MAIN POINTS ENCYCLOPEDIA MOTHER CULTURE INDEX TO ISHMAEL ESSAYS RESOURCES LINKS GUESTBOOK

Main Points Taker culture--modern civilization, East and West--is a cultural mutation, an offshoot from the tribal way of life. This is not how humans have always lived, nor is it the only way humans are living now. Leavers represent those who did not follow this mutation and continue to live the way humans did before this cultural shift. The Taker way of life is unstable; the Leaver way of life is stable. Humans are not above and beyond the rest of the community of life. Humans do not own the earth and we cannot do whatever we want with it. Humanity is not destroying the earth, our culture is. By damaging the earth, we are hurting ourselves because we are a part of the web of life. We don't need to save the earth just because we feel sorry for the pretty trees, but rather because we are seriously endangering ourselves. The tribal social organization, laws, and education system of Leavers work better for people than the hierarchical social structure, laws, and schools of Takers. What Quinn is not saying: "Humanity is destroying the earth." Our culture--today's modern civilization, East and West--is destroying the earth. There are cultures who are not. "Agriculture is evil." Agriculture can be done in a way that is sustainable and works well, as can be seen with many Native American tribes. The way we do agriculture doesn't work and never will. This doesn't mean our type agriculture is evil, either, it just doesn't work and we need to find a better way. "We need to go back to being hunter-gatherers and living in caves." Not only would this be impossible, but it's also unecessary. Not all Leavers are hunter-gatherers; it's possible to live sustainably as farmers. "Takers are evil; Leavers are saints." Takers aren't evil, we just live in a way that is unstable, and need to find a better way. Leavers aren't saints, they're regular people, they just live in a way that works. "To save the world, we need to abandon technology and society and set up communes in the wilderness." We don't need to give up technology to save the world. Technology is simply the means with which we destroy it; the underlying cause is the idea that we are above and beyond the rest of the community of life. What we need to do is to change our own attitudes towards the earth and spread the message to others. And while communes can certainly be tribal and sustainable, they aren't necessarily, and they certainly aren't the only way to be tribal and sustainable. Furthermore, without any changed minds here, in civilization, the message will never be spread. "Programs are evil." Programs aren't evil, they just don't work. That doesn't mean they don't help, but they never solve the problem. No recycling program ever ended our over-use of resources. We need to ask why we are using so many resources to begin with. Programs do help a little, but this is like taking aspirin for a gaping wound. It will dull the pain, but it won't heal the wound. "To save the world, I need to be an environmentalist, a politician, etc." You can save the world from right where you are. Start by giving a friend a copy of Ishmael.