We live in very confusing times. The world we inhabit is changing rapidly. Sometimes the goalposts move so rapidly that none of us knows from one day to the next what is happening to us. And yet, there is always more of the same – more war, more inequality, more ill-health, pollution, pressure to buy even more stuff and so on.

Is This Change Useful?

There is definitely good change. The type of alteration that helps to create a better and more sustainable world.

But there is also change while standing still. Change based on the previous idea, i.e. Capitalism. There is constant temptation to buy something new: machines that make our domestic lives much easier, like washing machines, dishwashers, air fryers, hair straighteners and so on. There are bigger and more beautiful cars, exotic holidays in far off places, new materials for clothes that help us keep up with our friends, and foods that provide endless variety.

These are all coming on the market so fast it is baffling. The weakness here is that we are rapidly running out of the Earth’s resources to produce all this. Many of us get into debt with our exciting purchases or have to work long hours at boring jobs to pay for things that do not even make us happy. The world is becoming more and more polluted by the day with all this manufacturing. Capitalism measures our worth through our possessions.

Growth

Economists and politicians speak constantly of the growth that all this production creates. They are obsessed with it. They believe that it will make us all better off. That our countries will grow richer because of it and that we will all be content.

The problem with this is that the accountants do not measure the destruction of the Earth or Nature when they are doing the books, so of course it is easy to “make a profit”.

We cannot go on doing this, it is destroying our world and our futures . To quote Bill McGuire of Cool Earth in an article on Substack “Any economist who still thinks that growth can keep going forever on a tiny planet of limited resources, is devoid of competence, credibility and downright common sense”.

Where is Capitalism Taking Us?

We don’t know where we are going. Is there a plan? I don’t think so. It feels like we are stuck in a groove. Changing, but going nowhere but the same old places.

It feels like we are in limbo – – – –

The Time of Monsters

A quotation that has been attributed to Antonio Gramsci (a founding member of the Italian Communist Party) describes the situation very well for me. “The old world is dying, and the new world struggles to be born: now is the time of monsters.”

So, yes, the old world is dying, because it must. We are running out of resources and Capitalism is destroying our world and our happiness. Please see my recent blog on water for example.

But we have not yet achieved the new world that we so sorely need. As Gramsci said, “Now is the time of monsters”.

And there are monsters aplenty!

• Authoritarianism is becoming ever more popular because we are afraid
• Refugees and immigrants generally are becoming targets for hate
• Our leaders do not have the backbone to stand up to threats
• Politicians do not have the required skills for the job
• Individuals feel free to say what they like, however hateful
• Nobody has come up with a way to control the use of Artificial Intelligence, and while it can do amazing things it is also frightening a lot of people because it could be an existential risk to humanity
• Fossil fuel companies and their investors are fighting tooth and nail to keep us using this type of energy, in spite of the fact that it could destroy life on this planet
• We keep going to war, apparently believing that fighting is the only way we can get what we need. There are some very unpleasant leaders about, but is war really the only way?

This is only a small sample of available monsters!

So, we must move on. We must fight for a better and happier world. Productive change is happening. As I have said often before, it is happening much too slowly, but it is happening.

There is a lovely quote from writer Arundhati Roy:

“Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.” —

Is she on her way?

A Happier World

I have tried in all my blogs to give people hope. To allow ordinary people like me to believe that we can make a difference. There is change, I see it everywhere. It is true there are monsters out there but there are also people who care, who want to make a difference. They are making a difference. Every day I see companies and groups and individuals doing amazing things. Countries are changing their regulations, organisations are using the law to fight Climate Change, young people (and others) are becoming vegan, farmers are changing the way they treat their soil, financial organisations are doing business differently and people are fighting very scary regimes to ensure a better future. So, in spite of appearances, I believe there is evidence that a better world is possible.

We Need a Plan

But for us to reach that new and better world we need a plan. I believe that too much is being left to chance right now. Countries that have signed the Paris Agreement and made commitments to cut their emissions find it too easy to back out of those promises. A recent article in the Independent talks of condemnation of the UK government’s recent decision to cut back on aid to help protect the natural world and to help lower-income countries deal with the climate crisis. The American government’s decision to back away from all its environmental commitments has shocked the world. Europe is back-tracking (although individually each country is doing some great things that prove to me that they have good intentions).

Moving from Limbo to Something Much Better

I believe we need a Global Vision. With such a vision we can draw up a road map that is clear to everybody. A road map that allows us to create a path so that everybody knows what needs to be done, and with what urgency.

This vision would spell out how we intend to cut out fossil fuels, how we can create a new food system that is planet-friendly, and what we need to do to cut back on chemical pollution. But we also must change our values. Somehow, we need to get back to kindness, empathy and caring about others. Perhaps most of all we need to recognize the importance of Nature. I believe we need change at many different levels.

My New Project

I am proposing to start a project to help develop such a vision. I will start by asking as many people as possible what would be important to them in a new and better world. What should we keep and what would be better left behind? I think it is important for ordinary people (i.e. not politicians) to think out what they believe is needed in that better world.

So, I hope you will help me by telling me what YOU think. Please write and tell me what we should keep. What do we need to leave behind? How should we educate our children? What values do we need?

I intend to follow this up by asking people and groups internationally to talk together about how they are already living this new life. You can contact me by adding a comment below.

Emotionally and Physically We Need a Better Direction

Right now, we are stuck in limbo, in a place that works for very few people on this planet. I believe we can move forward, but we need a plan that belongs to all of us. I watched the celebrations for the Reverend Jesse Jackson’s life recently and looked at the power of his actions. He was only one man, but he gave hope to so many people. There are billions of us here on Earth. We CAN make a difference, but we must act together now.

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Photos 1 and 3 by Doreen Hosking, photo 2 by Donovan Reeves on Unsplash