The People Are Waking Up

How do we end capitalism?

At this point I think it’s safe to say that I am mentally and emotionally allergic to any overbearing authority figure. I’ve developed a knee jerk resistance to unsolicited advice and anyone forcibly trying to impress a lesson upon me. I think most of us don’t like being told what to do or what to think. But manufactured consent is a real thing, and marketers have tapped into decades of psychological research to hack our brains.

This is why I recently changed my Instagram handle from “resourcefulreverence” to “_enoughness_”. A reminder to myself of being content with who I am and where I am in the moment. Even if just a ‘note to self’ every time I log into my social media account. Oh social media, an increasingly contentious tool, but I digress…

“Enoughness”. My word of the year for 2025. As I began listening to a podcast with the beloved Robin Wall Kimmerer on “Practical Reverence”, I was reminded of her brilliance. A quote of Robin’s lives on my fridge, diligently written down with a white board marker:

“We have forgotten that the easiest way to have everything that you need, is not to waste what you have.” - Robin Wall Kimmerer

This quote spoke to my zero waste geek heart. But after my 15+ years of service to the work of sustainability and waste reduction, I’ve taken a step back to reconsider my approach. After all, approach is everything. As a systems thinker, we are trained in finding “root causes”. We know band-aids don’t address systemic issues, and from all my digging and literal and figurative dumpster diving, I’ve got 4 words for you:

It’s the economy, silly.

I didn’t finish the podcast with Robin, other demands and distractions waltzed in. But what I had heard still sank in, deeply. We must learn from Nature. The fancy word for this is called “biomimicry” however Indigenous People have long been practicing the art and science of learning from Nature. So how does nature operate an “economy”? For one, abundance is designed into the operating system. That is in stark contrast to our scarcity based economy.

In the podcast Robin talks about the generosity of berries, a gift economy, the “honorable harvest” which is my favorite chapter in her acclaimed book Braiding Sweetgrass. Before just taking, *asking for consent* , then taking only what you need. This is all touched on in Robin’s latest book The Serviceberry, which grew from an essay that Robin wrote, which ended up being the most read essay that Emergence Magazine published.

The serendipity of yesterday was astonishing. Earlier in the day, my neighbor texted me that I had a package. When I saw it was from my friend Nani, I waited to open it. This is a thing I do, I like to hold off on the impulse to open presents/packages from friends as a way to focus on other tasks that need to get done, and then reward myself with opening it. Finally, it was the end of the day. I sat down on my bed and carefully opened Nani’s package. Would you believe it was Robin’s latest book The Serviceberry?

This was one of the most platonic romantic care packages I’ve received from a friend. Nani’s letter was written on a typewriter. A TYPE WRITER. Complete with typos because there’s no backspace, making the reading experience all the more charming. Nani is a writer, published even! And it’s an excellent read that I highly recommend, especially as its topic is very poignant: Birthright? Travelogue of an American Radical in Israel/Palestine.

While reading Nani’s letter I was reminded of her command of language and wise wordplay. Getting a poetic letter typed out on a typewriter from a writer friend was easily the highlight of 2025 thus far. Not only does Nani share with me so many gorgeous reflections of our friendship, but of my presence in the world. I don’t think there’s a greater compliment than to be compared to a book about abundance and reciprocity written by the sage Robin Wall Kimmerer. Nani’s words gave me the unique experience of feeling seen in a way I yearn to be seen. Which when you think about it, what greater gift can we be giving each other? To really see each other. To mirror and magnify each other’s light. And it’s FREE!!

Questions as Answers

Growing up Catholic, it took me many many years to even consider coming back to any organized religion. The Quakers have won me over with their consistent approach of using inquiry to seek truth. Any kind of preaching or proselytizing is frowned upon. We do not endorse any doctrine or dogma, except for a unified stance on using non-violence as a powerful tool for seeking peaceful solutions to conflict. This is one of the many reasons why the United Healthcare CEO murder has had me enthralled, and wrestling a bit with my faith. I explore this more in my last post Power Games at Play.

These are the puzzles I love exploring here, and I’m grateful you’re here with me. What no longer seems to remain a puzzle to a growing number of us in the working class however, is that this system is corrupt. In grad school when I was studying business and sustainable systems, they would say how the system isn’t broken. It’s working exactly as it’s designed to work. Case in point, if you’re poor you pay interest, if you’re rich you collect interest. Both are reinforcing feedback loops that keep one in their socio-economic status.

I recently watched a panel discussion at the New School with bell hooks, where she shared how she thinks being in conversation is one of the most effective learning techniques. That stuck with me. Being in dialogue is a fluid dance that sparks genuine engagement, and I know I’ve been learning more from recent conversations with friends on important topics, one being wealth inequality.

Class consciousness is on the rise. While it can be a slippery slope between awareness and despair, ignorance is not bliss. Knowledge is power. And the right question at the right time can be transformational. So what are the questions we need to be asking??

My faith is guiding me to listen more, to myself, and to my carefully selected teachers. I’m also feeling led to ask questions more loudly. I want to start honing in on those juicy questions that engage critical thinking to help us progress to where we know we need to go, which is a post-capitalism world. The work of the Post Growth Institute has been a brilliant beacon by facilitating beautiful offerings like the “Offers and Needs Market”, and so has

adrienne maree brown

’s work on Emergent Strategy, and the Upstream Podcast. There are many others lighting and leading the way.

For the vast majority of us in the working class, the situation has become untenable.

And we are coming together like never before. Some are saying, it’s no longer right vs. left, but bottom vs. top. As a Quaker I know better than to relish in any adversarial dynamic, but the imbalance has become so undeniable that it can no longer be ignored.

The people are waking up.

I find inspiration from radical actions by past Quakers…

…like Benjamin Lay, who would spray fake blood on wealthier slave owning Quakers at the Burlington, NJ Friends Meeting.

And Lucretia Mott, who helped lead the abolition and women’s rights movements, and advocated not buying the products of slave labor. Imagine that.

And Bayard Rustin who organized the infamous 1963 March on Washington, and mentored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in nonviolent civil resistance.

General Strike on May Day 2028

I watched this video yesterday that covers a lot of ground, proposing how to end capitalism. The standouts for me are learning from previous movements, the return of unions, more equitable decision making processes, and movements already on the path including the UAW's general strike on May 1st, 2028. The teacher’s union has already joined, and Physicians for a National Health Program are calling for a focus on Medicare for All.

Whether you watch the below video or not, I hope you get to have a conversation with a friend or a stranger about these important challenges of our time. Because it’s never too late to do the right thing, and to get in right relationship.