Against the global crisis, a global rebellion from below

 Ruben Alexis Hernandez

The global crisis largely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its perverse management by world governments, in clear support of the economic elite, includes the bankruptcy of many small and medium-sized companies, the near destruction of state production apparatus, the loss of hundreds of millions of jobs, the proliferation of informal work, very high inflation, the refinancing of external debts, the notable reduction in social investment and poverty and misery perhaps unprecedented in history. A very dark panorama of the current one and what is coming is not exactly better, considering that the new world order in the making intends to consolidate itself, and with it the government of the corporations or corporocracy, neoliberal, totalitarian, oppressive, exclusive, unequal and ecocidal at best, in which the concentration of the means of production and exchange in a few hands would deepen, while a greater number of human beings would have to settle for very scarce financial resources. It could even accelerate the destruction of animal and plant life on the planet, and with it the extinction of Homo "Sapiens".

To make matters worse, the digital-cybernetic society is in full swing within the framework of the IV Industrial Revolution, which has received a great boost during the health emergency thanks to measures such as confinement and social distancing. We would be on the verge of the triumph of almost complete automation of every aspect in public and private life and of the massive use of electronic devices, super-modern machines, state-of-the-art tools, innovative elements and robots to, among other things: a) monitor and control closely to the population; b) to give rise and strengthen IT-technology companies, especially those with high capital, thus consolidating a kind of electronic-virtual oligopoly; c) increasingly accelerate the mobilization of large amounts of money, either as profits or losses; d) continue with the displacement of humans in various areas, especially in the workplace, deepening it in an extraordinary way; e) achieve more remarkable physical transformations in numerous individuals (creation of 'cyborgs', for example); f) to specify a kind of massive online or remote relationship as a normal daily situation, over and above the direct social interaction known to date; g) To a large extent ‘virtualize’ access to priority areas such as health and education, and to basic services. In general terms, this digital-cybernetic society in advanced formation, goes hand in hand with the new corporeal-totalitarian world order that is trying to be consolidated, and will gradually contribute its negative “grain of sand” in terms of unemployment, poverty and misery, unprecedented social disarticulation and dehumanization. A very exclusive and unequal society, without comparison with another from the past, despite the defense made of it by the 'gurus' of automation; In itself, the digital-cybernetic world would exclude many citizens, considering, broadly speaking, the prevalence of technological illiteracy and the high cost of computer equipment, “smart phones” and good internet service.

Faced with the terrible panorama described in the previous paragraphs, the common social reaction in all corners of the globe is logical, trying to prevent the powerful from continuing with their perverse socio-economic and other plans. And although active resistance, through various forms of protest and some proposals for change, is for now of low intensity and with relatively little popular participation, as if to be considered a massive global rebellion, there is no doubt the presence of a growing citizen dissatisfaction with the tragedy that we live. What happens in Colombia and in other countries in America, for example, is clear evidence that the majority, made up of those from below, do not intend to let the elites (those from above) continue to trample on them in defense of their dark interests. ; possibly the reactions will increase throughout the Earth, and ultimately could liquidate capitalism in the long term and forge a new conception of life, economically, socially and ecologically supportive and balanced.

Some of the social responses around the globe to the international crisis aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic, have to do with a possible collapse of the super-industrialized-extractivist capitalist order, due to disasters of all kinds that would end the world as we know it until now. The belief that other pandemics, world wars and / or climatic, economic, socio-ecological or chemical mega-catastrophes will occur have promoted as never before the so-called ‘survivalism’ or ‘survivalism’, a way of life consisting of establishment of self-sustaining and ecologically respectful communities (ecovillages), without ties to capitalist society:

“Some green survivalists have already decided to cut most of their ties to industrial society and start living off the grid. Pilot initiatives such as Ecovillages and Lifeboat communities have sprung up across the globe, striving to be as Earth-friendly, resilient and sustainable as possible. Others have set up grassroots organizations that facilitate the transition of their communities, cities and states and free them from dependence on a climate-transforming global economy addicted to fossil fuels.

After a year like 2020, the number of people who have embraced survivalism or survivalism has increased dramatically. Unlike most Americans, survivalists do not assume that their communities will not be ravaged by pandemics, hit by hurricanes, floods, droughts, or wildfires. They foresee that a day may come when there is no food in the supermarkets, clean water in the tap, electricity in the network, gasoline in the pumps, money in the ATMs and medicines in the pharmacies and hospitals.

But for the moment, most survivalists are short-term 'preparers'. They prepare for temporary weather disasters, not for the prolonged collapse of industrial society. They prepare, as individuals, families or small groups, for temporary calamities such as earthquakes, pandemics, weather disasters or economic crises. They focus on storing food, water, and other basic goods; they arm themselves and learn skills to survive and first medical care (...)

Unlike the preparers, the green survivalists are already creating alternatives to industrial civilization. They build permanent ecovillages - settlements designed to become "thriving models of a future world." Although today's ecovillages emerge on the experimental periphery of society, their future success is vital because knowledge of the skills crucial to surviving the failure of the system is increasingly urgent. Their survival and recovery strategies require rebuilding relationships and relearning the techniques our pre-industrial ancestors used to grow and preserve food, make clothes and tools, build homes and workshops, generate renewable energy, recycle resources, and create a living culture. that honors the Earth.

Green survivalists hope that human beings will become aware of universal danger, overcome addiction to fossil fuels, and abandon the ecocidal economy that seeks profit at the expense of people and the planet. In order to create a sustainable alternative, these bionaries are committed to healing humanity's toxic relationship with the Earth by integrating the wisdom of indigenous cultures with the most practical views of science and ecology. Ecovillagers hope to soften the severity of the immediate collapse by initiating a cooperative contraction towards simpler and more locally resilient societies capable of thriving within the carrying capacity of their bioregion. Survivalists believe that a network of ecovillages could provide Earth-friendly lifeboats in the face of the titanic shipwreck of industrial civilization” https://rebelion.org/ecoaldeas-y-saqueadores-quien-sobrevivira-al-colapso/ Translated by Paco Muñoz de Bustillo. Original source: https://www.counterpunch.org/2021/03/19/villagers-pillagers-who-will-survive-the-collapse/

Except for some differences, the 'survivalism' described in the previous quote is nothing more than the same communism of original type, a worldview contrary to capitalism, without the State, without private ownership of the means of production and exchange, without socioeconomic inequality, without exploitation, without poverty. and ecologically responsible, as experienced throughout history by numerous "primitive" aboriginal peoples on five continents. Now, beyond the fact that the collapse of the capitalist world could occur due to world wars, or natural, economic or biological disasters uncontrollable by the elites and governments, ordinary citizens would have to act forcefully without waiting for this collapse. There should be a massive global rebellion from below as soon as possible, which avoids greater socioeconomic and ecological damage and the deeper disarticulation and dehumanization of society, and tries to implant 'survivalism', communism or whatever you want to call the conception of life that at the end of the day it would prevent the total destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of Homo "sapiens".

Social outbreaks of greater or lesser magnitude that have occurred in some parts of the world in the midst of a health emergency, indicate that a good part of humanity is willing once and for all to fight without quarter against the new world order and its plan to consolidate the criminal corporocracy or government of corporations. , ultra-economic and therefore exclusive and unequal wherever it is seen, considering that for the elites even water and other vital day-to-day resources would be merchandise in every sense of the word.