The Livable Planet

 

While perhaps a small crime in comparison to his much more flagrant offenses, Trump’s decision to pave over the White House rose garden stood out to me as a massive symbol of his worldview. If Trump had it his way, he’d pave over all living things to build golf courses, resorts and casinos. He’d wipe out The Everglades to build prisons. He’d cut down all our forests to make a few people rich. Since his followers agree, and they have the power and resources to act, this anti-nature agenda is coming hard and fast, and the window of opportunity to change direction is closing.

Though I’m not convinced that he fully understands it, Trump sold his followers on a vision. He called it a “Golden Age” of prosperity. But as his policies play out, and as his smarter enablers scheme, it is increasingly clear that he is steering us towards a techno-capitalist dystopia. In this world, wealth accumulation comes first, so there are few winners and many losers, necessitating the perpetuation of war and harsh punishment: keeping people always on edge, in a state of paranoia.  The intrinsic value of living things is not recognized in this world, so one must “prove” to be useful or worthy. With automation looming, the working person would have no such value in this scenario, and nature is merely an impediment to progress.

Trump’s daily misdeeds keep his adversaries in perpetual panic, tenaciously pursuing each new indiscretion before there is even time to process the last. The result? He is distracting us and wearing us out. Suppressing at least some of our oppositional tendencies to reallocate energy towards developing our own version of the future is not just a smart move politically, it will inspire us. Allow me to give this version of the future a name: the livable planet.

In this vision, nature is not in the way of progress but is placed at the very center of all decision making. Nature is not in conflict with humanity but is instead woven into the very fabric of society. From this, all good things follow. Quality of life is elevated over the accumulation of material goods. Health is elevated over wealth. Compassion for others leads to diplomacy and restorative justice. Meeting basic needs like housing, food, and energy is paramount, but nature and human health are not regularly sacrificed to achieve it. Creativity and innovation are encouraged to build the livable planet. So, while it is cooperative and nurturing, it is also bold: a different interpretation of peace through strength.

The economy is changing. Whether we like it or not, business as usual cannot continue. The urgency to choose the direction our society takes is being magnified by the rise of AI and the Trumpian vision on one end, and by the time-sensitive acceleration of the climate and biodiversity crises on the other.  I urge my fellow progressives to promote the livable planet wherever we go. That way, when the MAGA’s path of destruction comes to an end, and it will, we’ll be there with a plan to repair it.  

I wrote a couple of Haiku's while reading Trash Wars by Alexander Clapp. The first I wrote, the second is his words rearranged to fit into the format. 

Six were killed, six maimed
Busting apart the remains 
Of the old love boat.

Trash layered their shores
Piles rise high as houses 
Children played in it. 

 

Frog

 
When life becomes scarier than death
The mind slips below the surface like a winter frog
For whom spring has been cancelled.
The buds have been arrested
The seeds shrivel and dissolve.

Guilt

On my steps I found a wooly bear
Its guts were strewn out everywhere
So I put it in a glass,
And filled it full of leaves and grass
It gathered dust for twenty years
I never looked inside.
And maybe it was me.
This tale, an autobiography.

Where are the Leaders?

 Before the election it was crystal clear to me that Donald Trump plans to become an authoritarian president and to follow the Project 2025 playbook to usher in a right-wing takeover of America. After the election, this is still clear to me.

Why is it, then, that leadership on the left, who warned us so passionately that Donald Trump is a danger to America, is now rolling over: running scared, clamming up, agreeing to compromise, or even complimenting the Trump administration? I thought this was called “anticipatory obedience”, the first ingredient to ensure an authoritarian victory.

As a voiceless, powerless person, I am so angry at the pathetic leadership on the left. First, were they exaggerating the threat before the election or they downplaying the threat now? Second, by being passive they are throwing average people who don’t want to live under an authoritarian president to the dogs, further proving that they really don’t care about us. As rich people, they know they will be fine.

  
Those in positions of power have an obligation not to be cowards and to lead us in a resistance. This is not a “wait and see” moment, we must resist now. I am not tired, I am not depressed, I am not afraid. I am ready to fight for the soul of this country with everything I have.

Where are the leaders that will take us there?  

Letters to a Friend: The RWTA

Hello, Screams,
It's been a while since I've written to you because things have been relatively stable and I only write to you when I've started to plunge into the abyss. But I was remiss in my duty to call on your council since the slow fall into the abyss started some time ago. It is now too late for you to help me. I wanted to tell you what is happening never-the-less. 

I am now trapped in an Owellian novel that I believe is reality, though I am leaving my mind open to the possibility that it is not. When DT was elected one month ago I thought, for sure, that there would be collective outrage among my fellow progressives. Instead, what I'm witnessing is a massive capitulation. Our leaders are withdrawing. The media is self censoring. Our heros are saying things like, "well, you know, we'll just wait it out" or "Actually, I agree with DT (the autocratic sociopath who is about to destroy America) on some things." They want to abandon our best ideas to become more like the "other side". 

I'll tell you what this is. It is anticipatory obedience. It is the first ingredient in the recipe for autocracy. Unity sounds nice until you call it something else: one party rule. 

Jon Stewart said in the days after the election, "Welcome to the resistance" and then,  in so many words, "I'm only kidding."  I knew then that we were in trouble. Though he is a comedian, not an activist, this hardened satirist's immediate surrender is indicative of the position of all wealthy progressives: "We will  climb aboard the Trump train to save our own skin. We'll be fine. We have money." They are leaving the rest of us poor slobs to fend for ourselves. 

As a person without money or power, I don't know how to stop it. I know that the resistance must come from the bottom, but my fellow activists are too tired, in denial, turning inward, etc. We need leaders to emerge from the swamp, but I haven't seen any to date. People just continue to post selfies, buy useless crap, and watch vapid T.V. 

I know it is up to me. I just don't know what to do, Screams. I don't know how to proceed. I used to believe that the arc of the moral universe bends towatds justice. It is something I no longer accept. We are caught in a battle between good and evil. So far, Screams, Evil is ahead. 

Love, 
Lara