Wash, Rinse, repeat…

What could go wrong?

Teach your children well. They will grow up to be pillars of the community. Do as I say, not as I do. This is the way we do things around here. The cream will rise to the top? Is it not true that our species has continued this way for thousands of years?
For countless generations we repeat each society and culture this cycle. It works, doesn’t it? What about the civilizations and cultures which no longer exist? Did they cease to exist because of their own internal cultural processes? Did they cease to exist because of naturally occurring events? Did a natural disaster lead to their demise? Certainly we can add more and more questions. We can continue to wonder.
As a species we need only investigate the recorded history we have available. Are there patterns? Did we do the best that we could do? As a species, did we follow the social rules of the era? Was there a timeless continuance that reflecting was out of step with natural cycles?
A diverse biosphere on a medium-size planet around a medium-sized star. Can we arrive at probability by observing other species? To be more precise, “beyond a reasonable doubt”, is our path in harmony with natural biological cycles? If not, are there obvious errors in perception and judgement?
Can we arrive at a new understanding? Perhaps! In order to achieve a new understanding, reason and logic are necessary. The preamble for reason and logic is an accumulation of data. How do we accumulate data? Through observation, life experiences, and the individual ability to keep this data as retrievable memory. As time passes, we encounter more experiences; we developed accumulation of memories. From time to time each of us finds ourselves with the need to arrive at a new understanding or conclusion. The more time that has passed, the more experiences, the more memories, the more data points available. Data points either together or individually allow for a decision. What is the outcome positive or negative, was the situation better or worse? This entire scenario requires the individual’s mind to be inquisitive. The ability in real time, to continually run an internal subroutine, which asks “why”. The ability to reflect and compare.
What observations can we make in our recent recorded history? As a species, did we make the best decisions available? In hindsight, can we do better? Centuries have passed, more history recorded, there are significantly more data points to be evaluated to substantiate change.
Have there been negative outcomes which we can conclude after examining recorded histories? Reflecting back from the 21st century, did colonialism precipitate negative consequences. From the perspective of indigenous peoples, negative consequences would be an obvious conclusion. Have we proved “beyond a reasonable doubt”, colonialism perpetrating Western European ideology to be biologically superior? On the surface, 74 million voters in the United States, populism at its finest, would insist that this direction requires greater perfection and continuance. And considering the previous presidency, does the democratic process achieve for “the greater good”? What about apartheid in South Africa? Did you know? It categorized the indigenous people of Australia before 1962 as property along with cattle. Perhaps from the 21st-century this was a negative consequence for Australian indigenous peoples. Looking forward to an earlier time, it was the logical and reasonable conclusion. We didn’t know any better? Populism of those earlier times established the cultural, ethnic and race boundaries and practices. A conclusion hypothetically put forward. An indigenous individual from New Zealand can biologically be the next “Einstein”. Through our current understanding of biology, the expansion of understanding of genetics, these previous boundaries and practices are no longer valid or sustainable.
Environmental impact? A snapshot of the past 500 years shows a legacy of continued disregard for coexistence with the natural world. Capitalism, Christianity and Colonialism have circumnavigated the globe, in its wake environmental disruption and ecological collapse. The establishment of empires through confiscation and occupation of other established civilizations and perpetration of genocide. All justified through the “other worldly” assertion that identifying power is directing all actions and purposes. Those dedicated to the “purpose”, fully expect to receive their entitlement reward after death for their individual loyalty to the cause.
Relentless engagements by our species have brought many species to extinction. Pursuits of capitalism and Empire continue destruction of habitats for thousands of more species and continued extinctions. These pursuits continue on both land and water. The rates of extinctions are speeding up. It can decimate habitats in shorter times, industrialization knows no boundaries, only that bigger is better. The consolidation of corporations continues in the name of “efficiency of scale” at an ever-increasing pace.
We must discontinue the practice of “wash, rinse and repeat”. The dogma of colonialism which perpetuates unsustainable cycles, rape and plunder then moves on, of resources and habitat. ”Wash and rinse cycles ”never ending because hereditary dogma gave one particular race of a species “dominion over all lands and forms of life”. Perpetual cycles foretold by divine intervention, which prescribe individual greed and ego as a purposeful life.

Howard R Titman — writer