SUBHEAD: We are into the Anthropocene Age. Previous systems that provided wealth are bankrupt.
By Juan Wilson on 23 May 2107 for Island Breath -
(http://islandbreath.blogspot.com/2017/05/real-wealth-and-trusting-no-system.html)
Image above: A dwarf lime tree in Hanapepe Valley produces hundreds of limes throughout the year. Photo by Juan Wilson.
If you have not noticed already I'd be surprised. What you say? You have not gotten whiff of the acrid smoke has been coming off the carcass of "Our American Way of Life". It's happening.
For me 'resistance" has been going on for three generations. Back to the civil rights movement and anti-Vietnam War protests during Kennedy and Johnson years; on through Nixon and Reagan's soulless "Christian" operations, into Bush & Son's CIA 911 psychosis and now through sly Obama's and clueless Trump's endless robot wars against the Middle East.
For much of that time I thought I was dealing with individual moral and social issues. That each issue could be dealt with and we could get back on the track to a fairer and friendlier future for all Americans.
It did seem like much was still right with the country - and if we could only get a handle on some of the mean spiritedness, selfishness, etc that things would be okay... Not to happen.
It has become clearer and clearer that our institutions are creating the problems and not dealing with the results... in fact they use the problems created with one policy to feed the fire to create more bad policy.
As it stands our legislatures, judiciaries, regulatory agencies, government service departments, banking institutions, fuel energy sector, corporations, insurance operations and just about anything else you can think of is part of the problem. They are in self denial and cannot get a grip on the underlying systemic failure we face.
In fact, since Trump's rise to power it seems any marginally positive service the government might provide (like measuring and identifying environmental problems) are being reduced or systematically eliminated and uncontrolled profiteering on limited resources is being encouraged. We are poring our blood and sweat into increasingly useless and self destructive behavior.
However, an economic phase change is about to occur.
For America to "thrive" the intercontinental container shipping, along with the interstate trucking, and long haul rail shipping systems must run smoothly and continuously.
That is how the Walmart, Costco, Amazon and Home Depot remain operational. These corporations will stop operating when it is not profitable. And those underlying transportation systems are far more delicate than most people realize - and no! roboticized semi-tractor trailers is not the solution.
This moment it is really clear that;
It means the future of "The American Way of Life" no longer exist. Then it will be our responsibility to make America coherent again... and feed ourselves.
Remember when America gloated as the Soviet Union came apart at the seams and went through collapse. Well, now it's our turn. We will find out, as the Russians did, how fragile wealth and security are.
So get used to it... but more importantly realize that your salaried pay, or pension deposit or Social Security check, or Electronic Benefit Transfer Card could simply evaporate. From now on you should see that it is coming and act appropriately to have an alternate future available.
Real wealth is having food, water, shelter, energy information and safety. In the future you will have to provide these things for yourself, or have something real to trade acquire them... like gold, tobacco, alcohol or bullets.
Almost all of us run from task to task oblivious of the sources wealth. We work to create credit that we can use to purchase those things that constitute real wealth.
Our job should be creating our own real wealth at home. Think of it as a slo-mo transition away from the current system.
Growing food; collecting water; making things; providing service. It's not complicated. Just get good at it and it will pay off.
As an example is the dwarf lime tree in our back yard. We planted it about six years ago. It produces enough fresh juicy limes that we on average consume at one a day in beverages, on salads, cooking. We are able, as well to share several with friends and neighbors.
The small, shriveled, yellowish limes we see at our local supermarket (shipped in from God knows where) are priced with tax at over a dollar a piece.
That dwarf lime is "earning" us about $400 a year, over $30 a month, just sitting in the sun enjoying itself.
Over the last several years we have become macadamia nut independent with one mature tree (and two coming on)
And with about ten small cacao trees producing fruit, we are about to become chocolate independent. We've made a few batches and the last competed with commercial dark chocolate in taste.
As John Michael Greer wrote so prophetically in 2012:
By Juan Wilson on 23 May 2107 for Island Breath -
(http://islandbreath.blogspot.com/2017/05/real-wealth-and-trusting-no-system.html)
Image above: A dwarf lime tree in Hanapepe Valley produces hundreds of limes throughout the year. Photo by Juan Wilson.
