Chapter Excerpts from the Book

How do we replace exploitation with mutual care? What are the essentials of this way of life? Here’s a real-life example to start, a picture to help us think clearly about where our world is today, and what it needs to be whole and healthy… We have always adopted...

Let’s consider the logistics needed to create a system of universal healthcare, without a parasitic middleman layer. Is it beyond our abilities? No. We build extensive roads and complex transit systems. We have air-traffic control and thousands of airplanes in the sky...

Were there none who were discontented with what they have, the world would never reach anything better. – Florence Nightingale Imagine if only the wealthy were allowed on the roads. Or only full-time executives, or only those born in certain ZIP codes. That would be...

Mutual care produces abundance, not deprivation. Of course. When we focus only on our rights, then taking what’s ours seems like a solution to inequity. But it isn’t. Taking is what bullies do. Taking ensures conflict. We need to think this through more fully. When we...

When we fully recognize the thefts, lies and villainy of bullies and parasites, we must resist and restrain them. And if we’ve in any way served their ends—through silence, complicity, or imitation—we must stop, awaken, and stand with those who care. To accomplish...

If we are to free each other from slavery, in all its forms and disguises, we must be clear-eyed about our own vulnerabilities. Bullies and parasites rely on them to keep us in our place—especially our fear of the other, our instinctive reactions to the unfamiliar,...

What follows is a brief survey of what’s often called the “Golden Rule”—the shining wisdom of mutual care across faiths, philosophies and worldviews. The count in parentheses is the estimated number of current followers, whether actively practicing or not, if known....

Mutual care means sharing resources, rights and responsibilities across the whole community. This is where outrage gives way to wisdom—wisdom about how to end human exploitation, with practical intelligence, not just good-heartedness. Let’s set some foundations. These...

Fear is virtually always the vulnerability that bullies and parasites use to manipulate us to do their will. One of their key methods is propaganda. The word is thrown around in political debate so often that it barely even registers anymore. It’s just another word...

False hope preserves darkness. In recent decades, technology has been widely promoted as the cure-all for human suffering—with promises to cure disease, end hunger, provide shelter, and entertain. And it does have potential. But technological advancement has also been...