“John Brown’s body lies a mouldering in the grave, his soul is marching on!” If ideas can self replicate (like the original conception of a meme), which ones do you want to see marching on?
There are a lot of good, helpful people in the world that want to work together to create progress and a better society for all. And positive change is possible. Don’t get too caught up in the loud voices to the contrary.
Thanks for this. It’s sad that reading something that uplifting in an Internet comment is a rarity, but here we are. I’m with you.
I felt the exact same way reading that.
Thanks op! This is the mindset i want to keep.
Moving away from rat race for those who don’t really desire making money and allowing them to realise their other passions.
I regularly wonder how people could come together within capitalism and make this happen.
Best I can think of is establishing minimum overhead living conditions through some sort of commune type structure where you can either pay a minimal rent to live there or contribute a base amount of labour and spend the rest of your time doing what you think should be done.
It would probably work best if it were a kind of temporary measure, something you’d swing in and out of. Tough part is getting started. But I’m sure if enough people doing relatively well got together and chipped in stuff could happen.
It’s extremely challenging for many right now due to insanely depressed wages. No doubt about that.
But for those lucky enough to have savings and their very basic need covered, there are quite a few people deciding to live with less instead of constantly gunning for more. The FIRE movement is a pretty decent example. But even things like vanlife and rural homesteading are also along the same lines.
Others spend like crazy, barely staying within their means even when incomes skyrocket. Of course, this is what capitalism allows/causes/benefits from the most. And it’s easy to get sucked into. But it’s not the only way.
For me I’m thinking about things like environmental sustainability, workplace democracy and universal basic income.
Paying it forward.
“Leave nothing but footprints”
Was told as a British kid this was a Native American saying. I honestly could never find out if it was actually said but it resonates with me as I mull over the climate crisis, energy costs and my asthma issues, etc. Sadly to be properly independent of all the environmental problems seems to be rather costly for the average person like myself
“Be excellent to each other”
Help out your fellow citizens. Be kind to the person behind the counter. Give a few coins to the person begging outside the supermarket. Put your litter in a bin. You can’t save everyone, but you can help to make someone’s day, your society, the world, a bit better.