bad idea.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Genetic Engineering</h3>
<p>Before jumping to the erroneous conclusion that this section was paid for by Monsanto, stop for a moment and understand that organic agriculture/food is a multi-billion dollar per year industry that relies on fear to get people to buy its products. Millions of dollars are spent to convince you that non-organic food is dangerous. In fact both conventionally grown and organic foods are equally safe. Sadly neither method of agriculture is even remotely substainable.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://grist.org/series/panic-free-gmos/">Panic-free GMOs</a>, A Grist Special Series by Nathanael Johnson<br />
"It’s easy to get information about genetically modified food. There are the dubious anti-GM horror stories that recirculate through social networks. On the other side, there’s the dismissive sighing, eye-rolling, and hand patting of pro-GM partisans. But if you just want a level-headed assessment of the evidence in plain English, that’s in pretty short supply. Fortunately, you’ve found the trove."<br />
A series of articles that does a pretty good job of presenting the facts about GMOs. I plan to include one article from this series here each month.</li>
<li><a href="https://grist.org/food/are-gmos-worth-their-weight-in-gold-to-farmers-not-exactly/">Are GMOs worth their weight in gold? To farmers, not exactly</a>, by Nathanael Johnson, Grist<br />
"Biotech seeds cost more and often return less than conventional crops or organic farming. But they do give farmers a kind of safety net."</li>
</ul>
<h3>American Politics</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/biden-press-conference/">Biden Meets, and Defeats, the Press</a>, by Joan Walsh, The Nation<br />
"The president should postpone future news conferences. Not because he can’t handle them—but because the White House press corps can’t."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/Realistically-could-there-ever-be-a-time-when-there-are-no-leftists-in-the-USA-and-everyone-is-conservative/answer/Alex-Denethorn">Realistically, could there ever be a time when there are no leftists in the USA and everyone is conservative?</a> by Alex Denethorn, Quora<br />
"No - if anything, the opposite is likely to be true."<br />
"Conservative ideology is dying out. There’s no chance of it ever becoming universal in the United States."<br />
‘Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.’ - Francis Wilhoit</li>
</ul>
<h3>Ontario Politics</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RzOgHMQnXk&ab_channel=BestOfLastWeekTonight">Best of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver; Doug Ford of Toronto</a>, by John Oliver, Last Week Tonight</li>
</ul>
<h3>Dancing on Graves</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://theapeiron.co.uk/the-5-most-overrated-people-on-the-planet-bdd4f621aa2a">The 5 Most Overrated Personalities on The Planet</a>, by Jessica Wildfire, Medium—Apeiron Blog<br />
"Our heroes reveal our values."<br />
Of these five only Steve Jobs is actually dead. But for the other four, a head start on the dancing would be a good thing.</li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/prince-philip-embodied-european-bigotry-and-xenophobia-c2bcb541d8e8">Prince Philip Embodied European Bigotry and Xenophobia</a>, by ElMehdi, Medium—Lessons from History<br />
"He is the symbol of a long racist, imperial, and colonial history, and should be remembered as such."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Debunking Resources</h3>
<p>These are of such importance that I've decide to leave them here on an ongoing basis.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debunker">Debunking</a>, Wikipedia </li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudoscience">Pseudoscience</a>, Wikipedia</li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_topics_characterized_as_pseudoscience"> List of topics characterized as pseudoscience</a>, Wikipedia</li>
<li><a href="https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Main_Page">Rational Wiki</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/">Science Based Medecine</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.quackwatch.org/">Quackwatch</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.snopes.com/">Snopes</a>, debunks or validates urban legends</li>
<li><a href="http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/index.html">Bad Astronomy</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.skeptic.com/">The Skeptics Society</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/true-5-factchecking-websites/">The 8 Best Fact-Checking Sites for Finding Unbiased Truth</a>, by Megan Ellis, MUO—Make Use Of</li>
<li><a href="https://www.painscience.com/">Pain Science</a>, by Paul Ingraham </li>
<li><a href=" https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/FLICC_Taxonomy_of_Logical_Fallacies.jpg?fbclid=IwAR3jMZJT2os4If5wy-zF1tYPzzkxWlUfHmp-Rm8ew3rBxGb4ahffN-JzF8E ">Techniques of Science Denial</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Science</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/predict/the-curious-coincidences-of-alpha-centauri-c375e3adbe55">The Curious Coincidences of Alpha Centauri</a>, by Salman Hasan, <br />
"The star system next door has its own share of secrets!"</li>
</ul>
<h3>Lacking an Owner's Manual</h3>
<p>The human body/mind/spirit doesn't come with an owner's manual, and we continually struggle to figure out how best to operate them.</p>
<li><a href="https://brookemeredith.medium.com/telltale-traits-of-terrible-people-7b32adfe3b73">Telltale Traits of Terrible People</a>, by Brooke Meredith, Medium<br />
"Steer clear! (Some of these might surprise you)"</li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/mind-cafe/9-paradoxical-truths-that-will-change-how-you-think-about-life-72dab5b4f80f">9 Paradoxical Truths That Will Change How You Think About Life</a>, by Moreno Zugaro, Medium—Mind Cafe</li>
<li><a href="https://jessielondon.medium.com/this-one-thing-gives-true-insight-into-someones-character-3348d722b3c9">This One Thing Gives True Insight into Someone’s Character</a>, by Jessie London, Medium<br />
"This has helped me surround myself with wonderful people."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Gender and Sexuality</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2021/04/09/transgender-girls-sports-reality-not-controversial-column/7088759002/"> In real life, transgender girls in sports are a non-controversy: Retired high school coach</a>, by Larry Strauss, Opinion columnist, <br />
"We belatedly stopped excluding athletes of color from high school and college sports. How many more years will people try to exclude trans athletes?"</li>
</ul>
<h3>Poverty, Homeless People, Minimum Wage, UBI, Health Care, Affordable Housing</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href=" https://www.blogto.com/city/2021/04/toronto-tenants-fought-to-run-food-bank-out-of-empty-unit-in-building-for-free/">Toronto residents get their massive landlord to donate an apartment to help feed tenants</a>, by Olivia Little, blogTO</li>
</ul>
<h3>Education</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.edutopia.org/article/why-are-some-kids-thriving-during-remote-learning">Why Are Some Kids Thriving During Remote Learning?</a> by Nora Fleming, Edutopia<br />
"Though remote learning has brought many challenges, some students seem to be thriving in the new circumstances. What can we learn from them?"</li>
</ul>
<h3>Humour</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/mar/26/shipsplaining-with-everyones-favourite-large-sea-boat-expert-captain-onthemoon?fbclid=IwAR0RRHoW64V4NDcw9k4GmjPuEYTyBNNZrcD-ivAs0oy0ZAC9ooQXfEgQOYk">Shipsplaining with everyone's favourite Large Sea Boat expert</a>, by Captain Onthemoon, First Dog on the Moon, The Guardian<br />
"The Evergreen Ever Given is stuck in the Suez canal. Is it briefly exciting and funny or some kind of global business disaster? Or both?"</li>
</ul>
<h1>Books</h1>
<h2>Fiction</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fearless-Fiction-Without-Frontiers-Stroud/dp/1787585409/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0">Fearless</a>, by Allen Stroud</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Red-Noise-John-P-Murphy/dp/0857668471/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0">Red Noise</a>, by John P. Murphy</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Doors-Eden-Adrian-Tchaikovsky/dp/0316705802/ref=pd_sbs_5">Doors of Eden</a>, by Adrian Tchaikovski </li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Children-Time-Adrian-Tchaikovsky/dp/0316452505/ref=pd_sbs_1">Children of Time</a>, by Adrian Tchaikovski</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Children-Ruin-Time-Adrian-Tchaikovsky/dp/031645253X/ref=sr_1_1">Children of Ruin</a>, by Adrian Tchaikovski</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Forge-Heaven-Gene-Wars-Book-ebook/dp/B000FC1R96/ref=sr_1_1">Forge of Heaven</a>, by C.J. Cherryh</li>