If you have not noticed already I'd be surprised. What you say? You have not gotten whiff of the acrid smoke has been coming off the carcass of "Our American Way of Life". It's happening.
For me 'resistance" has been going on for three generations. Back to the civil rights movement and anti-Vietnam War protests during Kennedy and Johnson years; on through Nixon and Reagan's soulless "Christian" operations, into Bush & Son's CIA 911 psychosis and now through sly Obama's and clueless Trump's endless robot wars against the Middle East.
For much of that time I thought I was dealing with individual moral and social issues. That each issue could be dealt with and we could get back on the track to a fairer and friendlier future for all Americans.
It did seem like much was still right with the country - and if we could only get a handle on some of the mean spiritedness, selfishness, etc that things would be okay... Not to happen.
It has become clearer and clearer that our institutions are creating the problems and not dealing with the results... in fact they use the problems created with one policy to feed the fire to create more bad policy.
As it stands our legislatures, judiciaries, regulatory agencies, government service departments, banking institutions, fuel energy sector, corporations, insurance operations and just about anything else you can think of is part of the problem. They are in self denial and cannot get a grip on the underlying systemic failure we face.
In fact, since Trump's rise to power it seems any marginally positive service the government might provide (like measuring and identifying environmental problems) are being reduced or systematically eliminated and uncontrolled profiteering on limited resources is being encouraged. We are poring our blood and sweat into increasingly useless and self destructive behavior.
However, an economic phase change is about to occur.
For America to "thrive" the intercontinental container shipping, along with the interstate trucking, and long haul rail shipping systems must run smoothly and continuously.
That is how the Walmart, Costco, Amazon and Home Depot remain operational. These corporations will stop operating when it is not profitable. And those underlying transportation systems are far more delicate than most people realize - and no! roboticized semi-tractor trailers is not the solution.
This moment it is really clear that;
GROWTH IS DEAD!will mean we are really into the Anthropocene Age. Previous systems that provided wealth are bankrupt. We are on our own.
THE RESOURCES ARE GONE!
THE ENVIRONMENT IS MORTALLY DAMAGED!
It means the future of "The American Way of Life" no longer exist. Then it will be our responsibility to make America coherent again... and feed ourselves.
Remember when America gloated as the Soviet Union came apart at the seams and went through collapse. Well, now it's our turn. We will find out, as the Russians did, how fragile wealth and security are.
So get used to it... but more importantly realize that your salaried pay, or pension deposit or Social Security check, or Electronic Benefit Transfer Card could simply evaporate. From now on you should see that it is coming and act appropriately to have an alternate future available.
Real wealth is having food, water, shelter, energy information and safety. In the future you will have to provide these things for yourself, or have something real to trade acquire them... like gold, tobacco, alcohol or bullets.
Almost all of us run from task to task oblivious of the sources wealth. We work to create credit that we can use to purchase those things that constitute real wealth.
- We buy bottled water by the case.
- We buy bags of organic produce flown across the ocean.
- We subscribe to information systems that are equivalent to a monthly car loan.
Our job should be creating our own real wealth at home. Think of it as a slo-mo transition away from the current system.
Growing food; collecting water; making things; providing service. It's not complicated. Just get good at it and it will pay off.
As an example is the dwarf lime tree in our back yard. We planted it about six years ago. It produces enough fresh juicy limes that we on average consume at one a day in beverages, on salads, cooking. We are able, as well to share several with friends and neighbors.
The small, shriveled, yellowish limes we see at our local supermarket (shipped in from God knows where) are priced with tax at over a dollar a piece.
That dwarf lime is "earning" us about $400 a year, over $30 a month, just sitting in the sun enjoying itself.
Over the last several years we have become macadamia nut independent with one mature tree (and two coming on)
And with about ten small cacao trees producing fruit, we are about to become chocolate independent. We've made a few batches and the last competed with commercial dark chocolate in taste.
As John Michael Greer wrote so prophetically in 2012:
"Collapse now and avoid the rush!".
(http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.com/2012/06/collapse-now-and-avoid-rush.html)
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