Wednesday 8 April 2020

Adjusting to the birdemic - superstructures versus foundations

So far I personally have mostly adjusted quite well to the birdemic at a psychological and spiritual level - helped by an unusually dry and sunny spell of weather.

The spiritual is, of course, the primary requirement - and psychological is the second; yet we must not make the mistake of assuming that - because we personally have been able to adjust to the new conditions - this also means that current arrangement are sustainable at the system level.

Because; while we personally may feel better about things, day by day; nonetheless, at the system level the problems caused by the monomaniac and totalitarian international response to the birdemic are getting worse and worse; and will at some point (we have probably passed this point) lead to system-collapse.


A useful analogy is with foundations and superstructure. We have removed most of the foundations, and are occupied in demolishing the remaining ones. The superstructure will not collapse instantly, but collapse it shall - and when that collapse begins, the first falling parts of the building will pull down the others.


For example the Christian churches. If I am correct; the Christian churches have already excavated their own foundations.

In the short term, low-level leaders and rank-and-file members are adjusting as best they can, making the most of the situation. Some are finding an altruistic motivation in working-around the restrictions; some are finding substitute arrangements to be a refreshing novelty, with much to appreciate and enjoy.

All this is good and worthwhile. But the churches will collapse, anyway. 


My point is that we need to be able to separate issues.

It can be true simultaneously both that individuals can feel fine or better yesterday and today at the level of superstructure, and at the same time the system is foundationally weakened and will collapse.

And the longer it goes on, the more this is the case.


Note:  I should make clear that I believe (reluctantly) that it would be best for the world (I mean the best spiritually, and from an eternal perspective) that The System does collapse. 

(Collapse is not, of course, 'for the best' from a material perspective and over a timescale of the coming months and years.) 

I believe this because I regard the crisis as having demonstrated that this world is controlled by a global establishment. I further believe that this global establishment is evil - by which I mean that it hates God and The Good. 

Therefore, The System is here-and-now evil by intent and in actuality, so (from my Christian perspective) we would be better-off without it. 

5 comments:

William Wildblood said...

Here's a curious thing. My 14 year old son has never had any academic interests and has often expressed a wish he lived in hunter gatherer times. He is interested in practical things and building and maintaining strength. He sees school as a waste of time. In one sense, a typical adolescent boy and yet the thought has occurred to me that the world in which he may live 20 years hence could be one in which all the fruits of a modern education will be useless and practical skills paramount.

Bruce Charlton said...

@William - Indeed. I think Britain could support about 50,000 hunter gatherers - maybe he'll be one of them?

Jacob Gittes said...

@william "yet the thought has occurred to me that the world in which he may live 20 years hence could be one in which all the fruits of a modern education will be useless"

"Could be?" They are already destructive, if not useless. They still have utility, because the system values them and will sometimes pay you a decent wage to utilize the fruits.
However, the fruits are destructive to the soul.

I am currently employed in the IT industry, something I taught myself beginning at age 12 when I bought my first computer with $100 in paper-route money. The fruits of my formal education were wasted years, nihilism, and despair at not being able to fit in.
I'm happier now than I ever have been, the more I reject those fruits. My intention is to live on something like a homestead, with my own son (about your son's age) once I can get him to join me, and a partner who wants that.

But the system collapse will present enormous challenges, especially (as Bruce points out) to our spirituality. To avoid being evil when things get really tough, you will have to risk physical and emotional harm or death. But with faith, I believe there is a way forward for those who can adapt to a simpler life.
We shall see... day by day the possible paths forward will become clear.

William Wildblood said...

I agree with you, Jake. I'm glad my son sees things with what I consider to be a clean vision. He believes in God too which makes me very happy as everything in the society in which he lives fights against that.

Francis Berger said...

I like the analogy. It really captures where we are at the moment. Having had some experience in construction, I can tell you that fortifying or reinforcing a crumbling foundation is no easy task even when you have the proper tools, know-how, and motivation.

Restoring a compromised foundation without the proper tools, know-how, and - most significantly - motivation, is virtually impossible (and rather dangerous to boot).