Sustainability and fear
Disclaimer: The original blog is modified to omit any references to actual locations as I am fearful as well. It works!
In first-world countries, the word sustainability is on the front page of the news, political debates, and economical plans. What a noble idea is to save the world, and secure long-term future generations in conjunction with the prosperity of our earth. It is an attempt to connect to our roots. Sustainability means living in unison with the earth. The admirable goal for the whole society or economy.
Modern white society is underlined with fear.
But the modern white society is underlined with fear, it is motivated, structured, held together, and controlled by the fear of its members. The clearest example of it was in one of the manicured, perfect, white upper-class countries we visited. It is governed and manipulated by a heavy load of insurance policies and legal rules. Like a heavy blanket that keeps all the worries away, it lays over the whole country, protecting its citizens from the outside world and from the truth. The utopian bliss of a gated community expanded to the country scale. The entrance itself to the county and engagement with society entirely depends on the person's ability to provide a certain level of insurance and savings in the bank account. It works as a sifter, as a screening policy. No insurance – no entry. No cash – no engagement.
If in totalitarian counties the government uses punishment to keep everyone intact, here it is achieved through elaborate and sophisticated mechanisms of insurance and micromanagement laws. But in the background lays the old white privileged fear.
The blanket of protection slowly transformed into the rigid, impenetrable crust of shield from anyone and anything that tries to come into contact with this affluent, perfect white society. The pandemic of the last two years only supported and stabilized the position of snobby, well-do, better-than-anyone construction. It has an old history, coming from the British empire, and a sense of entitlement.
It is rooted deep into several centuries of occupation and implementation of crown laws.
Where is sustainability in it? Sustainability for privileged ones?
Walking on the streets of one of the port cities in this society, it is hard not to notice a fusion of fruity clothes, gluttonous customers, and unconcerned attitudes. There are no flies, and no mosquitoes, but coming from the ocean, you can smell a distinct strong artificial smell. The city feels disinfected and polished but operated as a big marionette theatre. Where is true life? Nature protection is based on the goal of making a business out of it. There is no genuine love for generations. It is a matter of compliance with laws and business agendas.
Nobody cares if the child is out of school, the laws require a family to have income, payments, insurance, and so on. Nobody cares if you can’t borrow a book, again you need societal acceptance, but only through the financial and bureaucratic paths.
This is the perfect world where the first time since moving through a number of countries we must lock our boat and dinghy.