Discuss: To Live or Not to Live

Yes!!! :-D

The Empire cannot fall, and you cannot win. Give up.

Thank you for saying EXACTLY what has been on my mind today, as I sit here writing to save Florida’s springs.

Thank you Derrick, for your books and blogs. I’ve been getting a lot of the same “the writings on the wall” BS too lately and find it really frustrating. There’s still so much we can do and so many important ideas and organizations out there that we need to support. The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, Transition Towns, Common Security Groups, Living Future Institute, and so many more.

Great voice you have, but I have a bone to pick – or a different perspective to offer.

Brian Swimme is my main man, and he suggests something opposite to your conclusion when you say, “The notion that humans are the peak form of life (and everyone else is just background) leads to a sense of entitlement, which leads to atrocities against those who (or, in this formulation, that) are seen as less-than-peak forms of life.”

What he talks about is that, as the top of the intelligence chain on Earth, the ongoing movement of the fireball that has us as the leading edge of billions of years of evolution and the first species that can both appreciate and destroy the creation, we have a responsibility to do well by our planet. He inspires us to feel ennobled, where we get how we have to take responsibility for preserving and enhancing the world. If you don’t know Brian’s voice, I suggest you tune in. Being inspired is better energy for action that feeling guilty, and he is a master at calling us to higher ground.

I want to know more about undermining or destroying the existing infrastructures.  What can we as individuals do to stem the tide??

I totally agree.  My experience is that by acting you have two birds. One is, like you say, you increase chances of survival, and two, you just plain feel MUCH better physically, emotionally, mentally than if you just do the same ol’ stupid routines feeling worse and more guilty with each bad act.

I also agree with Suzanne and Swimme and Native Americans in regards to the idea of our need to realize our RESPONSIBILITY to the planet- even putting responsibility above the idea of human rights. And you know that I especially mean that our so called leaders need take on MUCH more of the responsibility than they now take, which is minimal to next to nothing as far as I can see, so far.