Deep digging into ancient identities is needed to unearth the methods and means for group well-being and long-term presence in place. In other words, doing politics requires muscles. Bright ideas should be treated skeptically, i.e. better regulated capitalism, European-style socialism, large-scale representative democracy, a kinder and gentler Leninism or, worst of all, rule by experts.
Gary Snyder considers that our ability to function collectively is embedded in flesh and stone. We don’t have to think to govern our bodies. Those trillions of cells with their millions of miles of information rich DNA just do it. Why should politics be any different?
The Zapatistas have incited "revolution to make a revolution possible" without help from leaders or imported ideology. What these moral pioneers may unearth is our instinctual compassion.
Altruism arises spontaneously following disasters of all kinds, from unnoticed seeds waiting for a gap in the dominant structure to sprout and take root. So work the soil deeply for humane possibilities.
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