Old schoolhouse - public domain photograph This article was originally published at Deep Transformation Network. "Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe." - H. G. Wells, The Outline of History (1920) I had a dream this morning in which I had decided to call Charles Eisenstein on the phone. (I very rarely just call folks on the phone these days. The new phone etiquette is to send a text message and arrange a day and time for a phone conversation. Still, I'm old enough to remember rotary dial phones without any such capabilities.
First, a minor point--I disagree with the term Michaux Monkeywrench. I use it too because it names an important concept, but I don't see "monkeywrench'"as fitting the concept the way "Heinberg pulse" fits the energy aspect. Maybe Michaux Reality Check?
Another point relating to wording. You used the word "murderous" to describe the disinformation ongoing, which is a very strong word--but it is not an exaggeration. Because we are lied to incessantly, we are not doing the things we need to do to have the easiest possible transition, and that WILL cost a lot of lives. Both because we keep burning fossil fuels and making the ecological crises worse,, and because spending scarce resources on bullshit means we are not funding things like providing a minimal amount of advanced energy (solar and wind and microhydro, mostly) and heavily insulating all our buildings, and rearranging our economies. By the time it's clear that we should have done that, there will be no resources left for it. The next generation will live like people did in the 18th or 19th centuries, but with eight times the population and a significantly reduced carrying capacity. There will be refugees in very large numbers. Inevitably, there will be conflict over resources needed for survival. Those who are setting us up for this scenario because they're addicted to profits (corporate heads), or because they want to hang on to their political offices, or because they fear loss of advertising revenue if they tell the truth (media), ARE guilty of murder. Likely most of the people doing this now are ignorant, and actually believe that we can have a nice Unplug Replug.. But some know better.
On education--I think neither our K-12 nor our higher ed are fit for purpose. What they're doing is preparing students to do well in the 20th century--but the 20th century isn't coming back. I imagine there are a few schools which are giving kids a practical education--from discussing these things, to hands-on skills in food growing, mechanics and electronic repair and plumbing, martial arts, basic first aid...
I certainly agree with your distinction between education and schooling - probably because I dropped out of college to take up organic farming at the age of 19 but still find my self "educated."
Did you ever read Illich? in particular De-schooling society? Also, there was some research recently showing that people with higher levels of schooling (they called it education, but I think they as many other confuse schooling and education) has as much confirmation bias as those with less schooling.
Thanks, James Martin. Have you thoughts on the work of Dougald Hine (Work Among the Ruins),
Schumacher College (England), some of the contributors to Dark Mountain Project; the approach to education by Transition Towns (Totnes) and Regenerative Education also interest me, but these
are all revolutionary and you'd never get them past a city. 50 years ago, I begged my children to
stay home from school; they seldom did, of course, because of the social factor. But my main
mothering was in the form of suplemental and revolutionary education, and it worked. But I am
not hopeful at all about actually effecting changes in American eduication at this late date.
Thanks James, good essay and I completely agree with you regarding this transition. I’m a big fan of Degrowth, though I know it probably won’t happen, but it pays to dream big. Im currently doing Dougald’s at work in the ruins (thanks to him for generously accepting a trade in lieu of monetary payment!) and it’s great but it seems to mostly be a group of white first world citizens wringing their hands and wondering what to do. As a first worlder who “transitioned” to a Degrowth influenced lifestyle in the Philippines, I’ve given up trying to change minds about anything and instead try to slowly influence by example and show how a low-energy lifestyle is absolutely possible and actually a wonderful way to live. I’m not sure how much longer we will be able to keep it up (fuck you capitalism), we don’t get funding for solar panels, I don’t get carbon credits for planting trees, there’s very little money to be made farming here unless you happily exploit cheap labour, but we will hopefully work it out.
Having less and working less are good goals to have!
What you just wrote is exactly one of the reasons I'm against the current anti-disinformation laws being passed in many countries, because they do not aim to truly fight fake news and disinformation, but merely whatever information does not fit into mainstream thinking.
Anytime I have an opinion that most might think it's insane, I give an example that explains my point: "Imagine if you said, back in 2020 and 2021, based on the statements of a few doctors, that Covid might be airborne, and a law such as the ones being proposed and voted existed, your posts would likely be blocked and you would be prosecuted due to spreading fake news. Yet, as of 2023, it is known as a FACT that Covid is airborne".
Laws such as these removes any sort of meaningful discussion that people can have about a subject that goes against what is publicly accepted at the time, allowing only a tiny piece of information, agreed upon by the regulatory agency responsible, to circulate in public space. This goes for Covid being airborne and what you stated about the energy transition. But reality cannot be denied for long so, eventually, the truth does come out, and when it does, due to such laws, citizens completely lose trust on their governments and institutions and start to believe whatever conspiracy they can find. All because discussion was restricted to people with a degree in whatever topic is being analyzed.
