Cultivating A Resilient Society Amidst the Great Unraveling (article)

Posted on by

In the not-so-distant future, there is a probability that humanity will confront a convergence of crises known as a metacrisis. These challenges threaten to destabilize global systems, exacerbating inequalities and environmental degradation (Jørgensen et al., 2023). For example, in the short term, technologies like AI and automation, among other issues (Consilience Project, 2024; Schmachtenberger, 2024), will likely transform job markets, potentially displacing traditional roles and reshaping career paths until we hit planetary energy and mineral boundaries (Richardson et al., 2023; Michaux, 2021).

Climate change will intensify severe weather events, impacting everything from agriculture to housing stability (Limb, 2024; Sustainable Future, 2024). Social disparities will widen, affecting access to health care, education, and economic opportunities. These challenges will demand adaptation, from upskilling for new job demands to navigating environmental and political risks. Confronting this “great unraveling” will require a transformative transition like never before (Homer-Dixon et al., 2022). 

The Venus Project (TVP) and its formative phases have persisted since the 1960s. It attempts to mitigate these challenges by integrating the best knowledge available at any given time. 

Humanity stands at a crossroads. We possess unprecedented levels of education and communication potential, yet we use these to accelerate the destruction of our planet. 

“Our universities today are better equipped than ever, and the wars keep getting worse.” – Jacque Fresco.

Throughout humanity’s history, we have never put our finest minds into nonviolently solving the many real threats that we face and rectifying the errors of the past. Despite the wealth of knowledge available, much remains ignored or silenced in the name of profit. Potential solutions are within our grasp, but they require us to overcome entrenched interests and commit to intelligent practices. This is not just a suggestion but a responsibility we all share. 

Patchwork solutions and short-term fixes exacerbate these issues, plunging humanity into a relentless race to the bottom. The term “rat race” has given the illusion that we are in a wheel going round and round, but in reality, we are racing around a track in a spiraling motion toward the bottom, where we are met with misery (Schippers et al., 2023).

The Seeds of Disaster: Technology Unchecked and Economic Fallacies

Humanity’s relentless, unguided, and often misguided pursuit of technological advancement, often driven by capitalist imperatives, fear, or inability to communicate with each other, has led to the creation of a system that tends toward dystopia. Each innovation and “progress” brings with it unforeseen consequences. The absence of a comprehensive, systems-oriented approach to technological development leaves humanity vulnerable to existential threats that grow larger with each passing day (Bengio et al., 2024).

The prevailing economic paradigms fail to account for social standards and environmental degradation disparities. Philanthropic efforts are admirable and necessary to relieve current victims of the brutality of our global operating system; however, they are not enough. Systemic issues persist despite superficial interventions, highlighting the need for holistic, systemic solutions. 

The Need for Multiple Approaches to the World’s Problems

Founded on the visionary ideas of Jacque Fresco, a man ahead of his time, TVP reviews the human predicament and considers multiple scenarios with multiple approaches. Central to Fresco’s vision was to create associative systems that correlate with changing conditions; therefore, one of the many approaches considered should be a stand-alone program that considers the evolution of the ideas based on changing conditions. Said differently, the metacrisis demands continuous adaptation and innovation to remain relevant and effective while maintaining a holistic perspective.

Education and Cultural Transformation

We must remember that to help humans develop these associations that correlate with changing conditions, we require educational and cultural transformation – restructuring educational systems to prioritize critical thinking, systems literacy and awareness, and extensional values that extend to all living systems (Vasconcelos & Orion, 2021). Culturally, it involves developing a deep appreciation of the natural world around us with reverence like no other. Reverence need not imply religiosity; in this context, it means cultivating a profound respect for our environment. This respect can be fostered through cultural practices, like how religion embeds this respect using everything from sound and ritual, to a sense of community to build respect for a deity (Walter & Altorfer, 2022; Zhang et al., 2018). We would be a step further by embedding this reverence for our habitat because by doing so, we can weave sustainable behaviors and commitment to preserving the planet into the fabric of our civilization (Dowd, 2014).    

