On Caitlin Johnstone’s essay “You’re Only As Free As You Allow Your World To Be”.
Caitlin Johnstone suggests that egoing and trying to control others is the primary source of our insecurity, and we should stop doing this — both on the personal and political levels.
However, I am afraid that while Caitlin Johnstone is an excellent critic, she is unable to cure the world because she wrongly identifies the problems to be solved. Therefore, her suggestions remain a utopia.
I would like to see her at least attempt to be more precise and tackle some well-known nuances and problems.
Concerning the policy of gaining more control and the threat of nuclear disaster, Johnstone writes:
“…could easily lead to the death of everyone on earth. The assumption is that more control will bring more security, but the reality is that it creates more insecurity.”
Concerning such phrases as “more insecurity”, please specify whether you keep in mind the absolute value of the possible losses L or the weighed (or expected) value p x L, where p is the probability of that loss L.
Concerning such problems tackled in the essay, it is essential to invoke the game theory, particularly the game called “Prisoner’s Dilemma”. For example, it is the essence of the arms race — and the problems discussed by Johnstone are of a similar kind.
I shall explain it in the case of Johnstone’s sentences:
“Without egoing, it would just be human organisms peacefully existing on the planet they were born on until they died of natural causes.”
— The question is not about what would happen on the planet where all organisms and human beings were without egoing. The real question is how we could achieve a better world and what kinds of better worlds are feasible. In the present world we are in; the following question is fundamental:
Who should be the first one to stop egoing and stop controlling others?
If I am the first one to stop egoing, does it really make my security better as the others have not stopped egoing, and they can take advantage of my mitigated policy?
I do not believe that Caitlin Johnstone can make the world a better and safer place if she simply continues to ignore these fundamental and well-known problems.
Antiacademia 