Bean and Me

This photo is a bit of a cheat: taken by a friend. But it makes me smile, so is worthy of blipping. (It is very low-res, hence the lack of a decent crop.)

The news of the day is that the car is home, after a further glitch with the air intake. All fixed and running smoothly now. I've yet to receive the bill.

Further to yesterday's mulling over the capitalist consumer economy...

I have been watching a talk: "Post-Capitalism by Design not Disaster: A Grassroots Theory of Change (Part V of Eco Civilisation)" by Dr Samuel Alexander, of The Simplicity Institute.
 
I watched avidly, and nodded repeatedly as Alexander said things I’ve thought about for years. To my surprise it appears out I’m well on the way to living a post-capitalist life without realising it – according to his definition of post-capitalism.
 
Here are some quotes from the talk:
“It is easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism”. Fredric Jameson.


“We cannot purchase our way to sustainability”. Alexander.


“Apocaloptimystic = everything is going to hell, but things might turn out okay”. Alexander.
 
And a number of truisms, including
-         - The consumer culture is not the answer because capitalist growth doesn’t take account of the environmental limits of the planet;
-         - The ‘good life’ to which people aspire is based on consumer affluence and financial security, where increased quality of life is the same as rising material living standards. What the planet needs is material sufficiency to be what determines quality of life. That is “providing enough, for everyone, forever”.
 
My thinking has developed as a result of watching the world career towards crisis, and in conversation with many people, some of whom have shared my concerns and some of whom have held quite different opinions.
 
Much of the formulation of my personal philosophy has been about the wrongness of consumer society - its thoughtless drain on finite resources and its thoughtless harm to the environment – and I have gradually tried to come up with a different way to live a happy fulfilled life.
 
All of this has been independent of any organisation, but it transpires that much of what Sam Alexander talks about - and the ethos of The Simplicity Institute – is in line with my conclusions. It is comforting to know that my thoughts are reflected by people much better able than I am to vocalise and raise awareness about them.

I hope that this provides food for thought...