</ul>
<h2>Non-Fiction</h2>
<p>I finally finished reading <i>A Peoples History of the United States</i>. And I am over half way through <i>Hierarchy in the Forest</i>, by Christoper Boehm.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062397346/ref=ox_sc_act_image_3">A Peoples History of the United States</a>, by Howard Zinn<br />
The version I read (it was lent to me by a friend) was published in 1980, and not surprisingly, only covers up until that point in American History. I see Amazon has a newer version that covers up to the 2000 election and the war on terror. I intended to get a copy and see what Zinn thought of the decades following 1980. In the edition I just read, the very optimistic last chapter was titled "The Coming Revolt of the Guards". It hasn't worked out that way.</li>
</ul>
<p>More information about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Zinn">Haward Zinn</a>, from Wikipedia.</p>
Irv Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08030800457536589003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2848841213670110129.post-29742490359255592472021-03-17T16:24:00.004-04:002021-03-17T16:24:36.661-04:00What I've Been Reading, February 2021<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSIGPADolns/X_5bVjM9WpI/AAAAAAAADmo/GY1vQKAjbdgMvHyN2aZbPa8VAkY07SCaACLcBGAsYHQ/s1183/BookShelvesCropped.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="1183" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSIGPADolns/X_5bVjM9WpI/AAAAAAAADmo/GY1vQKAjbdgMvHyN2aZbPa8VAkY07SCaACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/BookShelvesCropped.jpg"/></a></div>
<h1>Links</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://7labs.io/tips-tricks/bypass-publication-paywalls.html">Bypass paywalls on popular online publications for free</a>, by 7 Labs.<br />
There is a lot of important information out there that is behind paywalls, many requiring expensive subscription to overcome.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Above the Fold</h3>
<p>Usually I reserve this section for late breaking news. But this month I discovered a whole bunch of YouTube videos featuring David Gaeber, a notable anarchist scholar who passed away this past September. This isn't all of the videos I found, or even the best of them, it's just what I found time to watch.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dSdt7cjxiY&ab_channel=PeterBatt">Extinction and rebellion: the late David Graeber</a>, by Peter Batt, YouTube<br />
"David argues that the political elite is 'useless', and could be easily dislodged by a rebellion with even vague aims."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inyk2b80IS4&ab_channel=AudibleAnarchist">David Graeber - The Bully's Pulpit: On the Elementary Structure of Domination</a>, by David Graeber, YouTube—AudibleAnarchist<br />
"In this essay, Graeber links the psychological impulses of bullying—both of bullies and of passive observers of bullying—to structures of power inherent within hierarchical authority. He contends that from a young age, we are socialized to side with bullies and against victims, and we are socialized to see victims as either deserving their punishment or of having the same moral worth as the bullies themselves."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REbrKOjsG2A&ab_channel=DeficitOwls">Where Did Money REALLY Come From?</a> by David Graeber, YouTube—Deficit Owls<br />
"Professor David Graeber, anthropologist and author of 'Debt: The First 5,000 Years,' discussing the history of money and credit. The economics profession tends to teach that money arose from barter. However, anthropologists have been searching for 200 years and found absolutely no evidence for this. "</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvUzdJSK4x8&ab_channel=RedPlateaus">Graeber and Wengrow on the Myth of the Stupid Savage</a>, by David Graeber and David Wengrow, YouTube</li>
<li><a href="http://www.journaldumauss.net/?La-sagesse-de-Kandiaronk-la-critique-indigene-le-mythe-du-progres-et-la"> Graeber and Wengrow on the Myth of the Stupid Savage</a>, by David Graeber, Jourtnal du Mauss<br />
"What if the kind of people we like to imagine so simple and innocent because they are free from rulers, governments, bureaucracies and ruling classes, were free not because they lack imagination, but because they are in fact more imaginative than us. We find it hard to imagine what a truly free society would look like; perhaps they do not have as much difficulty imagining what would be an arbitrary power and domination. Maybe they can not only imagine it, but also consciously organize their society in such a way that such things never happen."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Miscellaneous</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM8Xli2KTzI&ab_channel=FortNine">Why Electric Bikes are More Dangerous than Motorcycles</a>, by FortNine, YouTube<br /></li>
<li><a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/bvx48m/how-to-defeat-a-boston-dynamics-robot-spot-in-mortal-combat">How to Defeat a Boston Dynamics Robot in How to Defeat a Boston Dynamics Robot in</a>, by Samantha Cole, Vice—Motherboard<br />
"It turns out that a flip through Spot's user manual reveals its weaknesses."<br />
This may be a bit ahead of its time, but if police forces start using more robots, then all you revolutionaries out there will need to be aware of how to disable them.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/feb/21/friends-by-robin-dunbar-review-how-important-are-your-pals">Friends by Robin Dunbar review – how important are your pals?</a> by Rachel Cooke, The Guardian</li>
<li><a href="https://www.puzzlewarehouse.com/jigsaw-puzzle-tips/">Jigsaw Puzzle Tips & Tricks </a>, from the people at Puzzle Warehouse<br />
We've been doing some jigsaw puzzle lately, and while I had reached most of these conclusion of jigsaw strategy myself, it's nice to see the experts agree.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/what-meghan-and-harrys-oprah-interview-clarifies-for-americans-and-maybe-the-british-too">What Meghan and Harry’s Oprah Interview Clarifies for Americans—and Maybe the British, Too</a>, by Amy Davidson Sorkin, The New Yorker<br />
"What happens inside the Royal Family—to hear Harry and Meghan tell it, in a conversation with Oprah—is brutal."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-cant-we-dig-deeper-than-12-2-km-into-the-Earth/answer/Chris-Seymour-10">Why can't we dig deeper than 12.2 km into the Earth?</a>, by
Chris Seymour, Quora—Science Space</li>
<li><a href="https://www.collective-evolution.com/2018/10/08/goodbye-capitalism-how-collaboration-outperforms-competition/">Goodbye Capitalism? How Collaboration Outperforms Competition</a>, by Floris Koot, Collective Evolution<br />
Collective Evolution seems to be selling quite a bit of "woo", but this article is worth a read, just it is putting across some different ideas.</li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/exercises-models-social-inventions/switchball-i-how-to-play-f5341b56695f#_=_">Switchball I—How to Play!</a>, by Floris Koot, Medium—Revolution<br />
Again, interesting because it is genuinely different. It (and the previous arfticle) reads like the English is not the author's first language. But easy enough to understand, I think.</li>
</ul>
<h3>The Lights Went Out in Texas</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.texasmonthly.com/politics/texas-blackout-preventable/">The Texas Blackout Is the Story of a Disaster Foretold</a>, by JEFFREY BALL, Texas Monthly<br />
"In 1989, in 2003, and in 2011, the state experienced, to varying degrees, simultaneous shutdowns of power plants and parts of its natural gas–producing infrastructure, as significant swaths of both of those critical systems were incapacitated by arctic temperatures, triggering blackouts."<br/ >
"Those in charge of Texas’s deregulated power sector were warned again and again that the electric grid was vulnerable."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.syracuse.com/business/2021/02/why-wind-turbines-in-new-york-state-keep-working-in-bitter-cold-weather-unlike-the-ones-in-texas.html">Why wind turbines in New York keep working in bitter cold weather unlike the ones in Texas</a>, by Rick Moriarty, syracuse.com</li>
<li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-power-grid-failure-economist-galbraith-left-leaning-utility-deregulation-2021-2">One of Texas' most prominent left-leaning economists knows exactly why its power grid failed</a>, by Ayelet Sheffey, Business Insider</li>
<li><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-20/a-giant-flaw-in-texas-blackouts-it-cut-power-to-gas-supplies">A Giant Flaw in Texas Blackouts: It Cut Power to Gas Supplies</a>, by Rachel Adams-Heard, Javier Blas, and Mark Chediak, Bloomberg—Markets<br />
