As the vote count drew to an end in the recent election, many Republicans on my neighborhood social media network (Nextdoor) have been gloating, understandably, about a new word they just learned from the news media: trifecta. Originating from the world of horse racing, it originally referred to a successful bet on the three winning horses in the race — win, place, and show. But its meaning has broadened to refer, generally, to any triad of (presumably) favorable outcomes or events — like a Republican electoral victory in the Presidential race, coupled with majorities in both the Senate and House. From a slightly larger perspective, it could also refer to the current dominance of the political Right in all three branches of government: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. So I can understand why they are gloating.
But there is another Trifecta that will not make anyone happy, once it becomes obvious. I refer to the simultaneous collapse of the three complex adaptive systems we all depend on for our security and survival: (1) the collapse of our democracies into tyranny, here and all over the world; (2) the collapse of the global market economy due to fossil fuel depletion and the upward concentration of wealth; and (3) the collapse of our global biological support systems due to anthropogenic climate disruption (aka “climate change”) and toxic pollutants, causing the precipitous decline of the essential foundations of whole food chains dependent on a stable, predictable climate: forests, water, temperature range, and topsoil and insect populations on land; and coral reefs and vital ocean currents (AMOC) at sea.
The Earth has terminal cancer: our fossil fuel- and money-dependent global market economy can only thrive through the endless growth of production, consumption, and (toxic) disposal of commodities. This requires cheap and dense net energy (fossil fuels) to power mineral and biological resource extraction for the manufacture and transport of commodities, and a growing population to extract, produce, and consume them. Yet we live on a finite planet that is not growing any bigger, and whose renewable resource base we have already overshot. We have passed, or soon will pass, all of the “tipping points” that — if they had been systematically addressed sooner — might have averted global catastrophe and dieoff. In short, we’re doomed, no matter what we do collectively. But individually, we still have options — for now.
What are these options? I would put them into three broad categories: (1) cultivating inner equanimity, emotional stability, and compassion; (2) speaking truth to power, mindfully, strategically, and relentlessly — no matter what; and (3) cultivating health, competence, and resilience, as best we can, for ourselves, our communities, and our living planet. All of these entail overcoming — and helping our youth to overcome — denial, delusion, and despair, while cultivating determination, no matter what, to live in the present moment with integrity, foresight, and moral courage.
There are, of course, many ways of cultivating all of the above. My three favorite are Tonglen, Satyagraha, and Permaculture. These three disciplines serve me well in (1) strengthening my inner equanimity and compassion — the prerequisite to all the rest; (2) speaking truth to power mindfully, strategically, and relentlessly; and (3) cultivating resilience in my community and social circles by practicing Earth Care (growing gardens), People Care (growing community), and Fair Share (growing awareness). I find such triads to be useful mnemonics for staying on an even keel as our days darken…
Hope this helps!