Collapse Concerns and Wishes Solicited for Culture Change Study
by Jan Lundberg
22 April 2009
Collapse wishes -- what a genre. It must not be healthy to dwell on collapse too much, or you'll collapse! But since the topic is all too demanding and real, It should be worth trying to help shape the future with intention or conscious awareness of what can and should happen. So here are three questions for you:
(This study is not so much for reliable, statistical confidence, but to find out about and share our thoughts.)
(1) what we are acting toward. Or, what main outcome might we be looking forward to?
(2) what do we relish leaving behind, as collapse begins or as it will intensify?
(3) what do we not want to leave behind unresolved; or, what needs to be done before it's too late to accomplish it?
You can be general, political, ecological, spiritual, or personal in your goals and dreams. Please be brief, and let us know if you are NOT living in the USA. We will publish on Culture Change many of the interesting stories, ideas, or dreams. Patterns will emerge. A part-two report will tabulate responses and describe the results.
The national traumatized but awakening psyche
We have noted that mass insanity seems to be making "progress," and folks are hurting, having a hard time, are fearful, and undergoing deprivations. The New York Times did a service in reporting on the mental and emotional states of people on medications and having to cut corners in various departments of life. It was sad to read the histories and ongoing struggles.
Yet, the lack of awareness displayed by some of the anecdotes' subject-patients, for example, made me believe that learning is in short supply for many of us. The advice one doctor gave was to metaphorically say to keep your eyes on the license plate of the car in front of you, or pull over at times. It's a shame the idea of cutting car dependence to save money and help the environment, while depriving corporate bunglers of our hard-earned dwindling cash, is suppressed by corporate mass media and government.
When people act out their insanity -- isn't that a big part of what's going on? -- and masses cannot be ignored, there will probably be political change. You can include those thoughts for this survey, but to me the political changes are usually not as interesting or meaningful as a culture change.
But meanwhile, in this accelerated adjustment period -- a Depression, some say -- we are at least starting to question some things that weren't discussed enough in the past. We have something in common, having to do with survival. We can get it right or I don't think we're gonna make it. Fortunately human kindness has been tested and is still ever present even in disastrous circumstances sometimes.
Please send us your brief 3 answers to the above questions, via email, to:
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by April 27th.
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“Recession Anxiety Seeps Into Everyday Lives” By PAM BELLUCK, April 8, 2009: nytimes.com
"Economic survivalists take root" by Judy Keen, USA Today, April 17(?): usatoday.com
"Austere Times? Perfect" by Matt Richtel, New York Times, April 10, 2009: nytimes.com
"No cash? Barter for services with 'dibits'" by Marc Ramirez, Seattle Times: seattletimes.nwsource.com
"How Americans Spend Now: Thrift Nation" (seven stories) Time magazine, April 19, 2009: time.com
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