regards rows as holy, pnrvidurp rhey an“ lo cooperale in areas which are oi concern in lherri bolh, and lo rerpecl lhe onglns ni iheir dilierenres as a chance oi hisiory and evolulion, nol assesslng sucli dinerences as due lo personal pewersiry h is always possible in use dineienees croalir-ely, and dcslsn lo use lhern, no lo eiiuiiriale one or orher group as inridels aeliei is oi ilseli no: so inuch a dlilelence as a reiusal lo adinil lhe :xistenmofdllfelem; lluseosily eransposo inlo ihe anhgpmsm‘ allinlde oi "villa is nor wilh me is apainsl me", llseli a eoereive and illoslcal alolude and um: lilrely, in she exirernc, lo eiassiiy all oihcrs as enemies, when rhey are merely living aeeordin, lo lheir own hislory and needs. Mosl hurnon coinnruniiles lunclron in reialion lo a longerei-rn susiainrbiliiy only because ihey do diiier iiooi olheis, whal is possible lo an lnull izsloinol is nol poulbl: lo a loresl pygmy Thus,1|Is nol diners-noes ur rheniselves nm are iinporlanl, ii is how all gmups relale lo lhe basic rules oi lire Ina! eoology lhal perrrui lhein lo iuncrion on a lax-fideml basis Beliei, like rehyon, is a baslraiiy privaic and unwglobfl oharaelenshc and should nor be subyeei lo compari- sons. On close esainlnalion, we ~helieve~ in lhose syslenis lhal enable us lo behave wilhoill gum. wirh mpm io our resources and our own eollure. lr has long been appaienl lhar um surrenl poiinlal, esonornir, and iandusr sysleins eannoi solve such lonpeierrn and worstmns problems as soil degredaiioru gmnd waier poilulion, ioresr decllno, lhe spread oi poveny. unernployinenl, and uiainulrilion ior ils erneine, ianilnel Despile good seieiihiic pmgnmcsand assessmcnls, eliechve ground irrikgles are lacking, The leinpornrv naiure oi polrlical sysleins is an impedlmnu ro eiieeove aceion. We could describe all weslern polhlql sysieins as lhooe oi (umpellng beliei eliies. wheeher ihey are sell—limped as mmmnnisli socialisl, oapilalisl, or deniocralic, ihey all hlncriun in ways whlth are essenoally shoneleirn By lheir nalure, poliocai sysreois seek lo ilnpme a policy ronrrol over as wide on area oi lnlluence as possible, are pkumlmd inul lilemdii and are ohen composed oi wry iew lainihes or (in the case M ioyalisl and ieudal socieiiesi, one iairilly ihus. lhe eononuing and longssnslimed pmynmmes nesessary lo reverre ioresl loss and snli decline are usually saerlllced ior lhe shokal’m policies oi an eliie riia hammg power I! was said oi a reeenr prune rninisier oi Ausiraila lhal his nalional policies all worlred lo maximise prorils liorn his lam‘ "The irgumenl ior sirnpliciry is never a poiilical aiguurenl. when people pracliie ll in lheir lives lhey don’t even need any pnlilirs ~ (Mnilus, l7 O<| wan This same siaiernenl also levers in lhe ndoplion oi an elhicai basis no action, lo lhe piarelrieni ni inoney and rem-res, and lo lhc dflL'rmmihan roael in acnordanie wllh une’s pelieis All oi ihese can occur independenily oi poliheal change, and can be longelcrrrl iliieioniei personal aclions oi greai eiieer Thai is, people can arl lndependenlly oi polilicai lhrory lwnich rarely, ll ever, covers lhe quesiions oi elhics, siiriplieily, local aulonoiny. or Illwnenled .eiionl Such ehanges in people tom: abool by educaooii and ininrrnalioro and when enough people change, lheii polillcal sysieins iii lhey are lo survrvei lriay iollow. or become as irielevanl as lhey now appear k! be in lerrns oi real solulions Fol lhis reason, lhe place in start (hinge is iirsi wirh ihe indivrdnal ionesoln, and second in ow’s Nglon or urighbaumood THE RIGHT None as m DEBT. shine ni lhe rnosr churning and elirnaiirally approprialc houses on eanh are builr wilhoul bank loans. arehilecis, inelals, conereie, or conlrarlors However, in every care lhey are bull! in areas where lrade unions, bulldlng survlyms, heollh oificiais, snd loeal or siale governmenls do noi iiripede lhe holne builder or lhe eoininuniry pmvlduls sheller ior lhzmr selves, wnlie Chile ias an mnm‘nm syslein guided by "npens") accurnuialed a 5n billion ioreipn debl in ms, poor people. man, wllhoul loans, loge-her bush al leasl 5" billion housing in slurn areas by local rooperalion volhool ineurnny any ioreign debl Why is ihis (be case? Slone, inud, bamboo. round urnbers, rope, lhalch, and (Val baled wk and libs. are ihe age-old durable bui|dmg uialerials oi inaniond illl can be ioeally pmdmd Ilangy iroin eoinrnunily ioreso and people is provided Even eeinenl and room con be iriade ii needed usmg kilns iired ov wood, as can poiiery, briclcs, and roll ilies, None oi rhis neeils nioney li people work rogerner 11o real cause oi a lock oi sheller ias mlh loodi in any counlry is nol lhal ui iinnnce, hm oi resrrielive prenieos by a repulsion: bureaucracy Moreover, slale or privale ownership (vuius eoiiiiiiunliy ownershipi oi ionsls, srnail mines, and lands is devored lo siale or corpornle pionls ro suppori a largely urban, leisuied clasa oi bumuunls, which denies rhese basis Mulugs ml and esnh iesoureee lo lhe very people who work lo produce or oune lhelri. We have had ~riahonal servrra lo figln wars. bol l unnm recall any oul suslainaole rrioal socienes lhal require every inan and every woinan lo help sheiler and reed iherioeives, cirrioosly, we are drained io hill siranyers, and denied rhe righr ro preserve me, no arrnies aro neared lo build muses, gmw poralois, or planl ioresis lor ilie iuiune; uneinploynieni iorolhers is prereried by rhose who choose power as a rneihod oi exploieaiion. in very reeeni societiai our basic ‘nglhf‘ is lo vole, iorrn unions primal. or go lo law lee. lo suppose pro lesrional riassesi Truly basic i-igho lo yaw or prolen ioriers, (a build a shellei, yaw iood, or prowde waler iroin our rooi areas are commonly denied by |ml or slaie regulaiions, Elledivc local group aelion raslures rhe lrue basir nng. which are lhose oi personal nspumlhimy ior our suslenance on eanh, and so earih iudl While "mmul law~ dernands a ialr relurn ior 509