"Power plants needed natural gas, but natural gas needed power. A vicious cycle left producers unable to supply gas in crisis."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/19/opinion/texas-power-energy.html">The Lessons of the Texas Power Disaster: the entire nation’s energy delivery system needs an overhaul</a>, by The Editorial Board, The New York Times<br /></li>
<li><a href="https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2021/02/22/pers-f22.html">The Texas catastrophe and the case for socialism</a>, by Tom Carter, World Socialist Website<br />
""It is high time for the working class to say to the capitalist oligarchy: <br />
Enough! Every time that we left you and your political accomplices in charge, the result was a total catastrophe. Every time we entrusted a social problem to you—like fighting the pandemic, maintaining the infrastructure in Texas, addressing climate change, or trying to make progress towards social equality—in every case, you failed to do anything but enrich yourselves. Your time is up! Now it is time for a different class to take the wheel.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2021/02/20/texas-freeze-illustrates-failed-economic-system">Texas Freeze Illustrates a Failed Economic System</a>, by Robert Freeman, Common Dreams<br />
"A final flaw in conservative economic thinking is that adaptation to change is resisted unless the benefits can be captured by those who already hold power and wealth."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Structural Violence</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a12063822/emotional-labor-gender-equality/">Women Aren't Nags—We're Just Fed Up</a>, by GEMMA HARTLEY, Harpers Bazaar<br />
"Emotional labor is the unpaid job men still don't understand."<br />
I found this on Facebook, read it, shared it and thought, yep, that's an example of structural violence against women. I was amazed that the men who commented were mainly apologists for the guy in the article. A guy who clearly didn't want to do his share of the relationship building work in his marriage.</li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structural_violence">Structural Violence</a>, Wikipedia</li>
<li><a href="https://evols.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10524/1557/paradigm14.pdf">Fragments of an Anarchist Anthropology</a>, by David Graeber, <br />
In this book, David Graeber introduced me to this idea of structural violence in relationships between the oppressed and their oppressors. The following quote is to be found on pages 72 and 73 of the book:</li></ul>
<p>"Such a theoretical emphasis opens the way to a theory of the relation of power not with knowledge, but with ignorance and stupidity. Because violence, particularly structural violence, where all the power is on one side, creates ignorance. If you have the power to hit people over the head whenever you want, you don’t have to trouble yourself too much figuring out what they think is going on, and therefore, generally speaking, you don’t. Hence the sure-fire way to simplify social arrangements, to ignore the incredibly complex play of perspectives, passions, insights, desires, and mutual understandings that human life is really made of, is to make a rule and threaten to attack anyone who breaks it. This is why violence has always been the favored recourse of the stupid: it is the one form of stupidity to which it is almost impossible to come up with an intelligent response. It is also of course the basis of the state.</p>
<p>Contrary to popular belief, bureaucracies do not create stupidity. They are ways of managing situations that are already inherently stupid because they are, ultimately, based on the arbitrariness of force.</p>
<p>Ultimately this should lead to a theory of the relation of violence and the imagination. Why is it that the folks on the bottom (the victims of structural violence) are always imagining what it must be like for the folks on top (the beneficiaries of structural violence), but it almost never occurs to the folks on top to wonder what it might be like to be on the bottom? Human beings being the sympathetic creatures that they are this tends to become one of the main bastions of any system of inequality—the downtrodden actually care about their oppressors, at least, far more than their oppressors care about them—but this seems itself to be an effect of structural violence. "</p>
<p>Somewhere else (I haven't been about to find the quote), Graeber explains that a certain amount work is involved in any relationship that doesn't involve oppression, as those involved strive to understand each other. If you hear someone on one side of a relationship talking about how it is impossible to understand the other, it is a sure sign that they are "on top" and don't have to do the work because they can simply tell those on the other side to shut up and do what they are told. Those who are "on the bottom" develop, as a defense mechanism, a highly refined understanding on those who are above them. You see this between men and women, bosses and workers, masters and slaves, and so on.</p>
<h3>Coronavirus</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/surviving-covid-19/we-hate-you-now-d0fca14e3b82">We Hate You Now—The Hardest Problem of The Aftertimes</a>, by Quinn Norton, Medium—Surviving COVID-19</li>
<li><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/03/pfizer-moderna-and-johnson-johnson-vaccines-compared/618226/">The Differences Between the Vaccines Matter</a>, by Hilda Bastian, The Atlantic<br />
"Yes, all of the COVID-19 vaccines are very good. No, they’re not all the same."<br />
"'The idea that people can’t handle nuance,' Jha tweeted at the end of February, 'it’s paternalistic. And untrue.' I couldn’t agree more. The principle of treating people like adults is fundamental. We don’t need to exaggerate. Talking about the trade-offs between different medicines and vaccines is often complicated, but we do it all the time—and we can do it with COVID-19 vaccines too."</li>
</ul>
<h3> Capitalism, Communism, Anarchy</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/sapiens-org/anarchism-in-practice-is-often-radically-boring-democracy-4ae793c52259">Anarchism in Practice Is Often Radically Boring Democracy</a>, by David Flood, Medium—Sapiens<br />
"Anarchists have been an easy scapegoat for violent events in recent months. But anarchism, as a political philosophy, is fundamentally about collective deliberation and responsibility."</li>
</ul>
<h3>The New Fascism, the Far-Right and Antifa </h3>
<p>I hear a lot of well educated people saying that the people some of us are calling fascists don't meet all the criteria for being "real" fascists. Others have even accused us of calling anyone we disagree with a fascist. I predict that a few decades (maybe just a few years) from now those same people will be saying they wish they hadn't been quite so fussy with their definitions, and had acted sooner to oppose these "new fascists", even if they weren't identical to the fascists of the twentieth century.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://historicly.substack.com/p/the-economy-of-evil">The Economy of Evil</a>, by Esha, historic.ly<br />
"The Political Economy under Fascism should scare us. It is all too familiar."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/02/the-capitol-rioters-arent-like-other-extremists/617895/">The Capitol Rioters Aren’t Like Other Extremists</a>, by Robert A. Pape and Keven Ruby, The Atlantic<br />
"We analyzed 193 people arrested in connection with the January 6 riot—and found a new kind of American radicalism."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.mhpbooks.com/books/antifa/">Antifa—The Anti-Fascist Handbook</a>, by Mark Bray, MHP Books</li>
</ul>
<h3>Collapse</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overconsumption">Overconsumption</a>, Wikipedia<br />
"Overconsumption is a situation where resource use has outpaced the sustainable capacity of the ecosystem. A prolonged pattern of overconsumption leads to environmental degradation and the eventual loss of resource bases."</li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_overpopulation">Human Overpopulation</a>, Wikipedia<br />
"Human overpopulation (or particularly human population overshoot) refers to a human population being too large in a way that their society or environment cannot readily sustain them. It can be identified with regional human populations, but is generally discussed as an issue of world population. Overpopulation is caused by human population growth. In recent centuries, human population growth has become exponential, due to the green revolution and other changes in technology that reduce mortality. Experts concerned by overpopulation argue that overpopulation causes overconsumption and subsequently overshoot of natural resources. This leads to exceeding the carrying capacity of a geographical area (or Earth as a whole) and damages to the environment. Human overpopulation is often discussed as part of other population concerns such as demographic push, depopulation, or even ecological or societal collapse and human extinction."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Genetic Engineering</h3>
