The idea of change through complete change of the rules of the "game" being played is perhaps the most convincing for me. The trick however relies on doing this in an environment and a system that relies on everyone buying into the existing structure with no alternatives allowed - political system with government monopoly on power does not allow for setting up of a different country within existing borders. Political parties are just a function of the existing system. How would you withdraw from the system also if you depend on it for your everyday life?
What would be needed is a way to force change at the top, with permanent result that would enable the proposed idea, but this too rests on having enough aware citizens in place to carry out this change. So we are back to square one with revolution.
Indeed. It is a difficult question Silesianus. Quite the chicken and egg problem. But I think it isn't completely hopeless. There are three main problems that need solving - living within planetary boundaries, dignified standard of living, and affordable basics for everyone, distribution of power.
It is possible to flip over power in a few sectors by starting more cooperatives. The more cooperatives are started, the more hierarchical incumbents lose power. The capital to start the cooperatives has to come from the savings of existing corporate workers, debt and philanthropy. We know this isn't an impossible task because many cooperatives already exist. The incentive for workers to shift to this is promise of better work, more equitable pay and more fulfilling jobs.
The tricky part is living within planetary boundaries- which requires lower energy/lower material footprint lifestyles. For this, some of the people in the cooperatives will also need to start co-living. Co-living will allow for sharing of resources, which will lower the material footprint and allow them to do full cost accounting. As more people shift to cooperatives and co-living, they can start amassing voting power to put pressure on the politicians to support these alternatives/put pressure on the incumbents.
The tricky part is making working in cooperatives and co-living desirable. That's where cultural narratives and media come in. We will need to push on each of these levers simultaneously. A little bit of progress in one area will create an opportunity to push other levers further. And they will keep building on each other bit by bit until we can flip the vote/get lot of public funding flowing into the right direction.
Curious to hear whether you think this is plausible. It is also possible that enough public momentum for this change will only come after some large scale catastrophe which makes people break out of our current trance and realize that the system must change.
Great essay! Thank you very much for putting the effort to put it together. And I agree that utilizing violence is unlikely to create a new “system” when the state monopoly on violence has been the basis for the creation of the current system.
The new revolution will happen utilizing feminine energy to build. And that is not something we have seen before.
I think there is an opportunity, especially in the US, for communities to step into the vacuum that has been created by the dismantling of the foundations of the systems and the recognition of the unfettered greed and corruption.
But in order to escape the system as you’ve described it (excellent definition, btw) it’s necessary to create new parallel systems outside the current dependency on fragile systems. The parallel systems will need to reinforce individual security and community autonomy before people will be willing to break away.
Primarily, these systems are food security, water, electricity, communication, a definition of wealth that isn’t based on $, and community.
Without these, it’s difficult to escape the vortex of the current system as it is designed to keep people in an endless loop of consumption, desire, and fear of loss.
I’d love to collaborate with you on how to establish a means to accomplish these goals on an individual level which, I believe, will force the rest of the system to start reflecting new values.
This is a brilliant essay and a good exercise in addressing some issues of social turmoil and violence. Violent outrage has been a recurring theme throughout history, often making pivotal moments of conflict , rebellion or social upheaval.
Violence is deeply embedded in our DNA. It is like a coiled spring waiting to unleash its power on provocation. That threshold may be different for different people depending on their socio-economic status, cultural orientation and political ideology etc. Violent outrage has its genesis in history as a means of resistance against oppressive regimes or system.
As pointed out rightly in your article, alternative forms of expression should always be encouraged.
Non violent forms of protest, non cooperation, activism and advocacy are tools with a wider appeal and attract broader support and sympathy and the moral high ground of these makes it difficult for opponents to justify oppression.
But the tendency to resort to violence is too deep rooted and no tangible changes can be brought about immediately. Nevertheless a beginning has to be made and it should be a part of the curriculum to teach about Non Violent forms of protest and then may be in 20-30 years down the line results would start showing up.
This article is one such step in that direction and I congratulate you for the same.
