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’s called 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

 

There is also in history
the resistance to ongoing violence
of every kind
many efforts to bring change
and make corrections
to laws for justice sake

 

So let’s define a couple of crimes
Destruction of ecology
Profiteering systems of economy

 

By the way, I think the two go hand in hand…