For various reasons, which Charles, Jesse and Mark discuss, there will be no return to normalcy, as we knew it. So what comes after the failure of Neo-Liberalism? Something better? Or something worse?
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I’m interested to know more about the micro ISP’s. I’ve worked in the ISP business from 1996-2007, and think it would be great to have local personable ISP’s. Have you started any forums or groups for it?
The desired political structure you guys are talking about is libertarian municipalism.
A couple of thoughts on what I see as assumptions you are making about the nature of a technocratic/automated future in a post neo-liberalism world. That techno world is a product of the existing order. Where I saw your discussion going was towards an ultimately simpler world. The present complexity of our world is dependent upon vast amounts of energy and money that will not be accessible post-globalization. Things will re-order around necessity and proximity. The internet is the world’s most complex machine, requiring huge amounts of resources, research, power, etc. As all those things diminish, to maintain such a device would require an ever greater portion of those scarce items. On the hierarchy of actual needs it’s not that high up the scale. Then again maybe the internet becomes our new cathedrals celebrating youtube messiahs. More likely though a simpler society will not possess the tools or inputs to maintain, let alone expand, the majority of our advanced wallpaper.
Such ISPs exist – they’re called WISPs and can be found in most rural or suburban areas. Fast, competitive networks constructed in parallel to the corporate networks. Well positioned to act as platforms for localized digital services or localized crypto platforms. Usually run by a handful of entrepreneurs who live in their served communities. Willing to share knowledge as most don’t directly compete.
And most of them are sitting on a pile of semi-obsolete gear due to years of upgrades. They’ll be able to maintain service through ‘retool and step-down’ for decades. Gear that runs on low-voltage DC, well-suited for solar power.
The future is all out there in pieces. Just dig through online DIY culture and assemble it.
4-season greenhouses in northern climates? Doable with passive solar design and earth battery techniques.
Long-term power storage? Sure, Solar + LTO chemistry will do it.
Micro-manufacturing? Plenty of open-source projects that demonstrate the potential.
Affordable, healthy food on a dense scale? Aquaponics, food forests, so much work being done here.
Local political-social-legal frameworks? Any polity which adopts Propertarian techniques to reduce parasitism, and drives power devolution will pull ahead rapidly.
Great insiights and analysis from all three members of this discussion.
IMO, the broad aims of democratic renewal after the crisis, depends on the connection between human rights and data rights.
If we all demand our natural rights to inclusion, participation and protection — the climate crisis is just one of our civilizational threats remember — then our democratic systems can be renewed to support community and individual freedoms — although acknowledging some unique US-centric debates about balance between individual/community dynamics, it is not rocket science.
Community governance — CLIME — balanced with individual rights to expression, fulfillment, health and innovative potential. ALl data points that can be protected by we the citizens.
Our technologies are developing so fast, that they can enable this democratic renewal, or, if we forget our ‘natural democratically protected rights,’ enslave us in the newly integrating digital matrix.
Thanks guys.