The Point of No Return

One of the many scenarios to consider is, what if we are past the Point of No Return (PNR)?

How can we create a safe landing for humanity? I say a safe landing because, in aviation, a soft landing is not always safe. There are multiple threats in every landing, hydroplaning being one of them. A “positive” touchdown would be appropriate to mitigate this risk. It won’t be comfortable, but it will be safe. The world may need to consider such a “positive” touchdown. Regardless of what this will mean, developing a transparent system is necessary so humanity can exercise sound sensemaking. A transparent system can only emerge in a meta-system where vested interests and malicious goals are removed, and accountability rests in the framework followed; if the framework is flawed, the outcome will be flawed. With vested interests removed, it enables the system to conduct life-centric studies assessing the negative retroactions as a first line of defense against unintended consequences of any action or technology. 

Addressing Collective Action Failures Through Incremental Progress

Initiating small, strategic actions that can trigger broader positive changes is essential to tackle our complex challenges. We will begin with transformative applications that illustrate the feasibility and benefits of our approach, gradually expanding their impact. Our transition program focuses on making informed, incremental improvements rather than attempting to solve everything in one sweeping move. We aim to encourage wider adoption and foster collaboration by achieving and showcasing small, tangible successes.

Our long-term vision involves a global transition that promotes international cooperation and addresses the root causes of collective action failures. Current fragmented value systems are insufficient for resolving global issues. Drawing from Fresco’s teachings, which emphasize sustainable and equitable values, TVP promotes methods prioritizing environmental stewardship and social equity. Central to this vision is the development of adaptable governance structures that can effectively respond to rapid technological changes and resource challenges, ensuring they serve the broader interests of our planet.

Transcending Paradigms

Regrettably, the landscape is filled with competition rather than collaboration, even among those attempting to solve these global issues. However, having multiple centers of people with saner thinking is advantageous as it provides resilience, and the conversation is not monotone. Yet, it would be beneficial if there was a unified global strategy and exchange of ideas among groups. Coordination becomes problematic as different groups propose varied solutions, each believing theirs is the most viable. TVP must navigate through this unfortunate competitive environment by embracing multiple approaches and fostering collaboration where possible. Of course, we should exercise caution to ensure that our core values are kept intact. 

Different proposals vary widely. For example, some proposals see a reason to design top-down on a ‘fast track’, while others evolve bottom-up on a ‘slow grind’. Some revere decentralization as a sacred obligation, whereas others resort to centralization as a pragmatic way of cutting through the nonsense. Some plan and design from the standpoint of short time scales for convenience, while others think long-term as the only way worth attempting. Some favor starting locally on a small scale for simplicity, while others think big, boldly expanding the scope as much as possible. Some swear by incremental improvement, whereas others cannot deny the allure of planning grand designs tabula rasa. Some juggle parts, favoring modular design, while others can only think integrated. And lastly, some worship transparency to gain trust, while others require privacy to stay strategic. 

These differences in approach and many more underlie the competition we see. In the complex matrix of so many considered variables, it isn’t self-evident who has the most plausible theory of change. Any two paradigms can be too complex to compare. Nonetheless, there is an ever-growing experience amid these differences, out of which emerges the following wisdom: The Venus Project must forever transcend paradigms to prevail. 

TVP acknowledges the evolving ambiguity and complexity of contingencies with which humanity is faced and forced to gamble. For this reason, TVP sees a reason to diversify investments, leveraging design and evolutionary mechanisms to avoid path dependence and maximize the number of plausible sociotechnical and cultural transition strategies. Giving way to the evolution will require integrating features from the circular economy, steady state economy, permaculture, regenerative agriculture, degrowth, Game B, and others, but also transcending each through transdisciplinarity.  