<p>Before jumping to the erroneous conclusion that this section was paid for by Monsanto, stop for a moment and understand that organic agriculture/food is a multi-billion dollar per year industry that relies on fear to get people to buy its product. Millions of dollars are spent to convince you that non-organic food is dangerous. In fact both conventionally grown and organic foods are equally safe. Sadly neither method of agriculture is even remotely substainable.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://grist.org/series/panic-free-gmos/">Panic-free GMOs</a>, A Grist Special Series by Nathanael Johnson<br />
"It’s easy to get information about genetically modified food. There are the dubious anti-GM horror stories that recirculate through social networks. On the other side, there’s the dismissive sighing, eye-rolling, and hand patting of pro-GM partisans. But if you just want a level-headed assessment of the evidence in plain English, that’s in pretty short supply. Fortunately, you’ve found the trove."<br />
A series of articles that does a pretty good job of presenting the facts about GMOs. I plan to include one article from this series here each month.</li>
<li><a href="https://grist.org/food/golden-apple-or-forbidden-fruit-following-the-money-on-gmos/">Golden apple or forbidden fruit? Following the money on GMOs</a>, by Nathanael Johnson, Grist</li>
</ul>
<h3>Dancing on Graves</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/161405/rush-limbaugh-racist-sexist-conservative-media-worse">Rush Limbaugh Made America Worse</a>, by Alex Shephard, The New Republic<br />
"The racist, sexist radio host played a pivotal role in injecting cruelty and conspiracy into conservative mass media."<br />
"He thrived on making people angrier and more alienated, on obscuring the truth, and rewarding meanness at every turn."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Debunking Resources</h3>
<p>These are of such importance that I've decide to leave them here on an ongoing basis.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debunker">Debunking</a>, Wikipedia </li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudoscience">Pseudoscience</a>, Wikipedia</li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_topics_characterized_as_pseudoscience"> List of topics characterized as pseudoscience</a>, Wikipedia</li>
<li><a href="https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Main_Page">Rational Wiki</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/">Science Based Medecine</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.quackwatch.org/">Quackwatch</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.snopes.com/">Snopes</a>, debunks or validates urban legends</li>
<li><a href="http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/index.html">Bad Astronomy</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.skeptic.com/">The Skeptics Society</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/true-5-factchecking-websites/">The 8 Best Fact-Checking Sites for Finding Unbiased Truth</a>, by Megan Ellis, MUO—Make Use Of</li>
<li><a href="https://www.painscience.com/">Pain Science</a>, by Paul Ingraham </li>
<li><a href=" https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/FLICC_Taxonomy_of_Logical_Fallacies.jpg?fbclid=IwAR3jMZJT2os4If5wy-zF1tYPzzkxWlUfHmp-Rm8ew3rBxGb4ahffN-JzF8E ">Techniques of Science Denial</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Science</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/Do-you-find-it-implausible-that-Apollo-11-traveled-over-250-000-miles-through-space-and-landed-precisely-in-the-right-part-of-the-moons-gravity-well-to-achieve-a-stable-orbit-see-linked-video/answer/Viktor-T-Toth-1">Do you find it implausible that Apollo 11 traveled over 250,000 miles through space and landed precisely in the right part of the moon's gravity well to achieve a stable orbit? (see linked video)</a>, by Viktor T. Toth, Quora—Science Space</li>
</ul>
<h3>Lacking an Owner's Manual</h3>
<p>The human body"/mind/spirit doesn't come with an owner's manual, and we continually struggle to figure out how best to operate them.</p>
<li><a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210222-the-unusual-ways-western-parents-raise-children">Is the Western way of raising kids weird?</a> by Kelly Oake, BBC—Weird West | Parenting<br />
From sleeping in separate beds to their children to transporting them in prams, Western parents have some unusual ideas about how to raise them.<br />
The key to thinking outside the Western box might be to remember that babies are not out to manipulate us, no matter how tempting it might be to see it that way at 3am. "What we really need with babies is to stop thinking about them as hard-to-please bosses," says Dutta. "They're helpless little beings that have come into this world, and we must look at them with empathy and compassion."</li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/mind-cafe/15-mini-things-that-can-instantly-make-you-less-likable-adc401759d57">15 Mini Things That Can Instantly Make You Less Likable</a>, by John Roe, medium—Mind Cafe</li>
</ul>
<h3>Refugees and Migration </h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://jacobinmag.com/2021/02/denmark-zero-asylum-immigration-refugees">Denmark’s “Zero Asylum” Plan Means Psychological Torture for Refugees</a>, byCECÍLIA TÜMLER ANTON ÖSGÅRD, Jacobin Magazine<br /></li>
</ul>
<h3>Poverty, Homeless People, Minimum Wage, UBI, Health Care, Affordable Housing</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://patch.com/new-jersey/middletown-nj/monmouth-co-girl-8-confesses-virtual-class-shes-starving">Monmouth Co. Girl, 9, Confesses To Virtual Class She's Starving</a>, by Carly Baldwin, Patch<br />
"Fulfill, the food bank of Monmouth and Ocean counties, stepped in after a third-grader started crying in the middle of a virtual class."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Education</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/the-gentle-revolution/measuring-in-education-is-a-war-crime-d6cfa23ad6a7">Measuring in Education is a War Crime.</a>, by Floris Koot, Medium—Revolution<br />
5 reasons why we need to measure way less, not more.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<h3>Humour</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/blog/mahna-mahna-at-50-fascinating-facts-about-the-unforgettable-muppets-song-1.5375722">Mahna Mahna at 50: fascinating facts about the unforgettable Muppets song</a>, by Jennifer Van Evra, CBC Radio<br />
"The Muppets made it famous, but where did the song come from? Who performed it? And who is that fuzzy fella?"</li>
</ul>
<h1>Books</h1>
<h2>Fiction</h2>
<p>I finally finished the Emberverse series this month, a total of 15 novels.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Peoples-Novel-Change-Book-ebook/dp/B01MY93675/ref=sr_1_2">The Sea Peoples</a>, by S. M. Stirling</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sky-Blue-Wolves-Novel-Change-Book-ebook/dp/B079R57KGX/ref=sr_1_1">The Sky Blue Wolves</a>, by S. M. Stirling</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Knight-Station-Nathan-Lowell-ebook/dp/B08R2HKCNZ/ref=sr_1_1">Dark Knight Station: Origins</a>, by Nathan Lowell</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Winter-Wolf-Martha-Hunt-Handler-ebook/dp/B088CNXHT2/ref=sr_1_3">Winter of the Wolf</a>, by Martha Hunt Handle</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08CDGX412/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_d_asin_title_o05">The Galaxy, and the Ground Within: Wayfarers 4</a>, by Becky Chambers</li>
</ul>
<h2>Non-Fiction</h2>
<p>Still reading <i>A People's History of the United States</i>. Still highly recommended.</p>
Irv Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08030800457536589003noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2848841213670110129.post-70477723987955110182021-03-08T16:29:00.015-05:002022-06-23T16:23:38.303-04:00Collapse you Say? Part 7, Needs and Wants, Human Nature, Politics<table align="right" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zedUewfjemc/YEaK6-lwBzI/AAAAAAAADsE/28D0vcPa0Vck82s0b4_rsA--Qi3LRXFRgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Reflection.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="743" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zedUewfjemc/YEaK6-lwBzI/AAAAAAAADsE/28D0vcPa0Vck82s0b4_rsA--Qi3LRXFRgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Reflection.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Reflection</b><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Tree on the South Pier<br />Kincardine Harbour</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>In my last post we looked at two major problems facing mankind: overpopulation and overconsumption. I used the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_%3D_PAT">I=PAT</a> equation (Impact=Population X Affluence X Technology) as a framework to hang this discussion on.</p>
