Can we imagine a world that will look different and feel different because it functions differently?

What if we cannot? What if we don’t even try?

Do we only imagine to get back to business as usual when this is over?

Business as usual … rushing around acquiring stuff and experiences in an economy that depends on our consumption. Our overconsumption is good for the economy “they say”, but bad for the planet “we know”. We’ve been trying to cut back and be sensible, a whole lot of us. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Cycle more and drive less. Less flying about. Buy fairtrade, organic and the like.

What’s bad for the planet is bad for us, so it’s this economy that will have to go. Anyway, I have a suspicion it really was only enriching a few. Let’s remember that where opulent and excessive wealth is created somewhere, deeper poverty is created somewhere else. Those who want to profiteer need profit margins so they have to squeeze harder… there really should be laws preventing this.  It should be called what it is: exploitation and extortion. It looks like a pay check that’s too small to live from, often received for doing essential work.

Let’s create a different system, where each contribution is equally valued, where enough is enough and there will be much less of too much and too little.

Much news of a collapsing economy
much less of a recovering ecology
money is required that’s true
especially for buying food
and paying bills, mortgages and rent
so in reality we only need money
because we don’t have land

Well, some do
but many more are descendants
of those who have been
dispossessed, displaced
exploited and oppressed

There is a long history
of unjust laws
extortionate taxes
violent invasions
and a myriad of discriminations

Also of dissents and resistance
rebellions and  revolutions
overthrow of institutions
efforts to bring change
and correction of laws
for justice’s sake

The ongoing crime that binds us all
and that will be the end of it all:
destruction of ecology that
powers the profiteering system of economy.