diversity
I believe we are capable of addressing and solving the poverty created by the class structure, self-interest, individual and corporate greed, conquests and wars and, the inappropriate distribution of resources including water and food that lead to starvation and death all over the planet. However, we may have to become tribal to achieve that.
Lack of compassion and preoccupation with entertainment, violence and sex
The fact that so many educated people refer to the false scenarios contrived for television as “reality TV” and the continued attraction to gratuitous violence and sexuality in programs can be seen as an encouraging sign denoting the impending fall of westernized societies. So-called spiritual leaders and sects, who are now preaching the gospel of prosperity, abundance and attraction of wealth are also an encouraging sign of the impending fall of those structures and institutions.
Corporate greed and nationalism
It’s shameful that earth’s most wealthy nations continue to destroy other cultures and peoples simply to fuel unsustainable lifestyles and to feed the greed of individuals and corporate shareholders. More shameful still is their willingness to pursue “the American dream” while ignoring the poverty of their own citizens and diverting funding away from addressing their needs, to fuel huge military budgets that result in witnessing their own sons and daughters being sacrificed on battlefields and brought home in body bags.
Economies will rise and fall
Those who are capable of solving the poverty problem are without doubt determined to pursue their own agendas and as governments work hand in glove with greedy individuals and corporations we the people have created a monster. However, I predict that the economies of mighty nations will continue to fail and fall. Hopefully, we citizens will learn from those “monster creating” mistakes and stop electing and upholding governments and corporate king makers that are corrupt and abusive of their citizens, workers and others around the world. In other words, I have hope that humans will begin to actualize their altruistic and compassionate drive to achieve lasting and meaningful change that benefits us, the generations to come and our planet.
Return to tribalism
In my opinion whatever we may master in the areas of technology and science, etc. is not necessarily a measure of “achievement” in terms of the advancement of the human species. We are currently under utilizing what we have between our ears and in our hearts. Continuing this pattern will not result in advancement but only in more conquest, poverty and hoarding until all of our unsustainable structures fall and the survivors become tribal once more.
New Tribal Revolution
John Zerzan or Daniel Quinn are the philosophers ie. new tribalists pursuing what Daniel Quinn dubbed the “New Tribal Revolution“. The new tribalists use the term “tribalism” not in its traditional, derogatory sense, but to refer to what they see as the defining characteristics of tribal life: namely, an open, egalitarian, classless and cooperative community, which can be characterized as primitive communism. New tribalists insist that this is, in fact, the natural state of humanity, and proven by two million years of human evolution.
Whether life in this natural state was better or worse than life in modern society is a question that remains open to debate, and the answer may depend on each person’s preferences as well as on the particular tribes that are used as a point of reference – because tribal life itself was not (and is not) the same for all tribes; the natural environment where a tribe lives has an especially important influence.
Bloggers Unite
Bloggers Unite is an attempt to harness the power of the blogosphere to make the world a better place. By asking bloggers to write about a particular subject on 1 day of the month, a single voice can be joined with thousands to help make a difference; from raising awareness for cancer, to an effort to better education systems or supporting 3rd world countries.
Join Bloggers Unite a community that cares.
Bloggers Unite events
Unite For Hunger And Hope
April 29, 2009 – All you have to do to help end world hunger is to join thousands of others bloggers on April 29 and write a post about world hunger.
World Food Day
October 16, 2009 – World Food Day is annually held on Oct. 16 to commemorate the founding of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
October 17, 2009 – Wherever men and women are condemned to live in extreme poverty, human rights are violated. To come together to ensure that these rights be respected is our solution.
Shane
April 3, 2009
I certainly feel that we need to step away from our computers and cells every once in a while. Actually more than every once in a while. I am not sure about the tribalism though. I think that we need to, as a society, come together more as one in some sort of understanding…care for all. I have hope.
