The entire history of ‘Industrial Civilization’ is one of seeking greater efficiency in all production processes, including labor, materials extraction and flow, production, technology, etc. Reduce labor costs by squeezing workers’ wages and minimizing the quality of working conditions. Optimize supply chains, so that needed materials arrive at the factory “just in time.” Reduce inventories … More Efficiency is Not Effectiveness
As any reader of this blog knows, an interest in social illusions is central to the ways I interpret the goings on as the end of industrial civilization approaches. Several important analyses of the global ‘poly-crises’ that confront us have been presented in the climate and economic literatures as well as in government reports—e.g., those … More The Future of Poverty, the Earth System, and Us
Photo credit: The Independent The origins of the song, “Kumbaya, my Lord,” and of the title itself, are somewhat obscure. First recorded in 1926, some say it is of African origin, more likely in the African American spirituals in South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. And, of course, a white folksong writer copyrighted it in 1939, … More KUMBAYA, MY LORD! Or, Maybe a Cage Fight
To answer a question like “Is techno-fascism a thing?” requires a broader look at the nature and role of technology in human affairs. And oh yes, what are the values that we humans must live by as the epoch of industrial civilization comes to an end, and we face the chaotic early phase of the … More Is Techno-Fascism a Thing?
image credit: AARP My father was an insurance claims adjuster. He was also an extremely ethical man. When a claimant tried to overstate the damage from a fire, or lie about that diamond necklace, which actually may not have been stolen, it angered him greatly. I came to hate insurance because of what his role … More Insurance: Public Capital for Public Benefit
What? Well, I was just thinking about how people deal with habits and addictions when either may have both pleasurable and self-destructive consequences. Some folks may be victims of another’s categorization, or of their own. Of course, categorization is a linguistic mechanization that is closely involved with both framing the world for many purposes, and … More Categorical Consciousness: Imaginaries and Experience
Of course, in the United States and in other industrialized nations many people wish they were billionaires. That is what the culture of consumerism has taught them. Even the billionaires who turn out to be scoundrels at best, are idolized for their wealth however ill-gotten. The “greed is good” value system of ‘Gordon Gecko’ (played … More Energy Equity Requires No Billionaires
Image credit: NBC News. This post was first published on my new Substack platform, Illusions Transformed. The idea that economic growth is the road to progress is so ingrained in the minds of we ‘moderns’ that the growing disconnect between capital accumulation and human wellbeing is hardly noticed. Yes, we know about poverty, but the … More The Great Battle: Economic Growth vs. Human Wellbeing
Just today, I ran across a New York Times article describing the latest, and possibly one of the least dangerous of the many efforts at geoengineering proposed in this era of illusions about the actual nature of climate change and human life on planet Earth. A little over two weeks ago, an article appeared in … More The Illusion Prevails. Why?
“Yes, sometimes we need to take a moment, shed a tear, and then double down on our commitment to building a cleaner, fairer world for all. The recent #USElection results may have left many of us rattled, though perhaps not surprised.“ ~ Mamta Borgoyary, Executive Director, She Changes Climate I have tried to maintain a … More Does Realism Trump Hope?
Robert MacNeil Christie, Author 