I often see memes about draining the swamp. These come from both the right and left, differing only in who or what comprises the metaphorical swamp. But really we should not say “drain the swamp” at all.
That word belongs to the predatory capitalists, who despise the natural world unless it profits them. Swamp is a derogatory term for wetland or marsh. A natural system that acts as the lungs of the planet. Their existence is imperative. Instead say “drain the cess pool”. For this corruption is of our making.
The natural world incorruptible. Its systems are self regulating and self- correcting.
If a natural system appears to be corrupted it is because of human inputs. For example, the plastic pollution spread throughout the earth could be looked at as a form of corruption of the soil, waters, and air. But it is a result of something we did, not a natural process.
But what difference does a turn of phrase make, anyhow?
Words matter. They are the building blocks of thoughts and ideas. Their use creates shades of meaning in our thoughts and ideas.
There are many events that brought us to ecocide. Close to the top of the list is the doctrine of human hegemony.
At one time we did not compare ourselves with the rest of creation and found ourselves to be superior. When we did, it was the beginning of the end. It changed how we think of ourselves within the web of life.
From there, developing intra-species hierarchies was a foregone next step. The rest of our folly follows naturally. The concept of our superiority and the enforcement of hierarchical systems with in our species feed on each other.
And it is now killing us. It is now killing the biosphere.
The only way through is forward, linking our earliest experience as humans with our current scientific knowledge.
This would be expressed by an ecocentric ethos and an ecocentric political model, backed up with an economic system built upon the health of natural systems. The prime directive must be the health of the entire system and fairness in our dealings with each other.
There is no other way. Adapt or die.
you post, "At one time we did not compare ourselves with the rest of creation and found ourselves to be superior. When we did, it was the beginning of the end. It changed how we think of ourselves within the web of life." The native people I worked for believe in the circle of life. All animals, trees, rivers, etc are all equal in value. It's the European christian attitude that was brought here under the guise of Manifest Destiny that have us all messed up. These Europeans could ave learned, instead they killed and destroyed. Question. Is it manifest destiny that is in play in Gaza?