<p>For a long lived species such as ours, there is a lengthy delay between reducing the rate at which our population grows, and any actually reduction of the population. At best, if the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographic_transition">demographic transition</a> keeps spreading in the developing world, it will be many decades before our population stops growing. During that time our impact will exceed the carrying capacity of the planet by a much greater extent than it does at present. In all likelihood this will result in at least a parftial dieoff of the human population. We need to take action to mitigate such a dieoff. I believe we should still do everything we can to reduce population growth (excepting morally abhorrent things), but we also need to look elsewhere for something that can be done to reduce our impact in the short run.</p>
<p>Many have turned to technology as the most promising way to reduce our impact. Sadly, no real solutions have been forth coming. The oft promised <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eco-economic_decoupling">"decoupling"</a> hasn't happened, and there is <a href=" https://medium.com/insurge-intelligence/green-economic-growth-is-an-article-of-faith-devoid-of-scientific-evidence-5e63c4c0bb5e ">good reason</a> to think that it won't, ever. The only remaining alternative to reduce our impact would be to reduce consumption (affluence). And this would be especially effective if applied first to the richest segtments of our global society. It's clear that the people who are most seriously overconsuming don't want to change, but I believe that we must, and that we can, do so.</p>
<p>Before we can take a close look at what drives consumption, and the continuous growth of consumption, I think we need to look at several touchy subjects—human needs and wants, human nature, and politics. So that's what I'll be talking about today.</p>
<h2>Needs and Wants</h2>
<p>If we are proposing a reduction in consumption, it seems natural to talk about needs versus wants. The idea being that overconsumption results from people trying to satisfy desires that are not actually needs even in the most generous definition of the word. The resulting consumption being something which they can perfectly well do without.</p>
<p>Often when I hear discussion of this subject, it's part of a criticism of poor folks' money management skills, by someone who knows little or nothing of what it's like to be poor. What I want to do here is just the opposite—to criticize rich people, who are champion overconsumers and drive the rest of us to consume more in order to support their efforts to amass more wealth.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2GRaZaG5Kxo/X30FdPecyZI/AAAAAAAADGE/J_XQztRHRIMgSK0l32AVTLrQ46384UQ1QCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/AffluenceGraphFixed.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1231" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2GRaZaG5Kxo/X30FdPecyZI/AAAAAAAADGE/J_XQztRHRIMgSK0l32AVTLrQ46384UQ1QCPcBGAYYCw/s400/AffluenceGraphFixed.jpg"/></a></div>
<p><b>Figure 1, Consumption versus Income</b></p>
<p>I've included this diagram in several posts in this series, and I'll probably use it again in the future, because it is so central to our overconsumption problem. Keep in mind that all the people represented in this diagram—poor, rich and in between—have the same basic needs.</p>
<p>It seems to me that the bottom decile, maybe the bottom two, are not having even their most basic needs met—many are suffering from malnutrition and don't have access to clean water. They are in need of some help from the rest of us, and their situation is so dire that even a small amount of help would make a big difference. At the other end of the scale, it also seems clear that those in the top decile are overconsuming by a large amount, and that they could significantly reduce their consumption while still satisfying all their needs and even some of their wants.</p>
<p>We must realize that people legitimately do have many needs. These have often been portrayed in Maslow's Hierarchy of needs, illustrated as a pyramid:</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VcP4xL0zby4/YEWDTFeSZCI/AAAAAAAADr0/fiik7aVVftQ03YqkQOyjgvjDHDHV4kOTACLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/1280px-Maslow%2527s_Hierarchy_of_Needs2.svg.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="970" data-original-width="1280" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VcP4xL0zby4/YEWDTFeSZCI/AAAAAAAADr0/fiik7aVVftQ03YqkQOyjgvjDHDHV4kOTACLcBGAsYHQ/s600/1280px-Maslow%2527s_Hierarchy_of_Needs2.svg.png"/></a></div>
<p><b>Figure 2: Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs</b></p>
<p>I'd advise reading <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs ">the Wikipedia article on this</a> before taking it as gospel, as many refinements have been suggested since the mid-twentieth century when Maslow originally came out with this. It turns out that the pyramid representation isn't even his. Others have suggested this might be a better representation of our needs:</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dFPB23QAAa8/YEWDkBLOHJI/AAAAAAAADsA/jbo4O7H49VICcMpFO0xMTlgYlY1Msh3WACPcBGAYYCw/s1280/1280px-Dynamic_hierarchy_of_needs_-_Maslow.svg.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dFPB23QAAa8/YEWDkBLOHJI/AAAAAAAADsA/jbo4O7H49VICcMpFO0xMTlgYlY1Msh3WACPcBGAYYCw/s400/1280px-Dynamic_hierarchy_of_needs_-_Maslow.svg.png"/></a></div>
<p><b>Figure 3: Alternative graphic to the Pyramid of Needs</b></p>
<p>I hear many people talking about needs as things like water, food, warmth, rest, and safety, while discounting needs higher on the pyramid as luxuries. But those higher needs are just as real, though perhaps of less concern in the very short run. In the long run, if they aren't met, it will cause problems just as certainly as not satisfying the more basic needs. It seems to me that the reason for having a society in the first place is to provide a way for people to satisfy all their needs. Any society that doesn't do so is failing in a major way. Note that I didn't say society should provide peoples' needs, but rather provide a way for them to provide their own needs.</p>
<p>People have a very strong need to be part of a community that function of the basis of mutual aid, where we can contribute by helping others and be sure that we will get help when we need it. This provides for the needs on top three levels of the pyramid as well as the bottom two. And satisfying the needs on the higher levels of the pyramid can often be done without increasing the consumption of material goods, or our impact on the planet.</p>
<p>But in the developed world, especially in North America, where physiological needs are often very well met, our society is failing to provide for those higher needs. Individualism is over emphasized, and we are left with a feeling that we are missing something. Capitalistic marketing efforts take advantage of this, generating artificial desires for consumer goods and services. These should be viewed not as needs or wants, but as things that are being forced on us for the benefit of others.</p>
<h2>Human Nature</h2>
<p>A little thought brings me to the conclusion that when we are talking about needs and wants, we are really discussing human nature. Very frequently, I am told that you can't change human nature and that some aspects of this unchangeable nature are the source of both our population and consumption problems.</p>
<p>I don't agree—humans can adapt to live in many different cultures, and much of what people see as aspects of human nature are actually adaptations to the culture we are living in. If we were living in a different culture, those adaptations would be different and people looking at us would get different ideas about what human nature really is.</p>
<p>As I said in my last post, I don't see that the amount of food available to people directly determines population growth rates, especially reductions in growth. It seems that various cultural and economic factors determine the desired family size and are currently causing a decrease in the growth rate, albeit not quickly enough.</p>
<p>It's the same with overconsumption—greed, materialism, toxic individualism and so forth are adaptations to modern consumer culture. Basic human nature is not the main reason for growing consumption, at least not in the straight forward way that many people imagine.</p>
<p>If I was asked to identify the essential, underlying elements of human nature, I would point to our adaptability and our skill at working together co-operatively.</p>
