2017 is upon us. Let’s start with the bad news… many people believe as I do that our world is dying. We examine the literature and our environment; then extrapolating from the air, the oceans, the land, and the media, we conclude that something must change. We follow up that conclusion with a complete absence of action or personal change besides perhaps re-committing ourselves to use the recycling can more often. Thus we continue on with our lives in little or no way truly confronting our own guilt in this environmental devastation. Ironically, despite its flaws, this methkddoes effect change in its own little way. After all we see recycling centers and solar farms all over. Progress is occurring, right? Yes. Sort of. Environmental progressivism and the evolution to a more conscious humanity has made great strides. One need only ponder the expanse of ideas and values that seemingly divides the new generation of college students from those of 50 years ago, to witness the see change in our thinking. American culture, thought and ideas are maturing. But not nearly quickly enough it seems. Doomsday prophecies from climate science, aerosols in the air, and clouds unfathomable before a few years now greet us at every turn. We will confront the damage in our own lifetimes and the ramifications, we are told, will be devastating. Unfortunately the stubborn pace of our shift from ‘wasteful’ to ‘sustainable’ modes of living is a function of our continued embrace of a value system that betrays us at every turn: materialism. As long as we measure success and fulfillment in our lives by the possession of a certain amount of or a certain quality of any material good, we will be a species in conflict with ourselves and the Universe. No matter how environmentally conscious we become, or effectively we control our environment, our problem I maintain, our inherent desire to control at all. From an environmental standpoint: it is quite clear what we must accomplish, technologically in order to survive. We already know –and in many cases already have– the technologies required to live sustainably. But as a culture we have not embraced those things. We haven’t demanded them. We allow ourselves to be manipulated and taken advantage of by powerful interests who are also driven by materialism. Corporations and Cartels use our dependence upon materialism for profit. In many ways we have forgotten that it is we who have ultimate power over these corporations. We don’t leverage our strength in numbers into effective boycotts. True change will require courage and af persistence of 'challenged convictions’ that is beyond us at current. That courage and conviction, will only come from a people who have rejected materialism as an ideological system, and learned to value knowledge and ideas above physical accumulation. Thinking on these subjects, it occurred to me that we must address the concept of ownership and materialism now, as little real change will occur otherwise. The current distribution of wealth foreshadows a stark future: revolution. So much wealth in the hands of so few with no hope for change leaves many with few other conclusions, or options. But what of that wealth? What occurs when power is redivided? The cycle begins again toward another inevitable fall. Systemic collapse is not just coming; it is going to keep coming. Out use of an efficient market hypothesis ludicrously based on a world filled with psychopaths is a telling example of how far we will bend our beliefs to satisfy our greed. So it remains: until we figure out a better way to think, we are stuck. I propose that we begin the very real process of retreat from the physical world. By that I mean storimg more value into our digital property and identity. This is a simple process and my production of Christmas Cards, taking the place of the 30 or so cards I might normally buy, represents a tiny salvation of resources. It is one of many small ways that we begin to liberate ourselves. Importantly, the effect of the card is not at all lost. The recipients of my Christmas Cards certainly thought so, at least. This value-based paradigm shift is absolutely necessary if we are to survive and evolve out of our rendition culture. We must be happy owning less. We must be happy being slightly less secure. We must stop judging ourselves by how much we have. Success can no longer be a function of wealth; our values must evolve. I think of these cards as a small step on that path toward material liberation. I appreciate you taking it with me. Sincerely, Justin L. Arn. Original post https://justinschristmascards.blogspot.com/p/christmas-message-to-world-at-large.html
