Systemic Perspective

Individualism and consumerism are linked. If you don't want to work with other people, you have to buy what you need with money. They're two sides of the same coin.

Unfortunately, a cycle seems to start once you start down the individualist/consumerist path. There's never quite enough money to pay for everything you need, so you work longer hours to get a little more money, but the longer hours mean you have more things you have to buy. Just for one example, say you're paying for daycare - well now you need more money, so you need more hours of work... so you have to buy more daycare. For another example, let's say you're a city and you need more jobs, so you give a subsidy to a datacenter - and before you know it water is more expensive so you need to attract more jobs. Especially since the data center used itself to automate the jobs it gave you in the first place.

The good news is that this is all voluntary. We can start choosing to de-grow individualism and consumerism in tandem. People have had self-sustaining economies for thousands of years, and it's only recently we started paying faraway "investors" a cut of our productivity. Let's work on reducing their take, one piece at a time.

Many people are already working towards this common-sense goal, and have been since the beginning of capitalism! This week we have a couple opportunities to learn more about the positive work people are already doing to work towards a more resilient, sustainable economic future!

Local Training & Solidarity

• Resilience Course: How to rebuild our social fabric and local resilience in a time of chaos
  Starts Monday evening, meets weekly for five weeks. Check out the details and RSVP today - there's some reading to do ahead of time.
  
  
• Community Gathering: Nourishing a Bioregional Economy
  This is a 2.5h event on Thursday. Donna Morton (cofounder of Salmon Returns) and Michael Shuman (community economist) will share their knowledge of investing locally, supporting the local economy, and building bioregional institutions, including ideas for moving your money from Wall Street to Main Street. You can also watch on zoom if you can't make it in person.  More details here.
  
  
• Banat Mendy Fundraising Dinner & Gathering
  Join Iowa City's own Banat Mendy girl's club for dinner and community on February 7th. These folks are educating themselves, growing solidarity, and relocalizing power. Check out the video and inquire about attending!
  
  
• And many more
  Check out PS1, Dream City, Wright House, the Library, Little Village, IWNJC, Great Plains Action Society, IC Mutual Aid, Family Folk Machine, and dozens of other calendars full of powerful solidarity-building events.

Silver Linings

I've heard stories in the last weeks of people facing extreme violence and choosing solidarity & community as the best response. It's scary, but it makes me glad to know that when it really comes to it, we stop trying to get ahead and start trying to get together. I believe this is a powerful strategy that can really work against corrupt capitalists trying to use mere money to control us. Thanks to you and all of us following the path of solidarity - especially to those risking a lot. You help us all see how much power we have and how much joy we can wield it with!

Peace,

Riley

Co-founder of RSFIC