Note: This is one of a number of recent articles on homelessness in Bloomington. See first, this, then this and this.

Please take time to read the comments below this Herald-Times article as well as the article itself. We are witnessing the local prelude to what will become a much more pervasive situation and atmosphere in the future as end-stage corporate capitalism continues to drive us into a Mad Max world.

Homeless advocates dominate Bloomington City Council meeting, camp out in hall

And yet, and yet! Permaculture, the Transition movement, the Gifting Economy (see Eisenstein video below) and many other decentralizing, re-humanizing movements are also accelerating their hold in our deeply destabilizing world.

The real question might be, which of these onrushing currents will be stronger? That which returns us to our humanity or the Hobbesian world of all against all? Which current has the capacity to accept and include the other without being overwhelmed by it?

Here’s Jeff Lawton, at TED, talking about permaculture, its limitless capacity to regenerate our world.

Re: gifting culture: here’s Charles Eisenstein, on “the pillage of nature, culture and spirit and it’s relationship to money.”