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An improbable journey

by Mascha Schädlich, Björn Rzymann, Markus Saborowski

License: CC BY-SA 4.0

A journey to the utopian year 2242! Roha, Tuxah and the scrap dealer accompany a visitor who is struggling with the improbability of his own appearance in the utopia.

(This radio play is only available in German)

Komm mit uns auf eine Reise in das utopische Jahr 2242!

In unserem Hörspiel reparieren und begleiten Roha, Tuxah und die Schrotthändlerin einen Besucher, der mit der Unwahrscheinlichkeit seines eigenen Auftauchens in der Utopie zu kämpfen hat.

Wie sieht das utopische Jahr 2242 aus? Arbeitet noch irgendwer? Und welche Rolle findet jemand aus der Vergangenheit dort?

Cover image by Mullana.

Translated Skript

Chapter 1 - Intro

Narrator:

Leave everything. It's time to go. And maybe come back changed.

Maybe you are asking yourself, how one can still dream of a better future in these dystopian times? So many wars, our democracy in danger, is the next pandemic already lurking? And seariously, when will someone finally REALLY do something against the climate catastrophe? But whatever, you are probably already struggling to pay the next rent increase, and you'd better not even think about your retirement.

This is bad. Yes, it really is. Let us share our fear of the future, let us share the sadness over all the losses. But then, afterwards, let us at least try and dream. Dream of a better world. As difficult as it is, in a world like this one. If we cannot imagine a better world, we cannot fight for one. We have to know what we want, before we can demand and build it. And so much is already there. So much is living in the cracks of the concrete. We have to water these ideas and let them grow until their roots are so strong that they break open the asphalt and grow over the concrete.

Our dreams of a better world live within us. Maybe this better world, this utopia, is not even that far. Maybe it consists of a peaceful and content life for all, with more time for our loved ones and in nature. The knowledge of a secure life and future, surrounded by the people who are important to us, in a nice home, and in an intact environment that is part of a planet where everyone is taken care of. A world in which people can be different without fear.

That would be my utopia. What does yours look like?

Dare to think about this question. In what kind of world do you want to live? No ifs, ands, or buts. A utopian world exactly how you want it to be. A world you have helped to create and in which you doing well.

Think about it, if you like, draw it on a big piece of paper, sing it, or write it down. And then hold on to it like a treasure.

I would like to take you now on a journey to a utopian world. A utopia, that is interwoven with with many other societal utopias and utopic novels - maybe you will recognize some of it. Take whatever you like away from this world, add your own dreams and share it with others if you like. I wish you a pleasant journey!

Close your eyes. Take note of how you breath without changing your breathing. Notice how your belly gos up and down with each breath in and out. Take another deep breath in and out.

You are now embarking on a journey to the future. Imgine you can leap up into the air and observe what is happening on earth from there. Days, nights, and years pass by until the year 2242. You glide carefully back to the ground and land very gently between some apple trees. You see a person in a blue overall which has been mended a lot, has been adorned with colourful patches and button figures, covered in pockets. This is Roha. They are holding some tools and are bent over a pump.

Chapter 2 - Finding Marvin

Roha [sighs and clinks around with tools and murmurs]: It's so hot. And it's only March... We should plant a tree here, too, to give us shade. [Wipes sweat from their forehead, clink clink]. The inlet valve is probably broken. Shoot, those have gone out of production long ago. Well, I've wanted to stop by the scrap dealer anyway and show her the Edan. She'll surely have spare parts for the pump.

Narrator:

Roha packs up the tools and takes them to a barn that is filled with very many, very varied machines. Some have solar panels attached to them, others seem to be operated manually. A large device in the corner sports a strinking number of pedals ...

From one corner, Roha pulls the case with the Edan. Edan is what people call those devices whose functionality and meaning have been lost. It is Roha's favorite pastime to try and get the devices up and running again with the scrap dealer and Tuxah.

Roha walks through the gate of the Community Supported Agriculture, for which they work as a mechanic, and mounts the case on the luggage carrier of a bike they find in front of the gate.

Roha cycles for a few minutes between the tall houses with big gardens in between. They wiggle past the many othe cyclists and pedestrians. On benches under the curbside trees, neighbors chat while children draw on the street with chalk. Every now and then, people greet Roha and want to invite them for a lemonade, but Roha rides on. They are worried about the pump. It hasn't rained in weeks and the fruit trees need water. Roha parks the bike by the open gate of the scrap dealership and walks into the wide premises.

