Flux

It is clear that civilization is a war against life; it was founded in the domination of other species, and in its present maturity has dealt a devastating blow to biotic diversity worldwide. Most people involved in this debacle wouldn't point to the destruction of biological diversity as the overarching goal of their culture, so what would they point to? I think most people's responses would unite in a theme of "progress" towards some achievable goal of human prosperity. This myth of "progress" (a single course for all humanity to follow) is central to the civilized culture.

Politics is the futile steering of this unstoppable train of "progress" to the left or to the right before its inevitable destruction. Liberals are in denial about the true make-up of civilization. They fantasize about "progress" towards a utopia of social equality. The conservatives in power seem to be more accepting of the inherent oppressiveness of civilization and thus dream of "progress" towards increasing wealth and development. The obsession with attaining some higher state of being, not currently realized, is also manifested in religion (the Christian heaven and the Buddhist nirvana). Could it be that these desires for “salvation” and “enlightenment” were fabricated by people who weren’t very happy with their place in the world? “Progress” is so appealing because we all want to move away from the wretched state of affairs civilization has presented us with.

Combined with anthropocentrism and "faith" in governments, gods, and other abstract ideologies, “progress” is the social fuel of civilization. It is what causes people to build dams, skyscrapers, and shopping malls. It is grounds for the perpetration of genocide. It convinces people they are working themselves to death for “the good of society”. It puts people on a frantic treadmill of production, becoming sick and abused. There is a prevalent fear of wasting away one’s life because of this cultural urge to get somewhere. But what you find when you rid yourself of distractions is that there is no need to go anywhere or do anything because the Earth is our home and it’s just fine and lovely without our “improvement”. In fact, life is most enjoyable when doing nothing at all but eating, sleeping, making love, and enjoying the wonders of our surroundings. This leisurely way of life is the way of the native, and the reason why many indigenous people have been accused of being “lazy”. By practicing the art of nothing, humans can be at balance with the entirety of life and the elements. This eternal cyclical relationship contrasts with the linear dead-end route of civilized “progress”. Civilization is comprised of a species that is foolishly lost. You don't have to fight your way home, you can drift.