For me, ego revolution—where we consign the ego to its rightful place instead of letting it run amok—is tied in with Eastern spiritualism, where letting go of material possessions and choosing to “acquire” in the spiritual realm is the preferred road toward higher consciousness. It is even fashionable now to talk like this; you are “in” if you talk a good game. But few walk their talk. In North America, where most have much more than they need, it is easy to talk about psychological and spiritual principles with a full belly. Still, even conscious consumerism is an improvement on the blind, lustful consumerism that keeps the corporate-capitalist gears turning.
Below the border, however, where economic ups and downs are commonplace, we must sometimes tighten our belts and loosen it a few notches at others. Here, ego is not always predominant. We have learned to take advantage while the fishing is good, then hold on when the supply dries up.
Ego Revolution must begin in the United States, since that country is the biggest offender of all. Successive administrations try to fool the world with words of self-determination and democracy while warmongering and manipulating to grab and control all resources available, and some not available. Thus are its fat, self-centered people—who still act they´ve just landed from the Mayflower and are, moreover, superior to every other race and organism on this planet—made to feel content and happy to “look the other way.”
Europeans apparently have forgotten how it felt to suffice with less, because the generations that suffered the grim realities of war and learned how to make do, even when it meant eating scraps from the compost and all their mice as well, have died. But the memories haven’t lingered. Rather than taking these profound lessons in to their very DNA, these last generations have become instead whiny babies in the arms of their nanny governments.
China is steadily making up for centuries of lost time, modeling itself after the United States by enthusiastically joining in the spoils and sharing their gluttonous appetites with corrupt politicians all over the world.
South America, the “soft underbelly” of the first world—usually asleep, dancing, or playing futbol—has a new species of politician leading its countries these days. They have inordinately long fangs, and also want to join in the fun. Having wriggled their way into power from the “left,” pledging justice for the poor and needy, they are now and for decades to come in full control of the bounty. They are routinely seen selling our natural resources to the highest bidder.
A picnic in the park for financial vultures!
Corporate executives show up in their marvelous tinted glasses, rubbing their chubby soft hands while the “Indians” ooh and ahh at shipments of new Chinese cars and iPods, giving away acres of hills full iron, copper, gold and silver that have lain underground for millions of years. Contracts that now ensure shipment logistics from modern ports also ensure the destruction of kilometres of untrodden beaches and wildlife forever. Millions of hectares and water basins are being spoiled with the likes of Syngenta, DuPont, Monsanto, and Cargill poisons to produce poisonous food. And millions of hectares are now planted with eucalyptus trees to produce paper for supermarket bags.
Here an awakening call is required urgently for the people to rise and stop their draconian governments from continuing to sign these mega-contracts for “happy” programmes.
So! Consumerism is synonymous with Corporate Capitalism—an out-of-control economic system whose immense hunger is bringing the whole planet down on its knees. Corporate capitalism is driven not by principles or values but by unquenchable greed.
There has always been a class struggle among humans. The problem is that now we are seven billion struggling. Most of us live in cities, do not know how to sustain ourselves, and want urbanity to grow, as that is what we know and like—good roads, bridges, city comforts, and so on. “The Wilds” are in the way of “progress.”
Instant gratification is the currency of the day, and the treasures are huge for those who drive the greed machines, be they local, national, or global.
Those of us who love Nature and the Wilds are made to watch their slow-motion corporate-government-military rape across the globe. We sit unable to speak to those in power, handcuffed and unable to free ourselves and block the march to our planetary demise, overwhelmed by the rampant unconsciousness and the abuse of power. And like our precious planet, our Mother Earth, we cry out in pain.