The Principal Cause of Global Instability

Realimiteit Theory© – Realimity Principle© – Realimiteit©

Lynn Margulis: ‘if it metabolizes it is alive, if it not metabolizes it is not.’

1.     We have to take into account that there is a natural limitation for the realisation of goals.

2.     Desired realities or goals can be achieved and be sustainable only if they remain within natural boundaries of functionality which are dependent on cognition, i.e. interaction with environment by a continuous exchange of information.

Life or living systems (Capra, Bateson) depend on the criteria needed for survival; for example health: a non-polluted environment, social safety, biological and ecological balance. According to Maturana and Varela’s Santiago Theory of Cognition, life is autopoietic; this means it creates, maintains and sustains itself through communication (cognition) with the environment. The sustenance of life therefore depends on the availability of creative conditions. Life that encounters ‘destructive’ conditions will perish as it cannot be sustained or sustain itself anymore.

Life is continuously interacting with environment through information. All information would be needed to pick and choose that information which is constructive for life. We speak about feedback loops, which are information carriers of amplifying nature; which are called ‘positive feedback loops’ and information carriers of dampening or correcting information are called ‘negative feedback loops’. We can say that living is a continued learning and adaptation process.

In order for an organism to maintain homeostasis or equilibrium, it needs to use both information carriers. The feedback loops carrying the most useful information are chosen automatically as these enhance the chance of survival of the organism. These feedback loops are ever changing because the environment is also changing all the time. When for example the quality of air has been compromised, an organism needs to adapt to these new parameters, because if it can’t it cannot sustain itself. The environment does not determine a change within an organism. It is the structure of an organism itself that determines a change. This in short is called; adaptation, which is possible by allowing ALL information.

Now, fast forward this to organisations, businesses, industrial production or political processes. What these entities are often doing is to ignore information which contradicts purpose, whilst only accepting that information which confirms it. We have to ask this question; can there be business or political ideology without life? When we see organisations as living, social systems of communication (Luhmann), we intuitively understand that stability and sustainability can only be achieved by using positive – and negative feedback in a balanced order. Luhmann stated that such

social systems of communication are autopoietic too and are sustained by communication or the constant gathering and sharing of (new) information. This autopoiesis creates the very basis for steering, predictability and survival of the system. A continuous interactive learning process is the basis for sustenance and continuity.

But when we look at for example; Erdogan’s Turkey, the European Commission, Washington’s reckless military interventions, hydrocarbon effects on the environment, international political landscapes or GMO production, we can easily observe that their stability or sustainability is being made possible by only using information which confirm goals. It is being sustained artificially by misinformation or by suppressing (not allowing) dampening, or corrective feedback.

This automatically leads to a status of non-adaptability, because these organisations try to operate beyond natural boundaries of functionality. This makes them immediately instable and unsustainable, which will lead to entropy (disorder) which is mathematically calculable. We talk about path dependency.

A constant flow of corrective feedback is the only basis for balance and sustainability for social systems as they are living systems too.

Therefore I created this Realimiteit Tool with which we can measure, map and predict stability and sustainability in any system, organisation or enterprise. We do this by researching if all feedback loops are connected, balanced, dynamic and used to enable adjusting the steering or control of the organisation. We ask two questions:

a.     Is the organisation positive interdependent? All stakeholders will benefit.

b.     Is the organisation negative interdependent? Only some stakeholders benefit because others (re; society, environment, flora, fauna, people) cannot. An action, process or goal that depends on negative interdependence is instable and unsustainable.

Energy and Resources

Imagine how much energy and resources are wasted by organisations to create unpredictable and unsustainable realities which cannot survive outside of environment or exist beyond natural boundaries of functionality which in fact means outside Realimiteit.

Any organisation that tries to operate in such a manner, i.e. defying nature’s capacity to carry or condone it, needs lobbyists, lawyers or propaganda through media used to stifle that information which could confirm actual harmfulness of products, ideology or services. When that energy and resources would be used to implement change from harmful to non-harmful, the organisation that allows for ALL information would be able to steer and control the organisation in an adaptive and sustainable way. Future, long term investments can therefore be justified.

Here is a listing of some negative interdependent industries, organisations, corporations, political ideologies. I will also add the non-linear effects (beyond control).

Let me first start by explaining what negative interdependence means and compare it with the opposite which is 'positive interdependence’.

