Nature
"The Book of Assumptions"
from Post-Mortem on Punk
A book included in Shuteye Town, 1999
 

0.
Let’s see if we can follow your logic.
2  We’re not too smart,
3  And so it won’t be easy,
4  But we’re willing to give it a try.

1.

Nature is good,
2  Because it is green,
3  And beautiful,
4  And never wastes anything,
5  Including death,
6 Which it turns into new life, 
7  So that things might change,
8  But they always keep going,
9  Year after year,
10  Century after century,
11  Aeon after aeon.
12  Of course, there is a dark side to nature,
13  But not really,
14  Because even though there are killings in nature,
15  Like with tigers ripping antelopes into little pieces,
16  Not to mention the weather,
17  Like with earthquakes and hurricanes and tornadoes that smash things to bits every so often,
18  Including trees and animals and people and other living things,
19  None of this is actually evil,
20  Since Nature isn’t evil,
21  But good,
22  And beautiful,
23  And so forth.

2.

Life is good,
2  Because it is beautiful,
3  With certain exceptions,
4  And because it is all marvelously interconnected in the most perfect harmony,
5  With certain exceptions,
6  And because every living thing is its own celebration of life,
7  With certain exceptions,
8  And because Life is a kind of culmination of Nature,
9  Being part of Nature,
10  But somehow transcendent,
11  Because a rock is part of Nature without being alive,
12  Just like the Earth itself,
13  Which is also part of Nature without actually being alive,
14  Because Life involves movement and change,
15  Except that there’s more to it than that,
16  Since when you think about it the Earth moves and changes,
17  Which means that Life is different because it can die,
18  Unlike a rock,
19  And unlike the Earth,
20  Which maybe isn’t the best comparison because when you think about it the Earth can die, too,
21  And probably will,
22  Which means that Life must be different because it is made of organic chemicals,
23  As opposed to inorganic chemicals,
24  Which are completely different,
25  Because organic chemicals have DNA and genes and chromosomes and stuff like that,
26  Which inorganic chemicals don’t,
27  As science has shown us,
28  Thus proving what a miraculous and wonderful thing Life is,
29  Especially since we can’t make Life happen in a laboratory,
30  No matter how many organic chemicals we use.

3.

The earth and all its nature and Life are part of the Universe,
2  Which is really kind of neutral,
3  And not necessarily good or evil,
4  Since it just kind of is,
5  Being so huge that there’s no way to really understand it,
6  Because we’re such an incredibly tiny part of it,
7  And who are we to say?
8  But even though the Universe is basically neutral,
9  It’s kind of interesting, too,
10  Because how did it get there in the first place?
11 As if anyone as tiny as us could ever figure it out,
12  Which is why it’s so important for us to be humble about our own place in the Universe,
13  And not be so arrogant about everything,
14  And so presumptuous—
15  But that’s another issue altogether,
16  And shouldn’t get in the way of all the facts we’ve been able to get about the Universe,
17  Which are extremely interesting,
18  Because it looks a lot as if the Universe started out as one incredibly dense little speck of matter that suddenly kind of blew up for some reason,
19 And created everything, 
20 Over a very long period of time, of course,
21  Including Earth and Nature and Life,
22  And maybe not just here in our little solar system,
23  But possibly elsewhere too,
24  Which suggests that the Universe could have lots and lots of different kinds of Life,
25  Including Intelligent Life,
26  Which is very very different from ordinary kinds of Life,
27  Like trees and sponges and snails and snakes and tigers,
28  Which aren’t what you would call intelligent,
29  Because they don’t really sit up and take notice of things in what you would call a conscious, reasoning way,
30  Since that would require intelligence,
31  Which we haven’t found anywhere yet,
32  Except right here at home,
33  On the planet Earth,
34  In a species called Mankind.

4.

