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Why Pundits ‘Don’t Look Up’ from Progress
Why Pundits ‘Don’t Look Up’ from Progress The new film about a total apocalypse of the human race is being slammed by many film reviewers. But when I chat to people who have seen it they think it brilliant. And my Facebook wall is full of friends writing versions of OMG what a film! So […]
A Small Farm Future: Review
A Small Farm Future: Review Chris Smaje has been a lecturer in sociology and is now a small farmer and writer, living in England. This book springs from his blog of the same name, and as posts from that blog have run on Resilience, many readers will already be familiar with Smaje and the kind […]
The biggest obstacle to progress is our idea of progres
The biggest obstacle to progress is our idea of progress Those who oppose change, even in a single category of life, are often labeled as enemies of “progress.” In the modern era “progress” has become a catch-all word to describe every technological change by the proponents of that change. Thinking people will agree that not […]
Economic Decay Leads to Social and Political Decay
Economic Decay Leads to Social and Political Decay If we want to make real progress, we have to properly diagnose the structural sources of the rot that is spreading quickly into every nook and cranny of the society and culture. It seems my rant yesterday (Let Me Know When It’s Over) upset a lot of people, many […]
‘Factfulness’ may calm you down, but won’t change our ecocidal trajectory
‘Factfulness’ may calm you down, but won’t change our ecocidal trajectory Here and there people have been referring to author Hans Rosling’s idea of “factfulness” as an antidote to gloomy thinking about the trajectory of the human enterprise. Rosling writes: [T]he vast majority of the world’s population live somewhere in the middle of the income scale. Perhaps […]
The Real New Deal
The Real New Deal While we’re on the issue of the Green New Deal, here’s an article by Dr. D. with an intro by Dr. D., one he sent me in the mail that contained the actual article, and that I think shouldn’t go to waste. I hope he agrees. Waste being the key term […]
Is the “world” actually getting better? Depends on your definition of “world”
Is the “world” actually getting better? Depends on your definition of “world” A frequent critique of the daily news flow is that it is filled with negative events. This is partly a product of the human nervous system. We react very quickly to perceived threats and more slowly to hope of gain or pleasure. Editors […]
‘Enlightenment Now’ rationalizes the violence of empire
‘Enlightenment Now’ rationalizes the violence of empire Through an impressive array of data and visual metrics, Steven Pinker’s most recent book, Enlightenment Now, presents a fiercely optimistic portrait of the achievements of the human race. Pinker uses stats and charts to show how, as one reviewer put it: “Wars are fewer and less severe, homicides are […]
Breaking the chains of delusion -Technological progress mythologies and the pitfalls of digitalization
Breaking the chains of delusion -Technological progress mythologies and the pitfalls of digitalization When it comes to technological development, I often hear the words: What can be done will be done – sooner or later. Many people think that technological development follows a path directed by quasi-natural laws that head into one and only one direction […]
Steven Pinker’s Ideas About Progress Are Fatally Flawed. These Eight Graphs Show Why.
Steven Pinker’s Ideas About Progress Are Fatally Flawed. These Eight Graphs Show Why. It’s time to reclaim the mantle of “Progress” for progressives. By falsely tethering the concept of progress to free market economics and centrist values, Steven Pinker has tried to appropriate a great idea for which he has no rightful claim. In Enlightenment Now: […]
Closing the Gap between the Science and Politics of Progress
Closing the Gap between the Science and Politics of Progress Ed.note: This article draws on a paper published this month in the international journal, Social Indicators Research. The paper is available on Richard’s website, www.richardeckersley.com.au Global politics is based on an outmoded and increasingly destructive model of human progress and development. Can science change a […]
Technology and Its Discontents
Technology and Its Discontents Tucked within the pages of the January issue of the Agriview, a monthly farm publication published by the State of Vermont, was a short survey from the Department of Public Service (DPS). Described as an aid to the Department in drafting their “Ten Year Telecom Plan”, the survey contains eight questions, the […]
Geopolitical Tensions Are Designed To Distract The Public From Economic Decline
Geopolitical Tensions Are Designed To Distract The Public From Economic Decline Tracking geopolitical and fiscal developments over the past several years is a bit like watching a slow motion train wreck; you know exactly what the consequences of the events will be, you try to warn people as much as possible, but, ultimately, you cannot […]
