This is one of the greatest, most accurate breakdowns of the current system I have ever consumed. Rage against the machine. Destroy Citizens United and all who defend it.
This is a very serious article that impacts all of us because we've been too trusting of employers and politicians. Both groups use charm to bind us to their ends for their wealth to grow while they take no control over those parts that impact our lives so badly: poor and unreliable transport; appalling housing; decent food priced out of the ability of so many to buy; clothing almost unfit to purchase...
Employers and politicians can tell untruths with impunity. It is time we ignored their lies and demanded our rights as human beings to a decent standard.
And now you speak not only as an observer and truth-teller, but as a prophet. A prophet doesn't only scold and warn. S/he asks, no begs, no prays that we see the way things are and turn around before it's too late. Why else prophesy? Thanks for this.
So unfortunately, with all that long sight no solution appears. When you have been outplayed the whole game there is no endgame miracle. The vast majority of Americans don't even read this stuff. They play video games and consume beer and sports while being programmed by expensive adds inserted between plays. We just aren't that evolved yet. So cycles of pain are required? Is that it?
True, tho I was heartened by the owner of the company that makes my Muesli giving away his company to his employees at his end. Sorta advances the thought a little bit.
But I am not sure this is a “cycle” that we are going to get ourselves out of. Sorry to sound pessimistic, but think of the thousands of items William has pointed out (or by reference pointed out) that would need to be course corrected. This feels like a failed experiment which we all needed to have insight into in the early 1980’s. The Heritage Foundation or its predecessors have been working on how to tear down the system since “The New Deal”. The inflection points William points out were being applied methodically and with an end game in mind…labor as the product, wealth to the owners. There is no quick fix. There is no grand uprising of the populous to change this. Sure, there are protests, but if you want to put a bite into it you need prolonged strikes. And when you are leveraged to the teeth, who will do that? Do we even have enough union strength to pull that off at the moment? Unlikely. I was in despair. Now I think I am nearing acceptance. But I also need to decide what I do for myself and my family. I’d love someone to convince me of a plan to turn this around. A real plan.
I think that fixing the current system, if at all possible, will take a very long time, or it will eventually colapse in on itself. Either way, those who don't prepare will be in for a rude awakening.
So I'm thinking about it this way; if you're most likely to lose a fight head to head, for make no mistake, this is a fight, or only delay the inevitable, should you even try? I'd say that is the last resort when you have no other choice, when you're cornered with no way to escape. I'd even go so far as to say they want you to fight, preferably in the open, so they can identify who still got a fight left in them, and gloat when they overwhelm you. They like their game, and they want you to play it while they change the rules to their benefit as the game goes on.
So what do you do? What's the alternatives?
You're expressing a deep and thoughtful concern about the state of the world—one that resonates with many who feel disillusioned by systems that seem rigged, unaccountable, or unsustainable. Your metaphor of a rigged game, where open resistance is anticipated and even desired by those in power, is a powerful one. It suggests a need for strategy, not just strength.
So, if direct confrontation is a trap, what are the alternatives? Here are a few paths that people often consider when facing such a scenario:
---
### **1. Parallel Systems (Building Outside the System)**
Instead of fighting the system head-on, some choose to **build alternatives**:
- **Local economies**: Barter networks, local currencies, or decentralized finance.
- **Food sovereignty**: Growing your own food, community-supported agriculture.
- **Alternative education**: Homeschooling, unschooling, or community learning hubs.
This is about **resilience**—creating systems that can survive or even thrive when the dominant one falters.
---
### **2. Strategic Withdrawal (Opting Out)**
Sometimes called “exit over voice,” this means **reducing your dependency** on the system:
- Living off-grid or semi-off-grid.
- Minimizing digital footprints.
- Reducing financial entanglement with centralized institutions.
- Practicing minimalism and self-sufficiency.
This isn’t surrender—it’s a form of quiet resistance and preservation.
---
### **3. Subversion from Within**
Some choose to **work within the system** to change it:
- Entering politics, law, or media to influence from the inside.
- Supporting whistleblowers, investigative journalism, or watchdog organizations.
- Educating others and raising awareness in subtle, strategic ways.
This path is risky but can be powerful when done with integrity and long-term vision.
