Horns honk along the major streets in the cities of Minnesota. Signs are waved by shouty blonde-bleached women draped in the Stars and Stripes. MAGA white men in blue and red baseball caps, wave their high velocity rifles, like long, skinny phalluses, yelling that Dr Fauci be sacked.
In Denver, the nurses step out into the road, almost naked compared. Their basic PPE greens are like shoots from an ancient woodland floor ~ they appear vulnerable, but are, instead, a sturdy green resilience. They voice the number of deaths over and over again, blocking the Trump-cultists threatening to bulldoze the woods from the safety of inside their shiny 8 cylinder Chevrolet Silverados. It connects across space-time with the beauty of Ieshia Evans smiling in the face of a cirque of armored men in Baton Rouge.
America today; at least, the America that is attracting today’s headlines.
Evidence emerges, the self-righteous have been whipped up by extreme libertarians, gun rights and racism drenched through their fake army fatigues. Thousands have joined Facebook groups in just 24 hours. Flash protests and speeches are organized to undermine any sense of common clinical sense. WHO and China, now Town Hall, blamed for their current lifestyle. Everyone blamed, apart from themselves.
It’s all happened before in 1918, as Tim Mak explains so well on Twitter. The Land of the “me, myself and I” pop up to condemn their fellow Americans yet to be infected. They contend these human sacrifices are acceptable, for the sake of so-called freedom; a gas-guzzling, zero-maternity leave America built on the ethos of harsh frontier work and brutal slavery.
Whatever the outcome (outright civil war or a fade to nothing), time is burnt through like oxygen in a fire, time squandered that otherwise would yield deep changes forquired for the good of all life on Earth. Fear-strings are pulled by a tiny majority that pinch tight around the ill-informed and brainwashed, and time is vaporizing in front of our eyes. Markets crash, oil prices plummet to minus. White people feeling fear, not love. Now they are raging. A selfish and self-righteous zombie mob.
Whether we like it or not, America is both effecting and affecting the global state, a state that is already supremely vulnerable.
The “Extremis” don’t have the heart, nor head. In COVID-19, burning fossil fuels, particulates or in roads, they blind themselves to the many who will suffer a second wave; disease, droughts, conflicts, migrations, or the multiple, violent hurricanes yet again about to hit the Atlantic basin. They’ve forgotten the real meaning of Liberty.
Neither do they have the imagination for wilder lives other than as trophies, nor for what it must be like to be enslaved or industrially farmed. They have no clue for the microbiotic symbiosis that, with an undisturbed peace, serve so well as to give life not take it.
I feel a seismic frustration that deep-change is pinned against a concrete border wall, threatened by bail-outs of billionaires with you, me and the nations already drowning in criminally enforced debt and capital-austerity. I fear a charge on GDP will be unleashed to make up for lockdowns, the likes of which we have never seen before, with more lives thrown against the wall for the sake of money. I am frustrated that individualism sets all adrift from the reality of interconnected life, pinched tight by those fear-strings, fed my media and corporate oligarchs.
I am saddened that these wild lives so poignantly glimpsed in the metropolis, are simply ghosts of a unified past and nothing more. I want them to be so much more.
I’m going to call this feeling my Frustopianism. Frustropia is a good world possible, but delayed. The Frustration (verb) is that life everywhere could be so very different.
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But, as a Patientist, I need to be ever more watchful and imaginative. The great Joanna Macy’s “Great Turning” cannot end here.
Change is of the utmost importance for the good of all life. It is a prerequisite, a forquisite, for evolutionary adaptation and survival. In biology, tropism is the suffix given to a process of turning, the processes from deep within DNA from generation to generation that effect change. It’s often, though not exclusively, attributed to vegetative processes.
Heliotropism is a process whereby a plant responds to the stimulus of sunlight by turning and growing towards the Sun. Selenotropism is the motion of plants in response to the direction of the moon.
I want to block the zombie mob, the Trump-cults with their 8 cylinders and their phallic guns. I stand with the nurses in green, the carers, the caring and the cared-for, turning ALL to the symbiotic relationships between all living beings that aid life not destroy it. I call it symbiotropism.
Symbiotropism ~ a mass turning towards symbiogenesis, like looking at the light of the Sun and the Moon and growing towards them ~ the love, the Baha and our global, diverse and beautiful moral community called Life on Earth.
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In Celtic Gaelic, the word for life is beatha, pronouced ba-ha.
It stems from the proto-celtic biwotūts, proto-indo eauropoean, gʷih₃wós and ancient greek βίοτος (bíotos).
The word life comes from a Germanic (Anglo Saxon) descendent of the PIE root *leip– “to stick, adhere.”
In trying to forge a new word for Dylan Thomas’s Green Fuse, or simply life force, I can’t see why baha shouldn’t be used too.
In Arabic it is a name meaning glory.
Baha ~ life force is truly glorious.
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Cherishism is an ecopolitical alternative to anthropocentrism for Life on Earth and future generations.
Cherishism is not limited to, nor bound by, what I say. The following is the basis for further discussion. This is paramount. All need to feel empowered and local human and teresapien diversity embraced and expressed politically through each bioregion.