After a while, all of this starts to get kind of complicated,
2  Which is why it is so helpful that mankind has the ability to reason,
3  Because otherwise it would be easy to make the wrong kind of assumptions,
4  Especially about Mankind.
5  For example, it seems like Mankind must be good,
6  Being part of Earth and nature and Life and all that,
7  Until you remember that Earth and Life and nature are actually part of the Universe,
8  Which looks to be extremely neutral,
9  Being essentially no more than an incredible mass of chemicals that blew up,
10  Starting a whole bunch of chemical reactions that haven’t stopped yet,
11  Including chemical reactions that resulted in Earth and Nature and Life,
12  Not to mention Intelligent Life,
13  Which gets us back to Mankind,
14  Who might appear to be kind of neutral from this perspective,
15  Like everything else,
16  Except that,
17  Well,
18  That’s just a little too academic to be completely useful,
19  If you happen to be living on Earth with a lot of Nature and Life and so forth,
20  As Mankind happens to be,
21  Which probably explains why Nature and Life are good,
22  Because if you happen to be something called Intelligent Life,
23  You kind of need Nature and Life just to survive,
24  And survival must be good,
25  Because the desire to survive is about the only thing common to all the different forms of Life,
26  Which means that Mankind has to kind of measure up to the good of Nature and Life and all,
27  Since they’re not trying to hurt anybody,
28  Or dominate anybody,
29  Or make it practically impossible for anybody else to survive,
30  Which is to say that most parts of Nature and Life are cooperative,
31  And inherently tolerant and ecologically wise and all,
32  Except for Mankind,
33  Which is different,
34 For some reason.

5.

We said right up front that this wasn’t going to be easy,
2  And it isn’t.
3  Because if you don’t reason it out in just the right way,
4  You’d get completely different answers,
5  Which would lead to all the wrong assumptions,
6  And that would be catastrophic,
7  Because then Mankind would probably find some way to let himself off the hook for all the terrible things he has done to the Earth and Nature and Life,
8  Which are so terrible that they just can’t be either good or neutral,
9  Because when you think about them at all,
10  You can’t help but feel,
11  Deep down,
12  That they’re anything but evil.

6.

We want to be clear that we’re not talking about Biblical evil here,
2  Which comes from original sin and all that jazz,
3  And is nothing more than an ancient myth,
4  Like all religions,
5  Which had everything bass-ackwards from the git-go,
6  Because back when all the religions got invented in the first place,
7  Mankind had the idea that the Earth was the center of the Universe,
8  Which kind of distorted his viewpoint,
9  So that Mankind thought he was the most important thing in the Universe,
10  And everything else was there just for decoration or something,
11  Like the way they thought the sun was just a light in the sky,
12  Instead of a huge flaming ball about a billion times bigger than the Earth,
13  Which is the way it really is,
14  Not to mention the fact that the sun itself is a smallish star located in the suburbs of a minor galaxy that’s just one of about a billion galaxies that we can actually see with telescopes,
15  Which doesn’t say anything at all about the billions of galaxies we can’t see through our telescopes,
16  Except that it just shows what a ridiculous perspective Mankind had on things back when he thought up all the major religions.
17  Anyway,
18  The kind of evil that comes from original sin is just a myth,
19  And has nothing at all to do with the evil that mankind has done to Earth and nature and Life and so forth,
20  Because believing in the original sin kind of evil is pretty irrational and self-destructive,
21  And gets in the way of understanding the really important truths about Mankind,
22  And all the terrible things he has done,
23  Which has to do with his basic nature as a highly evolved form of mammalian Life,
24  And doesn’t involve any particular moral judgment,
25  But comes instead from a completely rational analysis of mankind’s origins as a species and his behavior over the course of thousands of years,
26  Which suggests that maybe evil isn’t quite the right word to use,
27  Unless you consider it from the perspective of, say, the Earth and Nature and so forth,
28  Which suggests that when one species is so arrogant and presumptuous and destructive that it does things to damage its own chances of survival,
29  And everybody else’s too,
30  Including all the Life on Earth,
31  Then that kind of behavior fits some kind of rational, objective definition of evil,
32  And should make us feel some responsibility to stop that kind of behavior and be good instead,
33  Like Nature.
34  But just so we don’t confuse the issue, it might be better to characterize Mankind in a slightly different way,
35  Without using a word like “evil” that a lot of people would think of in Biblical terms.
36  A better word might be “doomed.”