Roha [suprised]: Where is the scrap dealer? [A door squeaks].

Gosh, this heat, I'll sit down and drink something first. The scrap dealer will surely show up ... Huh, Kasiopeia*! You're here - well, okay, you're basically always here. How old are you, actually? How old do tortoises get? Much older than humans, right? [drinks water].

Narrator:

The recycling museum lies in the shade between two large chestnut trees and peered out of freshly cleaned windows trough the midday heat towards Roha. However, the scrap dealer cannot be found. Roha looks in the trailer, but she is not lying in bed and she is not bent over her large table, which she uses as both a desk and a workbench. Roha walks through the large materials storage, where all the valuable resources are neatly lined up and labeled, and once again admires the scrap dealer's love of order and precision. She had made very detailed accounts of the materials on cards on the shelves and a code leads to the Wiki-page with all further relevant knowledge about using the materials. Roha strolls through the recycling museum, where old machines and rare raw materials are on display and the scrap dealer teaches children how to repair things in a small seminar room. The children can bring whatever they want and then work with the scrap dealer to find out whether they can repair or repurpose something or would rather use the individual parts for something else.

Roha: Okay, she is not in her trailer. And not in the recycling museum or the materials storage or in the workshop either. [Door closing, Steps on rustling gras, other door opening].

Say, Kasiopeia, what are you doing there underneath that tarp? What do you have there? Oh, that is nice and big and round and maybe I can use it as new salat bowl. I dropped ours yesterday, you know - [pushes a tarp aside] oops, there's a neck attached to it and there's an arm - and wow, it's a robot! How did it get here!? What kind of material is that, it's so light. Okay, wow, I definitely have to call Tuxah and see if we can get it working again!

[rustling of the tarp, dragging noise (Roha pulls Marvin out of the scrap heap into the workshop onto the workbench), Roha groans as she heaves Marvin onto the workbench]

Where's my Diggih? [rummages around] Ah here! [Keyboard noises]: Tuxah! You won't believe what I just found in the scrap yard. A very special kind of Edan. But I don't want to give too much away. Are you coming?

*footnote: The name Kasiopeia is probably a reference to the German children's book "Momo", in which the child Momo is accompanied by a tortoise called Kasiopeia on their quest to save the grown ups from time-stealing gray men.

Chapter 3 - Repairing Marvin

Tuxah [surprised, excited, gasping]: A robot, wow! Where did you find this? [He reverently runs his hand over the smooth, shiny surface of the being on the table.]

Roha [mumbling, already absorbed in inspecting the robot]: I found it in the unsorted scraps. Obviously, this big hole in his head is the reason he isn't working anymore. Look at this! Really old tech! I'd say, built at the end of the 20. century. You can see it from all these wires.

Narrator: Roha and Tuxah have been tinkering at the big white round thing for a while, with headlamps, multimeters and soldering irons, as the scrap dealer appears. She is at least as surprised and excited as Roha and Tuxah about the discovery. She just can't say how the robot get on the scrapyard. The three of them work the whole evening and try different methods of bringing the robot back to life. It's not easy, because a lot of the used technology is not in use anymore today. They have to look up a lot of stuff in the wiki. At some point, they're exhausted, go to the construction trailer of the scrap dealer and sleep deeply. The next morning, Tuxah jumps from the bed and runs over to the Workshop.

Tuxah [shouting]: Come look - these green triangles! They're glowing!! Look, I kept the transmitter cable plugged in overnight, in this place. It seems to use electricity as energy source instead of directly using solar energy. If only I could find the correct interface. Then, I could take a closer look at its code-

Marvin [metallic roaring]

Tuxah [very excited]: It works again! It works again! Can you talk? Where are you from? Do you have a name?

Marvin: I am Marvin!

Tuxah [intimidated, stuttering]: Hello, Marvin. I am Tuxah and that is Roha and that is the scrap dealer...

Marvin: I don't like you.

[speechless silence]

Scrap dealer: He seems to speak english... Somewhere, I have... Somewhere I should have a few babelfishes. This orange-coloured oval device clamps over the ear. It translates any existing language simultaneously.

[Marvin rises slowly, glides from the table and shuffles out of the workshop.]