Thanks dad. Yes, we really need to increase awareness and education about these things from a young age so we can overcome/healthily integrate evolutionary tendencies that no longer serve us
I agree with the need for people to believe in better possibilities, and that being the primary sustainer of efforts towards a more just world. I also have a critique; the examples of violence seem very selective. Of course some percentage of violence directed towards changing the system leads to no improvement or worsening. The same could be said for the alternative presented.
I think there are a decent number of examples of violence against systems leading to a more just society. The US Civil War, the ANC in apartheid South Africa, many of the national decolonize movements over the last century or so.
Thanks for raising this insightful and sharp point Umer. You're absolutely right that my essay didn't explore in depth the instances where violence has played a role in resisting injustice—and it’s a fair critique that this omission risks selectively reinforcing my thesis. As a lifelong pacifist, I admit that my aversion to violence biases me. Gaining a clearer view of how power is wielded and what drives change remains a work in progress for me.
I did some homework on these examples you mentioned using ChatGPT, and it was instructional. Movements like the US Civil War, the ANC’s resistance in South Africa, and various decolonization efforts do show that violence has, at times, helped dismantle oppressive regimes. That history shouldn't be ignored. At the same time, when we look closely, even these examples reveal a more complex picture.
The ANC’s armed struggle, for instance, was symbolically powerful, but it was ultimately international pressure, mass civil disobedience, and internal negotiations that catalyzed the transition to democracy. The ANC was, in fact, outlawed after a brief period of successful attacks and wasn't able to do much damage after that.
I think the Civil War is the biggest example of a step change brought about by violence i.e. slavery to no slavery. In this case, though, there was a clearly better alternative to move to. I don't think that exists in our world today, and so building the alternative still remains a crucial task, even if peaceful means might eventually not be sufficient alone to ensure transition.
Critically, the Civil War didn't deliver enduring justice—Reconstruction was violently overturned, and systemic racism endured in new forms. And as we know, the biases continue even till today. Which is understandable- it is a multi-generation project to change things.
With many anti-colonial struggles, even when violence expelled colonizers, it often led to new forms of authoritarianism, instability, or inequality—suggesting that violence alone doesn’t build durable alternatives- which is the main thesis of the essay. Some efforts were better than others though for sure.
That doesn’t mean the path of building alternatives is always immediately available, especially in the face of rising authoritarianism or when people are under direct threat. But over the long arc, I still believe it’s the only path that has a chance at lasting transformation. I appreciate you helping me sharpen that claim—and I’d love to keep exploring this further
Kaiser is trash, but perhaps they are “less” trash than other for profit sick-care fiefdoms. I think the slippery slope with moderate centrism is exactly this issue.
Hi Darius. Thanks for raising this point. I was aware that Kaiser has some mixed reviews when I picked this example, and half expected this critique. My options were either mentioning them or public healthcare. Since my aim was to show how we can build things and shift power structures without relying on a massive political change (at least to begin with), I chose to go with the Kaiser example. Besides, Kaiser's execution might be mixed, but they are a solid example of how we can align incentives- so I think there is something valuable to learn from them.
Overall, we need to shift to an economic system that aligns with planetary well-being instead of short term profits. That requires setting a floor of affordable housing, healthcare, education and food and a ceiling of planetary boundaries. That will probably require us all to shift to much lower energy and material footprint lifestyles. I am keenly exploring how we will make that shift.
Does that address your concern with moderate centrism or is there something more you think we need to do?
Creating a stable indigenous led and minded base (UBI, mutual aid, worker owned co-ops, etc) is definitely the collective path but where i focus on is how remedial each person’s nervous system is in regards to dealing with “bad feelings”. The amount of inherent “devils bargaining” that people come to movements with seems to be a major roadblock to flexibly and quickly adapting organizations and organizing in general.