7.

We also want to make it clear that we are not completely trivializing or dismissing religion,
2  Because a lot of people still believe in God,
3  And maybe they’re right,
4  Since it’s perfectly possible to accept the facts of science and still believe in God,
5  Because science hasn’t ever said that it knew what put the first incredibly dense speck of matter there in the first place,
6  So maybe it could be God,
7  Although most scientists would probably reject the idea that God is anything like the God of the Old Testament,
8  Who had a beard and a bad temper and a penchant for miracles,
9  Not to mention a Son,
10  Although there are lots of scientists who are even willing to believe in the Son,
11  With certain reservations,
12  Such as his immaculate conception, his divinity, his miracles, and his resurrection and stuff like that,
13  Which don’t have anything really to do with the validity of his message,
14  Since loving thy neighbor is obviously a good thing,
15  And would make everything a lot better,
16  If only Mankind could manage to do it,
17  Which doesn’t seem very likely,
18  When you look at the facts.

8.

It’s also important to remember that nobody has to get permission from science to believe in God,
2  Because scientists don’t know everything either,
3  And all they’re really saying is that there seems to be a rational explanation for the way the Universe works,
4  Which is according to Natural Laws,
5  And maybe it was God who made up the Natural laws in the first place,
6  Since there’s nothing in science that says he didn’t,
7  And the only thing we have to remember about Natural Laws is that nothing violates them,
8  Which is to say that even if there were miracles going on at one time,
9  They don’t seem to be going on now,
10  Which suggests that maybe there never were a lot of miracles going on,
11  Although it may have seemed that way to Mankind before there was any science,
12  Since he had no way of knowing that everything in the Universe came about as the result of random chemical mutations produced by the incredibly large number of chemical reactions set in motion by the Big Bang,
13  Which eventually led to Mankind,
14  Thus suggesting that if it was really God who put the first incredibly dense speck there,
15  He let everything Happen pretty much by itself after that,
16  According to the Natural Laws he made up at the time,
17  Except that a lot of scientists would object to using the word “he,”
18  Because it makes God seem like a pretty human sort of divinity,
19  Which there is no evidence for at all,
20  Especially when you consider that Mankind is only one of about a billion species that evolved through random genetic mutations on only one planet of about a hundred billion in the part of the Universe we can see,
21  Which suggests that God might not be very like us at all,
22  Unless you want to get completely irrational about it,
23  In which case, if you want to get real about it,
even if God were something like a human being, 
24  It’s less than likely that he’d be this highly emotional, interfering-in-everybody’s-business-at-every-little-whipstitch kind of guy,
25  And more than likely that he’d be this really superior high-level, full-of-abstract-intelligence, let’s-see-what-happens-with-this-set-of-Natural-Laws kind of guy,
26  Like, say, a scientist.

9. 

But it’s only rational to point out that scientists aren’t perfect either,
2  Being part of Mankind,
3  And a lot of their knowledge has led to all kinds of terrible things,
4  Which makes things even more complicated,
5  Because looking at the Universe for such a long time has made them kind of neutral about a lot of things,
6  Like Nature,
7  Which they shouldn’t be neutral about,
8  Because Nature is good,
9  And shouldn’t be despoiled with all the rational inventions of science,
10  Like man-made chemicals that screw up the natural balance of things,
11  Which no other species but Mankind does,
12  Not to mention how much of it Mankind has done,
13  What with strip mining and deforestation and pollution and genocide against every animal that has a single tooth or claw,
14  Not to mention using living animals for medical experiments,
15  And nuclear weapons,
16  And throwing all our garbage into the rivers and oceans,
17  And everything else too,
18  When it’s obvious that the natural balance of things would be a lot better off if we were all like the stone age tribes who hunt only what they need and don’t destroy everyone and everything they run into,
19  Just because they’re there.

10.