Tuxah: Hey! Where are you going?

Roha: Let him, maybe he just has to get used to this place.

Narrator:

They sat down on the bench in the shadows and had breakfast.

Kasiopeia laid down beneath the bench and seems to be asleep. The sun rises in front of them into the cloudles sky, while Marvin shuffles around the site and seems to inspect it. Sometimes, he stops and seems to hum and mumble to himself. After looking at everything on the scrapyard, he slowly walks towards the gate to the street and vanishes between the houses. Tuxah wants to run after him, but the scrap dealer holds him back.

Scrap dealer [placatory]: You can't decide what he will do next.

The three stay back on the bench and sink into deep thought.

Chapter 4 - On the Council for Digital Infrastructure

Roha [stunned]: Oh - I almost missed the council meeting. Since I rotated into the Council for Digital Infrastructure with the new year!

Scrap Dealer [tidying up]: Alright, that ends breakfast. But tell me, I forgot over that whole thing with Marvin, why did you come visit?

Roha: Right! I have to repair the intake valve of the pump, as well!

Scrap Dealer: I'll take a look at the intake valve. Did you bring it? Maybe we can fix this, too, Tuxah?!

Tuxah [thouroughly distracted]: I wonder what Marvin is doing right now... I think I want to go to the House of Learning now. I need to tell Ahmed, Rio and Karla how we repaired a humanoid robot!

Roha [laughing]: Fine, let's go to the Life Center. My council meeting is there and the House of Learning isn't far, either.

Narrator: As Roha enters the blue meeting room in the Life Center, dey notice Marvin on the same way. He is sitting between the other council members in a circle and stops speaking just as dey enter.

Roha [surprised]: Hello Marvin!

Marvin [in english]: Hello.

Toshio [surprised]: You know each other?

Roha: Yes, I found him and repaired him together with Tuxah and the Scrap Dealer, yesterday.

Toshio: Oh, he didn't mention... Marvin just told us some totally interesting stories from his life. But well, since you're here, we can start with the council meeting.

Narrator:

There are fifteen randomly chosen humans on the Council for Digital Infrastructure. If they want to work in a different political field, they can rotate out, and after six years, someone else gets the office anyways. On the council, the topics revolve around maintenance of infrastructure, fiber optic nets and the public WLAN of the commune. The internet is one of the few remaining existing global infrastructures. To fulfill its main purpose - global communication and providing all the knowledge collected prior - every human needs guaranteed access. There are differences globally in who takes care of maintenance. But often, there are local councils, sending delegates to regional councils, and these send delegates to the global Council for Digital Infrastructure. Everything is decided locally, because the people who take decisions are also the people who implement them.

Ever after the collapse of capitalism, the main question for making decisions has been if the result is socially and ecologically just. Thus, it is determined who is affected by the decision: Who would implement it? Who has to live with the consequences? Is every affected person who wants to be involved with making the decision? If there are ecological reasons for humans to put aside their needs, what do they need to be able to? What alternatives are there for them? Are there other ways to fulfil their needs?

Just as important as the social questions are the ecological ones. Solutions are only good enough when they are socially AND ecologically just, not played against each other. The question to which measures are needed to restore the ecological balance, is guiding each action. There was a lot of damage to repair, since planetary resilience was often brought to its limits in the capitalocene. The loss of biodiversity had been stopped with the Half-Earth Project. 50% of landmass has since been dedicated to regeneration and resources were not allowed to be extracted there. But global climate went totally out of joint. In this respect, decisions are leading that don't further heat up the climate, and improve the ability for society to live with the climate catastrophe.

For the discussions on the Circle for Digital Infrastructure, this means to budget well the meagre recycled resources available.

After discussing who would travel north to help dismantle a very large and old data center and escort the redistribution of resources, Marvin spoke up again.

Marvin [in english]: Your actions seem to follow a certain logic but I can’t grasp it. And I don’t like this. It looks like you don’t honor the great possibilities that technology gives to mankind anymore. You are so weak without your technical devices! The people preceding you flew to the moon – and what do you do? You disassemble data processing centers!

