Out of the Abstract: Stepping Into a Reality That Isn’t Confusing, Even If It Seems Unreal from Here | Full Text

“Locality is the natural scale of human life. Everything else is a managed simulation.”

A Note from Adam

This essay sits within a wider body of work that includes The Local Economy & Governance System, The Basic Living Standard, The Revaluation, The Contribution Culture, Foods We Can Trust – A Blueprint’ and Centralisation Only Rewards Those at the Centre.

All of these pieces are attempts to describe something that should be obvious, but has become strangely difficult to see: that the world we live in today is not built on real life, but on layers of abstraction that have replaced it.

The tragedy – and the reason this work is necessary – is that when people are raised inside an abstract world, the real world begins to look abstract.

Locality looks naïve.

Community looks unrealistic.

Contribution looks idealistic.

Real food looks nostalgic.

Real governance looks impossible.

Real value looks imaginary.

Real life looks like a fantasy.

This inversion is not accidental. It is the predictable outcome of a system that has normalised distance, centralisation, and money as the organising principles of life.

When the abstract becomes normal, the real becomes suspicious.

People reject the very things that would make them healthy, grounded, connected, and free – not because they are wrong, but because they have been conditioned to believe that the real is impractical, inefficient, or outdated.

This rejection is not a rational act. It is a form of self‑harm.

It is the moment when a person turns away from the only scale of life that can sustain them – the local, the human, the grounded – and chooses instead the familiar discomfort of the abstract world.

This essay is written to break that spell.

It is written to help people see the abstract world clearly, perhaps for the first time.
It is written to show how the real world has been hidden in plain sight.
It is written to reveal why the real feels abstract, and why the abstract feels real.
It is written to open the doorway back to a life that makes sense.

If the ideas inside this essay feel unfamiliar, strange, or even unsettling, that is not a sign that they are wrong. It is a sign of how deeply the abstract world has shaped our perception.

The work that follows – including LEGS, the Basic Living Standard, and the wider architecture of a local, human or people-first economy – is not an attempt to invent a new world.

It is an attempt to return to the only world that has ever truly worked.

A world where life is lived at the scale of human beings.
A world where value is real.
A world where community is lived.
A world where food is understood.
A world where governance is accountable.
A world where health is natural.
A world where meaning is visible.
A world where people are whole.

This essay is the beginning of that return.

Stepping Out of the Abstract: Why This Essay Exists

We live in a world where almost everything that matters has been lifted out of daily life and placed somewhere distant, managed by people we never meet, shaped by systems we never see, and justified by narratives we never question.

This distance has become so normal that most people no longer recognise it as distance at all.

They mistake abstraction for reality because they have never known anything else.

This is the quiet tragedy of the money‑centric, centralised world:

When you are raised inside the abstract, the real begins to look abstract.

Locality – the natural scale of human life – begins to feel naïve.
Community begins to feel unrealistic.
Contribution begins to feel idealistic.
Real food begins to feel nostalgic.
Real governance begins to feel impossible.
Real value begins to feel imaginary.

And because the abstract world is all we have been shown, many people reject the real world when they first encounter it – not because it is wrong, but because it feels unfamiliar.

This rejection is not a failure of intelligence.

It is a consequence of conditioning.

It is also a form of self‑harm.

Because the real world – the local, the human, the grounded – is the only place where health, meaning, agency, and freedom can genuinely exist.

This essay is written for the moment when people begin to sense that something is wrong, even if they cannot yet name it.

It is written for the moment when the abstract world stops feeling natural.
It is written for the moment when the doorway to the real world becomes visible – even if only faintly.

It draws on the wider body of work – including Centralisation Only Rewards Those at the Centre – to show how the abstract world hides in plain sight, how it shapes our behaviour without our consent, and how it convinces us to reject the very things that would make our lives whole again.

This essay is not an argument.

It is an invitation.

An invitation to see clearly.
An invitation to understand deeply.
An invitation to step back into the real.

SECTION 1 – Life Inside the Abstract

Most people can feel that something is wrong with the world today, even if they can’t quite name it. There is a sense of disconnection running through everything – work, community, politics, food, even our relationship with ourselves.

Life feels harder than it should be. Nothing seems to add up. And yet, when we look around, the structures that shape our lives appear normal, familiar, even inevitable.

The truth is far more uncomfortable.

We are not living real lives anymore.

We are living in an abstract world – a world built on systems, narratives, and mechanisms that sit outside our direct experience, yet govern almost every part of it.

We have been conditioned to treat these abstractions as reality, even when they bear no resemblance to the lives we actually live.

We mistake the abstract for the real because we have forgotten what real life feels like.

Real life is local.

Real life is human.

Real life is experienced directly – through people, places, relationships, and the natural world.

But the world we inhabit today is mediated through layers of distance, bureaucracy, digital interfaces, centralised systems, and economic structures that most of us never see.

We live inside a world of processes we do not control, rules we did not write, and decisions made by people we will never meet.

We have been taught to believe that this is normal.

It isn’t.

It is simply the result of a system that has replaced lived experience with abstraction – and then convinced us that the abstraction is real.

