Preface: This is not an article. This is a desperate plea to evolve.
During the many, many talks and lectures I gave between 2008 and 2013, I’d often provide a healthy (read: jolting) dose of reality (read: gloom and doom) that would typically bring the proceedings to a palpable pause.
That would be my cue to ask: So, who’s ready for some good news?
*crowd mumbles*
Me (louder): I said, who’s ready for some good news?
*crowd cheers*
After a pause for effect, I’d inform them: The good news is this: we are the brink of economic, social, and environmental collapse.
*fidgeting, nervous laughter*
I’d continue: What a unique and awe-inspiring time to be alive. What we door — don’t do — over the next few years may tilt us towards either point of no return or far more compassionate form of society. The stakes have never been higher. In other words, each one of us can take part — right now — in creating most important social changes ever imagined. This, my friends, is the best time ever to be working for collective liberation. We are the ones who have been trusted with the most vital mission of all: survival.
This spiel never failed to dramatically shift the vibe in that “we’re the ones we’ve been waiting for” kind of way… but obviously, it had less-than-zero impact on the reality that, well, we are on the brink of economic, social, and environmental collapse.
During the past three years, I’ve had some uncomfortable but necessary and liberating epiphanies. For starters, the brand of “activism” I was exhorting my audiences to participate in is frighteningly counterproductive. And, as a result, we’ve lost much valuable time and accomplished less-than-zero.
As recent events demonstrate, to now say we are “on the brink” of economic, social, and environmental collapse may be foolishly optimistic at this point. And, as is often the case, desperate times have spawned demagoguery.
So… now what? Well, to begin with, please do not forget that this is still the best time ever to be working for sustainable social change.
So, let’s…
- Collectively accept that we’ve collectively failed (so far)
- Listen for new ideas and voices and learn new tactics (ASAP)
- Name the problem (finally)
- But in the short term: Stop Trump.
Sure, that last item means some hardcore “lefties” will have to sully their pristine voting fingers and admit that their long held beliefs and approaches may not work this time around, but unless Trump and Trumpism are summarily stymied, all the rest probably doesn’t matter.
The first step of that most vital mission of all now begins with: #NeverTrump
Mickey Z. is currently writing his 14th book, How to Lose Friends & Influence Nobody: My Life as an “Activist.” In the meantime, he can be found here.
We’re on the brink of collapse and Donald Trump is more than happy to exploit it! by Mickey Z. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at http://worldnewstrust.com/we-re-on-the-brink-of-collapse-and-donald-trump-is-more-than-happy-to-exploit-it-mickey-z.