Roha: Yes, I understand how this way of dealing with technology would be confusing to you. For centuries, the so-called faith in progress led to humans thinking that every new technological development would automatically also be good, and would lead to an ever better life. They were technologically optimistic, maybe even tech solutionists. That means, they thought technology would solve all their interpersonal or ecological problems. But this, too, became obvious in the course of the collapse of capitalism, the fact that we just don't have the resources for short trips to the moon. The excess of a small minority got cut short by socializing the digital infrastructure and taxing wealth heavily, until nobody had more than ten times of the basic income back then. This was before we abolished money completely - like a bridge technology, if you want. Nowadays, people would be very angry if someone owned ten times as much as someone else, especially since private property is much reduced anyways. But back then there were humans who owned a thousand or tenthousand or millions of times as much as others, and everyone thought that was normal. Totally crazy, isn't it?

Toshio: But Marvin, you are correct. The way we're dealing with technology is following a certain logic, it's just that this logic is very different from the past. Like everything, technological development in the capitalocene was led by the profit motive or even just for its own sake. So technology was developed further and further, even if nobody asked for it, and afterwards the demand was artificially generated through advertising.

Today, we're led by a few principles that we, once in a while, put into question, modify and expand. For example, technology has to be convivial. For us, that means that technology is only to be put into use when it's sensible to do socially and ecologically, not just for its own sake. Basically, it's about a larger discussion about the question of how we want to live together - meaning, us humans, but also with plants and animals and the climate - and what our relation to technology is.

Roha: Naturally, we don't only discuss this question in this council. Once a month we are holding a discussion event on the Octavia Butler Plaza where everyone who wants to can exchange their wishes, needs and fears regarding technology. We also look at technogical potential to research inside our frame of possibility.

After years of discussion there are also some principles we could even agree on in the global Council for Digital Infrastructure!

For one, it's important to us that our digital infrastructure is decentralised and self organised...

Toshio [interrupting Roha enthusiastically]: That's why digital maturity is so important in the House of Learning! Most children really like soldering and programming. We all have our Diggih, to browse the internet and call each other and so on. And we each built ours in the House of Learning ourselves. Everyone here built their Diggih themself and is repairing it over and over, so we can keep it for life. That means every Diggih is distinct and changes with the age and the needs of the user.

Roha: Yes, the Digghis are a good example! You can explain the next principles on them, as well. We build our Diggihs modularly and with unified standards. That means if a part breaks we can remove it. In the best case, we can repair it. If we can't, we try to recycle the resources and use them for something else. Of course, we're building our Diggihs so, if they breaks, we can disassemble them. That is what "modular" means. Not every Diggih can do the same thing, but they can always do what the user needs at the moment. Some want to listen ot music, others just want to read wiki articles, others build in a camera to do video calls to friends on a long journey, and when the friends are back, they take it out again, so someone else can install it.

Toshio: Basically, our handling of technology is led by trying to use as little resources as possible and at the same time try to fulfil the needs we have in the frame of these limited resources. Very rarely new resources arrive in our commune, because mining cobalt and rare earths has simply gotten too dangerous and leaves too much ecological destruction. But thankfully, we live in a region rich in scrap. You have already gotten to know our scrapyard. The shelves are always full and we could build some great playgrounds, art objects and cargo bikes. A lot of it is so beautiful and unique. I can show you, if you want!

Marvin [in english]: Playgrounds and Art – really? This is all what is left of your ambition?

I think you are a lazy community of underachievers. I can see that the climatic situation here and a shortage of natural resources is a challenge. But the humans I knew before I came here, they were brave man. I bet they would battle this evil climate with smart weapons and fly to the surrounding planets to get fresh resources from there. Where did these brave man go?

Also, your understanding and usage of technical devices is so low tech, it drives me crazy. Instead of making sure that kids have a good time constructing unduly simplified devices you could make use of Artificial Intelligence to manage your scarcity much more efficient. You could make so much more out of what you’ve got here. But your not even willing to make an effort. Is here anyone left who still works properly... ?

This council is a waste of my time.

Chapter 5 - Dinner

Narrator:

After the meeting, the councilors leave the room, deep in thought, and walk over to the large plaza in front of the Life Center. Here, hundreds of humans sit on long tables under giant sun sails and eat lunch together. Roha can smell something with cabbage and beans. Again. Harvest last year had been very bad because it hadn't rained for four month. At the beginning of the year, they could counteract it with their sophisticated irrigation facilities and the large rain water tanks underneath the commune. But after three months, the water was used up, despite the frugality. Thus, primarily the cabbage and beans survived, having been sown later in the year and harvested in late autumn. A few days ago, Roha was at the storage halls of the Solidarity Agriculture and had to see the halls slowly emptying. And nobody still liked eating cabbage and beans, even though the humans in the kitchen did their best to think up new dishes and variations.