Shanes last blog post..From Origins: For Your Consideration…Trees
timethief
April 7, 2009
@Shane
In the last hundred years, the Internet has been the greatest advance yet because of the potential to connect people. Out of this comes the new tribalism. Now we have access to hundreds, if not thousands, of cultures and subcultures. Instead of feeling isolated in your community, you can connect with others who share a passion for the same beliefs and causes that you do. I believe that the partnerships and events through Bloggers Unite, for example, are the tip of the iceberg.
angelshair
April 3, 2009
I agree with you, it is a shame that the wealthy nations pursue their dream pretending not to see that in other places there are people still trying to figure out how to feed their kids at the next dinner.
I recently read a book “Ulysse of Bagdad”, and I still a sentence of this book is still in my head. it was something like that: ” Bush seems to be so proud to be American, as if he had choosen to be american…his chance was to be born whhere he was born, it is just a matter of chance”.
Same in France, people are applying laws to stop immigration from poor countries whithout asking themselves why peoples from poor countries want so hard to leave their countries.
Thank you for this very interesting post.
angelshairs last blog post..Interview with Annie Veillette
timethief
April 7, 2009
@angelshair
Traditionally, individuals were locked into their tribes and extended families. This remained true throughout the agricultural period but then the Industrial Revolution created a new form of social organization. Individuals were no longer tied to the land and family for survival. Volunteer civic associations replaced tribes. Individuals no longer had a fixed tribal identity – they could freely join or leave any civic organization they choose. They could change religions, political party, circle of friends. Individuals could freely migrate across the social terrain. The advent of the Internet has extended our ability to connect and work cooperatively with like minded individuals. In and through tribes we create and focus on addressing humanitarian issues like hunger and poverty we are poised to change the world.
Quillcards
April 3, 2009
It will happen on a Tuesday, in the late morning. It could be an email or something on the news via google, or a message on Twitter. He will decide to put down his pen and walk out of the office and on to the street. He will be surprised to find other people doing the same and he will know that they are all doing it for the same reason.
He will be trembling a little because he didn’t expect it would happen in his lifetime, and he had given up being certain it would happen at all.
Quillcardss last blog post..Musee d’Orsay’s Clock Overlooking the River Seine
timethief
April 7, 2009
@Dave
You moved me with that … yes, it will happen. We will witness the tremendous shift of power, the power of tribal compassion and generosity will change this world.
Ron Shankel
April 3, 2009
You have a profound way of understanding what is going on in the world.I wish more people would listen to you and take action to make things better on this planet.
Ron
Ron Shankels last blog post..Gardening Tomatoes Part 3
timethief
April 7, 2009
@Ron
We are all a part of a wonderful time and we have the opportunity to either be voyeurs or to be participants. I intend to continue to do the most I can to share food and goods with others in my own community and also online.
Gopal G.
April 4, 2009
Most true. Total lack of compassion, corporate greed, power of the mighty nations, indifference towards the sufferings of the poor are all the reasons for the ever increasing hunger. Violence due to hunger is insignificant compared to the loot by the mighty and the powerful nations. Educating the poor is the only strategy to adopt to reduce population in the thickly populated and poor nations.
Gopal G.s last blog post..India’s Red Fort
timethief
April 7, 2009
@ Gopal
Educating the poor is indeed important and raising the awareness of how we can affect change is critical. Relying on governments and corporations will never be as effective as we the people can be in out won communities and online as well. I hope you will join the Unite For Hunger And Hope campaign – All you have to do to help end world hunger is to join thousands of others bloggers on April 29th and write a post about world hunger.
Lana
April 4, 2009
Ironically, I was JUST discussing these very things with a friend yesterday. We both long for a more tribal society, although I doubt we’ll ever see it.
timethief
April 7, 2009
@Lana
I live in a very self reliant community. We have an emergency food program, community gardens, gleaning programs, recycling of goods, clothing, building materials, etc. We have had benefits and fundraising events and we collected enough money in this small place to pay for a well in an African village and also for lighting for a small hospital in Nepal. IMHO the internet is a powerful means for building communities of choice (new tribalism) and affecting change.