<p>At some point early in our evolution as human beings, our ancestors developed a resistance to primate-style sexual and political dominance and took up communistic and assertively egalitarian social arrangements. The term usually applied to this lifestyle is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primitive_communism ">primitive communism</a>. We lived like this for most of the 2 million years since we became recognizably human.</p>
<p>If you grew up in a highly individualistic modern society, this must seem odd. Why would our ancestors have chosen such a lifestyle? There must have been some evolutionary advantage, but evolution works on individuals. That is, changes happen at the individual level, and changes that benefit the individual, so that they are are better able to survive and reproduce, will accumulate in the population. How could such a lifestyle do so? It was focused, after all, on the success of the group and actively discouraged single individuals from attaining a preferred position. That's what "assertively egalitarian" means.</p>
<p>Well, it turns out that this kind of an approach does lead to better outcomes for the individuals in the group as well as the group as a whole. Individual human beings do much better in groups based on mutual aid than we do as isolated individuals. Even if those idividuals are strong enough and capable enough to get by on their own. And in the course of living in this way for so long, we evolved strong skills in areas such as empathy, communication and co-operation which made the lifestyle work even better. We also came to need the closeness and comradery found in such groups. Knowing that we are needed and can rely on having our own needs met is important to human beings.</p>
<p>Someone, I am sure, will accuse me of romanticizing the life of hunter gatherers. I am well aware of the hardships of that life and have no desire to go back to it. Especially since there are few habitats left on this planet where hunting and gathering could be pursued successfully. Certainly not by eight billion people, probably not by more than a very few million.</p>
<p>Nor am I indulging in the "appeal to nature" fallacy. But there is something called an "environment of evolutionary adaptedness" where you consider the circumstances in which a species has evolved in order to generate hypotheses about what might be best for that species today. Of course, a hypothesis is only valid if it can be tested and proven correct. From what I've read, most of what I am saying here about human nature is part of the accepted scientific consensus.</p>
<p>Small, close knit, egalitarian communistic groups were our evolutionary environment. Outside of that environment, you may see dysfunction or evolutionary mismatch. Now, humans are nothing if not adaptable and we can survive in environments wildly different from those where we evolved, but that does not mean we will thrive. You see people behaving badly all the time, but I suspect that in most cases it's because they are struggling to adapt to bad situations. Which our society provides in abundance.</p>
<h2>Politics</h2>
<p>I believe our level of consumption, and of economic growth, has to do with the way our society is organized. To a large extent that amounts to economics and politics.</p>
<p>It is only fair, I suppose, to warn you up front about my own politics. I am what people these days are calling an "ancom", an anarcho-communist or anarchist-communist. Both of those words are likely to provoke a negative reaction, but bear with me. It is my opinion that these sort of political/economic relationship are best suited to human nature.</p>
<p>The primitive communism I mentioned in the last section was so successful that it wasn't until a few thousand years after we switched over from hunting-gathering to agriculture and about 1000 years after we started to live in cities that we began to create hierarchies and develop the concept of property. In the moment, this no doubt seemed like a reasonable response to the challenges of living together in larger groups. Especially to those at the tops of the hierarchies and in possession of the property. For everybody else, probably not so much. But by the time the disadvantages were clear, the lower classes were no longer in control of the situation.</p>
<p>It is my opinion that this is a dead end that humanity has pursued for the last few thousand years, and which has lead to many of the problems we are facing today. Eventually—soon it is to be hoped—we will give up on it and return to some form of anarcho-communism, the lifestyle to which we are best suited. I'll have more to say about that in my next post.</p>
<p>It is interesting to note that even inside the most capitalistic of enterprises, when people work together in teams they usually behave in a cooperative, egalitarian, one would almost say "communistic" way. I mention this from personal experience. For many years I worked as a "power maintenance electrician" for the grid company here in Ontario. We worked in small teams of tradesmen, and while our relationships with supervision and management were often fraught, the workers got along well for the most part and enjoyed working together.</p>
<p>I do know you've been taught that anarchists and communists are the worst sorts of people.</p>
<p>But is that really so? To quote the late David Graeber, an anthropologist and notable anarchist scholar, "Many people seem to think that anarchists are proponents of violence, chaos, and destruction, that they are against all forms of order and organization, or that they are crazed nihilists who just want to blow everything up. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. Anarchists are simply people who believe human beings are capable of behaving in a reasonable fashion without having to be forced to. It is really a very simple notion. But it’s one that the rich and powerful have always found extremely dangerous."</p>
<p>That quote is from <a href="https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/david-graeber-are-you-an-anarchist-the-answer-may-surprise-you">a short essay</a> by Graeber that is really worth reading. You may find that you are already an anarchist without knowing it. Of course, many people today are libertarians, (capitalist-anarchists), which involves caring very little for one's fellow man, and a great deal for one's own success. That's why I think it is important to add communism into the mix.</p>
<p>Many people have the wrong idea about communism too, based on the 20th century totalitarian regimes who called themselves communists, but who, for the most part, never managed to achieve anything close to it.</p>
<p>The goal of a communistic society is to provide for the needs of all its members by having them work together, to the best of their abilities, to achieve that goal. From everyone according to their abilities, to everyone according to their needs. All this with no one being exploited or oppressed, and no one doing any exploiting or oppressing. Large scale productive properties are owned by the community and there is no private property (property owned for the purpose of making a profit). There is personal property—things like clothing, shoes, toothbrushes, etc., and depending on what the community decides is best, perhaps even things like tools, housing and garden plots. Anarcho-communism does this without a state, decisions being made by consensus among the members of the community.</p>
<p>While there certainly are "large A" anarchists who would advocate violent revolution to achieve these ends, I am "small a" anarchist. We just want to be left alone by the state so we can get on with developing the sort of society that we consider ideal.</p>
<p>I do realize that this will not be easy. It will involve a much more horizontal and direct type of democracy, with decisions made by consensus, which can be quite challenging if you've never done it before. The feminist movement has done a lot of work on teaching people how to succeed at this. There are all kinds of good books on consensus decision making and courses are available to help you get started at it or hone your already existing skills. It will also involve something closer to living and working communally than most people are accustomed to today. This can be a trial for those who didn't grow up doing it, but it can be learned, even by people from nuclear families or those who have spent much of their lives as isolated individuals. Both consensus decision making and community life can very rewarding.</p>
<p>Having covered these issues in some detail, I think I am finally ready to look at over-consumption, growth, capitalism and hierarchies in my next post.</p>
<p>I'll wrap up today's post with a comment on collapse, the subject of this series of posts. Both overpopulation and overconsumption are real problems, of such magnitute and severity that a successful solution is unlikely. It would be smart while working on such a solution to also be preparing for collapse, getting ready to adapt to what most of us will see as continually worsening conditions. The goods news is that reducing consumption at the personal level will also be a good start at adapting to collapse.</p>