---
### **4. Cultural Resistance**
Culture shapes reality. Art, music, storytelling, and humor can:
- Undermine dominant narratives.
- Inspire new ways of thinking.
- Build solidarity and morale.
Movements often begin with a shift in culture before they become political or structural.
---
### **5. Psychological and Spiritual Fortification**
In times of uncertainty, **inner strength** becomes crucial:
- Meditation, philosophy, or spiritual practice.
- Building strong relationships and communities.
- Developing emotional resilience and clarity of purpose.
This is about preparing the mind and spirit for whatever comes.
---
### Final Thought:
You’re right—this is a kind of fight. But not all fights are won with fists or protests. Some are won with patience, preparation, and quiet defiance. The key is to **choose your battlefield wisely**, and to act not out of fear or rage, but out of vision and principle.
Would you like to explore any of these paths more deeply—maybe strategies for building resilience, or examples of successful parallel systems?
Thank you for your very thoughtful response. It is obvious you have spent many hours researching options which I appreciate your sharing with me. I now need to read through each idea and see what fits the best. It helps to lift me into action.
I sent you this message via reply here a day or so ago. I didn't receive a positive or negative answer. Therefore, I don't know if you saw it. so, I'm sending it again. Please respond negatively if this isn't of interest to you. thanks. P. Would you be interested in a side discussion about solutions? If so please email me at munson.p@icloud.com
Parallel systems are essentially **alternative structures** that operate independently or semi-independently from dominant institutions—like governments, corporations, or centralized technologies. They’re designed to **increase autonomy, resilience, and community self-reliance**, especially in times when mainstream systems are failing or untrustworthy.
Here’s a deeper look at the key areas where parallel systems are being built:
---
### 🌾 1. **Food Systems**
- **Community-supported agriculture (CSA)**: Local farms supported directly by consumers.
Here are some **real-world examples** of parallel systems in action—across different domains and parts of the world. These aren't just ideas; they're functioning alternatives that people have built to reclaim autonomy and resilience:
---
### 🌾 **Food & Agriculture**
- **La Via Campesina** (Global): A movement of millions of small farmers advocating for food sovereignty and agroecology.
- **Detroit Black Community Food Security Network** (USA): Builds urban farms and food co-ops to address food apartheid.
- **Incredible Edible Todmorden** (UK): A town-wide initiative where public spaces are used to grow free food for everyone.
---
### 💰 **Economy & Currency**
- **Sardex** (Italy): A regional currency that helps local businesses trade without relying on euros.
- **WIR Bank** (Switzerland): A complementary currency system that has supported small businesses since 1934.
- **FairCoop** (Global): A cooperative ecosystem using the FairCoin cryptocurrency to support ethical trade and mutual aid.
---
### 🏡 **Housing & Community**
- **Twin Oaks Community** (Virginia, USA): An intentional community based on egalitarian values, income-sharing, and sustainability.
- **Mietshäuser Syndikat** (Germany): A network of housing cooperatives that removes property from the speculative market.
- **Earthship Biotecture** (Global): Off-grid homes built from recycled materials, designed for self-sufficiency.
---
### 📚 **Education**
- **Sudbury Schools** (Global): Schools where students direct their own learning in a democratic environment.
- **School of Everything** (UK): A platform for peer-to-peer learning and teaching.
- **Tamera** (Portugal): A peace research village with its own education system focused on ecology, community, and healing.
---
### 🌐 **Technology & Communication**
- **Guifi.net** (Spain): A massive community-owned mesh network providing internet access in rural areas.
- **Matrix.org**: An open network for secure, decentralized communication.
- **FreedomBox**: A personal server that enables private, decentralized internet services.
---
### 🏥 **Health & Wellness**
- **Street Medics** (Global): Volunteer health workers providing care during protests and in underserved communities.
- **Barefoot College** (India): Trains rural women in solar engineering and basic healthcare.
- **Common Ground Health Clinic** (New Orleans, USA): A community-run clinic born out of Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath.
---
### 🛠️ **Governance & Mutual Aid**
- **Zapatista Autonomous Municipalities** (Chiapas, Mexico): Indigenous communities with their own schools, clinics, and governance.
