This is not only a nostalgic piece about the lives we used to be able to appreciate but didn't realize how in danger of losing these treasures were, and of course are. Changing to an extraction economy over time has stolen the treasures of our younger years from us. Oil, Lithium, - our economic growth has stolen so much from us, and the irony is we've done it to ourselves. It's a pleasure to read, and also a challenge for the future. Thank you Mr. Diehl.
I am fortunate to have had good early experiences in life. So many don't have that opportunity, and it's likely why so much is wrong today. Most people who become monsters were victimized by monsters themselves.
Or by "simple" lack of opportunity that created those monsters, I remember once my heart broke as I watched a group of young inner-city kids watch the live display of animals the put out every year. I didn't know enough to feel the same empathy for the caged animals. Those kids were wide-eyed with wonder seeing what a live chick looked like - they'd never been out of the ghetto in their live. That lack of touch with nature can create a monster, too.
Great example. Being deprived of opportunity is an enormous problem. There's a commercial lot near me that's been for sale for years on the four corners of an ugly intersection. Turning it into a park would probably help a lot of people in a struggling neighborhood. It would even create a few jobs. The kind of kids you're talking about never get to climb a tree, either. Removal from the natural world creates psychosis.
Thank you, I appreciate your encouragement. If we're going to survive our predicament, we really need to address our core values. I think there's a much bigger discussion that needs to happen.
Thank you Geoff: Sadly this type of opportunity has almost turned into a "luxury" that only some enjoy. Socio-economic inequalities of green space, down-time from work when people have 2-3 jobs just to survive and the ongoing destruction of natural resources are causal to this altered reality. People who can afford to travel to spaces which still offer natural wonders are those that can afford the "luxury." Whatsmore, with lifestyle changes people spend less time outdoors, perhaps not really understanding how much they could benefit from being outdoors, rather than holed up indoors.
We don't value nature as much as we should spiritually or physically. We measure the economy with GDP, which fails to account for the cost to the environment. We act as if nature is free, but it's not. Now we are beginning to see the true cost of exceeding the limits of the planet.
I agree, most people are struggling to survive and that multiple jobs are common. This is a functional result of neoliberal economics unleashed, not that regular capitalism was sustainable, either. Economies based on consumption are going to end, one way or another. A couple of years ago, I got into a debate about fast food worker pay with a couple of Republicans. I stated that all fast food workers deserve a living wage for 40 hours a week. This was not received well, because it's "unskilled" work and would mean that your Subway sandwich costs $30, but worker pay is not the problem. Elon Musk's wealth at the moment is $205 billion. The US population is 341 million. The problem is obscene wealth inequality. Musk's fortune distributed among all of us would be over $600 million per person. That's the problem. Also pooh-poohed in the debate was the shipping of "skilled" jobs, i.e. manufacturing, overseas, driving adults into low paying service jobs. So yeah, most people can't afford those "luxuries" either time or money wise, or find time to understand why life has become so hard, or call out the system.
Ultrawealthy people have become such by over extracting from the planet, because it has been cheap and profitable to do so. They have also made slaves of most of us.
All these psycho-pathological trends have spiritual implications as well. The eco-philosopher Fr. Thomas Berry wrote profoundly on this subject. The Spirituality and Sustainability Conferences in Assisi have tried to carry on his mission of enlightenment.
Jim, thank you for introducing me to Fr. Thomas Berry. I was unaware of him. He looks like a wonderful person to reference in all of our ultimate connection to what is far bigger than an organized religious belief. I have revealed in my writing I am an atheist. That doesn't mean I don't believe in something, profound, ethical, and beyond what we currently know. I look for it every day. This obit on Berry was a good introduction. Thank you. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/sep/27/thomas-berry-obituary
I think you slipped about six decimal places! $2.5 billion divided among 341 million people would be about $600 per person, not $600 million per person.
But that's just a nit. Thanks for the excellent article!
