CATALOG OF REALISTIC SOLUTIONS FOR CO-CREATED FUTURE
The IDW thinkers, those who define themselves as futurists or voice concern about cultural trends, would not fall into the camp of wanting to get back to "business as usual," because they see the unsustainable nature of current systems and institutions. Neither are they in the camp of "burn it all down" or restore "the good old days." Nor are they among those who fervently envision a technologically sophisticated utopia. Most frankly do not put forth any model for how to build an ideal society, but only advocate principles that should guide what we co-create.
Understand the Potential for Economic Collapse
Why civilization will self-destruct unless it shifts to non-rivalry (11 min video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNj8UiPgqqQ
In Disaster Economics, Nick Hanauer and David Goldstein explain how current structure of makes U.S. vulnerable to economic collapse, as corporations privatize their profits and socialize their losses. The podcast Pitchfork Economics has full transcripts and links to references.
https://pitchforkeconomics.com/episode/disaster-economics-2/
Manage the Pandemic
Covid-19 response. If you only want to hear 3 minutes, go to time mark 1:13:10. This guy works in medicine. He is absolutely brilliant and has a heart of gold. His past work is well-worth looking at, but right now, he is focused on the pandemic. At time mark 50:50 is his proposal, if you want to skip preliminary info. Daniel Schmachtenberger brings together a lot of research to help us look at various scenarios we may face. Don’t we need people willing to create coherent plans? And if he’s in a t-shirt with bedhead when he tells us about it, just indicates he cares about substance not glam.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX5n0DYXnUQ
Emotional coping for the long term (8 min text) https://medium.com/@popchassid/it-is-time-to-emotionally-prepare-for-what-is-coming-d2c2ddc34b9e
Several speakers on systemic complexity and the pandemic. Fragility in the economic system, “situated cognition” leads to entrenched developmental pathways, "possibility to perceive interdependency now in a way that they haven't...particularly the people who have been most betrayed by the existing system...the people who have profited from it. We're at a moment when there is a loosening of the threads of old system patterns, but believe, they want to tighten up, there is a call for return to normalcy that is so strong” (Nora Bateson, 28:50) https://play.acast.com/s/rebel-wisdom1/rebelwisdom.podbean.com%2F9a265b23-941f-5d93-af2d-65bf0fabcac7
Mediator Julia Menard states, "What is most important is what happens after the social tipping point happens. Will each of us be able to continue our own small social tipping points in the direction of social good, peace, love, connection? Or allow our lower selves to predominate, in the direction of fear, hatred, isolation and disconnection?" http://www.juliamenard.com/is-covid-our-social-tipping-point/
Understand the Challenge of a Polarized Democracy
“Authoritarians, almost by definition, favor the subordination of the individual to the demands of the collective.” The Authoritarian Dynamic, by Karen Stenner, a former assistant professor of politics at Princeton and Duke, now going solo, as many academics must if they want to counter the prevailing official opinions.
Daniel Jeffries reviews the book. His text is included here because the source paragraph is buried in his list of reviews:
"It posits an unexpected theory: that authoritarianism is a natural response to threats. Democracy is always under threat because it’s unnatural. Tribalism, fear, and hatred of others have been the natural order of humanity for much of its existence. The Founding Fathers saw democracy as the great experiment, but Professor Stenner discovers that many people will never be comfortable in a modern democracy. In every era, in all times, there are people who feel that only “right thinking” people should be allowed to express their opinions. They prize conformity, and want to stamp out offensive ideas. Even worse, the book theorizes that many people hold these opinions secretly. Their unease lies dormant for years until a threat activates them."
It should be obvious that those wanting to allow only “right thinking” and correct opinions are found both on the political right and left, and have become some of the loudest voices because they make good click bait. This article highlights what the IDW has pointed to as a hypocrisy among some SJWs: an authoritative insistence that we must not tolerate those who are intolerant of ethnic or gender identity minorities. It also highlights the potential for increasing authoritarianism in government. The solution Stenner's work might present us with is that by understanding tribalism as a temperamental tendency, not an evil to be stamped out, we might be able to rationally fold it into a workable society.