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permaculture - Re: [permaculture] Advance notes on Permaculture Standardsand Principals for NAPC

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  • From: "Scott Pittman" <scott@permaculture.org>
  • To: "'Koreen Brennan'" <cory8570@yahoo.com>, "'permaculture'" <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Advance notes on Permaculture Standardsand Principals for NAPC
  • Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 16:35:53 -0600

My definition of Capitalism is the economic system that currently rules the
planet. An economic system that is defined by unlimited growth based on
cheap labor and cheap natural resources. A system that is exploitative of
labor and our environment to create wealth that is held in the hands of a
very few with no restrictions on how they use of don't use such wealth.
Capitalism is dependent on usury to maintain its wealth accumulation.

If one needs a more in depth definition than the symptoms of Capitalism then
we can have that discussion too. But somehow we have to have a discussion,
at some point on does capitalism serve humanity; and where is the capitalist
principle found in nature?

I know this is a conversation that makes many uneasy, particularly if they
have visions of becoming members of the 1%, but I believe that our economic
system is the base of most of the wars, environmental destruction, social
injustice, and poverty that we currently are trying to address with
permaculture. If we are participating in such an economic system it makes
it very difficult to change such a system.

I do agree with Toby, however, in that it may be too big a subject to
address in the Principle and Standards discussion. Perhaps I will try to
organize a roundtable discussion on this that is independent of other
themes. I know that in Cuba this discussion evoked a very lively discussion
that ultimately reached no conclusions.

Scott Pittman
Director (there is more than one)
Permaculture Institute

"To change something build a new model that makes the existing model
obsolete" Buckminster Fuller






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