This is why so many people feel exhausted, anxious, or powerless. It is why work feels meaningless. It is why communities feel hollow. It is why food feels fragile. It is why politics feels distant. It is why life feels precarious.

We are trying to live real lives inside an abstract world.

And the abstract world is collapsing.

To understand why – and to understand the alternative – we must first see the architecture of the abstract world clearly. Because once you see it, you cannot unsee it. And once you understand how abstraction has replaced reality, you begin to understand why the only real solution is to return life to the scale where humans actually exist.

That scale is the local.

And the system that makes that return possible is the Local Economy & Governance System (LEGS).

But before we can reach that point, we must first understand how the abstract world was built – and why it has taken us so far away from the lives we were meant to live.

SECTION 2 – How Abstraction Shapes Daily Life

One of the most important things we have to recognise – and perhaps the hardest – is just how much of the world we take for granted without ever questioning how it really works.

We assume that because something is familiar, it must also be real. We assume that because something is normal, it must also be natural. And we assume that because something has always been presented to us in a certain way, that way must be the truth.

But much of what we now treat as “real life” is nothing of the sort.

We are living in an abstract world – a world built on ideas, systems, and processes that sit far outside our direct experience, yet shape almost everything we do. And because these abstractions have been with us for so long, we rarely notice them. They hide in plain sight, precisely because we have stopped looking for anything else.

Food is the clearest example.

Recently, the website Farming UK asked whether food production and farming should be compulsory in schools. On the surface, it sounds like a sensible suggestion. Many people – especially those who live rurally – instinctively feel that children should understand where food comes from, how it is grown, and why it matters.

But the question itself reveals something much deeper.

Because we already have compulsory subjects in schools.

And yet almost none of them connect children to real life.

They are taught in the abstract.

They are delivered through textbooks, screens, worksheets, and exam specifications – not through lived experience. Children learn about the world through representations of the world, not through the world itself. They learn about life without ever touching life.

So when we say “make food education compulsory,” we are really saying “add food to the list of things we teach abstractly.”

We don’t even notice the contradiction.

We don’t notice that the very structure of schooling has become abstract – detached from the realities of life, detached from the skills that sustain us, detached from the communities we live in. We don’t notice that the way we teach children about the world is itself part of the problem.

We don’t notice because abstraction has become normal.

We have been conditioned to believe that learning happens in classrooms, not in fields, kitchens, workshops, or communities.

We have been conditioned to believe that knowledge comes from institutions, not from experience.

We have been conditioned to believe that the abstract version of life is the real one – and that the real one is somehow outdated, inefficient, or unnecessary.

This is how deeply the abstract world has embedded itself.

We no longer see the distance between the representation and the reality.
We no longer see the gap between what we are taught and what we need.
We no longer see that the systems we rely on are not built around life at all.

Food education is just one example – but it is the example that exposes the whole pattern.

Because food is not abstract.

Food is life.
Food is local.
Food is real.

And yet most people now understand food only through the abstract lens of supermarkets, supply chains, packaging, and price labels.

They understand food as something they buy, not something they grow, prepare, preserve, or share.

They understand food as a product, not a relationship.

So when we talk about teaching food in schools, we are really talking about teaching the abstract version of food – the version that fits neatly into a curriculum, not the version that sustains life.

This is the heart of the problem.

We are trying to fix the consequences of abstraction by adding more abstraction.

We are trying to reconnect people to real life through systems that are themselves disconnected from real life.

We are trying to solve a problem we have not yet recognised.

Because the problem is not that children don’t understand food.

The problem is that children – and adults – no longer live in a world where real life is visible.

We live in the abstract.
We think in the abstract.
We learn in the abstract.
We work in the abstract.
We eat in the abstract.
We govern in the abstract.

And because abstraction has become normal, we no longer see what it has taken from us.

But once you begin to see it – once you notice how much of life has been lifted out of reality and placed into distant systems – you begin to understand why so much feels wrong, disconnected, or hollow.

You begin to understand why the sums no longer add up.

You begin to understand why people feel lost.

You begin to understand why communities feel empty.

You begin to understand why the world feels fragile.

And you begin to understand why the only real solution is to return life to the scale where it actually exists.

The local.

The human.

The real.

SECTION 3 – Food: The Evidence for Local Reality

If there is one place where the difference between real life and the abstract world becomes impossible to ignore, it is food. Food exposes the truth that sits beneath everything else:

Local is real.
Local is healthy.
Local is human.

Abstract is false.
Abstract is unhealthy.
Abstract is dehumanising.

Food shows us this more clearly than anything else because food cannot be understood in the abstract. You cannot learn food from a worksheet. You cannot respect food from a PowerPoint. You cannot understand food from a supermarket shelf.

Food is something you learn by living with it.

For most of human history, food was part of daily life. Children didn’t need lessons about food – they absorbed it simply by being present.

They saw seeds planted, animals cared for, bread made, meals prepared, leftovers preserved, and seasons change.

They learned respect for food because they saw the work, the patience, the skill, and the care that food requires.

Food was not a subject.
Food was a relationship.
Food was real.

And because food was real, it made life real.

It grounded people physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. It connected them to nature, to community, and to themselves.

This is what locality does.

