first off thanks for your field and It sounds very sane. I have been sane in the river in my part of the world, the western usa. where we have slightly more space than the uk, however being British i have been keeping a close eye on their control of movement. Because it not just about movement its about controlling primary instincts, something Ive been pondering alot on as I see this becoming a big push for self government as well as over government. time will tell !
"It became very clear to me that there are things that we have to feel in our hearts, we have to figure for ourselves when it comes to primary behavior. That making rules that control instinctual directives, hunger, sex, fighting, movement, having to enforce those rules is a loosing strategy. It is indeed no strategy and is not going to bring about communities of consciously aware and vibrant people. Is not going to reflect in anyway how just incredible and amazing humans are in our capacity to create beauty on this earth. At its best it is going to look like a form of soft enslavement with the people who enforce the rules (and get to eat, have sex travel and fight anyway they want) in charge, with the rest of us obeying."
You're bang on. This was a thought continuously floating around in my mind with respect to governments' Covid response. It sought to come between those things are primary and primal for humans - contact with others, being able to go to the side of loved ones in distress, seeing human faces. And the transhuman agenda - both the full-on explicit one and the stealthy covert one enacted by technology aims to do that to, to interpose, control and in some cases eradicate. I'll certainly check your essay out, thank you.
yeah i dont think we quite realise what the more "primitive " aspects of former cultures did for helping us manage and be in beauty with our prime directives. Meanwhile I do believe that we are being given an opportunity to reconnect in a way that would be profound. although I am a naive optimist. just talking with my husband about how all our cool old punk rock etc friends in the city (seattle) had no real qualms about the fact that I was denied access to cafe's venues restaurants etc because i wasn't vaxed. so we shall see. either way I hope that England will become a bit of a boiling point for the managerial agenda. have you read any of N.S Lyons? it's pretty profound and the best comprehensive writing on the cathedral or machine age that i have come across. https://theupheaval.substack.com/p/the-china-convergence
Having read your essay, I resonate with it. I feel that may of our troubles are a direct consequence of losing connection with Mother Earth. Indigenous peoples tell deaf and uncaring Westerners about this. I practice modern Druidry, share ceremonies and am esoterically inclined. My favourite practice is spending time in the countryside, sitting quietly and feeling the presence of Nature. It's amazing how animals and birds occasionally move to within a couple of metres of where I'm sat. This, along with an 8 week retreat on the side of a hill, a spring providing water for all my needs and dead wood to keep me warm in my home-built dome helped me reconnect. The land in question was part of a tree planting project I was involved in. I had to go to the nearest town every 8 days or so for provisions, however.
There is nothing new about councils and utility companies digging up roads in an uncoordinated manner, as the utility companies have limited staff numbers in the field (as opposed to in office roles) to undertake the works. And the idea that Britain is 'de-developing' by no longer giving priority to motor vehicles in urban areas is wrong. Rather, because Britain, like the rest of the Western world, did nothing for five decades to wean itself off its oil addiction, authoritarian measures are being put in place on the false pretext of a 'climate crisis'.
As the North Sea oil bonanza has been and gone, it is time to face the reality that Britain no longer has sufficient natural resources to maintain the lifestyles of the 1980's, 1990's and early 2000's. With regard to ULEZ, a better way to reduce vehicle exhaust emissions would be to amend the requirement for an MoT test certificate to align with the required level from a specific date, so no need for all of those surveillance cameras; though there are still numerous other non-ULEZ surveillance cameras installed maybe to enforce future lockdowns.
Thanks Alex, always thoughtful, ever erudite. Important points raised about the list of "don't wants" yet (often probably not always) a lack of clarity about what is needed, desired and attainable. It long felt to me that many of us sensed being caught between two sets of fear-mongering groups!
Perhaps for many of us, our list of "would likes" is made up of the opposite of what we no longer wish to have or be part of? However, I agree with you, that to actually progress in particular to move out of the place in which we currently find ourselves (you termed "The Field"; I often think of as No-Man's-Land) we absolutely need a goal, a destination. Further, for there to be freedom and contentment, I would suggest the goal must be of greater human value than "earn enough money to live on - and manage a holiday once a year". That truly is all many have and not a goal which reflects the intrinsic value and enormous creativity of humans.
Thank you for using your word-craft to bring the scurrying thoughts of our days into an homogenous one. Best wishes
I had the pleasure of meting Alex in a field, and interesting conversations were shared.
With regard to road closures, regardless of lack of workers, there has been a tendency for road closures to increase in recent years. The local "B" road has several closures every year. Local buses cannot run as there's no feasible alternative route. A closure on a main road resulted in my having to do a 30 minute detour to get home from the field. Before doing any journey, however small, I normally check the county council traffic website to check for closures and work out an alternative route where feasible. There are sometimes "pop-up" closures, however.
It would be most interesting to find a way of avoiding the dreaded CBDC. Some years ago, local "currencies" emerged, but I don't know what has happened to these. This would require good relations between community and small traders who disagree with CBDC. It boils down to: Where can we buy food and other necessities whilst avoiding CBDC?
One or two posts have mentioned community, and I agree that this is where the power of the people mainly lies. Consider community resilience, and enjoying good relations with your neighbours. Individual resilience can be developed by having a very well stocked larder with food rotation, a decent first aid kit and so on. This can be taken much further. Very useful for temporary food shortages, pandemics or if a person living alone falls ill. I've addressed this in detail and have put in the work to do this.
first off thanks for your field and It sounds very sane. I have been sane in the river in my part of the world, the western usa. where we have slightly more space than the uk, however being British i have been keeping a close eye on their control of movement. Because it not just about movement its about controlling primary instincts, something Ive been pondering alot on as I see this becoming a big push for self government as well as over government. time will tell !
