The Long-Term Vision

The end is near. The beginning has begun. As the wild binge comes to a close, and our vision slowly returns to normal, we are gradually realizing the horrid condition our party has left everything in. Living on the very surface with little connection to the depths, our shiny celebration of radical ingenuity must give way to a more fulfilling, and ultimately more natural, experience. The music is stopping. The dance coming to an end.

We have never been sicker. By "we," I mean the whole thing; the system from which we emerged and of which we are a part. And as with all sickness, long term health begins from within. We must look within our system and ourselves, recognize our connection to it in all its complexity, and behave according to its principles. Anyone who has experienced real connection -- to another person, to nature, even to an animal -- has experienced the power of this awakening; awakening to the reality of connection. We are a part of the grandest systems, layered, scaled, mysterious, and incredible. And we have a responsibility to the source from which we came.

It is time for radical change. Many have already begun, living as much for connection as for independence. This balance is the way of all things -- independent action that aligns with system health. Returning to this balance is the path to sustainability, well-being, paradise (eventually). The emergence of ever-more powerful collaborations whose principal aim is not material, a growing interest in deeper processes and complex intangible value, and a shift toward community interests, all signal this movement.

The market will die. Exchange will be driven by resources and mutual gain. The unit of economic action cease to be the individual. Instead, it will be at first the family, then the neighborhood, and eventually the community. The corporation will be replaced by the cooperative. Resources will be allocated locally.

One of the richest places I've been is rural north central Nicaragua. There, unemployment is among the highest in this hemisphere, but the communities are thriving. Subsistence production, community involvement, and free exchange mark the local culture. Poor in material resources, but rich in spiritual and ecological well-being. My wife and I were welcomed and given free lodging when we visited. We were fed and given effective herbal remedies for minor ailments.

The future I see is one where this kind of community is combined with the clever innovative developments of the past centuries. If our scientific advancement and unprecedented ingenuity is paired with a deep natural spirituality, a mindfulness of the beautiful complexity of which we are a part, then a kind of universal real wealth will spread globally.

At first, this will be tumultuous -- a rocky, clumsy transition until we get our systems grossly sorted out. We will distribute our resources and population according to what each local environment can support. This age will be followed by an age of refinement, where each region will apply ever-more careful experimentation and design to ensure the long-term health of the system. From there we will refine, change, and grow along with these natural systems, learning ever-more detailed aspects of their functioning.