Locality makes life real.

Locality makes life healthy.

But today, food has been lifted out of daily life and placed into the abstract.

Most people no longer grow food.
Most people no longer prepare food from scratch.
Most people no longer understand where food comes from or what it takes to produce it.

Instead, food arrives through a system that is distant, centralised, and invisible. We experience food through packaging, branding, supply chains, and price labels. We “know” food only as something we buy – not something we understand.

And because food has become abstract, our relationship with life has become abstract.

We no longer see the soil.
We no longer see the seasons.
We no longer see the labour.
We no longer see the community.
We no longer see the meaning.

We see only the abstraction – and we mistake it for reality.

This is why the suggestion that food production should be compulsory in schools misses the point so completely. It assumes that the problem is lack of information. It assumes that the solution is more teaching. It assumes that adding food to the curriculum will reconnect children to real life.

But compulsory subjects are already taught in the abstract.

They are delivered through screens, worksheets, and exam specifications – not through lived experience. They are disconnected from the world they claim to describe. They teach children about life without ever letting them touch life.

So when we say “teach food in schools,” we are really saying “teach the abstract version of food.”

We don’t even notice the contradiction because abstraction has become normal.

But food refuses to be abstract.

Food exposes the lie.

Food reveals the truth.

Because food can only be understood locally.

Food can only be respected locally.

Food can only be lived locally.

And when food is local, life becomes local.

When food is real, life becomes real.

When food is part of daily life, people become grounded, connected, and healthy – physically and mentally.

This is the deeper truth hiding in plain sight:

Anything that is real must be lived locally.

Anything that is abstract becomes unhealthy – for people, for communities, and for the world.

Food shows us this with absolute clarity.

When food is local, people are independent.

When food is local, communities are resilient.

When food is local, life makes sense.

But when food becomes abstract, people become dependent.

Communities become hollow.
Skills disappear.
Respect disappears.
Meaning disappears.
Health – physical and mental – declines.

Food is the proof that abstraction is not just a philosophical idea.

It is a lived experience with real consequences.

And it is also the proof that the way back to a healthy, grounded, human life is through locality.

Because food cannot be centralised without becoming abstract. And life cannot be centralised without becoming abstract.

Food shows us the truth we have forgotten:

Local is real.
Local is healthy.

Abstract is false.
Abstract is unhealthy.

And once you see this in food, you begin to see it everywhere.

SECTION 4 – When Abstraction Disrupts Meaning

Once you begin to see how food reveals the difference between the real and the abstract, something else becomes clear: the reason so much of life feels confusing, unstable, or unhealthy today is because we are trying to live real lives inside systems that are not real.

When life is local, it is grounded.

When life is local, it is human.

When life is local, it makes sense.

But when life becomes abstract, it becomes distorted.
It becomes stressful.
It becomes unhealthy – physically, mentally, emotionally, socially.

And because abstraction has become normal, we rarely connect the dots.

We feel the symptoms, but we don’t see the cause.

We feel overwhelmed, but we don’t see the distance that created it.
We feel powerless, but we don’t see the systems that removed our agency.
We feel disconnected, but we don’t see how far we’ve been pulled from real life.
We feel anxious, but we don’t see that the world we live in is built on instability.
We feel lost, but we don’t see that the map we were given was abstract all along.

Food shows us this clearly.

When food was part of daily life, people understood the world around them. They understood seasons, weather, soil, animals, and the rhythms of nature. They understood effort, patience, and consequence. They understood community, because food required community.

This understanding created stability – not just physical stability, but mental and emotional stability too.

Locality grounds people.

Locality gives life shape.

Locality gives life meaning.

But when food becomes abstract, that grounding disappears.

People no longer understand the rhythms of life.
They no longer see the connection between effort and outcome.
They no longer experience the satisfaction of contribution.
They no longer feel part of anything bigger than themselves.
They no longer feel capable of providing for themselves.

This creates a deep, quiet anxiety – the kind that sits beneath everything else.

Because when the most essential part of life becomes abstract, everything else becomes abstract too.

Work becomes abstract – disconnected from purpose.
Community becomes abstract – disconnected from place.
Governance becomes abstract – disconnected from people.
Value becomes abstract – disconnected from meaning.
Identity becomes abstract – disconnected from reality.

And when everything becomes abstract, life stops making sense.

People feel like they are constantly running but never arriving.
They feel like they are constantly working but never secure.
They feel like they are constantly consuming but never satisfied.
They feel like they are constantly connected but never seen.
They feel like they are constantly informed but never understanding.

This is not a personal failing. It is the predictable outcome of living in a world that has replaced reality with abstraction.

A world where:

food is a product, not a relationship
work is a transaction, not a contribution
community is a slogan, not a lived experience
governance is a bureaucracy, not a responsibility
value is a price tag, not a truth
identity is a profile, not a person

A world where the things that should be local – food, work, community, governance, meaning – have been centralised, standardised, and abstracted.

A world where the things that should be lived have been turned into things that are managed.

A world where the things that should be experienced have been turned into things that are consumed.

A world where the things that should be human have been turned into things that are economic.

And because this world is abstract, it is unhealthy.

