The longer we persist in our current directions, the worse the eventual collapse will be. If we were to decide to change our course now, and to recognize that our real crisis is a spiritual one, it is still possible to limit the pain and suffering in the world. The longer we persist in ignoring the evidence around us, the less we shall be able to shape the direction of the new society we so urgently need. The pattern of events in the old Soviet Union should be a harsh warning to us. Communism collapsed and there was nothing ready as a substitute.
Conditions are so bad that life expectation has declined dramatically.
We have misinterpreted the meaning of the collapse of the Soviet Union. We have seen it as the triumph of capitalism over communism. Fortunately, an enormous amount of work has already been done to describe the systems which could replace those based on economic and technological emphases. Even more importantly, there is abundant evidence that people are ready to support change that moves toward a higher quality of life rather than an emphasis on more goods. Our challenge is to recognize that a new culture is already being born around us.