These are some great points, and this is one of the first articles I’ve seen seriously asking the question, thanks for that.
As a Systems Engineer initially analysing the requirements for a particular beneficial system, the object of a PhD a few years ago (2017), I’ve seen this coming, and been working on a conceptual systems solution in my spare time since, adjusting it as the details of each unpredictable catalyst (Such as covid) have become clear.
So the good news is that there is a technical system solution, only one, which fixes everything, meeting the needs of all stakeholders; all people as a species, all other known creatures, and our environment.
By “only one”, I mean only one possible solution. The same system might be devised and / or worked on by more than one party, but there is only one fundamental solution, which we will arrive at in collaboration;
We must connect to the sun.
If we do not do that, nothing is fixed.
If we do, then it is the end of capitalism.
By capitalism, we should use a technical definition which is apolitical, otherwise we miss that it actually transcends politics towards even religion, and by itself is even the sole root source of all politics.
It has been practiced by all sides in politics, and even by most religions.
By religion I mean ideology, which might or might not be associated with one or more distinct god(s), but absolutely involves worship, or devoted faith-building ritual.
Capitalism itself has all of the traits of a religion, and even a cult.
The cult and religion of capitalism is probably the most powerful we will ever know.
The bad news, which you already know, is that many people currently won’t accept it, because they don’t realise yet what they need, or even that they need anything at all, practicing the religion of capitalism without question, perfectly devout followers, unaware that they even follow.
So we need to retain a very clear, precise technical definition of capitalism which is indisputable, otherwise it quickly spins out of control into dialog, politics, and religion.
Capitalism, is the capitalisation of all things created by continuous energy.
There is only one source of continuous energy in our solar system, the sun.
Capitalism is directly related to ownership.
We take whatever can be temporarily boxed, and declare ownership of it, either as individuals, organisations, or even as a species.
We can’t put the sun in a box because it is continuous, shining, and creating forever as far as we are concerned, it is impossible to contain or express in terms of capital.
But we’ve done that with all things created from it.
When we try to interrupt or alter the creation process, the process of the sun creating life, we see side effects, some positive, and some negative.
When we add to the creation of the sun, we add to the creation of life, and vice-versa.
De-creation, in all cases results in loss of life.
Burning fuel created by the sun independently of us, be it fossil fuel, nuclear, or otherwise, is a process of de-creation.
By that we might reclaim some of the energy of the sun which created the fuel, but in the process, deadly pollution is created.
So there is always a cost for de-creation.
Where we might create such fuels ourselves using the energy of the sun, nothing prevents us creating fuels which can be consumed harmlessly.
An example is hydrogen, which can be created entirely by us using the energy of sunlight.
So we should define cost, as cost of life; the cost of de-creating.
Anything else, is not cost, but gain; gain of life.
Money, we should recognise is a kind of fuel.
Money empowers.
The same basic rules apply to its supply. If it is created by, or assisted by de-creation, then it comes with a cost to life.
If it is created solely by the energy of sunlight, then it comes with no cost to life.
Solar powered proof of work tokens are an example.
They can be created by the energy of sunlight, by hardware itself created by the energy of sunlight, so they can come at no cost to life, and since the energy of the sun is continuously valuable, can be unlimited.
So those of us with the means to produce them can give them away for free, with no loss of value, forever.
There we see the basis of a new kind of economy.
And a new function and purpose of Bitcoin, the first proof of work token, limited in supply to 21M; its “Killer application” is the profit driven implementation of massive, distributed solar power infrastructure, and the administration of that forever.
Bitcoin is the catalyst connecting us to the sun, hence why I’ve called it the “Bitcoin Kardashev Hinge”, in previous stories.
Personally I believe we are much further down the road towards implementation of the system solution, we are actually very close now to connecting to the sun, but the cult is doggedly hanging on.
It might even be all done and dusted by the time they realise and admit, that all the wealth they think they’ve laid claim to, isn’t really wealth at all.