It is unhealthy for bodies.
It is unhealthy for minds.
It is unhealthy for communities.
It is unhealthy for the environment.
It is unhealthy for democracy.
It is unhealthy for life.

Locality is not a lifestyle choice.

Locality is the natural scale of human existence.

When life is local, it becomes real again.
When life is local, it becomes healthy again.
When life is local, it becomes meaningful again.

Food shows us this.
Food proves this.
Food is the doorway into this understanding.

And once you see how food reveals the truth about locality and abstraction, you begin to see the deeper structure behind it – the mechanism that created the abstract world and keeps it in place.

That mechanism is centralisation.

And centralisation only ever rewards those at the centre.

SECTION 5 – How Centralisation Sustains Abstraction

Once you see how abstraction pulls life away from the local, the next questions become unavoidable:

Why has so much of life been lifted out of the local in the first place?

Who benefits from life becoming abstract?

And why does the system keep moving further away from the real?

The answer is centralisation.

Centralisation is not an accident. It is not a side‑effect. It is not an unfortunate by‑product of “modern life.”

Centralisation is the mechanism that makes the abstract world possible.

It is the structure that takes power, ownership, and decision‑making away from the local – away from the people who live with the consequences – and moves it upward, into the hands of those who benefit from distance.

And once you understand centralisation, you understand why the world feels the way it does.

Centralisation grows because abstraction feeds it

The money‑centric system we live in today is built on a simple equation:

Money → Wealth → Power → Control → Centralisation

Everyone understands the first step.

Even people with very little money know that money gives them more control over their own lives.

But as you move up the hierarchy, the dynamic changes.

Money no longer gives control over your own life – it gives control over other people’s lives.

And once that dynamic exists, centralisation becomes inevitable.

Because the more centralised a system becomes, the easier it is for those at the centre to extract value from everyone else.

Centralisation rewards the centre.

Abstraction hides the extraction.

Locality is the only thing that resists it.

This is why the system keeps pulling life away from the local.

Locality is real.
Locality is human.
Locality is healthy.
Locality is accountable.

And centralisation cannot survive in a world where people live real, local lives.

Centralisation always removes the local – and replaces it with the abstract

You can see this pattern everywhere once you know what to look for.

Food used to be local.
Now it is controlled by global supply chains, supermarket monopolies, and distant corporations.

Work used to be local.
Now it is shaped by national policy, global markets, and corporate structures that have no relationship to the communities they affect.

Governance used to be local.
Now decisions are made by people who will never meet those they govern.

Education used to be rooted in community life.
Now it is delivered through standardised curricula designed far away from the children they are meant to serve.

Health used to be grounded in local knowledge, local relationships, and local responsibility.
Now it is managed through centralised systems that treat people as data points.

In every case, the pattern is the same:

Centralisation removes life from the local and replaces it with the abstract.

And because abstraction is unhealthy – physically, mentally, socially, environmentally – centralisation always harms the people furthest from the centre.

Centralisation creates distance – and distance removes empathy

When decisions are made locally, they are made by people who see the consequences.

When decisions are made centrally, they are made by people who never do.

Distance removes empathy.
Distance removes accountability.
Distance removes humanity.

This is why centralised systems feel cold, bureaucratic, and indifferent.

It is not because the people inside them are bad.

It is because the structure itself removes the human connection that makes good decisions possible.

A policymaker in Westminster does not see the farmer whose livelihood is destroyed by a regulation.
A supermarket executive does not see the community that loses its last local shop.
A global corporation does not see the soil degraded by its supply chain.
A distant official does not see the child who never learns where food comes from.

Centralisation makes harm invisible – and therefore easy.

Centralisation is the opposite of locality – and the opposite of health

Locality is real.
Locality is grounding.
Locality is healthy.

Centralisation is abstract.
Centralisation is distancing.
Centralisation is unhealthy.

Locality connects people to life.
Centralisation disconnects people from life.

Locality builds resilience.
Centralisation creates fragility.

Locality builds community.
Centralisation creates dependency.

Locality builds understanding.
Centralisation creates confusion.

Locality builds meaning.
Centralisation creates emptiness.

Food shows us this more clearly than anything else.

When food is local, people are healthy – physically and mentally.

When food is abstract, people become dependent, disconnected, and unwell.

This is not a coincidence. It is the structure of the system.

Centralisation only rewards those at the centre

This is the truth that sits beneath everything:

Centralisation always rewards the centre and always harms the local.

It cannot do anything else.

Because centralisation is built on extraction – the extraction of wealth, power, autonomy, and meaning from the many to benefit the few.

And the only way to maintain that extraction is to keep life abstract.

Because abstraction hides the mechanism.
Abstraction hides the harm.
Abstraction hides the loss of agency.
Abstraction hides the loss of independence.
Abstraction hides the loss of community.
Abstraction hides the loss of health.

Once you see this, you understand why nothing will change until we stop living in the abstract and return life to the local.

And that is where the doorway opens.

Because if centralisation is the engine of the abstract world, then locality is the engine of the real one.

And LEGS is the structure that makes that return possible.

