At the end of the day, Trainer is quite right to insist that if there is to be a any transition away from consumer capitalism, it will be up to us – ordinary people – to make it happen. The state certainly has the power to ‘unlock’ those individuals and communities from those structures, and it could do so much more quickly than if we rely on grassroots resistance alone.Īt the same time, Trainer’s insistence that we cannot wait for others (especially politicians) to solve our problems is a very healthy reminder of the importance of participatory, direct, grassroots democracy. Others may argue that the state will need to play a larger role in ‘the transition’ than Trainer allows, if only because a great deal needs to be done in a short time, and current ‘structures’ are locking individuals and communities into unsustainable consumption patterns. That is a criticism all anarchists must deal with, and one that Trainer should probably give more attention. Some will consider this anarchism to be a fault in Trainer’s analysis, and argue that it relies on a view of human nature that is too optimistic. He feels that we are going to have to build the new economy ourselves, at the community level, without help from governments and probably with considerable resistance. where to direct our energies) and ‘practice’ (i.e. Perhaps the most important and original chapters of the book, however, are the final two, where Trainer rigorously engages the two vexed issues of ‘strategy’ (i.e. Especially good is his chapter entitled, ‘The New Economy,’ in which he gives a uniquely inspiring account of what life according to The Simpler Way might look like (based on decades of lived experience). The book speaks of ‘the transition,’ and many details are provided on what this transition might entail and where it might lead. Trainer, however, is not satisfied with critique, merely. But although his critique is radical, it is very hard to fault his analysis. Trainer does not shy away from the implications of his analysis (summarised below), which at times can be quite confronting. I highly recommend that everyone gets a copy of this book, reads it, and then passes it on. From cover to cover, its pages are positively alive with wisdom. It speaks directly to our global situation and condition, and it does so with passion, humility, and penetrating insight. If you only have time to read one more book in your life, consider reading this one. In 2010 he published a book called, The Transition to a Sustainable and Just World, and I have to say that it is one of the best books I have ever read in my life. Ted Trainer is one of the wisest, boldest, and most dedicated advocates of The Simpler Way.
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