This is not only a nostalgic piece about the lives we used to be able to appreciate but didn't realize how in danger of losing these treasures were, and of course are. Changing to an extraction economy over time has stolen the treasures of our younger years from us. Oil, Lithium, - our economic growth has stolen so much from us, and the irony is we've done it to ourselves. It's a pleasure to read, and also a challenge for the future. Thank you Mr. Diehl.
I am fortunate to have had good early experiences in life. So many don't have that opportunity, and it's likely why so much is wrong today. Most people who become monsters were victimized by monsters themselves.
Or by "simple" lack of opportunity that created those monsters, I remember once my heart broke as I watched a group of young inner-city kids watch the live display of animals the put out every year. I didn't know enough to feel the same empathy for the caged animals. Those kids were wide-eyed with wonder seeing what a live chick looked like - they'd never been out of the ghetto in their live. That lack of touch with nature can create a monster, too.
Great example. Being deprived of opportunity is an enormous problem. There's a commercial lot near me that's been for sale for years on the four corners of an ugly intersection. Turning it into a park would probably help a lot of people in a struggling neighborhood. It would even create a few jobs. The kind of kids you're talking about never get to climb a tree, either. Removal from the natural world creates psychosis.
Beautiful story. It is sad that your common sense is not shared by all.
Thank you, I appreciate your encouragement. If we're going to survive our predicament, we really need to address our core values. I think there's a much bigger discussion that needs to happen.
absolutely. Nature and play and parks can open the world to so many, and the ripple effects go far and wide.
Thank you Geoff: Sadly this type of opportunity has almost turned into a "luxury" that only some enjoy. Socio-economic inequalities of green space, down-time from work when people have 2-3 jobs just to survive and the ongoing destruction of natural resources are causal to this altered reality. People who can afford to travel to spaces which still offer natural wonders are those that can afford the "luxury." Whatsmore, with lifestyle changes people spend less time outdoors, perhaps not really understanding how much they could benefit from being outdoors, rather than holed up indoors.
As always, your thoughts are appreciated.
We don't value nature as much as we should spiritually or physically. We measure the economy with GDP, which fails to account for the cost to the environment. We act as if nature is free, but it's not. Now we are beginning to see the true cost of exceeding the limits of the planet.
I agree, most people are struggling to survive and that multiple jobs are common. This is a functional result of neoliberal economics unleashed, not that regular capitalism was sustainable, either. Economies based on consumption are going to end, one way or another. A couple of years ago, I got into a debate about fast food worker pay with a couple of Republicans. I stated that all fast food workers deserve a living wage for 40 hours a week. This was not received well, because it's "unskilled" work and would mean that your Subway sandwich costs $30, but worker pay is not the problem. Elon Musk's wealth at the moment is $205 billion. The US population is 341 million. The problem is obscene wealth inequality. Musk's fortune distributed among all of us would be over $600 million per person. That's the problem. Also pooh-poohed in the debate was the shipping of "skilled" jobs, i.e. manufacturing, overseas, driving adults into low paying service jobs. So yeah, most people can't afford those "luxuries" either time or money wise, or find time to understand why life has become so hard, or call out the system.
Ultrawealthy people have become such by over extracting from the planet, because it has been cheap and profitable to do so. They have also made slaves of most of us.
All these psycho-pathological trends have spiritual implications as well. The eco-philosopher Fr. Thomas Berry wrote profoundly on this subject. The Spirituality and Sustainability Conferences in Assisi have tried to carry on his mission of enlightenment.
Jim, thank you for introducing me to Fr. Thomas Berry. I was unaware of him. He looks like a wonderful person to reference in all of our ultimate connection to what is far bigger than an organized religious belief. I have revealed in my writing I am an atheist. That doesn't mean I don't believe in something, profound, ethical, and beyond what we currently know. I look for it every day. This obit on Berry was a good introduction. Thank you. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/sep/27/thomas-berry-obituary
I think you slipped about six decimal places! $2.5 billion divided among 341 million people would be about $600 per person, not $600 million per person.
But that's just a nit. Thanks for the excellent article!