Culture

The word culture has to do with growing, to cultivate things. I like the fact that the same word is used for plants, societies and artforms. It somehow suggests life. I see this big contrast between culture and civilization, and I think this is more than just a linguistic issue. It has to do with the rural versus the urban, and the organic versus the synthetic or artificial.

I think our world - nature, societies, ideas - is worth caring for, and cultivating. The word 'preservation' often pops up in regards to care for nature and culture, but I don't really like it. Something which is 'preserved' - like a fossil - is dead. OK, preservation might be well motivated in some cases, since the past has a lot to tell us, but in general I think that our world has to grow and mature in an organic way.

I'm really conservative in some ways. I think we learn all to little from the past, and that we in our hubris think that we can turn things upside down without adverse effects. Both societies and eco systems are very complex structures, and changing factors often have consequences far beyond what we can predict. The balance or harmony in these systems are very delicate matters and in general, sudden changes are bad. Even if things seem impractical and stupid, they often work the way they do for a reason.

It's not so bad when people just make decisions about their garden, or a small farm etc. The possible advert effects of their mistakes are limited. They can rarely destroy more than a village, perhaps a few hundred people might get hurt. Today, a few people make decisions with major global consequences. This is extremely dangerous.

The leaders of the European powers managed to cause extensive damage to their colonies several hundred years ago, and even the limited transports of those times caused terrible plagues to spread much further than they would otherwise. Today, we know a little more, and information and opinion works differently. Still the possibilities to destroy are terrifying. There are all the tools constructed for this purpose, ABC weapons etc, but also the consequences of modern impoverishing plant breeding, genetic manipulation, pollution and over consumption.

Small is beautiful. I mainly believe in doing what I can, in my little world, and hope that others also do the same. It's important to have wide perspectives though, and to see things from a larger perspective - both in the global point of view, but also in a more comprahensive view. The world isn't just technical, or just statistical, or just biological, or just spiritual.

I think that culture (in the more restricted meaning) is very inportant for us to see things from a broader perspective. Through art and traditions we can learn a lot. I think we should carefully nurture our culture, but have a broad mind and treasure the chances that the more multicultural modern society gives us. Sweden has transformed from a more or less culturally homogenous society, to a society with significant minorities from other parts of the world. Regardless of my general conservative attitude, I think this has the possibility to vitalize and enrich us.

Why Green?