The best example is water: we need it in order to live, it is a public good, access to clean water is a basic human right, however we see companies privatizing water sources, blocking free access and selling water in plastic bottles, which is supposed to be free. Stop water privatization!
The Conquest of Bread was an eye-opener for me that a different reality could be possible. Wouldn't it be a different world if our work was valued and vital to our community's well-being, and it didn't come at the expense of our personal well-being!
For me, what see is a symptom of an underlying condition, the 'empty self'. We seem to have come into the 21st century with individualisation but also with losing 'community, tradition, and shared meaning', we stored this loss 'interiorly' in our psyche.
To compensate for losing this and to fill the 'empty self' we consume and hoard.
In some ways the good news is that this 'empty self' applies to all stratas of society (i.e. the rich are as empty as everyone else).
It has though been marketed and sold to and if it continues to stay unconscious, it will have, and is already having disastrous affects.
There are lots we can do and I've written about some on my substack.
One part that stood out to me (because I'm getting ready to write about it myself)
"However, no one person then—or now—could survive without the collective efforts of countless others. Even when their work wasn't valued equally, it remained essential."
As a society, we all agree that someone should cook and serve hamburgers, but that person that spends 40 hrs of their week doing it doesn't deserve a living wage?
Let me reiterate my support for that quote. I have been thinking the same. It is so ubiquitous that it fades into the background and people only perceive competition. Competition only selects the most efficient methods of cooperation; it is cooperation that actually produces goods and services.
So glad you liked it! Although it's quite a simple article I spent more time writing and rewriting it than most of my others - in fact the whole series of articles it was part of was leading to this one.
The best example is water: we need it in order to live, it is a public good, access to clean water is a basic human right, however we see companies privatizing water sources, blocking free access and selling water in plastic bottles, which is supposed to be free. Stop water privatization!
The Conquest of Bread was an eye-opener for me that a different reality could be possible. Wouldn't it be a different world if our work was valued and vital to our community's well-being, and it didn't come at the expense of our personal well-being!
Thank you for posting about this. Well described.
For me, what see is a symptom of an underlying condition, the 'empty self'. We seem to have come into the 21st century with individualisation but also with losing 'community, tradition, and shared meaning', we stored this loss 'interiorly' in our psyche.
To compensate for losing this and to fill the 'empty self' we consume and hoard.
In some ways the good news is that this 'empty self' applies to all stratas of society (i.e. the rich are as empty as everyone else).
It has though been marketed and sold to and if it continues to stay unconscious, it will have, and is already having disastrous affects.
There are lots we can do and I've written about some on my substack.
Excellent post. Restacking of course.
One part that stood out to me (because I'm getting ready to write about it myself)
"However, no one person then—or now—could survive without the collective efforts of countless others. Even when their work wasn't valued equally, it remained essential."
As a society, we all agree that someone should cook and serve hamburgers, but that person that spends 40 hrs of their week doing it doesn't deserve a living wage?
Keep it up. Great work
Let me reiterate my support for that quote. I have been thinking the same. It is so ubiquitous that it fades into the background and people only perceive competition. Competition only selects the most efficient methods of cooperation; it is cooperation that actually produces goods and services.
So glad you liked it! Although it's quite a simple article I spent more time writing and rewriting it than most of my others - in fact the whole series of articles it was part of was leading to this one.
I haven't read them all yet, but I will.
Great. Yes. It's all ours. Anything like this that can shift people's thinking is good. Although it can't be shifted 😂