Saner Minds Think Alike

Eventually, we must unite, sharing our knowledge and perspectives to enhance our ability to arrive at better approaches and work towards a common goal. If there are flaws, TVP would like to know about them and collaborate to correct them, ensuring we remain on the path towards what matters. What matters is not who is correct and who is not; what matters is what information is most relevant to make a better future for our home, planet Earth. The urgency of the metacrisis means we cannot afford to be rigid in our approach. The future demands we remain agile, open to new ideas, and prepared to pivot as necessary. As TVP’s transition program considers an evolution of the ideas, it must continuously reassess its strategies and incorporate new insights. This adaptability is crucial to our success as a species. Will we find the right balance to secure a better future for the planet? The answer lies in our ability and willingness to adapt to changing conditions. The next chapter of humanity’s story remains unwritten, but with foresight and sublime resolve, we can provide the seeds that cause a positive emergence like no other. 

 

References: 

6 Comments

  1. it matters “what” is correct and what is not. And we as a post Capitalist RBE world movement WILL need to engage and affect change within the political/legislative structure, to actually you know, change the System, otherwise it’s all for not. Climate crisis looms and if we don’t stop the machine of Capitalism through existing systems of legislation, none of this is on the table of possibility. Politics/Governance is also just the main way we can begin to make the RBE society the modus operandi of society, bit by bit. But nothing about that here. This is still stuck in RBE scripture.

    • Politics is immersed in corruption. The European Union is showing us how sincere looking people can greenwash the hell out of everything, while creating policies agains’t greenwashing. How ironic. In my opinion, a demonstration of an alternative is required so people can see another way before they make the policies for it.

  2. I do appreciate the “simultaneous approaches at once” approach though. We need to affect transition through all means necessary, not be one dimensional. That is a necessary evolution of transition ideas out of just the “experimental city”, or “awareness” stuff. But again, we need to get political, to get these ideas implemented systemically into society

  3. Most of the problems are rooted in greed and corruption. There is no form of government that has worked nor is there any sign of human evolution that will address this in the next 10,000 years. Science may provide the answers but at a cost. The cost is to replace human leaders with technical leaders who will apply decision criteria to ensure individual needs are not displaced by institutions and people are deemed more valuable than profit.

  4. It seems incumbent on us, given the confusion of conflicting ideas, to identify as many hard constraints as possible, in order to narrow the argument into something more productive.

    TVP has identified material, ecological and political constraints we must work within, which paints a reasonably distinct vision of where we need to get to, but how do we get there?

    I submit that politics is a dead end, having become hopelessly corrupt and utterly beholden to vested interests, offering only a fatal mirage to those seeking to enact sweeping change. Billionaires and corporations predominantly rule the world.

    Having spent several decades trying to get a handle on the shape of reality (the Mandelbrot set seems like a great clue to me), I suspect we can only escape the consequences of colonial capitalism through an apparent paradox: we do it with a corporation which takes over the world.

    Humanity corp is a co-op, where your job is to maximise your potential and your value to humanity. The corporation seeks to make money as irrelevant as possible for its members, and does whatever it takes to get as many folks as possible up Maslow’s hierarchy – because such a laser focus on cooperation will make the corporation far more productive and competitive than everyone else operating in the zero-sum world of capitalism where human potential is all but minimised.

    The corporation would be analogous to a biological cell, and its cell membrane would be composed primarily of accountants and lawyers, and later, marketeers – when a roughly optimum system of human organisation has been hammered out over a decade or so by all the politics nerds who’ve desperately wanted to put their ideas on the subject to the test for their whole lives, it would be time to attract the more neurotypical bulk of humanity to a culture already established to value facts and evidence above all else, and to channel the neurotypical obsession with status into competition for rationally-awarded kudos.

    Maybe a billionaire or two could be persuaded that funding the co-op will see them go down in history as one of humanity’s greatest benefactors rather than just another obscenely selfish nobody lost in the mists of time and the rubble of a lost civilisation.

    We can’t stand around waiting for permission. We have to be audacious and brilliant and punk as fuck. DIY the anarchist revolution with the tools of top-down capitalism, eg foster a community of hackers to develop a family of ROMs for the software-defined radios and pocket computers we call phones, to work peer to peer without the need of cell towers and ISPs, and form the infrastructure of peer-to-peer world government by everyone.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *