States of Change Chapter 42: Evergreen (Washington)

States of Change is an ongoing work of serial fiction.

The speculative story-line seeks to inspire thought on ethics, culture and our planet's future.

The year is 2076, decades after Oosa's defederalization. 

Fifty independent States have forged unique societies from 

revolutionary technology and ideology

The Olympic Mountains loom high in the distance through aqua mist. The campsite on the edge of the Hoh River is speckled with minimalist gear: several hammocks swaying in the breeze and improvised log benches circling a campfire circle of tumbled granite rocks. The moss draped maples of the surrounding rainforest challenges the mind with swirls of green impressionism.

A handful of booted old-timers stand in the river's fringe seeking the solace of ancient ways. Their fishing rods are authentic enough, but the weighted flies they swing around are hookless to conform to the Washingtonian Sentient Code: "All Thinking, Feeling Creatures Deserve Respect."

I jot some notes down to remind me later of the joyfulness that the people here glean from their immersion in nature. Salmon are left to swim and spawn and further upstream to feed the brown bears or die and decompose capping the web of life in this temperate environment. Many people are recording video, sound and other data for the citizen science collective. Some are simply observing from isolated locations seeking inner solace.

Thinking of the many-fold fullness of new Washington, I sigh. Over half the state embraces the principles of Nae Nae, founder of the sentient protocols. With her influence over nearly fifty years, the state was rewilded around its three megacities. If time had been rewound 20,000 years the wild areas would be more or less indistinguishable from their environmental balance of pre-ice-age times, inclusive of the mammoths and sabre-toothed cats reintroduced to the Olympic valleys.

One might say, it was the best of times. Hydroponic, veganic agriculture easily sustain the needs of the cities. The cities house the eleven million humans, their companion animals and its mostly enlightened society. Art and literature creation flourish, recreation and conversation varied and peaceful; by every measure, happiness was flourishing. 

I consider my happiness in the moment. An ache of joy and absence reside there that would not go away. My mindfulness meditation practice helps center me on a daily basis, but nothing can eliminate my feeling of loss. Before I had known her for a year let alone thirty, I had tried to mentally prepare for the inevitability that we all face, losing someone you love.

The tension of my memories slacken an iota as I imagine generations of humans contending with that very same emotional challenge. All our AI optimized wisdom, real-time counseling and transcendental exercises seem but the thinnest of salves on lost love. And yet for the most part we forge ahead. Someone once said, better to have love and lost, than to have never loved at all. 

With that thought in mind I set my notebook down and pull my shirt away and then dive into the chill waters of the Hoh. The body and mind unify if only for an instant in that microsecond of aquatic immersion that takes me back to a playful moment of my youth. Chill water for most every Earthling creature is an evolutionary memory, a chance to reconcile being in the moment with acceptance of the greater vista of the living world.

The Ultimate Resolution?

Yet another new year celebration approaches accompanied by the annual resolution parade. Too often these resolutions to exercise more, cut calories, and accomplish our overdue goals are full of high expectation as they fade faster than our digital calendars can update.

Perhaps the best resolution to make is simply to daily renew our resolve to think and act better toward attaining good outcomes. To that ends I present you with a handful of positive ethical systems that you can further research and revisit (links provided). Then, gradually, bit by bit you can incorporate better ways of thinking into your world view and daily routine as you judge fit. Each of these brings reason and compassion together with the intention of enabling ourselves to set goals that improve ourselves, our communities and the planet on which we all spin.

Atheism. Let's get this one out of the way. There simply is no good evidence that any supernatural beings exist, period. Yahweh, Zeus, Mohammed, The Flying Spaghetti Monster, Xenu, etc. etc. Religious stories are parables with a pinch of history at best (very potentially with lessons to learn from) and deliberate misinformation incorporating cultish Ponzi schemes at their worst. Getting past the indoctrination can be a difficult climb. With patience, reason conquers the wishful thinking, mysticism and mythologies. Nevertheless, atheists, including myself at times, can get too distracted with countering religious claims. Yes, religious nationalism and cultural indoctrinations need to be challenged, but there is a time to leave the god debates behind and focus more time on moving forward ethically. 

Scientific skepticism. This is the meat and potatoes of understanding the world better. The scientific method, when applied with integrity, clarifies how reality works. Although some might claim scientific findings are neutral ethically, because logic and authentic information are establishing truths, scientific skepticism is inherently an advocate against misinformation. Since scientific findings are at the foundation of creating technology that can enhance or destroy, there is also an implication that reflection upon the relevant outcomes is also of high importance.

