I increasingly believe that much of our supposed ‘freedoms’ have an energetic foundation. When we can replace human and animal labour with technology powered by other means, a variety of ‘freedoms’ arise (but also some things that reduce ‘freedom’, depending on one’s perspective). With our leveraging of hydrocarbons—especially cheap and easily transportable oil—quite a number of ‘freedoms’ arrived. As we increasingly encounter diminishing returns on this source of energy ‘slaves’, it seems inevitable that a number of ‘freedoms’ will be lost; especially with a ruling elite that will want to ensure their share of a contracting economy remains secure. The rise of authoritarianism in complex societies appears to go hand-in-hand with resource depletion via diminishing returns and the elites fighting to preserve their revenue streams.
Makes me think of when I was in high school. When you got a hall pass, you were "free" to wander the halls. But if high school wasn't inherently tyrannical, you wouldn't need a hall pass. You would just go where you wanted and needed to go, and you wouldn't even think about a pass or that you have the freedom to move about on your own volition. It would just be how it is.
I peg the beginning of the need for freedom as the rise of grain agriculture, which seems to have arisen about the same time (~7,000 years ago) in at least three places: wheat in Mesopotamia, rice in the Orient, and corn in Mesoamerica.
This broke our ~293,000-year intimate relationship with food and the turn of the seasons.
Prior to grain agriculture, if we were hungry, we found some nearby food. We did this in smallish numbers of under ~150 or so, in which no one had anything they could really "hold over" others. Yea, there were skirmishes between tribes, but these were largely performative, and rarely fatal. Being banned from your tribe was a death sentence.
For the first time in human history, grain survived a turn of the seasons. It allowed storage, hoarding, and withholding. It resulted in social stratification, hierarchy, power-over, and rulers. It created both riches and poverty.
"If we can control fuel we can control the masses; if we can control food we can control individuals." — Henry Kissinger
Grain agriculture invented freedom. It may have also invented "need" and "want".
I'm not big on hope, viewing it as the irrational idea that some desire will be fulfilled without our own participation. But I do see seeds of hope in our current situation.
As fossil sunlight declines, so will complexity, including technology. Before we fire-monkeys became addicted to fossil sunlight, it took a dozen or more people working the land to support just one in the city. Today, each farmer supports about ~700 people in cities.
If something cannot continue, it will not continue.
As civilization breaks down, there may just be room for small, agrarian communities to thrive. But you can't wait until the last minute to divorce civilization!
First, grow food. As much as possible. Sprouts in a window sill. Scarlet runners on an apartment balcony. Potatoes on a city lot. Replace acres of suburban lawn with food.
Then, find others of like mind, and form a community of mutual support, preferably far from population centres. Within such a group, you may find that you've lost the need for "freedom".
Might be controversial to some but to me it's a timely reminder that true liberty begins with duty not freedoms.
And btw I inboxed you something.
I increasingly believe that much of our supposed ‘freedoms’ have an energetic foundation. When we can replace human and animal labour with technology powered by other means, a variety of ‘freedoms’ arise (but also some things that reduce ‘freedom’, depending on one’s perspective). With our leveraging of hydrocarbons—especially cheap and easily transportable oil—quite a number of ‘freedoms’ arrived. As we increasingly encounter diminishing returns on this source of energy ‘slaves’, it seems inevitable that a number of ‘freedoms’ will be lost; especially with a ruling elite that will want to ensure their share of a contracting economy remains secure. The rise of authoritarianism in complex societies appears to go hand-in-hand with resource depletion via diminishing returns and the elites fighting to preserve their revenue streams.
Makes me think of when I was in high school. When you got a hall pass, you were "free" to wander the halls. But if high school wasn't inherently tyrannical, you wouldn't need a hall pass. You would just go where you wanted and needed to go, and you wouldn't even think about a pass or that you have the freedom to move about on your own volition. It would just be how it is.
Very well put!
I peg the beginning of the need for freedom as the rise of grain agriculture, which seems to have arisen about the same time (~7,000 years ago) in at least three places: wheat in Mesopotamia, rice in the Orient, and corn in Mesoamerica.
This broke our ~293,000-year intimate relationship with food and the turn of the seasons.
Prior to grain agriculture, if we were hungry, we found some nearby food. We did this in smallish numbers of under ~150 or so, in which no one had anything they could really "hold over" others. Yea, there were skirmishes between tribes, but these were largely performative, and rarely fatal. Being banned from your tribe was a death sentence.
For the first time in human history, grain survived a turn of the seasons. It allowed storage, hoarding, and withholding. It resulted in social stratification, hierarchy, power-over, and rulers. It created both riches and poverty.
"If we can control fuel we can control the masses; if we can control food we can control individuals." — Henry Kissinger
Grain agriculture invented freedom. It may have also invented "need" and "want".
I'm not big on hope, viewing it as the irrational idea that some desire will be fulfilled without our own participation. But I do see seeds of hope in our current situation.
As fossil sunlight declines, so will complexity, including technology. Before we fire-monkeys became addicted to fossil sunlight, it took a dozen or more people working the land to support just one in the city. Today, each farmer supports about ~700 people in cities.
If something cannot continue, it will not continue.
As civilization breaks down, there may just be room for small, agrarian communities to thrive. But you can't wait until the last minute to divorce civilization!
First, grow food. As much as possible. Sprouts in a window sill. Scarlet runners on an apartment balcony. Potatoes on a city lot. Replace acres of suburban lawn with food.
Then, find others of like mind, and form a community of mutual support, preferably far from population centres. Within such a group, you may find that you've lost the need for "freedom".