We can see that the forces of materialism, theocracy, and cruelty have not reformed because of the pandemic and, instead, have found more energy and purpose.
For too many people the suffering of others means opportunity, signals success, offers them a way to stop hiding their actual or defacto sadism.
In the past, the history-ending forces of death could not be countered. When I was growing up, those who possessed nuclear weapons were not much accountable to anyone.
Still true, but today those who heat the planet are accessible to us. Or, rather, we could be united enough to impact whether or not history continues.
The tools to stop a nuclear exchange between Russia and the USA were not available at the height of the cold war.
The tools for three or four billion people to turn to the right—to eat less meat, fly less often, put caps on how much money they earn and send the rest to where it is needed more—are indeed available.
Three of four billion people marching in the streets means little. But that many people shopping locally would turn the world into paradise.
And I suspect far fewer than three or four billion would be required for us just to survive longer, counter the forces of sadism, and cool off the earth by one degree.
I haven’t seen a better articulation of why we should think globally and act locally.