Live Together; Die Alone

Perhaps it is time to look at the Native American option?

History tells us that the capitalist, industrialised, consumer culture of 20th century Europe is exceptionally powerful. Countries never seem to turn their back on it. But how much do we know of its dark side?

First of all, let me say I am really grateful for modern life. My kids get vaccinated; I can communicate with you on the Internet; eat interesting food from around the world; and generally live a more comfortable, cleaner, and safer life than even the kings of old.

But I was reading this piece from famed New York Times columnist, David Brooks, and it struck me that for all our comforts, for all our affluence, we have given up a great deal.

Brooks notes something quite strange from American history:

“In 18th-century America, colonial society and Native American society sat side by side. The former was buddingly commercial; the latter was communal and tribal. As time went by, the settlers from Europe noticed something: No Indians were defecting to join colonial society, but many whites were defecting to live in the Native American one.

“This struck them as strange. Colonial society was richer and more advanced. And yet people were voting with their feet the other way.”

He goes on to point out that if a Native American child, raised by colonists, were ever to make contact with traditional American Indians, that moment of contact was enough to make the child or young adult leave his or her western society and never return.

Even European prisoners of war would often remain with their Indian captors.

I suppose this is really the historical version of the old Pocahontas story, re-told by Kevin Costner in Dance with Wolves, and by James Cameron in Avatar.

I don’t suggest we should, or could, go back to some kind of non-western culture. There is a lot to be thankful for in western culture. But that does not mean we can’t critique our culture and look to make it new again.

Brooks notes that the issue is all about how you balance freedom with community, the one with the many.

It’s possible we’ve fallen slightly towards the freedom pole in recent years. We live in big houses with big gardens, spend lots of time online, and often work in cubicles.

But that could possibly change in the future.

I think that’s one reason why we are seeing politicians on the right (like Trump) emphasise nationalism; and, politicians on the left (like Bernie Sanders and even Malema) emphasise socialism.

It doesn’t make them right about what they are proposing, but they have definitely put their finger on something that is real – our need to be together.

Perhaps the Book of Genesis put it best: “It is not good for man to be alone.”

We could add that it is not good for man or woman to be subsumed into society either. The question is finding a way to avoid both evils.

Perhaps it is time to look at how we design our public spaces, our neighbourhoods, our transport systems, and even our economy, to fulfil this basic need.

That is a task for everybody, and we will all have something to contribute.