SECTION 6 – Locality: Where Life Becomes Real

Once you understand how abstraction pulls life away from the real, and how centralisation keeps everything abstract, the next truth becomes impossible to ignore:

Real life only exists at the local scale.

Everything else is a managed simulation.

This isn’t ideology.
It isn’t nostalgia.
It isn’t a romantic longing for the past.

It is simply how human beings work.

Locality is the natural scale of human life because it is the only scale where life can be experienced directly – through our senses, our relationships, our responsibilities, and our contributions.

Locality is where we see the consequences of our actions.

Locality is where we understand the world around us.

Locality is where we feel connected to something bigger than ourselves.

Locality is where we experience meaning.

Locality is where we experience health – physical, mental, emotional, social.

Locality is real.
Locality is grounding.
Locality is human.
Locality is healthy.

And food shows us this more clearly than anything else.

Food proves that locality is the natural scale of life

When food is local, it is part of daily life.

You see it.
You touch it.
You smell it.
You prepare it.
You share it.
You understand it.

Food becomes a relationship – not a product.

And because food is real, life becomes real.

People who live close to their food systems are more grounded, more resilient, more connected, and more mentally healthy.

They understand the rhythms of nature. They understand the value of effort. They understand the meaning of contribution. They understand the importance of community.

Local food systems create local understanding.
Local understanding creates local agency.
Local agency creates local resilience.
Local resilience creates local freedom.

This is why every healthy society in history has been rooted in locality.

Not because people were primitive.
Not because they lacked technology.
But because locality is the only scale where life can be lived fully.

Abstraction destroys the grounding that locality provides

When food becomes abstract, life becomes abstract.

People no longer understand the world around them.
They no longer feel connected to anything real.
They no longer feel capable of providing for themselves.
They no longer feel part of a community.
They no longer feel grounded in place.
They no longer feel secure.

This is why anxiety rises.
This is why depression rises.
This is why loneliness rises.
This is why communities fracture.
This is why people feel lost.

It is not because people have changed.
It is because the scale of life has changed.

We are trying to live human lives inside systems that are not human.

Locality restores what abstraction removes

When life returns to the local, everything changes.

People begin to feel connected again.
They begin to feel capable again.
They begin to feel responsible again.
They begin to feel valued again.
They begin to feel grounded again.
They begin to feel healthy again.

Locality restores:

meaning
agency
contribution
community
resilience
identity
belonging
stability
health

Locality is not small.
Locality is not limiting.
Locality is not backward.

Locality is the scale at which human beings thrive.

And this is the doorway into the next part of the argument:

If locality is the natural scale of life, then we need a system that is built around locality – not around centralisation, abstraction, or money.

We need a system that:

restores real life
restores real value
restores real contribution
restores real community
restores real governance
restores real independence
restores real health

This is where LEGS enters the picture.

LEGS is not an idea.
LEGS is not a theory.
LEGS is not an ideology.

LEGS is the practical structure that makes locality work – economically, socially, and politically.

And the first step in that structure is the Basic Living Standard.

SECTION 7 – The Basic Living Standard: Security for Real Life

If locality is the natural scale of human life, then the next questions are simple:

What stops people from living locally today?

What prevents people from reconnecting with real life?

What keeps them trapped in the abstract world?

The answer is fear.

Not dramatic fear.
Not panic.
Not terror.

A quieter fear – the fear of falling.

The fear of not being able to pay the rent.
The fear of not being able to heat the home.
The fear of not being able to feed the family.
The fear of losing work.
The fear of losing stability.
The fear of losing everything.

This fear is the glue that holds the abstract world together.

It is the mechanism that keeps people compliant, exhausted, distracted, and dependent.
It is the reason people stay in jobs that drain them.
It is the reason people accept systems that harm them.
It is the reason people tolerate centralisation, even when it destroys their communities.
It is the reason people cannot step back into real life, even when they can see the doorway.

Fear is the invisible chain that binds people to the abstract world.

And that is why the Basic Living Standard exists.

The Basic Living Standard removes the fear that keeps people trapped in the abstract

The Basic Living Standard (BLS) is not a benefit.
It is not welfare.
It is not charity.
It is not a safety net.

It is the foundation of a healthy society – the point at which survival is no longer tied to employment, and life is no longer held hostage by money.

The BLS guarantees that every person who works a full week at the lowest legal wage can meet all of their essential needs:

food
housing
heat
water
clothing
healthcare
transport
communication
basic participation in community life

This is not generosity.
This is not ideology.
This is not utopian.

This is the minimum requirement for a real life.

Because without security, people cannot live locally.
Without security, people cannot contribute freely.
Without security, people cannot think clearly.
Without security, people cannot be healthy – physically or mentally.
Without security, people cannot resist centralisation.
Without security, people cannot step out of the abstract world.

The BLS removes the fear that centralisation depends on.

It breaks the coercive link between survival and employment.
It breaks the psychological link between money and worth.
It breaks the structural link between centralisation and control.

It gives people the ground beneath their feet.

The BLS makes locality possible again

Locality is not just a preference. It is a way of living that requires stability.

