Surviving Capitalism (Not) : The Promise of Decentralization, Localization, and Scale-Free Self-Sufficiency

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Sunday, May 2, 2010

The Promise of Decentralization, Localization, and Scale-Free Self-Sufficiency

from The Oil Drum. A must read. I find this article to be one of the most interesting that I've read in some time. It keys into the most crucial issues of our time--how do we survive climate change, peak energy, and a system called capitalism that will destroy human and other life forms if it is allowed to continue in this new environment. Be sure to check out the links in, and the discussion following, the article.