Separation of our true selves as special and above nature is a Western belief. Dominion over nature to exploit for our own ends, without giving back, is delusional. From the air we breathe, water we drink, food we eat, to all that sustains life, makes us dependent on Mother Earth, clearly understood for centuries among Indigenous people.
Separation from humanity, dehumanizes “the other” as unworthy objects, things or commodities. Prejudice is learned behavior that results from social conditioning, not an inborn attribute. Seeing differences as deficiency drives us apart. Recognizing each other as equals binds us together as social beings. “Separation from each other is an optical illusion of consciousness.” – Albert Einstein.
Separation from history results from an exclusive, top-down, Great White Man perspective. Ignored is the inclusive story of labor, role of women, immigrants, Blacks, and other minorities, all buried alongside the invisible lore of Indigenous people. A People’s History, the real story of how the past shaped the present, offers insight for creating a better tomorrow.
Separation from government short-circuits democracy with “divide and rule” of, by, and for the oligarchy. Big money politics, corporate capture of government, and media control disconnects people from governance. Overturning Citizens United, public funded elections and media cooperatives are necessary for restoring representative governance.
Separation from economics begins with corporatocracy. Those few who run big businesses dominate and rule our economy. These authoritarian overlords treat workers as commodities without voice nor vote and consumers as objects to be manipulated. Workplace democracy, an alternative to oligarchy, promises greater prosperity for everyone.
Separation from truth is cultivated by corporate media control that allows no critique, nor question of big business authoritarianism. Schooling is complicit when emphasizing selective facts, neglecting critical thinking and separating analysis from values which are necessary in moving us toward creative and collective action.
Harold Honkola
Stillwater