Indeed. Many intentional communities suffer from the same dynamics and ego games as the systems they seek to replace. We definitely need trauma healing at planetary scale
The idea of change through complete change of the rules of the "game" being played is perhaps the most convincing for me. The trick however relies on doing this in an environment and a system that relies on everyone buying into the existing structure with no alternatives allowed - political system with government monopoly on power does not allow for setting up of a different country within existing borders. Political parties are just a function of the existing system. How would you withdraw from the system also if you depend on it for your everyday life?
What would be needed is a way to force change at the top, with permanent result that would enable the proposed idea, but this too rests on having enough aware citizens in place to carry out this change. So we are back to square one with revolution.
Indeed. It is a difficult question Silesianus. Quite the chicken and egg problem. But I think it isn't completely hopeless. There are three main problems that need solving - living within planetary boundaries, dignified standard of living, and affordable basics for everyone, distribution of power.
It is possible to flip over power in a few sectors by starting more cooperatives. The more cooperatives are started, the more hierarchical incumbents lose power. The capital to start the cooperatives has to come from the savings of existing corporate workers, debt and philanthropy. We know this isn't an impossible task because many cooperatives already exist. The incentive for workers to shift to this is promise of better work, more equitable pay and more fulfilling jobs.
The tricky part is living within planetary boundaries- which requires lower energy/lower material footprint lifestyles. For this, some of the people in the cooperatives will also need to start co-living. Co-living will allow for sharing of resources, which will lower the material footprint and allow them to do full cost accounting. As more people shift to cooperatives and co-living, they can start amassing voting power to put pressure on the politicians to support these alternatives/put pressure on the incumbents.
The tricky part is making working in cooperatives and co-living desirable. That's where cultural narratives and media come in. We will need to push on each of these levers simultaneously. A little bit of progress in one area will create an opportunity to push other levers further. And they will keep building on each other bit by bit until we can flip the vote/get lot of public funding flowing into the right direction.
Curious to hear whether you think this is plausible. It is also possible that enough public momentum for this change will only come after some large scale catastrophe which makes people break out of our current trance and realize that the system must change.
Great essay! Thank you very much for putting the effort to put it together. And I agree that utilizing violence is unlikely to create a new “system” when the state monopoly on violence has been the basis for the creation of the current system.
The new revolution will happen utilizing feminine energy to build. And that is not something we have seen before.
I think there is an opportunity, especially in the US, for communities to step into the vacuum that has been created by the dismantling of the foundations of the systems and the recognition of the unfettered greed and corruption.
But in order to escape the system as you’ve described it (excellent definition, btw) it’s necessary to create new parallel systems outside the current dependency on fragile systems. The parallel systems will need to reinforce individual security and community autonomy before people will be willing to break away.
Primarily, these systems are food security, water, electricity, communication, a definition of wealth that isn’t based on $, and community.
Without these, it’s difficult to escape the vortex of the current system as it is designed to keep people in an endless loop of consumption, desire, and fear of loss.
I’d love to collaborate with you on how to establish a means to accomplish these goals on an individual level which, I believe, will force the rest of the system to start reflecting new values.
Resonate 100% with everything you said Mike. I am happy to chat to explore what we could do together. Shooting you a DM
This is a brilliant essay and a good exercise in addressing some issues of social turmoil and violence. Violent outrage has been a recurring theme throughout history, often making pivotal moments of conflict , rebellion or social upheaval.
Violence is deeply embedded in our DNA. It is like a coiled spring waiting to unleash its power on provocation. That threshold may be different for different people depending on their socio-economic status, cultural orientation and political ideology etc. Violent outrage has its genesis in history as a means of resistance against oppressive regimes or system.
As pointed out rightly in your article, alternative forms of expression should always be encouraged.
Non violent forms of protest, non cooperation, activism and advocacy are tools with a wider appeal and attract broader support and sympathy and the moral high ground of these makes it difficult for opponents to justify oppression.
But the tendency to resort to violence is too deep rooted and no tangible changes can be brought about immediately. Nevertheless a beginning has to be made and it should be a part of the curriculum to teach about Non Violent forms of protest and then may be in 20-30 years down the line results would start showing up.
This article is one such step in that direction and I congratulate you for the same.