- **Mutual Aid Disaster Relief** (USA): Grassroots disaster response based on solidarity, not charity.
- **Extinction Rebellion’s Citizens’ Assemblies**: A model for participatory democracy outside traditional politics.
---
These examples show that **parallel systems are not utopian fantasies**—they’re already here, often thriving in the margins. They may not replace the dominant system overnight, but they offer **blueprints for resilience, dignity, and autonomy**.
Would you like to dive deeper into any of these—maybe how to start something similar where you are, or how to connect with existing networks?
Great summary. Add in the relentless propaganda of "Rugged Individualism" and you've basically assured a population that won't band together and rise up.
I agree with this, but I also saw glimmers of light in the Biden Administration policies, which of course didn’t reach anything close to full potential. But the tax policy, attempts to reign in private equity, FTC policy, efforts to invest throughout the country rather than just the coasts— these might have begun a reversal if they had played out (and if bureaucratic norms hadn’t made the rollout crazy slow). This isn’t a political defense— I’m really asking if you believe the steps they were trying to take would have born fruit over time in the fight to reverse the neoliberal slide.
Very thought provoking. Especially if you read your piece with echoes of Ludnick shining eyed predictions of Americans working for generations in factories building phones. I think that is a "lure" based on their parents and grandparent's life. It is part of Make America Great Again. Except this time we will be serfs for the wealthy. We will work the factories, pick the crops, clean the toilets. But we will never again be told we can or should be anything else.
It’s not a “person” at the root of this problem, capitalism itself has become a cancer, living and invading every nook of our American life. Over 300 yrs of capitalism, the ubiquitous “windfall profit” of the lucky Dutch traders has become the expected “vig “ of the Wall Street banker seeking higher profits and amplifying them by devising arcane schemes such as credit default swaps.
It is impossible for the acolytes of the religion of “the market” or capitalism writ large to ever say …..” I have enough …”. There is never enough.
And, is the remedy for these ills that consume our American middle class not also the remedy for that which consumes and devours our world’s ecosystem via carbon release?
That is, a greedy economic system that subjugates the 99% for the benefit of the 1%, even if it degrades all of humanity.
I will spread this widely because it's a conversation that we all need to work together to spark. I see groups of people coming together all across the nation to discuss this, dissect it, and pinpoint areas
in their own lives where this disease has permeated the architecture. The question with which I am now left is: "Now what?"
This is one of the greatest, most accurate breakdowns of the current system I have ever consumed. Rage against the machine. Destroy Citizens United and all who defend it.
This is a very serious article that impacts all of us because we've been too trusting of employers and politicians. Both groups use charm to bind us to their ends for their wealth to grow while they take no control over those parts that impact our lives so badly: poor and unreliable transport; appalling housing; decent food priced out of the ability of so many to buy; clothing almost unfit to purchase...
Employers and politicians can tell untruths with impunity. It is time we ignored their lies and demanded our rights as human beings to a decent standard.
And now you speak not only as an observer and truth-teller, but as a prophet. A prophet doesn't only scold and warn. S/he asks, no begs, no prays that we see the way things are and turn around before it's too late. Why else prophesy? Thanks for this.
So unfortunately, with all that long sight no solution appears. When you have been outplayed the whole game there is no endgame miracle. The vast majority of Americans don't even read this stuff. They play video games and consume beer and sports while being programmed by expensive adds inserted between plays. We just aren't that evolved yet. So cycles of pain are required? Is that it?
True, tho I was heartened by the owner of the company that makes my Muesli giving away his company to his employees at his end. Sorta advances the thought a little bit.
Would you be interested in a side discussion about solutions? If so please email me at munson.p@icloud.com
But I am not sure this is a “cycle” that we are going to get ourselves out of. Sorry to sound pessimistic, but think of the thousands of items William has pointed out (or by reference pointed out) that would need to be course corrected. This feels like a failed experiment which we all needed to have insight into in the early 1980’s. The Heritage Foundation or its predecessors have been working on how to tear down the system since “The New Deal”. The inflection points William points out were being applied methodically and with an end game in mind…labor as the product, wealth to the owners. There is no quick fix. There is no grand uprising of the populous to change this. Sure, there are protests, but if you want to put a bite into it you need prolonged strikes. And when you are leveraged to the teeth, who will do that? Do we even have enough union strength to pull that off at the moment? Unlikely. I was in despair. Now I think I am nearing acceptance. But I also need to decide what I do for myself and my family. I’d love someone to convince me of a plan to turn this around. A real plan.
