We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Monday, August 16, 2010

‘Abandon affluence’ — 25 years on

by Simon Butler from Green Left

On the 25th anniversary of Trainer's book in which he forecast the incompatibility of capitalism and sustainability, the author of this article interviews Ted Trainer to get an update on his views of the current state of affairs. For a brief sampling of his views which I very much support, this is an excellent read. For more information about The Simpler Way, read this.