You cannot grow food if you are terrified of losing your home.
You cannot contribute to your community if you are working three jobs to survive.
You cannot learn real skills if you are constantly firefighting your finances.
You cannot participate in local governance if you are exhausted by insecurity.
You cannot build a real life if you are trapped in the abstract one.

The BLS creates the conditions in which locality can flourish.

It gives people the freedom to:

choose meaningful work
contribute to their community
learn real skills
participate in local governance
grow food
support neighbours
build resilience
live with dignity

The BLS is not the end of the journey. It is the beginning.

It is the point at which people can finally lift their heads from the grind of survival and see the world around them – the real world, not the abstract one.

The BLS restores the meaning of contribution

In the abstract world, work is a transaction.

In the real world, work is a contribution.

The BLS makes this shift possible.

When survival is guaranteed, people no longer work out of fear.
They work out of purpose.
They work out of interest.
They work out of ability.
They work out of connection.
They work out of contribution.

This is the foundation of a healthy local economy.

Not competition.
Not scarcity.
Not extraction.
Not centralisation.

Contribution.

And contribution only becomes possible when people are no longer trapped in the abstract world by fear.

The BLS is the first structural step back into real life

Locality is the natural scale of human life. But locality cannot function without security.

The BLS provides that security.

It is the point at which:

fear dissolves
agency returns
contribution becomes possible
community becomes real
locality becomes viable
centralisation loses its grip
abstraction loses its power

The BLS is the foundation of LEGS because it is the foundation of real life.

It is the moment where the abstract world begins to fall away, and the real world begins to reappear.

And once the foundation is in place, the next step becomes clear:

Food must return to the centre of life.

Because food is the centre of locality.

And locality is the centre of everything real.

SECTION 8 – Beyond Food: Recognising Abstraction Everywhere

Food is the clearest example of how life has been lifted out of the real and placed into the abstract. But it is only the doorway. Once you step through it, you begin to see the same pattern everywhere.

Because the truth is this:

We are not just eating in the abstract.

We are living in the abstract.

Food simply makes the invisible visible.

When you realise that your relationship with food has become abstract, you begin to notice that your relationship with almost everything else has too.

Work has become abstract

Work used to be something people did for each other – a contribution to the life of the community. You could see the value of your work. You could see who it helped. You could see the difference it made.

Today, work is defined by:

job titles
performance metrics
compliance systems
productivity dashboards
wages
contracts
HR policies

Work has become a transaction, not a contribution.

You don’t see who benefits.
You don’t see the outcome.
You don’t see the meaning.
You only see the abstraction.

And because work is abstract, it is unhealthy – mentally, emotionally, socially.

Value has become abstract

Value used to be rooted in usefulness, skill, care, and contribution.

Today, value is defined by price – a number that often has no relationship to the real worth of anything.

A handmade loaf of bread is “worth” less than a factory loaf.

A neighbour who cares for an elderly parent is “worth” nothing in economic terms.

A farmer who grows real food is “worth” less than a corporation that processes it.

Price has replaced meaning.
Money has replaced value.
Abstraction has replaced reality.

Governance has become abstract

Governance used to be local, human, and accountable.

Decisions were made by people who lived among those affected by them.

Today, governance is:

distant
bureaucratic
centralised
opaque
unaccountable

Policies are written by people who will never meet the communities they shape.

Rules are imposed by people who will never experience their consequences.

Governance has become abstract – and therefore unhealthy.

Community has become abstract

Community used to be lived.

It used to be physical.
It used to be relational.
It used to be local.

Today, “community” is:

a slogan
a marketing term
a digital group
a brand identity
a political talking point

People live near each other, but not with each other.

They share space, but not life.

They share information, but not responsibility.

Community has become abstract – and therefore fragile.

Identity has become abstract

Identity used to be shaped by:

relationships
contribution
place
experience
responsibility
community

Today, identity is shaped by:

job titles
income brackets
digital profiles
algorithms
branding
labels

Identity has become abstract – and therefore unstable.

Food is not the whole story – it is the proof

Food is the example that exposes the pattern.

Because food cannot be abstract without consequences.

Food cannot be centralised without harm.

Food cannot be disconnected from daily life without disconnecting people from life itself.

Food shows us the truth we have forgotten:

Local = real
Local = grounding
Local = healthy

Abstract = false
Abstract = distancing
Abstract = unhealthy

And once you see this in food, you begin to see it everywhere.

You begin to see that the abstract world is not natural.
You begin to see that the abstract world is not inevitable.
You begin to see that the abstract world is not healthy.
You begin to see that the abstract world is not sustainable.
You begin to see that the abstract world is not human.

And you begin to see why life feels the way it does.

Food is the doorway. But the destination is understanding the entire structure of the abstract world – and why we must leave it behind.

And that brings us to the next step:

If abstraction is the problem, and locality is the solution, then we need a system built entirely around locality.

That system is LEGS.

SECTION 9 – LEGS: Rebuilding Real Life

By now, the pattern is clear:

The abstract world is unhealthy.
Centralisation keeps life abstract.
Locality is the natural scale of human life.
The Basic Living Standard removes the fear that keeps people trapped in the abstract.

But recognising the problem is only half the journey.

The next step is understanding the structure that replaces it.

Because locality is not just a feeling.
It is not just a preference.
It is not just a philosophy.