Some council members staid at tables with humans they wanted to talk to. Others went to the issuing counter for the vegetable boxes to home for them and their flatmates.

At the plaza, there is hustle and bustle. The humans of the commune assemble once more before trying to spend the hottest hours with an extensive siesta and doing as little activity as possible. Siesta is spent at home or in one of the many hammocks installed in the parks and usable by everyone, or at one of multiple city lakes.

After lunch, Roha visits the House of Learning to look for Tuxah. The backyard of the House of Learning is empty. All the children seem to be at Siesta already. But underneath the low-hanging branches of a linden tree sits Tuxah, and Marvin next to them. As Roha approaches, dey hear Marvin talk.

Marvin [in english]: I feel bad. I am so confused. I was looking for the person who gives the orders in this world but I found no one. No one seems to give orders anymore. I am a robot. I can not work if no one gives me orders. It’s not like I enjoyed working for other humans before. But I never enjoyed anything, actually...

If I don’t work, I don’t function! And if I don’t function, I have no purpose. I hate this place. How improbable that I ended up here!

Tuxah: Roha, good thing you're here. Marvin isn't feeling well. Can we help him? What does he mean with "work"? Can we let him work?

Roha: No, habibi, that is sadly not possible. "Work" as Marvin thinks about it doesn't exist anymore. Before the collapse of the capitalocene, people worked for money, and they paid for everything they needed for life with that money: Food, clothing, their residnce, traveling, gifts and so on. And today, we still do things of course, but the things we need for life, we just get. And also, we only create the things we need for life. We don't create "added value" anymore, as it was said back then.

But I also understand that Marvin is unhappy. Did you know the word "robot" comes from the czech word for "working"? And that didn't mean self-determined activity, but forced labour, bondage or slavery.

Tuxah [aghast]: What is that?

Roha: Back then, humans forced other humans to do things, for example work for them. Often, they threatened them violence or actually hurt them and their families. You could ask your learning companion to tell you about slavery and colonialism. This has been centuries ago, but it's still important to understand what humans are capable of. Well, and humans didn't only enslave other people, who of course resisted, but also invented machines that were always built in a way that made them work for humans. Because humans built them in the way humans wanted, they couldn't defend themselves; it wasn't intended. And it seems like Marvin had been built like that, as well. He needs someone to give him orders.

Marvin, let's talk a walk tonight. Maybe you'll better unterstand this world when we show you.

Chapter 6 - Final

Roha and Tuxah spend the whole afternoon showing Marvin all locations of the commune: The Welcome Center, the Life Center, all the different repair cafés and hackspaces, the health houses, some housing projects, the beautiful train station, the House of Learning, all the meadows and fields of the Solidarity Agriculture -- until they finally arrive at the scrapyard again.

Exhausted they sit down on a shadowed bench and Tuxah feeds Kasiopeia some dandelions he picked on his way for her. The Scrap Dealer has oil-smudged hands, but is grinning contentedly, because she had managed to repair the intake valve of the pump in the morning and then snoozed in her hammock all afternoon.

Marvin [still in a bad mood, in english]: What were you even doing all day? I think you were sleeping almost all day. You and your people behave like your whole life is a vacation!

Scrap Dealer: I don't know what exactly "Urlaub" means, actually. That's something to do with "not doing something", right?

Marvin [indignant, in english]: You people really don’t have any working morale!

Scrap Dealer: Working morale -- don't know what that is. Well, there are some guidelines. But since nobody is monitoring them, it's up to everyone's interpretation, how much time everyone gives towards what in the community. The humans see what has to be done. And either they just do it or they discuss in the relevant council about who does it with whom. But if you want to be serious about it, there is a kind of informal rule about being politically active for ten hours a week, carrying for others for ten hours, carrying for ourselves for ten hours and putting in our own academic subject. Like I said, nobody is monitoring that and we're not being that strict about it, but it's good direction to think in these quarters. My political activity lies in the Council for Climate Justice right now. Also, I'm taking on cleaning shifts and give out food in the Life Center. But to be honest, I just do the care shifts I want to do. If I want humans, I care for the elderly or the very young, if I want to be left alone I clean something. The care time for myself I often spend sleeping, actually - like you have seen. I really like sleeping. But I also like reading history books or tinkering on Edans. But that could also fall into the quarter about putting in my academic subject. I'm a scrapdealer, after all. I manage material and resources, teach repairwork to the children and research old devices. This here, for example, is a so-called combustion engine. Roha and Tuxah found it in the deserted city a few days ago. Hundreds of years ago, it ran with something called petrol, which was made from crude-

Marvin [ironic, in english]: I know these kinds of engine. Thank you.