Infidel
April 5, 2009
I don’t think we’ll be seeing any collapsing, just two steps forward and one step back. Sure the economy takes a hit, but to think the systems by which the whole world got this way will collapse is unlikely to say the least. The trend that saves us isn’t going to be towards small tribes, rather, a global tribe. The more nations trade and rely on each other, the more they come together and stop looking at each other as outsiders. Its already happened with the states in America, the European union, and before long, we’ll see a global government. When that happens, wars between any country will be as unlikely as a war between states is now. Peace comes from accepting everyone into your circle, not creating smaller circles.
Infidels last blog post..Slain in the spirit FAIL
timethief
April 7, 2009
@Infidel
As Maragaret Mead once said: A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.
I believe that Tony Berkman’s idea which gave rise to Bloggers Unite is an example of how bloggers who are legion in terms of numbers can affect change.
BloggersUnite.org has evolved from an initiative into a member-driven social network where anyone can promote social awareness and nonprofit events from all over the world. Past events have garnered 190,000 participating bloggers.
Jamie
April 5, 2009
I truly feel today’s society is hurling downhill (rather fast too) . I feel sorry for the state of everything when my kids get older (what will it be like for them?). I’m hoping we hit a rock bottom soon so as the only way left to go is up.
Jamies last blog post..New Beginnings, Old Endings
timethief
April 7, 2009
@Jamie
In the last depression what pulled people through was compassion, generosity and cooperative efforts. Many people mobilized at the community level to help their neighbors. During this depression we have the internet and we recognize that our neighbors are only a few key strokes away. I think your kids are going to experience an opportunity to reach out to others and to form new tribal relationships that will see them through the huge shifts we are bound to experience.
mmetharom
April 6, 2009
When the world is based on just self-interest instead of as a whole thats when things start to deteriorate. One can look at the bees for example. By working together as one whole unit they can repel other predatorial insects. But if they are to work as individual body, there is only death.
mmetharoms last blog post..Falling toward the sky
timethief
April 7, 2009
@mmetharom
Bees are an interesting choice. What has brought us to the brink of economic collaspe is easy identified. The economy was structured on the vision of never ending growth and the way it was pursued was by creating enormous debt. The times will be a changing.
Count Sneaky
April 16, 2009
You are a brilliant spokesman for your cause, Time Thief. The Count hopes a vision of compassion and co-operation like yours will eventually replace greed, power, wealth and oppressive systems created and promulgated by religions. One can only hope that in this rebuilding we can create room for people who may cease valuing opinion and looking for “truth” and live freely by helping their neighbors.
The old system of creating fear and using it as an excuse to attack others or prepare for attacking others will be difficult to eradicate. Fear is our biggest
enemy.Perhaps it is impossible to change human nature…perhaps it is possible only to accept it and thus rob it of its power. This makes the effort harder and reaching every individual very difficult. However, as you know, my dear Time Thief nothing else is more worthy of one’s effort. My best. Count Sneaky
timethief
April 21, 2009
@countsneaky
Without doubt fear is used as a technique for creating antipathy and even hatred but we humans have everything it takes to transcend that fear and come together to affect chnage. I strongly believe we are witnessing and even participating in a silent revolution. People all over the earth have had their fill of witnessing what extreme patriotism and nationalism produce. They provide both the motivation and rationalization for hoarding and for much much worse. At the grass roots level all over the world cooperative efforts are underway to eliminate poverty. I’m so happy to hear that you are like minded, and I hope you will join the Bloggers Unite for Hunger and Hope campaign and write a post on the April 29th.
Jeremy Janson
April 21, 2009
Most starvation and poverty is actually caused by government edict, either incompetent or malicious. Nearly every major famine of the twentieth century was tied to a dictator either attempting an awful forced redistribution scheme or actually attempting to starve off on purpose a large portion of their population. Even in the US, substantial poverty is created by an over-complicated land use sector, especially in states like California, where they literally turned a useful industrial town in to a pleasure palace for rich people (Santa Barbara) and other such federal and state idiocy. Maybe the real cure for poverty is humbler, more democratic government in every country, including our own.
timethief
April 21, 2009
@Jeremy
Thanks for sharing those observations and the wisdom in your final sentence. I do hope you will join us on April 29th in the Bloggers Unite for Hunger and Hope event.