Deep Economy: Reading Guide 3
Chapter 3 – All for One, or One for All
“We don’t need each other for anything anymore. If we have enough money, we’re insulated from depending on those around us – which is at least as much a loss as a gain” (p. 117).
McKibben begins this chapter discussing the benefits and the costs that the Protestant Reformation (with its emphasis on individual authority) and the Industrial Revolution (with its reliance on fossil fuels) have offered. McKibben acknowledges the benefits gained through the liberation of many types of people – slaves, women, minorities, workers. For McKibben, however, the overwhelming cost has been the loss of community, fixed identity and extended family. What our society has exchanged, in place of these things, is the opportunity to “make something of ourselves” (p. 96). If we assume that our purchasing choices reveal who we are, then our buying into our current way of life suggests that rugged individualism must make us happier. McKibben seeks to show that this is not truly the case. He continues his argument that local economies, rather than the individualism that supports the global economy, will enhance our quality of life, health and happiness.
The following outline examines two main themes in this chapter.
For Better or For Worse? Hyper-individualism: McKibben demonstrates in this chapter that the loss of a deeper, community-defined identity has frayed our social fabric. His example of newer suburban houses, which are “good for the dysfunctional family” is meant to show how much being disconnected from one another – even our parents and siblings – has become normalized (p. 97). Further, he discusses how this “hyper-individualism” has shaped and informed our modern politics. What has resulted from this mind-set has been the erosion of social safety nets (Social Security, quality health care) and public spaces (parks, schools, highways, etc.). This also means that the social networks and public funds which made it possible for most people to retire comfortably have all but been erased. As a result, “older people ‘have become the fastest-growing portion of the work force’” (p. 119).
In addition, this hyper-individualist line of thinking has perverted basic Christian principles, such as Jesus’ teaching to “love your God and your neighbor as yourself.” Instead, the unbiblical saying that “God helps those who help themselves” has been a guiding light for our moral and economic decisions (p. 98). McKibben asserts that this fundamental redefinition of Christian teachings is why “so many Christians have backed the harsh economic policies of recent administrations” (p. 99).
What these economic policies have given us are:
a) personal health care accounts instead of Social Security
b) 401K plans instead of pensions – which are vulnerable to drops in the stock market. (Many people have seen the destruction of their retirement savings during our current economic crisis.)
c) inequitable taxes – which have increased the income gap, leaving the top 1% of the population very rich but ensuring that most of us “struggle to get by” (p. 103)
McKibben shows that, for our economic structure to be the most efficient, we need to have a flexible and movable workforce. If people are more isolated from their friends and family, then they can more easily relocate to fill new jobs and work longer hours (p. 101, 114). Not surprisingly, social participation (joining community groups) and civic participation (voting) in our generation have greatly declined. What we’d rather hold up as ideal are the elusive millionaires like Donald Trump, the lone winners of the show, Survivor, or the glory of “An Army of One” (p. 101-102). This economic and social way of life is not environmentally stable and, McKibben argues, makes us increasingly less happy.
The Benefits of a Local Economy: What McKibben poses as an alternative are local economies where people are not reduced to being simple workers or consumers. Instead, in a local economy, people participate with other people while engaging in economic activities. Instead of the boring chitchat with the Wal-Mart greeter, people will talk more and forge new relationships with other participants in the farmers’ markets.
McKibben argues this local economy will
a) increase our social stability
b) enhance our personal relationships
c) provide more substantial goods like leisure time and security (p. 113, 114)
d) reduce damage to the environment by relying less on fossil fuels (p. 123, 124)
Local economies don’t have to be “hippy communes,” Amish villages or communist collectives. They “can be localized as easily in cities and suburbs as in rural villages” (p. 122). Being a part of a larger community means more than simply getting a good deal at Target or Wal-Mart (p. 108). For people in developing countries, more money does mean more stability and happiness. But for us in developed nations, companionship is more valuable. Quality of life indexes are partial proof that being a valued member of a family, a marriage or a community “contribute[s] more to subjective well-being” (p. 109). This means that, not only will individuals report that they feel happier, they will also be physically and mentally healthier and live longer (p. 110, 111). Moving from place to place to find a better job is stressful; it takes a large toll on your health. Staying put and interacting with those around you reduces or partially eliminates this stress.
McKibben points out that we work more hours and make more money and this is supposed to make us feel safe. We’ve increased our average work week to forty five hours rather than the promised forty (p. 114). However, he shows that what this increase in money really does is give us more expenses: fast-food, child care, pricier frozen meals, etc. We can’t afford to buy Jacuzzis and high-definition TV sets because we need to save this money for day-care and gas. In short, “the more hours you work, the less satisfied you become with your life, even though you make more money” (p. 114). Interestingly, McKibben gives us statistics that show our overall productivity has increased 80% in the last forty years. This means that “we produce nearly twice as much per hour as the average worker in 1969” (p. 115). But because we need more money to buy the services that make our current lives possible, this increase in productivity doesn’t reduce the amount of hours we work, it increases them.
What we need to emphasize instead, says McKibben, is that “human interaction... [is] an end in itself” (p. 112). Advertising and big-name brands would have us believe that buying their products will make us feel fulfilled and connected. But, as McKibben indicates, this satisfaction ends with the point of sale (p. 123). Wearing our wealth to show our worth may give us the appearance of being important. But Nike shoes and sports cars don’t make us feel less lonely or reassure us in times of doubt. Depending on those around us “for something real” like comfort and friendship will create a new “reality [which] responds to all the parts of who we are, including the parts that crave connection” and will not disappear with the evaporation of fossil fuels (p. 128).