Key Words
Cherishism an ecological political system.
Fluminism the interconnected narrative of universe, flow to and from all dimensions, a powerful form of love.
Floloca perceiving ‘place as flowing’, not simply as human, but conscious imagination along the dynamic matrix of life and death, and at a spectrum of scales.
Hubrigenesis the evolutionary aftermath of the biospheric violence of the Anthropocene.
Kinnage a new kind of human/non-human community living. Where nature and fluminism is paramount, ourselves being just a part of the whole.
Kinnaria wild places in and around cities, urban areas and kinnages. To replace ‘Green Space,’ with awildian love and meaning.
Locacede to withdraw from a place, to directly decolonise humans from an ecological system. A replacement for ‘decolonization.’
Nagorasphere the phenomenon of ‘exchange’ in nature, as a significant part of the biosphere.
Symlings colloquial name for holobiont/s.
Teresapien a positive word to use instead of ‘non-human.’
Transilience Gap biodiversity declines and climate changes may require more radical solutions before many people are ‘ready’ to take the risk. There is a gap or a deficit.
Traumundi the trauma of the collective living Earth caused by climate and ecological shock.
Vitanance being right in itself, stemming from diversity, proliferation and of the complexity of all life. As opposed to human dominion being wrong.
Welldoing Dasein daily acts towards wellbeing for the good of all life.
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Aims
The aim of Cherishism is human universal care for living beings ~ Vitanance ~ and the end of Traumundi.
All beings, bionts or symlings, depending on their diverse needs, and in interconnected flows (Fluminism), including in the nagorasphere, are cared for in the best ways possible.
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Why
Socialism and ecosocialism, as words with meaning, are founded on a lack of intimacy. The origins of the word social are mere physical relationships between humans such as marriage and allies, stemming from PIE “sekw” ~ to follow. There is a general fear of using any terms that amount to love in its spectrum of emotional forms, expressions and intimacy of care. I want to end that fear, directly or indirectly cultivated largely by men such as Smith, Marx, Bookchin, Kovel and Löwy. The Earth’s biosphere and all its interconnected lifeforms require of us to bring cherishing central to daily life.
As in ecosocialism, Cherishism is NOT any form of capitalist system, a machine that has been the fuel and energy for the suffocating fires of social exclusion, inequality and biospheric degradation through anthropocentric globalisation and imperialism/colonialism. Neither is it commodified emotion or acts in cash value. There should be no North/South divide. Equity and justice are intrinsic.
Integral functioning
Cherishism offers use and exchange value, but critically and centrally, ‘gift’ value, through human skill and relationship, as in the ways of nature. It is a system of generosity, compassion, creativity, love and meaning.
Each human community within any given floloca does have the ability to exchange non-living elements with others, also to include seeds (though they are between life and death), but only produced in natural excess to the needs of their own floloca.
Wellbeing is the consequence, and ultimate value, choice remaining essential to provide personal and collective empowerment. In this way, every living being (all life) is fundamentally of worth. Critically, human children are nurtured with great love, because we know that distress in childhood has immense negative consequences throughout life. Distress and fear, generally, is the root of so much ecological damage through fierce competition. Now is the time to end that regime and bring in a new, loving way of life.
Technological knowledge, research and development, energy, and creativity is centred on caring. Thus, health (human or otherwise), and communications is where skill-vestment is a cultural premium and widely celebrated.
There are no cities as we understand them now, but Kinnages and wilder Kinnarias, adaptable to changing climate and fore-wilding. This is an effort to close the Transiliance Gap and lessen the impact of hubrigenesis in the Anthropocene towards the Symbiocene. Land is commons, not limited to humans but small zones of privacy are afforded to all. Locacede and space efficiency is valued, rather than expansive development.
Fluminescent food (eg permaculature), is ultimately a collective good, grown locally in public and private spaces and local to all. Pollution (land, air, water), is one of the most serious crimes.
Cherishism has elements of green anarchy and mutual aid, in that personal and collective Responsibility is the Right, not Right in itself, and localism is key. At the root, all life is of worth via the protection of life-promoting existence (Praximund). True liberty is fore-established, in that it is limited to the point just before causing harm to others.
Freedom of movement is natural, though cultivating and nurturing a sense of adopted endemism is a natural consequence of Cherishism. As in some indigenous cultures, all people (and wildlife) are welcome to a central whare rūnanga-like meeting place called a Cherish of their own ecological design with permaculture-like grounds. This is a place of beauty and knowledge exchange on best fluministic practice. It is a place of information, support and love. Its mere existence is educational and caring, whilst acting like pioneer seed nurseries, fore-newing life systems in local communities/flolocas. Communal meals are common.
Most community activity is shaped by voluntary altruism since economic fears have been minimised by the devaluation of currency and the housing market (monetary transactions are rare to none). Everyone has a home. Everyone has access to basic life-sustaining needs, such as good organic fresh food, and forces for good (nature). Everyone has access to care. Communal living and shared housing are the norm (yet privacy is still afforded/designed for all).
