The World-Weary Mission Statement: What Kind of World Do We Want To Build?

We talk a lot about the system we want to tear down. But what do we want to see in its place?

Let’s talk about the world we want to build. | Photo by Matt W Newman on Unsplash

We can all identify the general problems we want to solve in the world.

We can see poverty. We can see that there are gaps in the education system. We can see hunger, we can see thirst, we can see oppression and a loss of civil rights and liberty. We can see discrimination in healthcare and the legal system. We can see homelessness and injustice.

We can see human beings neglected and treated with contempt by those in positions to enact change for the better.

We can see the problems. And for most of us, at least those of us who have not given up, we can see that the system can — and should — be repaired.

It’s much more difficult to identify which parts of the system are broken. It’s harder to identify the specific cracks, why they exist, and to figure out what practical, measurable impact they have on our individual daily lives.

It’s one thing to recognize that problems exist, but it’s a whole other kettle of fish to narrow down the cause.

And, exhausting and frightening as it is to think about, it’s even harder to work out what parts of the system are working as intended!

I have talked before about the difference between individual and systemic discrimination, and which of those I think are more of an issue. For me, systemic discrimination and challenges are a much bigger deal than individual hatreds.

One hateful asshole getting in your way can be an obstacle that’s hard to overcome. But if the whole system of governance is screwing you over, it’s a lot more challenging to find a way around it. Sometimes it’s damn near impossible.

It’s difficult to spot the ways in which those systems contribute to the network of pitfalls and traps that catch so many of us unawares.

My job here at World-Weary is to help expose those traps. Once we see them, we gain clarity on what needs to change. And, I hope, that clarity will help us figure out solutions that make everyone’s life better.

We aren’t just here to talk about problems.

We are here because we want to build a better world than the one we live in right now.

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Hope is out there. It can be found, it can be planted, and it can be nurtured. | Photo by Faris Mohammed on Unsplash

What kind of world do we want to build?

I can tell you my vision; you can tell me yours in return.

I can imagine a world where nobody has to go hungry. We find a way to solve the problem of food distribution — we already produce enough volume, we just need to get it into the hands that need it — and we end world hunger.

I see a future where the air and water is clean, we work out ways to survive without massive polution and the natural world we depend on can rebalance in time. Within my lifetime the effects of climate change will not be halted, but we can set the stage for future stability.

I can imagine a world that looks to future generations and plants gardens that our grandchildren will someday harvest. We may never see the trees bloom in all their splendor and glory, but someone will, and they will benefit from our work.

I imagine a world where we value human life more than the dollar value of an individual’s bank account. Where the basic necessities of life, like food, water, shelter and medical care are provided and nobody needs to struggle.

As long as those things are locked behind a paywall, we consign the poor to struggle and die on their own, and that is not a healthy society.

I believe we should be judged on how we treat the lowest among us. Treating them poorly reflects poorly on us, and taking care of them speaks well of our values.

I imagine a world that is cooperative and not competitive, where we don’t have to push others down to build ourselves up.

I imagine a world where our differences and perspectives are celebrated and not feared. A world where diversity is not a dirty word, but viewed as a thing of beauty; vibrant threads in the tapestry of human experience.

If this sounds like a total fantasy, then I’m sorry.

We’ve all been trained to see it as an impossibility.

That’s why we haven’t achieved it yet.

It’s hard. It’s tempting to put your head down and stop caring. Please don’t. We need you in this fight! | Photo by Rosie Kerr on Unsplash

There’s a common belief on the Conservative side of the aisle that Lefties, Progressives and ‘Woke’ people are constantly anxious and depressed.

That’s true.

But not for the reason they think.

We’re stressed because we see the flaws in the landscape; we know everything is fucked, we can see the gears starting to wobble in this machine and we’re afraid the wheels are going to fly off at any moment.

We empathize with people in pain, and we feel sorrow and anger on their behalf.

We are depressed and anxious because we know that everything is going completely off the rails, and we feel powerless to fix it on our own.

It’s easy to feel relaxed and comfortable when you don’t care about anyone but yourself. Caring is exhausting.

We are not content with what we have. We’re not content to live in a world where rich people make the rules and decide which scraps get thrown down to the masses below.

Does that make us entitled? No, I don’t think so. I think it makes us sane.

So, that’s my mission statement for World-Weary. I decided to write this today for a couple of reasons; firstly, to nail it down for myself as I narrow my focus and build up this publication.

And secondly, of course, to get it all down in one place for my new readers! A lot of my early followers here are familiar with my writing in other platforms, but the new guys may not know what I’m about.

If you came here from seeing me rant on Notes, now you know who you’re dealing with and what I do.

I like to pull up the roots of society’s weeds and expose them to the light so people can get a good and proper look at what’s rotted and what’s in good shape.

We’re a little bit rootbound these days.

I write pieces about corruption, like my latest article on the coffee industry, slavery and ecological destruction. I write pieces about failures in the system, like the various holes in the social safety net that let people fall to their deaths.

I write about specific, quantifiable problems to explain how they work and why they need fixing. And then in the comments, my hope is that people can discuss their experiences and come to agreement about how to move forward.

If that sounds like a good deal to you, then welcome! World-Weary is the space for you. We’re all tired here, but that’s only because we care.

Building a better world begins with us.

Solidarity wins.

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