Positive interdependent? All stakeholders will benefit.

Negative interdependent? Only some stakeholders benefit because others (people, society, environment, flora, fauna, etc.) will or cannot.

It becomes quite easy to understand which organisation, services or products are negatively interdependent and which ones are not but luckily the number of sustainable ones is growing fast.

Let's start with the First Cause Principle: the financial industry, which in fact is causing organisations, people, industries, political processes to act with in mind the intention of financial gain. The intention to make money has become prioritised and leads to ignoring information which could jeopardize or contradict it.

Money is created from the issuance of credit by those who benefit from this privilege at the cost of others.

Non linear effect: This leads to the stratification of society and the growing gap between the poor and the rich, which leads directly to conflict.

The fossil fuel and mining industries: Although they benefit human kind by producing products we all have grown accustomed to use, they come at great cost for human and non-human life, the environment and social cohesion.

Non-linear effect: Climate change is a direct consequence of burning fossil fuels. Bloody conflicts are often the result of the pursuit of natural resources.

The GMO industry: Information proving potential harm of such products is suppressed or ignored, whilst only supporting information is promoted.

Non-linear effect: Millions of acres of crop producing land have become contaminated.

The weapons industry: The reason a man is afraid is what he knows about himself inside. Globalist and corporatists policies are backfiring. NATO destroyed Libya, therefore a Libyan killed kids during a pop concert.

Non-linear effect: The military industrial complex has become dependent on conflicts and wars, so they employ lobbyists and sponsor politicians to make sure peace is not a priority. (NATO’s existence now depends on a non-existent, media hyped, Russian Threat).

The Pharma and Health Industry: Our longevity has been prolonged by modern medical science, but also a negative interdependence exists: if all people would be healthy, they’d be out of business.

Non-linear effect: More sickness, means more profit.

The intelligence industry: All over the world, governments are spending billions of dollars for security and intelligence, because of the fear that their insidious agendas could be exposed to the public.

Non-linear effect: If intentions have ulterior motivations, secrecy will be enforced, whilst whistle blowers will be hunted down. (relevant information is being suppressed – Wikileaks Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden)

Journalism: Despite the sheer volume of news broadcasting enterprises, truthful news is not easy to find. When a newspaper depends on income earned by advertising, it will not oppose the products or services it advertises from fear of losing customers.

Non-linear effect: This would mean that contradicting or biased news could be suppressed and that fake news could replace true news.

Politics: Corruption, violence, abuse of power, political ideologies are all negatively interdependent, because they depend on others being used for some ulterior purpose. 

Non-linear effects: Hegemonic power grabs, fascism, despotism, corruption, violence, rebellion, etc.

What do these negative interdependencies have in common? They depend on suppressing  information which confirms negative interdependence. This is in my opinion the cause of all global crises. A positive message is that when we finally are willing to accept this, we can commence phasing them out and replacing them with positive interdependent solutions. This would create billions of jobs and save us all from collapse, because that is the road we are on as history confirms.

But there is also good and sustainable so-called positive interdependence.

Here are a few developments that gives hope and future to all of us:

Young entrepreneurs are looking to solve the energy, food, drinking water issues and using the latest technologies to replace harmful methods into non-harmful ones.

Solutions for global food security has been given by proving that localised production would actually feed more people than by global commercialisation of agriculture. This will also lessen the need for polluting transportation and international competition. There are communities that cooperate into becoming self-sufficient and self-supporting by exchanging ideas, skills and knowledge which enhances mutual benefit. Solar and water power can be used to drive machines and industries if we would just go for it. Resource conflicts can be solved by systems thinking and cybernetics, the science is there for us all to use.

Positive interdependence need common goals as priorities. I simplified them as just three goals:

1.     The preservation of the environment ( life cannot live without interaction with it)

2.     The protection of human and non-human life

3.     The building and maintenance of global social cohesion

When political and economic choices become dependent on these 3 goals, everything else we do, choose or decide will fall into its proper place automatically.

Remark to the reader: Perhaps you will read this and then decide to ignore it because this information would not fit your goals. But the Realimiteit Theory proves that in order to prevent entropy (disorder) all information (including these words) would have to be used to steer your organization safely. Corporate Social Responsibility or Ethics, are also information one cannot afford to ignore.

Arend van Campen, July 12, 2017