We can adapt and evolve our culture into something non-destructive, but we can't spontaneously transmogrify, not even to another extant form of human culture. I know this is going out on a limb a bit, but let me see if I can explain what I mean. When I read Ishmael, and Providence, I read Daniel Quinn's claims about still being a Taker. But our habits change, and evolve, and interact with our inclinations and our thoughts. Each variety of life is it's own evolutionary branch.
Takers are no exception.
When something threatens the survival of a particular species or culture, the members therein cannot simply opt to become a different branch, abandoning their own evolution to live like another group on a different branch that doesn't face the same difficulties. Nor can they backtrack to living like they themselves used to live long ago, before their current branch sprouted. I somethimes get a little flicker of recognition. Otherwise you're screwed. This doesn't mean we're especially unfortunate, this means we're just like every other life form.