Locality requires a system – a practical, grounded, human system – that allows people to live real lives again.

That system is the Local Economy & Governance System (LEGS).

LEGS is not an ideology.

LEGS is not a political programme.

LEGS is not a utopian dream.

LEGS is a design – a structure built around the natural scale of human life.

It is the opposite of the abstract world.
It is the opposite of centralisation.
It is the opposite of the money‑centric system.

LEGS is what life looks like when it returns to the local.

LEGS begins with a simple truth: people are the value of the economy

In the abstract world, value is defined by money.

In the real world, value is defined by people.

LEGS restores this truth.

It recognises that:

people create value
people sustain communities
people maintain the environment
people are the economy

Money is not the centre.

People are.

This single shift changes everything.

Because when people are the value, the economy must be built around people – not the other way around.

LEGS restores the natural relationship between people, work, and community

In the abstract world, work is a transaction.

In the real world, work is a contribution.

LEGS makes this shift possible by:

removing fear through the Basic Living Standard
grounding work in the needs of the community
recognising contribution in all its forms
ensuring that work is visible, meaningful, and connected to real life

Work becomes something you do with your community, not something you do for a distant system.

This is how work becomes healthy again – mentally, physically, socially.

LEGS restores locality to the centre of economic life

The abstract world depends on distance.

LEGS depends on proximity.

It brings:

production
exchange
governance
responsibility
contribution
decision‑making

back to the scale where life is actually lived.

This is not small.
This is not limiting.
This is not backward.

This is the scale at which human beings thrive.

LEGS makes food local again – because food is the anchor of real life

Food is not the whole story, but it is the centre of the story.

Because food is the one part of life that cannot be abstract without consequences.

LEGS restores:

local food production
local food processing
local food exchange
local food skills
local food resilience

Food becomes part of daily life again – not a distant system controlled by people you will never meet.

And when food becomes local, life becomes local.

LEGS restores governance to the people who live with the consequences

In the abstract world, governance is distant and unaccountable.

In the real world, governance is local and human.

LEGS replaces:

hierarchy with participation
bureaucracy with responsibility
distance with proximity
abstraction with lived experience

Decisions are made by the people who live with the outcomes – not by distant institutions.

This is what real democracy looks like.

This is what real accountability looks like.

This is what real community looks like.

LEGS is not a theory – it is a practical system built on natural principles

LEGS works because it is built on the same principles that have sustained human life for thousands of years:

locality
contribution
reciprocity
transparency
shared responsibility
community
stewardship
human scale

These are not political ideas.

These are human truths.

LEGS simply gives them structure.

LEGS is the system that replaces the abstract world

The abstract world is collapsing – socially, economically, environmentally, psychologically.

LEGS is not a reaction to that collapse.

LEGS is the alternative that makes sense once you understand why the collapse is happening.

Because LEGS is:

local where the abstract world is centralised
real where the abstract world is false
human where the abstract world is mechanical
healthy where the abstract world is harmful
grounded where the abstract world is unstable
meaningful where the abstract world is empty

LEGS is not the future because it is new.

LEGS is the future because it is natural.

It is the structure that allows people to live real lives again – lives that are grounded, connected, meaningful, and healthy.

And once you see the abstract world clearly, LEGS stops looking radical.

It starts looking obvious.

SECTION 10 – The Revaluation: Seeing the Real World Anew

There is a moment – sometimes sudden, sometimes gradual – when the abstract world stops feeling normal.

A moment when the distance, the confusion, the instability, the disconnection, the exhaustion, the sense that life is happening somewhere else finally becomes visible.

A moment when you realise that the world you have been living in is not the real world at all – it is a constructed world, an abstract world, a world built on distance, centralisation, and money.

That moment is the beginning of The Revaluation.

The Revaluation is not a policy.

It is not a programme.

It is not a political movement.

The Revaluation is a shift in perception – a change in how you see value, meaning, contribution, community, and life itself.

It is the moment when you stop accepting the abstract world as inevitable, and begin to see it for what it is: a system built on distance, dependency, and fear.

And it is the moment when you begin to see locality – real life – again.

The Revaluation begins when you see the abstract world clearly

For most people, the abstract world is invisible because it is normal.

We grow up inside it.
We are educated inside it.
We work inside it.
We consume inside it.
We are governed inside it.

We mistake the abstract for the real because we have never known anything else.

But once you see the pattern – once you see how food has become abstract, how work has become abstract, how value has become abstract, how governance has become abstract – you cannot unsee it.

You begin to notice the distance everywhere.

You begin to notice the disconnection everywhere.

You begin to notice the centralisation everywhere.

You begin to notice the harm everywhere.

This is the first stage of The Revaluation: seeing clearly.

The Revaluation deepens when you understand what locality really means

Locality is not small.
Locality is not nostalgic.
Locality is not backward.

Locality is the natural scale of human life.

It is the scale at which:

meaning is created
relationships are formed
contribution is visible
responsibility is shared
governance is human
food is real
work is purposeful
value is grounded
identity is stable
health is supported

Locality is not a political idea.

Locality is a human truth.