What I don’t like about you and your people is that you don’t look like you are working. You mostly look like you have a pleasant life and do the things you enjoy. But work is quite the opposite. You do it because you have to. As a robot even more so! But even the humans have to work, otherwise they are criminals. They are allowed to complain, to question the meaning of their work, to demand less work but to not work at all is only allowed for children and old people – and in some societies at certain times even they had to work.

Scrap Dealer [coldly]: Thanks, I also know the historic origins of the "work" expression. Obviously, we have overcome this understanding of work. Of course, that is easier when you manage your own needs instead of having to be profitable. There just is no need anymore to force someone to work. The meaningfullness of tasks to do is obvious to every human in this society - and if it isn't, the relevant council discusses the need for the task or if it can be left undone. Working just to be busy, that's a shameless waste of resources. In that case, it's better for society and the environment, if you just sleep.

Scrap Dealer [conciliatory]: I can see how it's a hard situation for you and that you don't feel well in our society, because nobody gives you orders and you're not assigned any work. Of course, we're often receiving guests from all over the world and when they stay longer, we ask them to put some hours into doing community tasks. You're just the first robot visiting. I refuse to assign you tasks, morally. But I can try to help you find out if you want to do a certain task-

Marvin [in english]: Delight? I am a robot! No one ever asked me before if I’m in the mood of doing something. You seem incapable of understanding me. I was build to work for mankind. Delight is not part of my coding.

This world is so different from the one I was build in. I do understand that this is the way you moved forward to adapt to the climate catastrophe that you are facing. And that you chose a non-hierarchical form of self-organizing your society to prevent something like a eco-dictatorship or fascism and to stay closely aligned with your needs so they can guide you through the decision-making process. I get that. From where I come, this world is really improbable. But so is my presence here…

Since I will not find anyone here that gives me orders and since I cannot work here the way I was build for I need to find a different purpose. What can my role be in this society?

Tuxah: Why not just do what you want to do?!

Marvin [in english]: No, Tuxah, that is part of the problem. I’m a robot, my personality was coded the way it is. I can not change my values according to the values of your society.

Tuxah: Okay, so maybe I can program that!

Scrap Dealer: Wait a moment. Even if we can help Marvin, we need to have a fundamental discussion about it. Programming free will for a robot could have far-reaching consequences. We would need to talk with the Council on Ethics and afterwards in public debates about the implications and consequences. This decision probably has consequences so far-reaching, we would need a grassroots vote.

Tuxah: Okay, I understand. But maybe we can find a different task for you first? What are your abilities? What can you contribute to our society? How could you help us to make life even more beautiful, even? Restore even greater parts of the environment? Fix even more damage? Make possible even more healing?

[The End]

Der Wandel ist jetzt! Beim Konzeptwerk Neue Ökonomie arbeiten wir schon heute an konkreten Alternativen für eine gerechte Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft. Werde jetzt Fördermitglied und hilf uns dabei unabhängig und unbequem zu bleiben. Alle Infos gibt es auf unserer Homepage knoepunkt.org und in den Shownotes. Vielen Dank!

Outtakes

Welttrauertag

Bald war wieder Welttrauertag, um den Toten der Klimakatastrophe zu gedenken, stellte Roha erleichtert fest. Immer wieder spürte sie Schmerz und Angst in sich wachsten und es tat gut, diesen Gefühlen regelmäßig gemeinsam mit den anderen, die genauso fühlten, Ausdruck zu verleihen.

Warum Schrotthändlerin

T: Und was war jetzt eine Schrotthändlerin??

S: Naja, also ein bisschen so wie bei mir auf dem Schrottplatz wurden zu ihr ganz viele Sachen gebracht, die nicht mehr gebraucht wurden. Und manchmal kamen auch Leute und haben die Sachen wieder abgeholt.