Secular humanism. This world view is a solid follow-up once one has shaken off the panoply of religious indoctrination the human mind has spawned. Humanism has diverse positive ethical tenets that grow out of the basic idea that real purpose is of human origin. Generally, the movement encourages the betterment of humankind at its core with significant consideration for the environment, if only to support the thriving of society and the human individuals here on Earth. If secular humanism has an innate flaw, it might be that it overvalues the human presence in the whole of things, without considering impacts outside of the human experience.

Sentientism. A step beyond humanism, this ethical position supports the sustained thriving of all conscious beings, not humans alone. Cultural indoctrination has to a degree made the human-being sacred even though the spectrum of sentient beings certainly extends beyond our species. Humans, however, are uniquely powerful and positioned to be stewards of a healthy planet for all life in balance. A good start to being ethical along these lines is to pursue a vegan lifestyle which aspires to eliminate human created animal abuse whether for food, research, entertainment, or any other poor excuse. Watch Dominion if you have any doubt that your purchases of meat, dairy and eggs are funding animal abuse.

Stoicism. Not to be confused with the stereotypical emotionless "stoic," stoicism is a reflection philosophy intended to ratchet up personal virtue. Classic forms of stoicism do claim there is a natural epitome of virtue, which feels to me like a form of deism, wherein an absolute morality has been baked into the universe. In my opinion, the ethical journey is a personal one, and training ourselves to find happiness in bettering ourselves and feeling good about doing the right thing is a cornerstone of the process of stoicism. 

Of course there are many additional and rational ethical systems to explore and merge into your personal world view. I hope this short list inspires you enhance your personal journey on a daily basis. It is up to each of us to develop the ethical systems we live by to be the best they can be. 

Research, reflect, and reconsider the best ideas you find and then take action aligned with those findings toward attaining goodness for the self, for humanity and for Earth as a whole. Yes each and every one of us can resolve to do better!

Come January 1st, and the next day, and day after that, know you can wake up, shake off the blahs and resolve to begin anew the incredible opportunity it is to live each day with joyfully compassionate and well-reasoned intention!

Coping with the Coming Shitstorm

As we approach a four year stretch of likely authoritarian governance, we must do all what we can to cope. We must cope not only for our own psychological sanity, but also for the good of our communities and for ongoing, incremental  gains toward global world progress. Yes it's a tall order, especially given the challenges at all levels.

Although we must not turn away from the fact that our country right now would rather see a convicted felon, rapist and generally unethical human being at the helm than a woman of color wielding positive human values and level-headed leadership. Thus, as the new Republican administration takes their wrecking ball to American regulatory institutions and human rights we must do all that we can to cope. To be sure this is easier said than done, still here are my thoughts.

Pay attention to your own psychological self care. If you're anything like me, the mere mention of the Republican's cult leader is triggering. Still, we are no good for others if we aren't attentive to our own bodies and minds. Consider waking up to joyful music, a word puzzle, or an extended peek at nature. 

You might also include mindfulness exercises throughout the day which can center the mind on a positive path forward. Simply taking a minute to enjoy the act of breathing, to connect with the body's sensations, and to be in the moment  can recharge the self. Eating healthy and staying active will also go a long way to creating good energy for the self.

One of the big challenges we face is handling the information deluge. Yes it is good to stay informed, but exposing ourselves to the endless flood of emotionally charged news, rampant misinformation and unuseful rants, even as a catharsis, I find, is counterproductive. Better to scan the headlines, and carefully READ the details from reliable journalistic sources like NPR, The Economist, and the BBC, always keeping our fact checking, critical thinking skills engaged. To this end avoid getting into emotional exchanges with friends. Encourage gentler discussions of meaningful topics to plant the seed for healing and participating in grass root efforts. 

Grass root efforts is where it is at. As individuals we can plug into existing progressive organizations and communities that espouse like-minded positions that are well-reasoned and compassionate. Strengthening goodness within our social circles will make things tolerable. Marginalized people will be needing our support, so volunteer where you can. Of course, we all have limited time, so consider making extra contributions to the organizations you find most positive that fight for the bigger state, national and global issues that concern you most.

As the Republican administration seems to trample on positive ethics, the temptation will be to double down on escapism. Video gaming, streaming shows, fiction reading, etc.,  all have a place, still consider being mindful of your selections, and let your choices not just recharge you when you by losing yourself in them, but also inspire you as you notice their deeper themes of pursuing peaceful, rewarding connections with other humans and all of Earthlings.

In a technological world, it is too easy to succumb to virtual experiences. Connect with like minded folks in real world activities that remind you of the planet's wonder and the thrill of existing. Part of the progressive mojo is to be curious, compassionate, and creative on a daily basis in our lives. Explore a new hobby, read a mindful non-fiction book, watch a nature documentary and discuss the ideas with others. Stay clear of the cult-like appeals that return to nonsensical tradition and supernatural promises. 

