Tag Archives: #moral

Thinking Constructively, Under Pressure

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In my last full post I encouraged readers to be mindful of the rapidly deteriorating conditions we were experiencing before the pandemic. (July 11, “No Shortcuts to the Future”.)  Surely, we all need to think beyond the present—both forward and back.

This is not easy to do, as the pandemic has aggravated preexisting distrust and further complicated every problem.  To steady ourselves in a storm we need to be aware of our context.  Misjudging reality can be disastrous.

America has entered a new reality in the 21st century, and the context is changing rapidly.

But this is not a sudden event.  Viewed from the future, the structural change we are experiencing will be seen as obvious and inevitable. At present, however, with our perspective rooted in the past, radical change can be difficult to imagine—or accept.

Structural change is imposing itself now with disruptive effect.  Precipitating social and economic disarray, it has generated fear, paranoia, and fault-finding.  

Economic blows that have impaired all but the wealthiest families have been accompanied by a tsunami of civil disorder and instability.

This destruction was apparent long before the arrival of COVID-19.  And, for many, a public health crisis was quickly perceived through the lens of suspicion and distrust.

But, again, this is not new.  Distrust has increased steadily in America for half a century, a trend documented by major polls and discussed in my forthcoming book. 

It would be useful, in my view, to ask ourselves how distrust weakens our ability to see and understand ‘the big picture’.  Distrust might be reasonable, but we don’t need it to disrupt clear thinking.

What is ‘structural change’?  What does it mean for the future?  And, why are a multitude of crises suddenly converging on us in a short period of time?

These questions cannot be adequately addressed in just a few blog posts.  However, many of the causes of structural change are quite apparent. Among others, advanced technology has altered our world dramatically, and exponential population growth has massive consequences.

Structural change is hidden in plain sight.

Economic destruction is hardly new to America, but how well do we understand its’ causes and consequences?  Do we understand why periodic financial crises keep happening?

Most people want safe highway bridges, functional water and sewer systems, dependable electricity, and, of course, the benefits of technology.  But, can we have everything we want?

We have become accustomed to the convenience of ‘big box stores’, but do we recognize their cost—in the destruction of small businesses and the entrepreneurial spirit?

We value technology.  We enjoy the internet and the communication technologies we carry in our pockets.  But do we recognize the significance of automation and robotics?

Yes, automation and robotics!  Thirty percent of the current jobs in America are expected to disappear in a very short time.

This is structural change.  Are we ready for it?

Fortunately, there are people thinking about it. The economist Charles Hugh Smith has written several constructive and readable books.  He is thinking about how economics could be made to actually function beneficially, how to survive financially in a community economy, and the essential role of crisis in systemic change.

I recommend his book, “A Radically Beneficial World: Automation, Technology, and Creating Jobs for All.”

Sometimes we suffer from consequences without understanding what caused them.  But recognizing hard truths does not mean we have to be helpless. 

A functionally authentic community is liberating.  This depends on hard work and a constructive attitude.  Educating and empowering ourselves won’t happen in a vacuum. We will need a diversity of perspectives and skills if we are to survive in a completely new reality. 

How can we seek well-being in our local communities, economically and otherwise?  How can communities network regionally to create a self-reliant, people-centered economics?

We might need to join our neighbors to grow our food.  But, most importantly, we need to learn how to organize and manage projects, how to be innovative and flexible, and how to build trustworthy working relationships with all kinds of people.

The future is arriving too rapidly to accommodate the prejudices of the past.  We must think on our feet as we find our way into an acceptable future.

Tom

You may watch for the next post on or about August 16.

Note to readers: You can request an emailed alert when new posts appear, by clicking Follow on the homepage.  An introduction to the coming book and several sample chapters are linked at the top.

Lost Trust, Embattled Identity

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Amidst divisiveness and disarray the anchor of the Constitution holds steady, manifesting order and assurance for an anxious nation.  Our hopes and concerns can only be pursued within the steady frame of rational governance.  We are a nation of laws, and a civilized future depends on this foundation.

I have argued here that local communities are the building-blocks of society and the foundation of civilization.  And, the importance for local cooperation if we are to seek safety and stability in a long crisis.

In no other place do Americans have the freedom and opportunity to resolve local problems, and to develop dependability with neighbors through working relationships. Well-organized local communities and networks of communities will provide the only effective foundation for an American future we can respect and believe in.

Regular readers may already have recognized that the strategy proposed here implies a premise—a pattern and framework for action suited to our circumstances in America.

We understand that the Constitution reflected the traditional attitudes of the 18th century.  The intelligent competence of women was unrecognized, and the humanity of black Americans was denied outright.  This was true throughout the European world.

But the Founders of the American Republic had something conceptually new in their minds. 

They knew the future of the new nation was far beyond their capacity to imagine.  Yet, pluralism, inclusive diversity and moral responsibility were clearly assumed in their thinking and enabled in the text. The originality of their vision was made plain in the Federalist Papers.

So it is that since the Civil War we have seen an uneven but consistent and irreversible advance toward inclusiveness—in attitudes, society, and law.

Today, however, something has changed.  And we are confronted with the consequences of lost trust, a deteriorating social order, and financial irresponsibility.

The field of debris is expansive and multidimensional.  What happened?  And, how can the American vision and the confidence it once generated be restored?

No political philosophy is offered here; only a reminder that Americans are the beneficiaries of a priceless birthright: An exceptional Constitution, and an attitude and belief in ourselves, which have overcome crises and hardship and differences for more than 200 years.

There is only one means for recovering the vision and confidence that once made us who (I believe) we still are.  This will be along the rocky path through honest, rational, and courageous personal engagement—genuine relationships with other Americans—most of whom we know very little about.

This will only be possible with determination to seek an American future we can believe in, both conceptually and realistically.

In the face of widespread hopelessness it will be a bold undertaking.  I submit that it must be forged in the crucible of genuine communities—our own communities—which we have the ability to build in place, wherever we are.

Such determination calls us to dignify ourselves with civility and to bravely face the damage of the past.

I have presented the rationale for knowing our neighbors and ensuring we can depend on them.  I have spoken of the need to rise above our differences, at least to the extent that we can collaborate in meeting needs and resolving local problems. 

The resources and learned skills we will need are available to anyone, and the frame of mind that allows genuine community to flourish can be achieved by every American.

Again, let me be clear: We are Americans before all else, and we need to organize our communities in place—where we already are.

Those who would retreat into isolation as religious or ideological groups do not simply lack the courage of their convictions.  An isolationist, fear-based mentality actively subverts the vision of the Founders.  And, it abandons responsibility for contributing constructively.

To restore the nation to its rightful place in history will call for immense patience, forbearance, and generosity of spirit.  It will not require that we compromise our beliefs. 

American strength and integrity are functions of the diversity of experience, perspective, and practical skills that have, for more than 200 years, overcome every challenge.

The center must hold.

Tom

Note to regular readers: You may look for the next post on or about November 30.