<hr>
<h3><br>Links to the rest of this series of posts: Collapse, you say?</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2020/06/collapse-you-say.html">Collapse You Say? Part 1, Introduction</a>,
Tuesday, 30 June 2020</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2020/09/collapse-you-say-part-2-inputs-and.html">Collapse, you say? Part 2: Inputs and Outputs</a>,
Wednesday, 30 September 2020</li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2020/10/collapse-you-say-part-3-inputs-and.html">Collapse, you say? Part 3: Inputs and Outputs continued</a>, October 7, 2020 </li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/01/collapse-you-say-part-4-growth.html">Collapse, you say? Part 4: growth, overshoot and dieoff</a>, January 2, 2021 </li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/01/collapse-you-say-part-5-over-population.html">Collapse, you say? Part 5: Over Population</a>, January 8, 2021 </li>
<li><a href="https://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/02/collapse-you-say-part-6-overpopulation.html">Collapse, you say? Part 6: Over Population and Overconsumption</a>, Februrary 21, 2021 </li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/03/collapse-you-say-part-7-needs-and-wants.html">Collapse, you say? Part 7: Needs and Wants, Human Nature, Politics</a>, March 8, 2021 </li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/05/collapse-you-say-part-8-factors-which.html">Collapse, you say? Part 8: Factors which made industrialization possible</a>, May 13 , 2021 </li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2021/05/collapse-you-say-part-9-unintended.html">Collapse, you say? Part 9: Unintended Consequences of Industrialization</a>, May 20 , 2021 </li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/01/collapse-you-say-part-10time-for-change.html">Collapse You Say? Part 10 / Time for Change, Part 1: Money</a>, January 5, 2022 </li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/02/time-for-change-part-2-hierarchies.html">Time for Change, Part 2: Hierarchies</a>, Februray 16, 2022</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/04/time-for-change-part-3-without.html">Time for Change, Part 3: Without Hierarchies?</a> April 23, 2022</li>
<li><a href="http://theeasiestpersontofool.blogspot.com/2022/06/time-for-change-part-4.html">Time for Change, Part 4: Conclusions</a> June 22, 2022</li>
</ul>
Irv Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08030800457536589003noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2848841213670110129.post-60383368682076383232021-02-27T19:20:00.001-05:002021-02-28T15:16:25.774-05:00What I've Been Reading, January 2021<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSIGPADolns/X_5bVjM9WpI/AAAAAAAADmo/GY1vQKAjbdgMvHyN2aZbPa8VAkY07SCaACLcBGAsYHQ/s1183/BookShelvesCropped.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="1183" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSIGPADolns/X_5bVjM9WpI/AAAAAAAADmo/GY1vQKAjbdgMvHyN2aZbPa8VAkY07SCaACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/BookShelvesCropped.jpg"/></a></div>
<h1>Links</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://7labs.io/tips-tricks/bypass-publication-paywalls.html">Bypass paywalls on popular online publications for free</a>, by 7 Labs.<br />
There is a lot of important information out there that is behind paywalls, many requiring expensive subscription to overcome.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Above the Fold</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://jacobinmag.com/2020/12/broke-in-america-ending-us-poverty">Ending Poverty in the United States Would Actually Be Pretty Easy</a>, by Fran Quigle, Jacobin Magazine<br />
An interview with Joanne Goldblum and Colleen Shaddox<br />
"We have just taken capitalism to a really toxic extreme in the United States."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Miscellaneous</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://aeon.co/essays/not-all-early-human-societies-were-small-scale-egalitarian-bands">Beyond the !Kung</a>, by Manvir Singh, Aeon<br />
"A grand research project created our origin myth that early human societies were all egalitarian, mobile and small-scale"<br />
I don't agree with this one, but I did read it, so here it is.</li>
<li><a href=" https://marker.medium.com/why-silver-isnt-a-stonk-eb5b68a77940"> Why Silver Isn’t a Stonk</a>, by Rob Walker, Medium—Marker<br />
"The meme investor mob came after a physical commodity, and it didn’t go well"</li>
<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/Will-Canada-and-the-US-merge-if-Canada-had-the-opportunity-to-retain-its-healthcare-system-where-citizens-of-Canadian-provinces-can-have-a-single-payer-system-and-we-already-have-similar-gun-laws/answer/Joan-Vredik-Broadley">Will Canada and the US merge if Canada had the opportunity to retain its healthcare system (where citizens of Canadian provinces can have a single payer system) and we already have similar gun laws?</a> by Joan Vredik Broadley, Quora</li>
<li><a href="https://www.1millionwomen.com.au/blog/why-its-not-okay-throw-out-usable-furniture-and-buy-new-just-because-we-can/">Why It’s Not Okay To Throw Out Usable Furniture And Buy New (Just Because We Can!)</a>, by Allison Licence, 1 Million Women</li>
</ul>
<h3>Ecological Footprint, Impact, Carrying Capacity, Sustainability</h3>
<p> </p>
<ul>
<li><a href=" https://www.footprintnetwork.org/faq/#method2">Ecological Footprint FAQs</a>, Global Footprint Network<br />
Of all the pages I read on the Global Footprint website, this was the most informative.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.footprintnetwork.org/our-work/ecological-footprint/">The Ecological Footprint is the only metric that measures how much nature we have and how much nature we use</a>, by the Global Footprint Network</li>
<li><a href="https://data.footprintnetwork.org/?_ga=2.126071181.1091016098.1610300787-1981082950.1608839947#/ ">World Maps of ecological
deficit/reserve by country</a>, by the Global Footprint Network</li>
<li><a href="https://www.footprintnetwork.org/resources/data/">Data and Methodology</a>, by the Global Footprint Network, <br />
"Global Footprint Network bridges science, policy, and economics to change how the world manages its natural resources and creates a sustainable future."</li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_hectare">Global hectare</a>, from Wikipedia</li>
</ul>
<h3>Coronavirus</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/02/08/the-sputnik-v-vaccine-and-russias-race-to-immunity">The Sputnik V Vaccine and Russia’s Race to Immunity</a>, by Joshua Yaffa, The New Yorker<br />
"When the pandemic struck, scientists in Moscow set out to beat the West."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Agriculture</h3>
<p>Before jumping to the erroneous conclusion that this section was paid for by Monsanto, stop for a moment and understand that organic agriculture/food is a multi-billion dollar per year industry that relies on fear to get people to buy its products. Millions of dollars are being spent to convince you that non-organic food is dangerous. In fact both conventionally grown and organic foods are equally safe. Sadly neither method of agriculture is even remotely sustainable.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/02/author-robert-paarlberg-argues-against-buying-organic/">Only eat organic? You’re paying too much, and it’s not worth it, author says</a>, by Robert Paarlberg, The Harvard Gazette<br />
"Not safer, better nutritionally, or likely produced by small, local farm, Robert Paarlberg argues in new book."</li>
</ul>
<h3>Recipes and Cooking</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://psyche.co/guides/good-coffee-is-like-a-fine-wine-start-with-high-quality-beans">How to enjoy coffee</a>, by Jessica Easto, Aeon—Psyche<br />
"Smooth like chocolate or fruity like a berry, coffee has as many tastes as wine or beer – you just need to know your beans"</li>
</ul>
<h3>Genetic Engineering</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://grist.org/series/panic-free-gmos/">Panic-free GMOs</a>, A Grist Special Series by Nathanael Johnson<br />
"It’s easy to get information about genetically modified food. There are the dubious anti-GM horror stories that recirculate through social networks. On the other side, there’s the dismissive sighing, eye-rolling, and hand patting of pro-GM partisans. But if you just want a level-headed assessment of the evidence in plain English, that’s in pretty short supply. Fortunately, you’ve found the trove."<br />
A series of articles that does a pretty good job of presenting the facts about GMOs. I plan to include one article from this series here each month.</li>
<li><a href="https://grist.org/food/golden-rice-fools-gold-or-golden-opportunity/">Golden Rice: Fool’s gold or golden opportunity?</a> by Nathanael Johnson, Grist<br /></li>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/25/sunday-review/golden-rice-lifesaver.html">Golden Rice: Lifesaver?</a> by Amy Harmon, The New York Times</li>