Thanks dad. Yes, we really need to increase awareness and education about these things from a young age so we can overcome/healthily integrate evolutionary tendencies that no longer serve us
I agree with the need for people to believe in better possibilities, and that being the primary sustainer of efforts towards a more just world. I also have a critique; the examples of violence seem very selective. Of course some percentage of violence directed towards changing the system leads to no improvement or worsening. The same could be said for the alternative presented.
I think there are a decent number of examples of violence against systems leading to a more just society. The US Civil War, the ANC in apartheid South Africa, many of the national decolonize movements over the last century or so.
Thanks for raising this insightful and sharp point Umer. You're absolutely right that my essay didn't explore in depth the instances where violence has played a role in resisting injustice—and it’s a fair critique that this omission risks selectively reinforcing my thesis. As a lifelong pacifist, I admit that my aversion to violence biases me. Gaining a clearer view of how power is wielded and what drives change remains a work in progress for me.
I did some homework on these examples you mentioned using ChatGPT, and it was instructional. Movements like the US Civil War, the ANC’s resistance in South Africa, and various decolonization efforts do show that violence has, at times, helped dismantle oppressive regimes. That history shouldn't be ignored. At the same time, when we look closely, even these examples reveal a more complex picture.
The ANC’s armed struggle, for instance, was symbolically powerful, but it was ultimately international pressure, mass civil disobedience, and internal negotiations that catalyzed the transition to democracy. The ANC was, in fact, outlawed after a brief period of successful attacks and wasn't able to do much damage after that.
I think the Civil War is the biggest example of a step change brought about by violence i.e. slavery to no slavery. In this case, though, there was a clearly better alternative to move to. I don't think that exists in our world today, and so building the alternative still remains a crucial task, even if peaceful means might eventually not be sufficient alone to ensure transition.
Critically, the Civil War didn't deliver enduring justice—Reconstruction was violently overturned, and systemic racism endured in new forms. And as we know, the biases continue even till today. Which is understandable- it is a multi-generation project to change things.
With many anti-colonial struggles, even when violence expelled colonizers, it often led to new forms of authoritarianism, instability, or inequality—suggesting that violence alone doesn’t build durable alternatives- which is the main thesis of the essay. Some efforts were better than others though for sure.
That doesn’t mean the path of building alternatives is always immediately available, especially in the face of rising authoritarianism or when people are under direct threat. But over the long arc, I still believe it’s the only path that has a chance at lasting transformation. I appreciate you helping me sharpen that claim—and I’d love to keep exploring this further
Excellent. Thank you Akhil.
Kaiser is trash, but perhaps they are “less” trash than other for profit sick-care fiefdoms. I think the slippery slope with moderate centrism is exactly this issue.
Hi Darius. Thanks for raising this point. I was aware that Kaiser has some mixed reviews when I picked this example, and half expected this critique. My options were either mentioning them or public healthcare. Since my aim was to show how we can build things and shift power structures without relying on a massive political change (at least to begin with), I chose to go with the Kaiser example. Besides, Kaiser's execution might be mixed, but they are a solid example of how we can align incentives- so I think there is something valuable to learn from them.
Overall, we need to shift to an economic system that aligns with planetary well-being instead of short term profits. That requires setting a floor of affordable housing, healthcare, education and food and a ceiling of planetary boundaries. That will probably require us all to shift to much lower energy and material footprint lifestyles. I am keenly exploring how we will make that shift.
Does that address your concern with moderate centrism or is there something more you think we need to do?
Creating a stable indigenous led and minded base (UBI, mutual aid, worker owned co-ops, etc) is definitely the collective path but where i focus on is how remedial each person’s nervous system is in regards to dealing with “bad feelings”. The amount of inherent “devils bargaining” that people come to movements with seems to be a major roadblock to flexibly and quickly adapting organizations and organizing in general.
Indeed. Many intentional communities suffer from the same dynamics and ego games as the systems they seek to replace. We definitely need trauma healing at planetary scale