given high-status executive positions are systemically limited in what they can do by hundreds of factors, because humans know not to trust one another very far. But this isn ’ t an inevitable feature of a conscious species. It ’ s possible for a race to be sapient, and to let the smartest minds make the most important decisions. Making this happen means learning to trust individuals with autonomy, and that means being trustworthy yourself. I would trust any member of my species to make decisions on behalf of my planet, because we no longer fear one another, seek relative advantage, or feel diminished by another ’ s good fortune. Once that happens, a very different sort of society can emerge. Despite the human adage to the contrary, absolute power only corrupts jerks adhering to the gene agenda. Once a species passes beyond the “ ubiquitous jerk ” stage, the dynamic that keeps a population as dumb as an amoeba can be transcended. I recommend it.
The Bottom Line: The human gene agenda, when multiplied by a large population, creates the emergent property of a mindless superorganism. We ’ re all passengers and there ’ s nobody driving the bus.
The Moat Surrounding the Castle of Sustainable Futures
“ For the children, mine and yours.
For the parents, mine and yours.
For the generations who have not yet arrived, mine and yours.
For the generations who came before, mine and you.
You were wild once, don ’ t let them tame you. ”
— Isadora Duncan
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