Destruction

Question?

What being or system in nature grows forever without reaching a steady state? 

Most animals go through a growth phase (in humans we call it childhood) and then cease growing larger in size. 

Immature ecosystems likewise: they rapidly gain in biomass for a while before reaching a steady state. 

In both cases, development continues. 

The ecosystem grows in complexity and interconnectedness. 

The human being continues to grow emotionally and psychologically well after adolescence ends. 

Could the same dynamic apply to humanity as a species?

If so, then it is time for economic growth as we have known it to end. 

Differences amongst different groups are irreconcilable, because.

Policies that foster economic growth harm the environment.

And policies that heal the environment hurt economic growth. 

There are exceptions to this rule, but the essential contradiction is unavoidable. 

To address it, change on a very deep level is needed, change to the very nature of the economy, money, and capitalism. 

It is not to end capitalism.

But to change the nature of capital.

The nature of capital today is aligned with the increasing expropriation of natural resources and the cultural commons. 

There are two reasons for that. 

First, because money is created as interest-bearing debt, there is always systemic growth pressure. 

As soon as growth slows, debt rises faster than income and the intensifying debt pressure fuels increasingly desperate attempts to extract more money from somewhere.

Other people, nature, etc. 

Politically, this translates into the very growth-friendly policies that are destroying the planet. 

Second, the social and environmental costs of this extraction are off the balance sheet, externalized onto other people, nature, and future generations. 

This is how the destruction of a forest to create 100,000 board feet of lumber is, preposterously, counted as an increase in wealth. 

The forest no longer contributes to soil stability.

Oxygen production.

Climate stability.

Biodiversity protection, and so on, but those losses are not included in the price of a plank of lumber. 

Together, these two factors drive the conversion of the natural commons everywhere into money.

And that money is increasingly going to those who already control and have power.

The small number of people who already have great wealth are taking ever more of what is left.

Social unrest and breakdown must follow.

Not any longer any doubt about whether or not social unrest will occur.

It will

The only question is just when