I think that fixing the current system, if at all possible, will take a very long time, or it will eventually colapse in on itself. Either way, those who don't prepare will be in for a rude awakening.
So I'm thinking about it this way; if you're most likely to lose a fight head to head, for make no mistake, this is a fight, or only delay the inevitable, should you even try? I'd say that is the last resort when you have no other choice, when you're cornered with no way to escape. I'd even go so far as to say they want you to fight, preferably in the open, so they can identify who still got a fight left in them, and gloat when they overwhelm you. They like their game, and they want you to play it while they change the rules to their benefit as the game goes on.
So what do you do? What's the alternatives?
You're expressing a deep and thoughtful concern about the state of the world—one that resonates with many who feel disillusioned by systems that seem rigged, unaccountable, or unsustainable. Your metaphor of a rigged game, where open resistance is anticipated and even desired by those in power, is a powerful one. It suggests a need for strategy, not just strength.
So, if direct confrontation is a trap, what are the alternatives? Here are a few paths that people often consider when facing such a scenario:
---
### **1. Parallel Systems (Building Outside the System)**
Instead of fighting the system head-on, some choose to **build alternatives**:
- **Local economies**: Barter networks, local currencies, or decentralized finance.
- **Food sovereignty**: Growing your own food, community-supported agriculture.
- **Alternative education**: Homeschooling, unschooling, or community learning hubs.
- **Tech autonomy**: Open-source tools, decentralized internet, privacy-focused platforms.
This is about **resilience**—creating systems that can survive or even thrive when the dominant one falters.
---
### **2. Strategic Withdrawal (Opting Out)**
Sometimes called “exit over voice,” this means **reducing your dependency** on the system:
- Living off-grid or semi-off-grid.
- Minimizing digital footprints.
- Reducing financial entanglement with centralized institutions.
- Practicing minimalism and self-sufficiency.
This isn’t surrender—it’s a form of quiet resistance and preservation.
---
### **3. Subversion from Within**
Some choose to **work within the system** to change it:
- Entering politics, law, or media to influence from the inside.
- Supporting whistleblowers, investigative journalism, or watchdog organizations.
- Educating others and raising awareness in subtle, strategic ways.
This path is risky but can be powerful when done with integrity and long-term vision.
---
### **4. Cultural Resistance**
Culture shapes reality. Art, music, storytelling, and humor can:
- Undermine dominant narratives.
- Inspire new ways of thinking.
- Build solidarity and morale.
Movements often begin with a shift in culture before they become political or structural.
---
### **5. Psychological and Spiritual Fortification**
In times of uncertainty, **inner strength** becomes crucial:
- Meditation, philosophy, or spiritual practice.
- Building strong relationships and communities.
- Developing emotional resilience and clarity of purpose.
This is about preparing the mind and spirit for whatever comes.
---
### Final Thought:
You’re right—this is a kind of fight. But not all fights are won with fists or protests. Some are won with patience, preparation, and quiet defiance. The key is to **choose your battlefield wisely**, and to act not out of fear or rage, but out of vision and principle.
Would you like to explore any of these paths more deeply—maybe strategies for building resilience, or examples of successful parallel systems?
Thank you for your very thoughtful response. It is obvious you have spent many hours researching options which I appreciate your sharing with me. I now need to read through each idea and see what fits the best. It helps to lift me into action.
I sent you this message via reply here a day or so ago. I didn't receive a positive or negative answer. Therefore, I don't know if you saw it. so, I'm sending it again. Please respond negatively if this isn't of interest to you. thanks. P. Would you be interested in a side discussion about solutions? If so please email me at munson.p@icloud.com
Would you be interested in a side discussion about solutions? If so please email me at munson.p@icloud.com
Tell me more about parallel systems.
Parallel systems are essentially **alternative structures** that operate independently or semi-independently from dominant institutions—like governments, corporations, or centralized technologies. They’re designed to **increase autonomy, resilience, and community self-reliance**, especially in times when mainstream systems are failing or untrustworthy.
