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storyclare's avatar

Hugely helpful to have it so synthesised. Thank you

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Michael Haupt's avatar

So encouraging to hear it's useful, Clare, thank you! 🙏

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Ruth Thomas-Pellicer's avatar

Dear Michael Haupt,

Thank you so much for your ˌbird’s-eye ˈview analysis in ‘The New Lords of Power Why the Metacrisis Runs Deeper Than We Think,’ https://evags.substack.com/p/new-lords-of-power to which I subscribe for the most part.

Amen to

[A.] “The metacrisis isn’t just environmental collapse, technological disruption, or financial instability. It’s all of these together, compounded by the fact that those proposing solutions are often the same groups who benefited most from creating the problems.`”

[B.] “It’s a frightening moment. But it’s also pregnant with possibility.”

May I, on the other hand, challenge you when you say “You might not create a global alternative to cloud capitalism overnight. But you can start small” under section ‘What You Can Do Today’? As the late Teresa Brennan would put it along similar lines in 'Exhausting Modernity: Grounds for a new Economy' (London and New York: Routledge, 2000), and if you allow to quote myself at some length in ‘Envisioning a Post-Ecocidal Culture' http://www.pelicanweb.org/solisustv14n10page6.html:

“The post-modern condition has purged modern philosophy and science of its ontological and logocentric certainties. It has operated as an eye-opener as regards scientific truth. It has assisted us in realizing that claims to truth that circulate as objective are but partisan constructs that follow from provincial beliefs. In becoming mainstream and being presented devoid of their context, these claims manage to pass as universal in origin and scope. We have to hold onto the post-modern condition in this corrosive deconstructive facet.

Yet this repeated sounding of the alarm as to the value-laden constructs that pass as objectively universal along with the attendant defence of localized discourses has come at a high price. It has disabled us to confront the life-threatening neoliberal giant. The post-modern condition has paralyzed us when it comes to making any progress in terms of erecting novel intellectual edifices in firm. Yet the very devastating dimensions of neoliberalism require that we position ourselves with analysis and solutions of global scope (Brennan 2000, Gare 2016, 2018 [2017]). The post-modern condition must be historicized in its facet of belittling and restricting the scope of our statements.”

…In this sanguine spirit —indeed, where ‘resignation’ is the first element out of the ‘synthetic’ equation, may I also suggest you and additional interested readers 21/06/2025 ‘‘BRITAIN - OUR PLANET - MUTUA AEQUANIMITAS’ The United Kingdom’s Scientific-Cum-Civic Compass en Cross-Planetary Route for Climate Stabilisation’ https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:7342961695172030464/.

Yours sincerely,

Ruth Thomas-Pellicer

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Grace (Rebecca Rachmany)'s avatar

Great article, many more ideas of what you can do now:

* Do neighborly things without charging any money: have a potluck or block party/picnic, help someone or accept help from someone

* Join "buy nothing" and similar groups for re-use of physical goods

* Create or join a tool library, seed library or other type of local sharing organization

* Plant some seeds that weren't purchased in an envelope

* Join any nature conservation or regeneration effort in your area

* Participate in food cooperatives

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