What is it about our way of life, those of us who are Americans and are middle or upper middle class, that is so precious to us, so important that we are willing to ignor the consequences of it on the rest of the world? AND, can we have those same qualities (if not quantiy) without using more than our share? I guess the same questions could be asked about any people, any culture, anywhere. But it seems important right now, at this point in history, for us to be asking this of ourselves for two main reasons, global warming and the continuing wars and conflicts in the Middle East over oil and way of life/religion. The second could actually be stated more broadly, since the conflicts in Africa and Asia are also primarily about resources, and who will controll them and/or have access to them.
How would I answer this for myself? I need to start by stating my perspective that the entire Earth belongs to God [that which we call God]. In secular terms, the Earth is a giant commonwealth and belongs to everyone, past present and future. Further, it belongs to all beings not just us humans and in some sense the Earth is, itself, a being.
I value the opportunities that I have had, perhaps above all else. But let's not forget the basics. I have never truly gone hungry. As a young child, I had a home and a family that cared about me, clean water to drink and air to breathe. So I would say definitely, that these are the necessities of life that everyone deserves; food, shelter, clean water and clean air AND, as a child, love and caring. The opportunities I have had that I value most are; education and travel along with the opportunities to use my talents and skills to serve others in various different ways. I also value freedom, not what passes for freedom, such as the opportunity to choose between 50 kinds of shampoo or a dozen brands of soup, but the freedom to practice a religion of my own choosing or not, and the opportunity to choose who to marry (or not).
As I write this I realize that there is an underlying freedom or opportunity that may be key to this discussion: freedom from over-work, which also implies that a reasonable amount of work be paid a living wage. This, of course, depends heavily on how work is valued and where the value comes from. I doubt that animals think what they do is work; they just live. Originally, I believe we humans similarly just lived, did whatever was necessary to survive. I am not about to argue what did or did not happen to change this or to try and evaluate the past. I am of the opinion that what happened in some way was inevitable and therefore ultimately good, in that it brought us this far. However, what we do now individually, and much more important collectively, is not ordained but up to us.
Its becoming clear that I value labor saving devices and the ingenuity it took and takes to imagine and create. I value creativity, as well as the things that have been tried and found true. I also value the exposure to different ways of doing things, so that I can learn from others what I cannot experience myself in one lifetime.
Are some or any of these things only possible, if they are denied to the majority of the people we share this planet with? Currently, I would have to say "yes", but, ultimately, "no", to the extent that we can use the technologies that already exist in creative ways, and to the extent that we can continue to invent and create new solutions and technologies. (Can yo imagine if everyone had access tothe full range of educational opportunities, the world over, how much more creativity could be available to us?) But also to the extent that we can realize what is of real value to us and let the rest go.
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