Here’s a deeper look at the key areas where parallel systems are being built:
---
### 🌾 1. **Food Systems**
- **Community-supported agriculture (CSA)**: Local farms supported directly by consumers.
- **Permaculture & regenerative farming**: Sustainable, closed-loop food production.
- **Urban gardening & food forests**: Turning cities into food-producing ecosystems.
- **Seed banks & heirloom seeds**: Preserving biodiversity and independence from agro-corporations.
---
### 💰 2. **Economic Systems**
- **Local currencies** (e.g., BerkShares, Bristol Pound): Keep value circulating locally.
- **Time banks**: Trade services based on time, not money.
- **Cryptocurrencies & DeFi**: Decentralized finance that bypasses traditional banks.
- **Worker cooperatives**: Businesses owned and run by their workers.
---
### 🏡 3. **Housing & Community**
- **Intentional communities**: Groups living together with shared values and resources.
- **Co-housing**: Private homes with shared common spaces and responsibilities.
- **Land trusts**: Community-owned land to prevent speculation and displacement.
---
### 📚 4. **Education**
- **Unschooling / homeschooling**: Child-led learning outside formal institutions.
- **Learning cooperatives**: Families or communities pooling resources to educate.
- **Skill-sharing networks**: Peer-to-peer learning in everything from carpentry to coding.
---
### 🌐 5. **Technology & Communication**
- **Mesh networks**: Decentralized internet infrastructure.
- **Open-source software**: Transparent, community-developed tools.
- **Encrypted communication**: Tools like Signal or Matrix for secure messaging.
- **Decentralized platforms**: Alternatives to Big Tech (e.g., Mastodon, PeerTube).
---
### 🏥 6. **Health & Wellness**
- **Community health networks**: Local clinics, herbalists, and mutual aid.
- **Alternative medicine**: Holistic and traditional healing practices.
- **Mental health circles**: Peer support and trauma-informed care outside institutions.
---
### 🛠️ 7. **Governance & Justice**
- **Consensus-based decision-making**: Used in many intentional communities.
- **Restorative justice**: Focuses on healing rather than punishment.
- **Mutual aid networks**: Communities helping each other directly in times of need.
---
### Why Parallel Systems Matter:
- They **reduce dependency** on fragile or corrupt systems.
- They **build community** and local resilience.
- They **model alternatives** that can scale or inspire broader change.
- They **empower individuals** to take back control over essential aspects of life.
---
Would you like to explore **real-world examples** of these systems in action, or maybe get ideas for how to start building or joining one yourself?
What are some real-world examples?
Here are some **real-world examples** of parallel systems in action—across different domains and parts of the world. These aren't just ideas; they're functioning alternatives that people have built to reclaim autonomy and resilience:
---
### 🌾 **Food & Agriculture**
- **La Via Campesina** (Global): A movement of millions of small farmers advocating for food sovereignty and agroecology.
- **Detroit Black Community Food Security Network** (USA): Builds urban farms and food co-ops to address food apartheid.
- **Incredible Edible Todmorden** (UK): A town-wide initiative where public spaces are used to grow free food for everyone.
---
### 💰 **Economy & Currency**
- **Sardex** (Italy): A regional currency that helps local businesses trade without relying on euros.
- **WIR Bank** (Switzerland): A complementary currency system that has supported small businesses since 1934.
- **FairCoop** (Global): A cooperative ecosystem using the FairCoin cryptocurrency to support ethical trade and mutual aid.
---
### 🏡 **Housing & Community**
- **Twin Oaks Community** (Virginia, USA): An intentional community based on egalitarian values, income-sharing, and sustainability.
- **Mietshäuser Syndikat** (Germany): A network of housing cooperatives that removes property from the speculative market.
- **Earthship Biotecture** (Global): Off-grid homes built from recycled materials, designed for self-sufficiency.
---
### 📚 **Education**
- **Sudbury Schools** (Global): Schools where students direct their own learning in a democratic environment.
- **School of Everything** (UK): A platform for peer-to-peer learning and teaching.
- **Tamera** (Portugal): A peace research village with its own education system focused on ecology, community, and healing.