And when you get right down to it,
2  It’s really science that has made Man such an enemy of Nature,
3  Because it was science that gave mankind the power to destroy Nature,
4  Which he always wanted to do,
5  Which maybe explains why he invented all those religions that told him he was evil,
6  And warned him about things like greed,
7  And aggression,
8  And lust for power,
9  And all the other things that were a permanent part of Mankind’s genetic heritage,
10  Even if the myths about original sin weren’t exactly based on facts,
11  But floated up from the depths of Mankind’s unconscious mind,
12  Which knows a lot more about who and what Mankind is than any conscious human being could ever figure out rationally,
13  Since all of the most terrible aspects of Mankind’s personality live in the unconscious as tremendously strong drives,
14  Which are all left over from the genetic makeup Mankind needed to come down out of the trees and walk upright and make weapons,
15  And start building civilizations,
16  So that the species would survive and prosper, 
17  And become numerous enough to start controlling Nature,
18  Even if that meant destroying Nature,
19  And himself too.

11.

In fact, it’s pretty ironic when you think about it,
2  That the religions Mankind made up way back when weren't completely wrong after all,
3  Because just look at all the ironic parallels,
4  Like the way Jehovah kept threatening to destroy Mankind for being so evil,
5  Which suggests that Mankind knew he was doomed from the start,
6  Even if he hadn’t quite figured out why yet,
7  And didn’t know anything at all about science or the Universe or Nature or Mankind’s genetic heritage,
8  Not to mention the unconscious mind,
9  Which actually kind of proves that the unconscious mind has been in control of things all along,
10  Just like science says it was,
11  And shows that there’s not a whole lot we can do about it,
12  Except try to do the best we can,
13  Given that most of our unconscious drives are so negative and powerful they’ll ruin everything eventually,
14  No matter how hard we try.

12.

But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try,
2  Because nature is pretty much defenseless against Mankind,
3  And as long as we’re still here,
4  We’ve got to try to stop ourselves from being ourselves,
5  Which means facing the fact that practically everything we’ve ever done is mostly terrible,
6  And wrong,
7  And destructive,
8  And immoral,
9  Although we have made a tiny little bit of progress in terms of our understanding of social justice,
10  Even if there aren’t lots and lots of great results to show for it so far.
11  The thing is, all the knowledge we’ve acquired about who and what Mankind is must not be completely negative,
12  Because it’s helped some of the more enlightened people understand the importance of equality and tolerance and so forth,
13 Which gives every good person something to do,
14  Instead of just sit there hoping for a reprieve that probably won’t come.

13.

For example, in spite of all the crimes Mankind has committed because of science,
2  Science has helped Mankind put himself into a more realistic context than he used to have,
3  Meaning he can see that there’s no rational, defensible reason for thinking that Mankind is better than the other forms of Life on Earth,
4  Even though we’re intelligent and they’re not, 
5  Because if intelligence only causes destruction and death,
6  Then it really shouldn’t bring any special privileges,
7  Which means that some people have figured out that Mankind should be a better citizen of the Universe,
8  And stop looking down on Nature and other forms of Life,
9  Just because we’re smarter than they are,
10  Which means that people should also stop looking down on other people,
11  Whoever they are,
12  And whatever they do,
13  Especially when you consider that if Mankind doesn’t have some great glorious destiny to fulfill,
14  Which he doesn’t seem to,
15  Then most of the distinctions Mankind used to draw between different kinds of people are wrong,
16  And completely invalid,
17  And just possibly evil,
18  Which is why the idea of equality is so important.

14.

In fact, there isn’t a single accomplishment or capability or talent a person can have that makes him any better than anyone else,
2  No matter what,
3  Because it was Mankind’s so-called accomplishments and capabilities and talents that caused all the trouble in the first place,
4  Which means that all of the ideas and inventions and material things Mankind developed with his so-called talents have led to mostly evil results,
5  Except for the idea of equality,
6  Which is the very best way of making sure that mankind’s greed and aggression and lust for power don’t let some talented or lucky minority overwhelm everybody with a lot of insane goals,
7  When the only goal Mankind should have is making sure that every single resident of the planet has food and shelter and the means to take care of basic needs,
8  Which is a much much better goal than the ones that pop out of Mankind’s unconscious mind,
9  Like wanting to rule the world,
10  Or own everything in the world,
11  Or destroy everyone in the world who isn’t just exactly like us.