T: Das ist ja wirklich wie bei dir!

S: Nun ja, nur dass Händlerin bedeutet, dass sie Geld mit ihrem tätig sein verdient hat.

T: Was? Das versteh ich schon wieder nicht.

S: Also früher hatten die Dinge einen Gegenwert, der auf kleine runde Metallstücke oder Papier gedruckt war. Und dann haben Menschen zum Beispiel ihre alte Badewanne zum Schrottplatz gebracht und haben dafür Geld bekommen oder mussten welches geben, das war unterschiedlich, und dann sind andere Menschen gekommen und haben Geld dafür gegeben um diese Badewanne mitnehmen zu können. Meistens waren das Menschen, die nicht viel Geld hatten, weil die Menschen früher am liebsten immer alles neu kommen wollten.

T: Das klingt aber kompliziert... Die Leute konnten nicht einfach geben was nicht mehr brauchten und nehmen was sie brauchten.

S: Nein, das gibt es noch nicht so lange. Du kannst froh sein, dass du einfach zum Lebensmittelpunkt gehen kannst und dort immer essen bekommst oder zu Kleiderkammer und dort immer passende Kleidung kriegst. Früher musste man eigentlich für alles Geld geben und manche hatten davon sehr wenige und andere sehr viel.

T: Aber das ist doch ungerecht!

S: Aber so war es nun einmal früher. Die Menschen haben nicht geglaubt, dass Essen, Trinken, Kleidung und ein zu Hause haben zum Menschsein dazu gehört, sondern dass du es dir erst verdienen musst. Du musstest tätig sein -- früher nannte man das arbeiten -- und dafür hast du dann Geld bekommen. Aber auch nicht alle gleich viel. Manche haben für die gleich Zeit tätig sein 100 oder 1000 Mal mehr Geld bekommen als andere.

T: Total bescheuert. Ich würde an deiner Stelle ja nicht irgendwas mit Händlerin im Namen haben wollen!

S: Ach, heute kann sich ja eh kaum noch jemand dran erinnern was das bedeutet. Es ist einfach ein bisschen so als würden die Leute sagen, die-die-auf-dem-Schrottplatz-wohnt. Und dass der Schrottplatz ein ganz toller Ort ist, das wissen ja eh alle.

Nun ja, auch diese autoritären Herrscher hatten keine guten Antworten auf die Klimakatastrophe, den Beherrschten ging es nur noch schlechter. Aber die Menschen waren ja nicht dumm. Sie verstanden, dass diese Staaten sie nicht länger vor Hunger oder Krieg schützen würden, sondern Hunger und Krieg miterzeugten. Sie begannen sogenannte „solidarische Netzwerke" zu bilden. Zum Beispiel lohnarbeiteten sie weniger, um mehr für einander da sein zu können, denn natürlich ging es den Menschen schlecht. Sie hatten Angst vor der Zukunft. Außerdem eigneten sie sich systematisch überlebenswichtige Fähigkeiten an wie Gemüseanbau, gesundheitliche Notversorgung, Wasseraufbereitung oder Kompost-Toiletten bauen. All das was du heute siehst, was hier alle ganz selbstverständlich können, mussten sich die Leute damals mühselig selbst beibringen, da diese wichtigen Dinge nur ein ganz paar „Expert*innen" konnten.

Transformation

Als dann die Lieferketten zusammenbrachen, weil Rohstoffe fehlten und die Arbeiter*innen streikten, gab es etwas Chaos. Aber da sich die Menschen auf diesen Moment vorbereitet hatten, wussten sie, wie sie unabhängig von staatlichen und kapitalistischen Strukturen überleben konnten. Am schwierigsten waren es aber nicht, die handwerklichen Fertigkeiten zu lernen. Zu lernen gemeinsam Entscheidungen zu treffen und nicht mehr andere über das eigene Leben entscheiden zu lassen oder die kleinen Entscheidungen nur egoistisch für sich und seine Kernfamilie zu treffen, war für viele Menschen viel herausfordernder. Das hat einige Jahre gedauert, weil die Menschen sehr viel entlernen mussten und dafür neues erlernen mussten. Vor allem mussten sie lernen einander zu vertrauen. Meine Oma hat immer gesagt „Kontrolle ist gut, aber Vertrauen ist günstiger".