A follow through on “we can’t buy our way out" is to look for the physical debt we owe that isn’t being repaid. The whole lot of things that are failing for humans is better understood when we call out the anthropocentrism. Human economics are extracting value from the natural world. The real and overarching debt is from civilization (city-based society) to Nature. The opposite of consumption is not frugality: it is generosity. If humanity is going to avoid extinction, it must do what every other successful species does: contribute more than it takes. The first step is for humans to know the real costs of consumerism: at the decision point, via sales tax that includes all overhead costs of civilization (walled ignorance of physical reality). Then, a UBI, health and education paid from that revenue to ensure every person knows and understands their value as well as response ability for their places, tribes and future.

As for a path to this end, the FairTax is already proposed, mostly by Republicans, and Democrats only need to embrace it and negotiate the breadth and scope of a brave new freedom from corruption and consumptionism. Do they have the courage for real change? They didn’t have it when we invaded Afghanistan for the corporate war machine. They didn’t have it when Clinton ran roughshod over primaries. I don’t think even our collapsing ecosystem will overcome their addiction to class warfare and burbclaves. https://www.joebageant.org/2005/05/30/one_last_kick_a/

We’ve got to stop accepting evil (actions based on unquestioned belief) just because it’s 'less' evil.