Democracy is re-shaped for each human specialism to be able to elect people onto working ethics panels from all other specialisms in any given kinnage, kinnaria or floloca.
Cherishism is likened to a healthy flowing river full of life-love, joining the global ocean of existence. Each tributary that joins to create the river is vital.
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Tributary One ~ Moral worth
Every living being is of moral worth afforded by fundamental protection of their function in bioregional flolocas, save for NEED not want. Abundance and diversity are fundamental, and the processes that lead to both must be guarded well (Praximund – laws).
Plant or animal life scientifically and ethically judged as needed as opposed to wanted by humans, therefore killed, will be agreed with the advice of local Cherishers (who understand local ecologies), and are not conflicted in any way.
Tributary Two ~ Wellbeing and Welldoing
ONE HEALTH is standard (human and ecological wellbeing are symbiotic and inseparable). Wellbeing is accessible to all, free at the point of contact. Health professionals and support workers are critical carers (for humans and teresapiens), so we look after them. Healthy organic food and clean water are key, so we look after those workers too. Children are allocated most attention in sustained nurturing and compassion. Welldoing is the act of nurturing wellbeing, and is itself a form of wellbeing. Fit bodies, fit minds. Strong connections in flows. We are all part of nature.
Anyone who demonstrates their creativity and skills promote wellbeing for all life is valued. Arts, design, music and culture are celebrated and supported, enriching human life and accounting for healthy ecologies/flolocas.
Carers and facilitators of basic life function are cherished.
Tributary Three ~ Shared Best Understanding
Ecoliteracy, Earth systems, and fluminism (all processes to proliferate ecological abundance and diversity, whilst flourishing) are taught freely to every human, and from a young age.
Teachers and childcarers are critical carers, so we look after them.
Best science is crucial, freely available after peer review, and must be supported. Evidence-base is a necessity, though ethics applied to consider the direction in terms of planetary wellbeing.
Indigenous understanding will be of equal standing, but volunteered not appropriated. All efforts are channelled towards the overall aims of Cherishism.
Tributary Four ~ Free, Elected Ethics Panels
Ethics panels have an elected, public, democratic role, and open, transparent training (see teachers), is provided to those appointed from all sectors to guide and enlighten, like a jury when introduced to the court system.
Each member from each general sector in human life can only serve for one term to be agreed by all, with key attention given to the needs of the floloca, children, the vulnerable and elderly, and domestic animals, in space and time.
One member of the panel is elected to represent the whole panel in bioregional meetings, and so on to global level.
Annually and at times of need, digital conferences are held to convene all bioregions in global matters and actions advised at a local level.
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In Summary
As an ecopolitico system, Cherishism provides foundational care for all, with an emphasis on caring for the carers, children and flolocas. It is structural love. Although all have a responsibility to life/love/flows (fluminism), greater social respect is given to those beings that are ‘sacred centres’ for what they do as in all nature, and NOT how much money or property they earn. Rewards are intrinsic and experiential.
Housing, food, water and heat/cooling and clothing are provided not simply as ‘basic’ things, but comfortable, equitable,beautiful (locally) and ecological. Emphasis is never on collective funds, but collective ability to care, NURTURE KINSHIP, to participate in positive ways to share best understanding (science and/or indigenous, arts, beauty), in order for all life to flourish.
No financial markets exist. No financial housing/land market exists. No political parties exist, though political education is widely accessible and progress debated. Resilience is found instead within deep, meaningful and loving relationships.
Licenses for land use with flolocas must pass through all local ethics committees, with the advice of the Cherishers. Public places such as schools, libraries, hospitals and care homes are classed ‘Cherished.’ The ‘Cherish’ (aka communal gathering places where Cherishers are also based), exist in all flolocas and kinnages, and are crucial sacred centres.
Monetary bonds in materials such as minerals and metals, etc, do exist, but only in supporting extra critical (ONE-HEALTH) health care and compassionate science and communication. Bioregions in the global south will, therefore, benefit greatly, but activity must be ecologically fore-storative by all those who benefit and agreed by local ethics panels.
Global institutions such as the World Bank and the IMF dissolve from staging posts for markets to collaborative, compassionate shared platforms and portals for knowledge (science, ethics and indigenous understanding), and overseers of peace. Other beneficial life preserving institutions remain like CITES and WHO, etc.
We all deserve love and security. And so do all fellow living beings/symlings.
For humans, there needs to be a basic provision of good food, warmth, clothes and shelter, or land to grow things and thrive. We could begin by universal basic income and dedicating a “true” commons of land toward all species.
For teresapien life, place, interconnectedness and peace.
In time, we may compassionately end markets as we know them today and adopt an all-nature commons and a gift economy at large. Life should not be a race to be the smartest, cutest, fastest or richest. The only true resistance is to reject this, to embrace compassion, realise a daily ethic of care and make it structural.
Let us put love back into the meaning of everything we do.
Cherishism; where cherishment is no longer an obsolete word, and in all aspects of life.
My initial introduction may be found here.
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Audio:
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