Facing the Metacrisis: A New Substack Mini-Series

PrologueOver the past few weeks, I’ve found myself writing with more raw urgency, a deeper honesty, and a renewed commitment to speaking the truth about the world we find ourselves in. What I hadn’t fully realized—until now—is that these recent pieces weren’t just one-offs. They were the beginning of a new arc.Today, I’m officially naming that arc: Facing the Metacrisis.The term metacrisis points to more than just a ‘really big problem.’ It refers to the convergence and interlinking of multiple existential threats—ecological, political, cultural, economic, technological, and spiritual. While some call it the polycrisis, civilizational collapse, or even the long emergency, the idea is the same: what we face is not a single issue but a breakdown of the systems that once held modern life together. And beneath that breakdown is a breakdown in our thinking, our worldview, and our relationship with the Earth.This series will run alongside my main One Cause series and may or may not find its way into the final One Cause book. But the call to write these reflections has become too loud to ignore.We are living through a convergence of crises—climate, politics, economy, culture, meaning, and spirit—all feeding and amplifying each other. That convergence is what many now call the metacrisis.We need to face it. Not just with information, but with imagination. Not just with outrage, but with purpose.So far, the series includes:* Before Collapse: Choosing to Be Part of the Great Turning (April 2, 2025)* Can I Be Fierce? Wrestling with Politics and Purpose (April 9, 2025)* Can We Face the Truth Without Losing Hope? (April 19, 2025)And now, the fourth installment...Losing at the Wrong GameFacing the Metacrisis — Entry #4Like many of you, I’ve been watching with heartbreak and frustration as cracks in the foundation of American democracy widen. Friends are posting in fear, outrage, and grief—not just about one candidate or election, but about the very soul of our country.I get it. I feel it too.And yet… there’s another layer of truth I feel called to name.Yes, we are watching democracy collapse—or at least convulse—but what if the system we’re fighting to preserve isn’t capable of carrying us forward? What if even a return to "normal" isn’t a path to regeneration, but a return to extractive economics, ecological blindness, systemic injustice, and spiritual disconnection?We’re fighting to win a system that may no longer be the right game.What if the very rules we’re defending were designed for a different world—one that no longer exists?This may sound theoretical, but it’s not. On April 9, 2025, the current U.S. administration issued an Executive Order that effectively dismantles decades of environmental protections through what’s being called Zero-Based Regulatory Budgeting. This move doesn’t just signal a shift in policy—it’s a signal flare from the metacrisis itself. A deepening collapse of our societal immune system. I’ll be sharing more about this Executive Order and what it means in an upcoming article. But for now, let’s keep going.What if “business as usual” will end up in the loss of all that we hold most dear?The Deeper GameDemocracy as we’ve known it—especially in the U.S.—was forged in an age of colonization, patriarchy, and infinite growth economics. It was never built for a post-carbon, ecologically interdependent, spiritually pluralistic civilization.To be clear: I’m not arguing for giving up on justice, agency, or participation. Quite the opposite. But we must recognize that saving the system may not be enough—because the system itself was part of the problem.As Manda Scott noted in her recent Accidental Gods podcast episode, even a return to “traditional democracy” doesn’t get us to the root. We need new political imaginations that:* Prioritize bioregional stewardship and local resilience* Use deliberative, consensus-driven assemblies (like citizens’ councils or Wisdom Circles)* Recognize nature as a stakeholder, not a resource* Value inner development, not just GDP or voter turnoutThese aren’t utopian dreams. They’re already being prototyped—in Indigenous governance models, in climate adaptation networks, and in experiments like Doughnut Economics, Deep Democracy, and the Wellbeing Economy Alliance.So rather than simply fighting for what was, what if we:* Mourn the loss of what we thought democracy could be* Acknowledge its limits* And start building what comes nextHope Isn’t in the System. It’s in Us.Hope doesn’t live in headlines. And it doesn’t live in the systems that brought us here. It lives in us—in our courage to grieve what’s dying, and our willingness to imagine what could be born.The metacrisis is real. But so is the possibility that we can meet it with depth, dignity, and courage.Not by pretending it’s all okay. And not by clinging to a dying order.But by becoming the kind of humans this moment asks for:* Grounded in purpose* Rooted in place* Connected across generations* Willing to build—and rebuild—with loveThis isn’t about giving up on democracy. It’s about growing up through it, and beyond it. We may be losing at the old game. But we still have time to start playing the right one.Are you with me?Let’s Talk: What resonates for you in this reflection? What new “rules” or visions do you believe our next political paradigm should include? Share your thoughts in the comments.Share this post with someone who’s struggling to make sense of today’s political chaos. Maybe it’s time we stopped trying to win a broken game—and started co-creating a new one.Thanks for reading Unleashed - W. Bradford Swift! There’s a shift unfolding—and it needs your voice and your friends so please share this post.Subscribe to stay in the loop on future Facing the Metacrisis entries and other reflections from the One Cause journey.We’re not here to doomscroll—we’re here to dream, build, and belong. Unlimited is a reader-supported space for reimagining what’s possible. Subscribe to walk this path with us.For More Information: Voices Naming the MetacrisisThese thought leaders and organizations are speaking directly to the interconnected crises of our time:* Joanna Macy — on the Great Turning and the Work That Reconnects: workthatreconnects.org* Daniel Schmachtenberger — on systems collapse and the metacrisis: civilizationemerging.com* Rupert Read — author and speaker on climate realism and transformative adaptation: rupertread.net* Charles Eisenstein — on sacred economics, climate, and cultural healing: charleseisenstein.org* Manda Scott / Accidental Gods — future-visioning and regenerative politics: accidentalgods.life* Robb Smith & Ken Wilber / Integral Life — exploring integral frameworks for complex times: integrallife.com* Brian Johnson / Heroic — offering tools for living with virtue, meaning, and heroic purpose: heroic.usMay these voices offer you clarity, courage, and a compass as we navigate the turning of the age.With fierce love and quiet hope, —Brad (aka Grand-Dude) P.S.Here’s why I do what I do—why I speak up, why I write, why I refuse to stay silent. These two tiny humans remind me that this is not just about collapse. It’s about legacy. It’s about love. It’s about whether we have the courage to face the metacrisis not with panic, but with purpose. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wbradfordswift.substack.com/subscribe