15.

Of course, even though mankind has discovered the idea of equality,
2  He hasn’t really made any progress with it,
3  Because it’s easy to see that the world isn’t really any better off than it ever was,
4  Because human nature is the same as it always was,
5  As everyone knows,
6  And in every part of every single nation on Earth, there are still poor people,
7  And suffering,
8  And unspeakable crimes,
9 And loathsome diseases,
10  And rich callous greedy people in charge of everything,
11  So that there is hardly ever any justice,
12  And equality itself is a kind of impossible dream,
13  Because even though it would fix everything,
14  Hardly anyone wants it,
15  Because everyone always wants to be more than equal,
16  And see their name up in lights,
17  And have a huge personal fortune,
18  And all the material things anyone could ever possibly want,
19  Which just shows how really sad it all is,
20  Even though we have to keep working toward it,
21  No matter how much our unconscious minds will sabotage all our best efforts to be good,
22  And turn everything good into something destructive and ugly,
23  So that it’s really hard not to feel utter despair about the future of Mankind,
24  And Nature,
25  And the Earth,
26  Although fortunately, Mankind doesn’t have it in his power to destroy the Universe,
27  Which will keep going,
28  In its thoroughly neutral way,
29  No matter what we do,
30  Or don’t do,
31  Which is some consolation anyway.

16.

Now all of this may seem to be kind of a dark view,
2  But it’s kind of silly to ignore the facts,
3  Especially when the facts represent the most rational and objective view we could ever hope to obtain,
4  Because if we allowed our emotions to have anything to do with it,
5  Well,
6  We all know where our emotions come from,
7  Namely, the unconscious mind,
8  Which has its own dark, irrational purposes that would inevitably lead to deadly new delusions of grandeur,
9  And therefore can’t be trusted,
10  Because they are not purely objective,
11  Unlike science and reason,
12  Which deal only in facts,
13  And are the best possible defense against our own selfish nature.

17.

There will always be people, of course, who choose to ignore the facts,
2  People who will claim that they “believe in the ultimate goodness of Mankind,”
3  Which they say with a defiant little tilt of the chin,
4  Because they basically know that this is an arbitrary and irrational position,
5  Completely unsupported by the facts.
6  But they’re allowed to feel that way,
7  Because they’re equal too,
8  And who is anyone to say what anyone else should believe,
9  Because what right does any representative of a species like Mankind have to pass judgment on anyone else,
10 Even if it’s another member of the species that has done more senseless, terrible things to Nature than any other?

18.

Besides, there’s nothing in any of these basic rational constructs that should prevent any individual from having a fulfilling life,
2  Because we all still have to try to do our best,
3  And try to be as good as we can,
4  And hope that it will all work out,
5  Because hope springs eternal,
6  As someone said,
7  And there’s no reason why people can’t derive satisfaction from relative accomplishments,
8  And get some kind of feeling of personal reward out of using their capabilities and talents,
9  Which just might result in some small change in the general state of Mankind and Nature and all that,
10  Because a lot of people do get a certain amount of satisfaction out of trying to overcome their basic natures,
11  In spite of everything,
12  And doing their best to prevent the worst things from happening,
13  Because maybe there is a certain kind of heroism in being able to face up to the facts,
14  Whatever they are,
15  And still keep trying to keep going.

19.

Does that about sum it up?
2  Isn’t that sort of kind of the way you’ve worked it all out for yourselves?
3  Of course, as we said, we’re not too smart,
4  And maybe we didn’t get it right,
5  Which seems kind of likely,
6  Because to tell you the truth,
7  It all sounds completely and utterly ridiculous to us.
8  But what do we know?
9  And who are we to say?
10  Because after all,
11  We’re only human,
12  Just like you.