At the founding of America, the forefathers declared independence from British rule because King George III practiced tyranny over the American colonies. In organizing the new nation, the fundamental rights of free people were acknowledged in the Bill of Rights, which defined our individual autonomy with the principle of ordered liberty. In practice, the concept of ordered liberty, which empowers government to limit our freedom where it impermissibly limits the freedom of others, has translated to freedom to advance our self interest. Each of these events occurred within the context of economic modernization.
As societies progressed from hunter-gatherers, to agrarian, to industrial, to post industrial, to information based models, we improved productivity and accelerated innovation through specialization. The sum effect of modernity is rapid improvement in life expectancy and many other quality of life measures in exchange for a growing, yet hardly acknowledged, interdependence on humanity.
Interdependence involves mutual dependence for mutual benefit. Each of us exchange the excess productivity of our specialized skills for the remainder of the goods and services that sustain us. Interdependence is distinguished from codependency, a condition involving the dependence of one party often for the benefit of an enabling party.
In our modern society, we use money as a medium of exchange for our specialized skills. As such, money is the necessary condition for accessing all goods and services including the development of specialized skills. By limiting access to skill development based on how much money we have, modern societies create a global caste of under skilled people who are codependent on wealthy benefactors. This condition is not sustainable because the benefits are not mutual.
The first step toward a sustainable, mutually fulfilling, interdependent society is acknowledging the benefit each of us receives is tied to the ability of all of us to contribute.
The quality of the food we eat is tied to the well being of the people who produce it.
The quality of the shelter we enjoy is tied to the well being of the people who built it.
The quality of love we receive is tied to the well being of the people who provide it.
My well being is tied to the well being of every person who contributes to the conditions that sustain me.
Therefore, I gladly declare my interdependence on humanity, and I commit to support policies that advance the well being of all of us.
How about you?
