To Be Honest
Colin Fox
The truth is if we don't change some very fundamental aspects of our socio-economic system (political change would be complimentary at this point so long as the necessary changes get enacted) our society will suffer an ecological catastrophe caused directly by our economic mode of production. Our continued unchecked use of fossil fuels, destruction and degradation of the environment, and our insistence on mass consumerism is propelling us towards the mass extinction of nearly all species - including ourselves.
We prefer the status quo here in the global north because we benefit from this system of exploitation but we're starting to feel the affects of climate change now. The global south has always endured the initial brunt of this. We are pacified by material possessions; we refuse to change because we have access to these numbing agents. We need to stop consuming so much, we need to build better products and develop more sustainable methods of development. We need to lift billions out of poverty and yes this justifies the slightly lower standard of living for the millions. Sustainable development can only be achieved with the elimination of mass inequality. To be clear, I am not talking complete equality, I am talking about a fair and equitable system. There is a difference.
We can't achieve change alone despite most Western media portraying individuals as those who drive history and change. Individuals hold great power, but history is moved by societies. We need to learn to collaborate more, not "compete" in the sense that our education and economic institutions demands us to. We need to encourage innovation and finding creative solutions because obviously 'the old' isn't working. We need to take responsibility, as a society, as a generation, for the great burden placed on our shoulders by people who never held our interests at heart - by people who only wanted more for themselves. The gross accumulation of wealth and power is a disease of the mind and we are the cure. We the many, yet still few, we a humanity united for the common good and continued progression/existence of our species.
We shall overcome. Goodnight.
Comrade Fox
Look forward to serving eIreland as Deputy Minister of Home Affairs. 🙂
Comments
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socialism is too simplistic for the demands of modern society. its easy to say give everyone money for example the dole in a rich country in poorer countries it becomes problematic.
And here was me thinking Capitalism was the simple option - take what you can when you can, Fcuk everyone over, then do it all again tomorrow...easy.
not really but atleast in a capitalist system a person can determine himself what standard of living he want to follow and work towards his dreams of one day obtaining this. the unscrupulous ones surfaces in every system
I am not against people having dreams. I am not against rewarding hard work. I am not against people having goals to work towards. I am for people working together for the betterment of all, not the enrichment of a few.
Capitalism feeds into human fear. Fear is a driver for human behaviour. As a result of this fear humans are acquisitive. They acquire. They seek to acquire more. it is security against future unknowns. Even if there was enough of a resource for all people to live comfortably some people would want more than they needed. They would want more than they could use. By aiming for this and achieving this - the acquisition of more than their fair share, more than they need, they deprive others of it. Capitalism encourages this behaviour, rewards it. This means the unscrupulous few become more and more numerous. Others see this behaviour rewarded by the system and then want some themselves, further increasing the unscrupulous numbers
Child poverty no longer exists in the UK. Mainly because the Conservatives have decided it doesn't. Cnuts.
I read the first line and was going to complain..... Then I finished reading and fully agree.
My brother was a Youth Worker for the last 5 years or so in London. He hasn't seen things improving during that time for the teenagers and young adults he works with. He has only seen funding from Government and donations from members of the public reducing
An uncle of mine currently home from Manchester on a visit said last night he reckoned that there wasn't much difference between Thatcherism of the 80s and Conservatism of today.
There isn't. Sadly, Labour in the UK are basically Tory lite, which is one of the reasons they imploded in the last election. Why vote Tory lite when you can vote Tory?
Wow. There is no racism in the US because the Conservatives have decided there is none. They both must be reading from the same playbook.
o/
Article voted.
Thanks for the support mates. Wrote this very short piece last night after reading a few articles on the affects of climate change happening here in the global north. I've personally been feeling the affects of climate change much more than predicted a few years ago. I am currently one state away from a state with less than 6 months of water left. My state has had record high temperatures and we're experiencing many wildfires, migrant farm workers are dying from working long hours in the extreme heat, in the Midwest (the farmland of the entire USA) is expected to suffer terrible drought and famine by 2030 which I predict will hit in 2020s.
Business as usual, capitalism, is logically incapable of solving the ecological crisis. 'Grow or die' methods of production are exasperating the issue of climate change, environmental destruction, and resource scarcity. We need an economic system based on rational resource allocation and sustainable development.
Productivity is up, automation of menial labour is up. The standard of living is up, life expectancy climbs, race and gender stratification narrows. Recycling is on the rise, emissions are cleaning up. Green energy proliferates, lead removed from fuel and ethanol introduced. Sustainable farming systems evolve and damns are destroyed to restore salmon runs.
You sound like the Jehovah Witnesses that visit my house,
shit's improving bro.
Read "This Changes Everything" by Naomi Klein and then get back to me.
I remember college. Then I stopped smoking pot and got a job,
You must be a pretty boring ineffectual individual. Congrats!
For real tho if that is your strongest card you gotta get more original and thoughtful. Maybe college for you was just about smoking pot, but for others it is a time they use to actually learn and engage themselves. Sorry you wasted your opportunity. Bye
I learned to make peace with the establishment and become a useful member of society. Marxism is a complete and utter failure in the real world. It takes living in the real world to understand that though. You will get there.
Been working since age 14, been homeless before, been in high and low places, been in 4 different countries, volunteered overseas, volunteered domestically, worked in factories and in food industry, lived and worked with tons of different kind of people, currently working on publishing two essays in academic journals, and getting funded to do research overseas in 2016.
Oh, you wanted to talk about the real world? Sorry you haven't lived in it yet.
Pot smokers wanna change the world.
Lel
http://i.imgur.com/oFwDMEd.jpg?1