Not only as Americans, but also as humans, we must strive to be better to grow our ethical world view ever more, each day. Yes, we have a four year burning jungle to work our way through, but along the way, and beyond, we can make each step full of radiating kindness and thoughtful action. In that way, we will rise victorious and bloom as good people no matter what else happens around us.

In Search of SupportCreators.org

As an avid reader, watcher, and creator of content, I am confronted by the reality that creator's are mostly not compensated directly for their work. In our era of value added capitalism, the only way a creator earns anything significant is through the protocol of having middlemen form contracts to publish, promote, and skim the lion's share of the profit off the top.

Sure, there are peer to peer creator networks out there nowadays in the form of GoFundMe and Kickstarter, but those seem to focus on new projects or sad story donation campaigns, rather than small creator support. If you sell something physical Etsy or eBay might fill the gap, and YouTube, TikTok, and the like have sizable kickbacks for mega-influencers.

Still, as a consumer of used books and library materials, there specifically ought to be a way to show appreciation and support for the original writer. Too often I've been told the author isn't making any money if borrow a book from a friend or the library or even buy a book second-hand. In my mind I'd like to be thrifty and environmental while cutting the middlemen out of the transaction.

To that ends I imagine a website which lists all books out there, perhaps one that permits reviews and discussion (kind of like GoodReads) and rather than relying to micro-payments from bookseller advertising, permits small donations (up to a dollar, say) to the original creators. This isn't entirely an original idea, as David Brin has written about an internet in general whose content receives direct peer-to-peer micropayments. This is a nod to that paradigm. 

I personally don't have the know-how, but maybe an existing platform or non-profit web designer could implement and popularize such a presence. Living authors, big and small, could then collect a little extra for encouraging reuse and library lending practices. Dead authors, by way of their estates, could point their collections to worthy causes like writing organizations or other non-profits. Thusly, compensation for the creation of good ideas would flow toward authors instead of into the pockets of well-positioned investors. (fwiw SupportCreators.org is currently available)

Of course, you could contact authors, like myself, directly to make your own micro-contribution. :D

The Idiocy of Idolatry ("Don't Drink the Koolaid, Man!")

The U.S. election falls on the 5th of November this year, my birthday for what it's worth. It is a random coincidence which is true of nearly a million other Americans, nevertheless to ascribe special significance to my position on anything would be fool hardy. Alas, an unimaginable number of people follow a similar feat of weak thinking when they choose a guru (real or imagined) to lead them in life on issues of morality, ethics, or policy.

This fallacy seems to be centered on a "cult-of-personality" phenomenon. In essence, the stories behind a figurehead, in addition to their motivational presence build within a human community to a legendary level, that any common sense goes out the door and the leadership commands of the "guru" gain a sacred quality that mesmerizes large numbers. 

I suspect this is a culturally evolved phenomenon. At one time, small tribes of humans were challenged to survive in circumstances where their accumulated technology and cleverness was modest compared to the modern era. It's easy to imagine the cohesivity of the group being a prominent survival tactic. As such, a charismatic leader that channeled strength and conviction to circle up the tribe was selected for. Ideally, the "guru" would implement a system of thinking and action that optimized survival and thriving that worked, but humans likely came to rely so much on the "guru's" leadership that they became synonymous with the policies and ethics they implemented.

And so, today we too often focus on the audacity or eloquence of the "guru" rather than on the policy or ethic itself. In this way, the many "gurus" of this world have gained unbelievable power with the people. Whether it's Yahweh or Zeus, Kennedy or Trump, Jesus or Mohammed, Jim Jones or Tom Cruise, Taylor Swift or Elon Musk, Marcus Aurelius or Gandhi, Harry Potter or Pokémon or yes, even Mommy or Daddy, we all too often ascribe too much credence to the person rather than evaluate the guidance itself for merit.

One might say adequate tribal leadership has evolved into obsessive idolatry. If a story captures the minds of the populace, the story rules. Stories can be shortcuts to conveying ideas and to a great degree they have become the persuasive behemoths of humanity. At their core, gurus have become infomercial salesmen trying to sell their souped up ideas, good, bad, or a confusing mix of both.

I suggest leaving the "guru" behind and examining the underlying statements and evidence independently. Follow the citations, and develop a system of critical thinking that doesn't rely on a single person, especially one that declares themself as the authority, whether with humility or pompousness. The good path is paved with kindness, reason, and research, not certainty. 