</ul>
<h3>Practical Skills</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smGWNVSJTME&ab_channel=RickMayotte"> Shaving Horse from 2X4's</a>, by
Rick Mayotte, YouTube<br />
"This shaving horse is made from a couple of 2X4's, a few feet of 2X6, roughly 4 feet of 1X2 material and a few turned 1X1 pieces (3/4 inch dowel could be used instead.) The pivot is about 8 inches of 1/4 inch threaded rod. The shaving horse is compact, light weight and works well."</li>
<li><a href=" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If1xaFeBtik&t=7s&ab_channel=RickMayotte"> Spoon Mule Attachment for the 2x4 Shaving Horse</a>, by Rick Mayotte, YouTube<br />
" Making a spoon mule attachment for the base of the 2x4 shaving horse. It is made entirely out of dimensional lumber."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1B5C-q1xWQ&list=RDCMUCnO_SxssKo5Y2aHuwwTiEIg&ab_channel=RickMayotte">Making Gouges and Chisels Part I</a>, by Rick Mayotte, YouTube<br />
This is how I make my own wood gouges and chisels. I'm making these for an upcoming carving project that I am going to carve using only chisels and gouges that I have made myself.</li>
<li><a href=" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dN6s7kgswY&list=RDCMUCnO_SxssKo5Y2aHuwwTiEIg&index=2&ab_channel=RickMayotte"> Making Gouges and Chisels Part II</a>, by Rick Mayotte, YouTube<br />
"Part II of me making a few gouges and chisels for an upcoming wood carving project. This is how I make my own gouges and chisels."</li>
</ul>
<h3>American Politics</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/trump-wanted-a-big-sendoff-and-didnt-get-it">Trump Wanted a Big Sendoff—and Didn’t Get It</a>, by Amy Davidson Sorkin, The New Yorker</li>
<li><a href="https://www.legalreader.com/brunch-is-still-canceled-for-now/">Biden’s inauguration might help you sleep better, but don’t become so complacent that you accept a meager status quo. We’ll meet for brunch later, there’s work to do now!</a> by Dawn Allen, The Legal Reader<br /></li>
</ul>
<h3>Canadian Politics</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.nationalobserver.com/2021/02/08/opinion/fall-of-jason-kenney">The fall of Jason Kenney</a>, by Bruce Livesey, The National Observer</li>
</ul>
<h3>Linguistics</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://generalist.academy/2021/01/25/most-consonants-fewest-vowels/">Most consonants, fewest vowels</a>, by The Generalist, The Generalist Academy</li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/s/story/the-internet-is-helping-save-forgotten-languages-dcc308509feb">Technology now lets us document and preserve indigenous speech</a>, by Guy Clapperton, Medium—Culture<br />
"The Internet Is Helping Save Forgotten Languages"</li>
</ul>
<h3>Debunking Resources</h3>
<p>These are of such importance that I've decide to leave them here on an ongoing basis.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debunker">Debunking</a>, Wikipedia </li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudoscience">Pseudoscience</a>, Wikipedia</li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_topics_characterized_as_pseudoscience"> List of topics characterized as pseudoscience</a>, Wikipedia</li>
<li><a href="https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Main_Page">Rational Wiki</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/">Science Based Medecine</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.quackwatch.org/">Quackwatch</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.snopes.com/">Snopes</a>, debunks or validates urban legends</li>
<li><a href="http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/index.html">Bad Astronomy</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.skeptic.com/">The Skeptics Society</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/true-5-factchecking-websites/">The 8 Best Fact-Checking Sites for Finding Unbiased Truth</a>, by Megan Ellis, MUO—Make Use Of</li>
<li><a href="https://www.painscience.com/">Pain Science</a>, by Paul Ingraham </li>
<li><a href=" https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/FLICC_Taxonomy_of_Logical_Fallacies.jpg?fbclid=IwAR3jMZJT2os4If5wy-zF1tYPzzkxWlUfHmp-Rm8ew3rBxGb4ahffN-JzF8E ">Techniques of Science Denial</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Science</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://phys.org/news/2021-02-astronomers-orbit-distant-solar.html">Astronomers confirm orbit of most distant object ever observed in our solar system</a>, by Northern Arizona University, phys.org</li>
</ul>
<h3>Lacking an Owner's Manual</h3>
<p>The human body/mind/spirit doesn't come with an owner's manual, and we continually struggle to figure out how best to operate them.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href=" https://elemental.medium.com/why-learning-a-foreign-language-is-the-ultimate-brain-workout-16374b1de0f3"> Why Learning a Foreign Language Is the Ultimate Brain Workout</a>, by Markham Heid, Medium—Elemental</li>
</ul>
<h3>There is No God, and Thou Shall Have No Other Gods</h3>
<p>I don't think I've made any secret of the fact that I am an atheist, but I may not have made it clear that I think any sort of worship is a bad thing and that believing in things is to be avoided whenever possible. Indeed, I do not believe in belief itself. That's what the "Thou shall have no other gods" is about—it's not enough to quit believing in whatever God or Gods you were raised to believe in, but also we must avoid other gods, including material wealth, power and fame.</p>
<p>Further, many people today (including most atheists) follow the religion of "progress", which is based on the belief that mankind is destined to follow a road that leads from the caves ever upward to the stars, and that however bad things seem today, they are bound to be better tomorrow due to technological advancement and economic growth. This is very convenient for those who benefit most from economic growth, but it is hardly based on any sort of science and leads to a great deal of confused thinking.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/What-makes-atheists-deny-Christianity-and-the-Bible/answer/Barry-Goldberg-1">What makes atheists deny Christianity and the Bible?</a> by Barry Goldberg, Quora</li>
</ul>
<h3>Humour</h3>
<p>These are great times for political satire.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.thebeaverton.com/2020/10/premier-ford-still-not-convinced-flames-shooting-from-neighbours-house-is-sufficient-evidence-to-call-fire-department/">Premier Ford still not convinced flames shooting from neighbour’s house is sufficient evidence to call fire department</a>, by Staff at the Beaverton, <br /></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thebeaverton.com/2020/03/philosopher-doesnt-feel-so-smart-after-getting-run-over-by-trolley/">Philosopher doesn’t feel so smart after getting run over by trolley</a>, by Filipe Dimas, The Beaverton<br />
Given my low opinion of philosophers and trolley dilemmas, I had a good laugh when reading this one. They even took a shot at Plato and his stupid cave.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.thebeaverton.com/2021/02/ford-thousands-more-covid-cases-worth-it-for-chance-to-partially-re-open-economy-for-a-couple-months-before-shutting-down-again/">Ford: Thousands more COVID Cases worth it for chance to partially re-open economy for a couple months before shutting down again</a>, by Luke Gordon Field, The Beaverton</li>
<li><a href="https://www.thebeaverton.com/2017/08/realtors-warn-housing-market-collapses-everyone-one-day-afford-house/">Realtors warn that if housing market collapses everyone could one day afford house</a>, by Jacob Duarte Spiel, The Beaverton</li>
</ul>
<h1>Books</h1>
<h2>Fiction</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Space-Between-Worlds-Novel-ebook/dp/B08191MPPS/ref=sr_1_1">The Space Between Worlds</a>, by Micaiah Johnson</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Next-Last-Stand-Longmire-Mystery-ebook/dp/B084M5JR2Y/ref=sr_1_1">Next to Last Stand: A Longmire Mystery</a>, by Craig Johnson</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Dark-Spring-Hard-Science-Fiction-ebook/dp/B08DNRKP1H/ref=sr_1_3">The Dark Spring: Hard Science Fiction</a>, by Brandon Q. Morris</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Enceladus-Mission-Hard-Science-Fiction-ebook/dp/B07GKPC16B/ref=sr_1_1">The Enceladus Mission: Hard Science Fiction (Ice Moon Book 1) </a>, by Brandon Q. Morris</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Triton-Disaster-Hard-Science-Fiction-ebook/dp/B086SCHR6N/ref=sr_1_3">The Triton Disaster: Hard Science Fiction</a>, by Brandon Q. Morris</li>
</ul>
<h2>Non-Fiction</h2>
<p>I am currently reading Howard Zinn's "A People's History of America". Good Stuff!</p>
Irv Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08030800457536589003noreply@blogger.com0