First, a minor point--I disagree with the term Michaux Monkeywrench. I use it too because it names an important concept, but I don't see "monkeywrench'"as fitting the concept the way "Heinberg pulse" fits the energy aspect. Maybe Michaux Reality Check?
Another point relating to wording. You used the word "murderous" to describe the disinformation ongoing, which is a very strong word--but it is not an exaggeration. Because we are lied to incessantly, we are not doing the things we need to do to have the easiest possible transition, and that WILL cost a lot of lives. Both because we keep burning fossil fuels and making the ecological crises worse,, and because spending scarce resources on bullshit means we are not funding things like providing a minimal amount of advanced energy (solar and wind and microhydro, mostly) and heavily insulating all our buildings, and rearranging our economies. By the time it's clear that we should have done that, there will be no resources left for it. The next generation will live like people did in the 18th or 19th centuries, but with eight times the population and a significantly reduced carrying capacity. There will be refugees in very large numbers. Inevitably, there will be conflict over resources needed for survival. Those who are setting us up for this scenario because they're addicted to profits (corporate heads), or because they want to hang on to their political offices, or because they fear loss of advertising revenue if they tell the truth (media), ARE guilty of murder. Likely most of the people doing this now are ignorant, and actually believe that we can have a nice Unplug Replug.. But some know better.
On education--I think neither our K-12 nor our higher ed are fit for purpose. What they're doing is preparing students to do well in the 20th century--but the 20th century isn't coming back. I imagine there are a few schools which are giving kids a practical education--from discussing these things, to hands-on skills in food growing, mechanics and electronic repair and plumbing, martial arts, basic first aid...
Delighted to hear we have a common inspiration! I often feel that few in the US are aware
of the soulful but very real and practical work of the Dark Mountain folks...and then
there's Martin Shaw!!!! Paul Kingsnorth!!! Rupert Sheldrake!!
I certainly agree with your distinction between education and schooling - probably because I dropped out of college to take up organic farming at the age of 19 but still find my self "educated."
Did you ever read Illich? in particular De-schooling society? Also, there was some research recently showing that people with higher levels of schooling (they called it education, but I think they as many other confuse schooling and education) has as much confirmation bias as those with less schooling.
Thanks, James Martin. Have you thoughts on the work of Dougald Hine (Work Among the Ruins),
Schumacher College (England), some of the contributors to Dark Mountain Project; the approach to education by Transition Towns (Totnes) and Regenerative Education also interest me, but these
are all revolutionary and you'd never get them past a city. 50 years ago, I begged my children to
stay home from school; they seldom did, of course, because of the social factor. But my main
mothering was in the form of suplemental and revolutionary education, and it worked. But I am
not hopeful at all about actually effecting changes in American eduication at this late date.
Thanks James, good essay and I completely agree with you regarding this transition. I’m a big fan of Degrowth, though I know it probably won’t happen, but it pays to dream big. Im currently doing Dougald’s at work in the ruins (thanks to him for generously accepting a trade in lieu of monetary payment!) and it’s great but it seems to mostly be a group of white first world citizens wringing their hands and wondering what to do. As a first worlder who “transitioned” to a Degrowth influenced lifestyle in the Philippines, I’ve given up trying to change minds about anything and instead try to slowly influence by example and show how a low-energy lifestyle is absolutely possible and actually a wonderful way to live. I’m not sure how much longer we will be able to keep it up (fuck you capitalism), we don’t get funding for solar panels, I don’t get carbon credits for planting trees, there’s very little money to be made farming here unless you happily exploit cheap labour, but we will hopefully work it out.
Having less and working less are good goals to have!
What you just wrote is exactly one of the reasons I'm against the current anti-disinformation laws being passed in many countries, because they do not aim to truly fight fake news and disinformation, but merely whatever information does not fit into mainstream thinking.
Anytime I have an opinion that most might think it's insane, I give an example that explains my point: "Imagine if you said, back in 2020 and 2021, based on the statements of a few doctors, that Covid might be airborne, and a law such as the ones being proposed and voted existed, your posts would likely be blocked and you would be prosecuted due to spreading fake news. Yet, as of 2023, it is known as a FACT that Covid is airborne".
Laws such as these removes any sort of meaningful discussion that people can have about a subject that goes against what is publicly accepted at the time, allowing only a tiny piece of information, agreed upon by the regulatory agency responsible, to circulate in public space. This goes for Covid being airborne and what you stated about the energy transition. But reality cannot be denied for long so, eventually, the truth does come out, and when it does, due to such laws, citizens completely lose trust on their governments and institutions and start to believe whatever conspiracy they can find. All because discussion was restricted to people with a degree in whatever topic is being analyzed.