If You Could...

Hmmm...there's so much to think about in such a simple question. The thing that comes to mind is so vague, that I'm kind of embarrassed to write it. How does one change the general direction of things? Is the general direction bad, or is it just part of the process towards a greater enlightenment? I think about the types of societies humans have lived through - from Greek to Roman civilisations to the Middle Ages to feudalism to capitalism - this all towards Western civilisation. Do we consider that we are at our greatest point in terms of human understanding? The thought is unbearable if we accept that there is nothing left to do. All I would change is the thought in anyone's mind that we should stop seeking greater understanding. Then there's still hope.

I think I'd do away with the agricultural revolution, fundamentally altering the development of our civilization. Perhaps we wouldn't have created such a disconnected and destructive culture whose sole purpose is unrestricted growth. Maybe if we didn't choose to overproduce our food supply, we would still be beholden to natural selection and able to evolve.
Our civilization is unsustainable. Even if we don't blow each other up, the planet will run out of resources. With the advent of agriculture we began down the path to this civilization in which we have forgotten how to live in harmony with the rest of life on this floating rock. This place is paradise for us. How do you improve upon paradise? Is your quality of life worth the true cost?
Those of us who are happiest lead the simplest of lives. Hunter/gatherers and nomadic herding tribes have it right. We no longer know how to live here, and the inevitable end of our culture will be oh so painful.

Maybe since our genetic blueprint hasn't really changed in the last ten thousand years or so, human nature hasn't either--we've always been as vicious, wasteful, intelligent or peace-loving as we are now. The stakes are just higher because human genetic tendencies are combined with technological evolution to make the effects exponentially greater. But I don't know if 'progress' is intrinsic to growth. Our society puts a lot of stock in writing, for example, but maybe oral traditions of the hunter-gatherers ninja talks about were more effective ways of filtering information. When everything important had to be literally remembered, a society would have far more chances of evaluating its worth, weeding out misinformation, etc...Libraries, or a over-technologized society, can be like the character in the Borges story (Funes the memorius?) where a character can't think because he remembers everything.
Cultural memory could vary within subgroups, whereas state memory is a top-down hegemonic structure, where an informational virus can infect millions with a single broadcast. Oral literatures might have been more like a game of chinese-whispers, where the message gets more truthful as it goes, instead of a bullhorn at a party meeting. That's why websites like this are good, kind of techno-primitive.

I do agree with the Federal Reserve for one.. But that is a mistake that can still be corrected. With enough political activism, and the education of the american public.

The other thing in american history I would change, is our stealing the land from the Indians. We could of learned to get along, to respect them and their soverignty. Many of the tribal governments I am familiar with, look at the big picture when making decisions. They dont act without considering the impact of future generations. Some have 7 generation rules. They must look at how their decisions will effect the next 7 generations of their tribe.

Most of the problems we have created for ourselves today, are because those making the decision do not consider the future consequences of their actions. We do not preserve our land, our waters, our food sources. We do not live in balance with nature, and we do not base every decision on how it will effect our Grandchildren's grandchildren. If we did really care about those future generations, we would choose to end our reliance on gas, *without the financial incentive*, school levy's would pass & every parent would show up to their PTO Meetings & school board meetings. If we did care, EVERYONE would VOTE.. If we did consider those future generations, would you really need to consume that BigMac or buy that Movie? What would you financial situation look like, if you considered your future generations on every decision?

If we did care about those future 7 generations, we would not of created the Federal Reserve, we would not of stripped social security, we would not underfund our schools or neglect our infrastructure. We would not strip acres of trees, in order to construct a subdivision. (and put one little tree in the front yard)

We are now getting to the point, that we can not ignore those consequences anymore. We find ourselves struggleing to preserve what is already lost. Our drinking water is already contaminated in most major cities. Estrogen levels in our water is causing higher levels of infertility and ED in men. Our children can not breathe the air, without asthma medicine. Its too late to reverse the decisions of our parents & grandparents. Its not our fault they did not consider us, their future, when they choose the paths they did. And yet, we are left to attempt to fix their mistakes.

BTW, the 7 generation is also now used by other enviromentalists in addition to indians as a guide to measure their decisions.. more info on that at http://www.sevengenerationsahead.org/about_us.html or http://www.tribalp2.org/pdf/7Generations.pdf