---
### 🌐 **Technology & Communication**
- **Guifi.net** (Spain): A massive community-owned mesh network providing internet access in rural areas.
- **Matrix.org**: An open network for secure, decentralized communication.
- **FreedomBox**: A personal server that enables private, decentralized internet services.
---
### 🏥 **Health & Wellness**
- **Street Medics** (Global): Volunteer health workers providing care during protests and in underserved communities.
- **Barefoot College** (India): Trains rural women in solar engineering and basic healthcare.
- **Common Ground Health Clinic** (New Orleans, USA): A community-run clinic born out of Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath.
---
### 🛠️ **Governance & Mutual Aid**
- **Zapatista Autonomous Municipalities** (Chiapas, Mexico): Indigenous communities with their own schools, clinics, and governance.
- **Mutual Aid Disaster Relief** (USA): Grassroots disaster response based on solidarity, not charity.
- **Extinction Rebellion’s Citizens’ Assemblies**: A model for participatory democracy outside traditional politics.
---
These examples show that **parallel systems are not utopian fantasies**—they’re already here, often thriving in the margins. They may not replace the dominant system overnight, but they offer **blueprints for resilience, dignity, and autonomy**.
Would you like to dive deeper into any of these—maybe how to start something similar where you are, or how to connect with existing networks?
So personally, I'm currently looking to join an existing intentional community.
https://communityfinders.com/red-flags-in-intentional-communities/
Would you be interested in a side discussion about solutions? If so please email me at munson.p@icloud.com
You're absolutely correct. Most of the population are ignorant sheep.
Would you be interested in a side discussion about solutions? If so please email me at munson.p@icloud.com
Great summary. Add in the relentless propaganda of "Rugged Individualism" and you've basically assured a population that won't band together and rise up.
This is the vague thought/feeling I’ve been having for a while. And to think the orange, old, fat, crude boy is their face/tool!
"the door locks silently" — but always & only behind you.
Excellent summary on where we are, and how we got here. Thank you for the truth.
I agree with Rhonda above. Any solutions or hope for us?
I like to think hope lies in expanding the conversations such as these to excavate the roots of human nature which got us here and retrain them.
I agree with this, but I also saw glimmers of light in the Biden Administration policies, which of course didn’t reach anything close to full potential. But the tax policy, attempts to reign in private equity, FTC policy, efforts to invest throughout the country rather than just the coasts— these might have begun a reversal if they had played out (and if bureaucratic norms hadn’t made the rollout crazy slow). This isn’t a political defense— I’m really asking if you believe the steps they were trying to take would have born fruit over time in the fight to reverse the neoliberal slide.
Crystal clear and plenty of examples to pick from, not just in the US. Sad to see how I, at some points in time, completely bought into the narrative.
A population trained to blame the symptoms—crime, poverty, burnout, apathy—but never the design. Great writing.
Very thought provoking. Especially if you read your piece with echoes of Ludnick shining eyed predictions of Americans working for generations in factories building phones. I think that is a "lure" based on their parents and grandparent's life. It is part of Make America Great Again. Except this time we will be serfs for the wealthy. We will work the factories, pick the crops, clean the toilets. But we will never again be told we can or should be anything else.
It’s not a “person” at the root of this problem, capitalism itself has become a cancer, living and invading every nook of our American life. Over 300 yrs of capitalism, the ubiquitous “windfall profit” of the lucky Dutch traders has become the expected “vig “ of the Wall Street banker seeking higher profits and amplifying them by devising arcane schemes such as credit default swaps.
It is impossible for the acolytes of the religion of “the market” or capitalism writ large to ever say …..” I have enough …”. There is never enough.
And, is the remedy for these ills that consume our American middle class not also the remedy for that which consumes and devours our world’s ecosystem via carbon release?
That is, a greedy economic system that subjugates the 99% for the benefit of the 1%, even if it degrades all of humanity.
I will spread this widely because it's a conversation that we all need to work together to spark. I see groups of people coming together all across the nation to discuss this, dissect it, and pinpoint areas
in their own lives where this disease has permeated the architecture. The question with which I am now left is: "Now what?"
elaboration of the observation that the people here & now are subject to colonisation methods previously restrained to the foreign
I think this is your greatest post. Thank you.