So come November 5th, let it be my birthday wish to my fellow Americans to encourage you to fact check thoroughly what each candidate stands for before casting your vote. The well being of the world is too important to follow a guru blindly...at least until the perfect artificially intelligent overlord guru shows up. (jk)

Capernaum (2018) A Film Contemplation

 

For this film , prepare yourself for an uncomfortable dive into third world living, mostly through the eyes of an undocumented refugee boy named Zain. The film highlights his courage in standing up to live the most honorable life possible given his circumstance. Though fiction, the apocryphal element of the struggle of the poorest children in the direst of circumstances comes through in rusty spades.

My central take away from the film is that far too many children are being born into a world that isn't caring for them. Religions and family tradition trumpet the sacredness of birth when planned parenthood is what is needed. Humanity's opium isn't religion itself, but the religious and societal appropriation of evolutionary instincts to push young people into reproducing without sufficient forethought. Too often birth control and good sex education are absent where needed most.

And in the end, it's good secular education that is needed across the board. People can make better decisions if they aren't deluded with ancient traditions that were crafted for another time, a time when most children died young and when child labor was the norm.

I highly recommend everyone watch this film, if only to open our eyes to the reality beyond our first world comfort. Acting with compassion and reason can only work if we understand the challenges that run deep across the human dominated global society.

It's the Cycle of Life?

I cannot count the times people cite "it's the cycle of life!" when declaring the inevitability of animals (humans usually included) killing other animals (humans usually not included). There is an iota of truth to the statement, alas I find this to be an oversimplification that is used to dismiss the agency of humans as individuals, and as a species in how our actions affect the health of our planet.

Context is everything, and my parenthetical additions to "it's the cycle of life" above highlight the primary nuances, I believe, so let's start there. 

Generally, most ethical stances would exclude humans killing humans as something good. War (when it includes state sanctioned homicide) murder, cannibalism, even self-defense (when non-lethal means are possible) are generally recognized as not applicable to the "cycle of life" forgiveness mantra.

Next, let's consider non-human animals killing humans. Here, most will agree our species gets a pass on being the object of carnivorous animal attacks or the spread of bacteria and viral vectors by other animals (mosquitos carrying disease, rabid animals carrying disease). Humans take for granted that they are not involved in the cycle of life in these cases and taking every precaution and action to prevent human death is our implicit duty. Frankly, no matter what the killer is (animals, plant-based poison, gravity, extreme weather, or even time) we tend to take the stance that if human death or injury can be prevented, humans should take action to do so.

Of course other things are killed than just humans, and this non-human animals killing other non-human animals is what most people intend when using the "it's the cycle of life" comment, but each situation really deserves a closer look if our true intent is to preserve a healthy planet.

Predation obviously does occur, and has occurred for billions of years in the biomes of Earth. For organisms (plant, animal and bacterial) that get their nutrients from anything but raw minerals in the soil, water and air, or organisms that have perished from random forces, taking the life of other organisms is necessary if their own lives and their ability to propagate are to be protected.

Our living planet does seem to incorporate a complex food web for all the many varied organisms to coexist and over large spans of time to coevolve. As such, life does have a cycle that feels miraculous if only because we cannot comprehend the billions of years over which our planet's dynamic system has come about...that is until human intervention has turned into a powerhouse.

Take humans out of the equation and there is by and large a balance in Nature. Predating wolves, lions and coyotes, etc. hunt and kill mice, rabbits and deer. When one of the predating species gets too numerous their prey species take a downfall and subsequently so will the predating species. Generally, this will keep populations in check, which is an important part of "the cycle of life."

Again, humans are the exception. Because they have refined methods for killing others and for healing themselves, over the past several thousand years, the population of humanity has grown exponentially. Our population is projected to grow from its current 8.2 billion and top off around 10 or 11 billion in the next century or so. 

Because of this massive presence on the planet we are doing disproportionate damage to self-repairing, biodiverse, global systems. The massive development of human infrastructure (factory farming of food and companion animals, agricultural sprawl, alteration of atmosphere, alteration of water systems, etc. etc.) has a devastating effect on the long term status of the global environment's health.

Which is to say, human choices to regulate our population size and our per capita impact on natural systems will continue to have a critical impact on the world we live in unless we adjust our civilization's mindset. 

In conclusion, "It's the cycle of life," does not excuse us when our human actions lead to the unnecessary killing of animals. We do not need to kill animals to thrive as a species. If our companion animals are killing wild-animals then the fault is ours as well. Humanity has become a presence which is inherently unnatural, and we should own that status, so that we can be proper caretakers of a beautiful world with longevity for the good of all species.

The next time you say "it's the cycle of life" ask yourself what can you do to make the natural cycle more resilient, and thriving in spite of human hegemony. Ending human hunting and fishing, eliminating unnecessary human initiated animal breeding, restraining our animal companions, going vegan, reducing overall consumption in general, etc. We humans are not controlled by Nature, so we have to make better decisions and actions if we want to keep our shared planet healthy!