"It became very clear to me that there are things that we have to feel in our hearts, we have to figure for ourselves when it comes to primary behavior. That making rules that control instinctual directives, hunger, sex, fighting, movement, having to enforce those rules is a loosing strategy. It is indeed no strategy and is not going to bring about communities of consciously aware and vibrant people. Is not going to reflect in anyway how just incredible and amazing humans are in our capacity to create beauty on this earth. At its best it is going to look like a form of soft enslavement with the people who enforce the rules (and get to eat, have sex travel and fight anyway they want) in charge, with the rest of us obeying."
if you want to read the rest of the essay its here: https://natashaclarke.substack.com/p/do-we-have-any-choice
You're bang on. This was a thought continuously floating around in my mind with respect to governments' Covid response. It sought to come between those things are primary and primal for humans - contact with others, being able to go to the side of loved ones in distress, seeing human faces. And the transhuman agenda - both the full-on explicit one and the stealthy covert one enacted by technology aims to do that to, to interpose, control and in some cases eradicate. I'll certainly check your essay out, thank you.
yeah i dont think we quite realise what the more "primitive " aspects of former cultures did for helping us manage and be in beauty with our prime directives. Meanwhile I do believe that we are being given an opportunity to reconnect in a way that would be profound. although I am a naive optimist. just talking with my husband about how all our cool old punk rock etc friends in the city (seattle) had no real qualms about the fact that I was denied access to cafe's venues restaurants etc because i wasn't vaxed. so we shall see. either way I hope that England will become a bit of a boiling point for the managerial agenda. have you read any of N.S Lyons? it's pretty profound and the best comprehensive writing on the cathedral or machine age that i have come across. https://theupheaval.substack.com/p/the-china-convergence
Having read your essay, I resonate with it. I feel that may of our troubles are a direct consequence of losing connection with Mother Earth. Indigenous peoples tell deaf and uncaring Westerners about this. I practice modern Druidry, share ceremonies and am esoterically inclined. My favourite practice is spending time in the countryside, sitting quietly and feeling the presence of Nature. It's amazing how animals and birds occasionally move to within a couple of metres of where I'm sat. This, along with an 8 week retreat on the side of a hill, a spring providing water for all my needs and dead wood to keep me warm in my home-built dome helped me reconnect. The land in question was part of a tree planting project I was involved in. I had to go to the nearest town every 8 days or so for provisions, however.
Sounds amazing and thanks for reading the essay! and for being with me as we work with the beautiful earth.
There is nothing new about councils and utility companies digging up roads in an uncoordinated manner, as the utility companies have limited staff numbers in the field (as opposed to in office roles) to undertake the works. And the idea that Britain is 'de-developing' by no longer giving priority to motor vehicles in urban areas is wrong. Rather, because Britain, like the rest of the Western world, did nothing for five decades to wean itself off its oil addiction, authoritarian measures are being put in place on the false pretext of a 'climate crisis'.
As the North Sea oil bonanza has been and gone, it is time to face the reality that Britain no longer has sufficient natural resources to maintain the lifestyles of the 1980's, 1990's and early 2000's. With regard to ULEZ, a better way to reduce vehicle exhaust emissions would be to amend the requirement for an MoT test certificate to align with the required level from a specific date, so no need for all of those surveillance cameras; though there are still numerous other non-ULEZ surveillance cameras installed maybe to enforce future lockdowns.
Thanks Alex, always thoughtful, ever erudite. Important points raised about the list of "don't wants" yet (often probably not always) a lack of clarity about what is needed, desired and attainable. It long felt to me that many of us sensed being caught between two sets of fear-mongering groups!
Perhaps for many of us, our list of "would likes" is made up of the opposite of what we no longer wish to have or be part of? However, I agree with you, that to actually progress in particular to move out of the place in which we currently find ourselves (you termed "The Field"; I often think of as No-Man's-Land) we absolutely need a goal, a destination. Further, for there to be freedom and contentment, I would suggest the goal must be of greater human value than "earn enough money to live on - and manage a holiday once a year". That truly is all many have and not a goal which reflects the intrinsic value and enormous creativity of humans.
Thank you for using your word-craft to bring the scurrying thoughts of our days into an homogenous one. Best wishes
I had the pleasure of meting Alex in a field, and interesting conversations were shared.
With regard to road closures, regardless of lack of workers, there has been a tendency for road closures to increase in recent years. The local "B" road has several closures every year. Local buses cannot run as there's no feasible alternative route. A closure on a main road resulted in my having to do a 30 minute detour to get home from the field. Before doing any journey, however small, I normally check the county council traffic website to check for closures and work out an alternative route where feasible. There are sometimes "pop-up" closures, however.
It would be most interesting to find a way of avoiding the dreaded CBDC. Some years ago, local "currencies" emerged, but I don't know what has happened to these. This would require good relations between community and small traders who disagree with CBDC. It boils down to: Where can we buy food and other necessities whilst avoiding CBDC?
One or two posts have mentioned community, and I agree that this is where the power of the people mainly lies. Consider community resilience, and enjoying good relations with your neighbours. Individual resilience can be developed by having a very well stocked larder with food rotation, a decent first aid kit and so on. This can be taken much further. Very useful for temporary food shortages, pandemics or if a person living alone falls ill. I've addressed this in detail and have put in the work to do this.