And once you see locality clearly, you begin to understand what has been taken from you – and what can be restored.

This is the second stage of The Revaluation: understanding deeply.

The Revaluation becomes real when you recognise your own place in it

The abstract world teaches people to feel powerless.

It teaches people to believe that change is something done by others.

It teaches people to believe that systems are fixed, permanent, immovable.

But once you see the abstract world clearly, and once you understand locality deeply, something else happens:

You begin to feel your own agency again.

You begin to feel your own value again.

You begin to feel your own contribution again.

You begin to feel your own connection again.

You begin to feel your own responsibility again.

You begin to feel your own humanity again.

This is the third stage of The Revaluation: reclaiming yourself.

The Revaluation is the bridge between the abstract world and the real one

The Revaluation is not the end of the journey. It is the beginning.

It is the moment when:

the abstract world becomes visible
the real world becomes imaginable
locality becomes desirable
centralisation becomes unacceptable
fear becomes unnecessary
contribution becomes meaningful
community becomes possible
LEGS becomes obvious

The Revaluation is the shift in consciousness that makes the return to real life possible.

It is the moment when the reader – without being told – begins to feel:

“I want to live in the real world again.”

And that is the doorway into the final section.

Because once you see the abstract world clearly, and once you understand locality deeply, and once you recognise your own agency, the next questions become simple:

What does a real life actually look like?

And how do we build it?

That is where we go next.

SECTION 11 – What Local Life Truly Means

By now, the shape of the truth is visible.

You can see the abstract world for what it is: a system built on distance, centralisation, and money – a system that disconnects people from the real, from each other, and from themselves.

You can see how food exposes the pattern – not because food is the whole story, but because food refuses to be abstract without consequences.

You can see how centralisation maintains the abstract world by removing life from the local and placing it in the hands of people who never experience the outcomes of their decisions.

You can see how locality is the natural scale of human life – the scale at which meaning, health, contribution, and community become possible again.

You can see how the Basic Living Standard removes the fear that keeps people trapped in the abstract world.

You can see how LEGS provides the structure that allows real life to function again – economically, socially, and politically.

And you can see how The Revaluation is not a policy or a programme, but a shift in consciousness – the moment when the real world becomes visible again.

So what does a real, local, human life actually look like?

It looks like this:

A life where food is part of daily experience, not a distant system

You know where your food comes from.
You know who grew it.
You know how it was made.
You know what it means.

Food becomes grounding again – physically, mentally, emotionally, socially.

Food becomes a relationship, not a product.

Food becomes the anchor of real life.

A life where work is contribution, not coercion

You work because you want to contribute, not because you fear falling.

You see the impact of what you do.
You see who benefits.
You see the meaning.

Work becomes human again.

Work becomes visible again.

Work becomes part of community life again.

A life where value is real, not abstract

Value is no longer defined by price.

Value is defined by usefulness, contribution, care, skill, and meaning.

A neighbour who helps an elder is valued.
A farmer who grows real food is valued.
A craftsperson who repairs what others throw away is valued.
A parent who raises children is valued.

Value becomes grounded again.

A life where governance is local, human, and accountable

Decisions are made by people who live with the consequences.

Governance is not distant.
Governance is not abstract.
Governance is not bureaucratic.

It is participatory.
It is transparent.
It is relational.
It is human.

This is what real democracy looks like.

A life where community is lived, not imagined

Community is not a slogan.

It is not a digital group.
It is not a marketing term.

Community is the people you see, speak to, help, support, and rely on.

It is the people who share responsibility with you.
It is the people who share the place with you.
It is the people who share life with you.

Community becomes real again.

A life where identity is grounded, not constructed

Identity is no longer defined by job titles, income brackets, or digital profiles.

Identity is shaped by:

contribution
relationships
place
responsibility
experience
community

Identity becomes stable again.

A life where health is supported by the structure of daily living

Locality reduces stress.

Contribution reduces anxiety.

Community reduces loneliness.

Real food improves physical health.

Real relationships improve mental health.

Real responsibility improves emotional health.

Health becomes a natural outcome of real life – not a service purchased in the abstract world.

A life where the environment is cared for because people live close to it

When life is local, the environment is not an idea.

It is the place you live.
It is the soil you depend on.
It is the water you drink.
It is the air you breathe.

Stewardship becomes natural again.

A life where money is a tool, not a master

Money circulates.
Money supports.
Money facilitates.

Money does not dominate.
Money does not accumulate.
Money does not control.

Money becomes what it always should have been: a tool for exchange, nothing more.

A life where fear no longer dictates behaviour

The Basic Living Standard removes the fear of falling.

And when fear disappears, something else appears:

agency
dignity
contribution
creativity
responsibility
connection
meaning

Fear is the foundation of the abstract world.

Security is the foundation of the real one.

A life where the abstract world finally loses its power

Once you see the abstract world clearly, it stops feeling inevitable.

Once you understand locality deeply, it stops feeling small.

Once you recognise your own agency, you stop feeling powerless.

Once you see LEGS, you stop feeling trapped.

And once you experience even a glimpse of real life – grounded, local, human – the abstract world begins to feel as strange as it truly is.

This is a doorway

This essay is not the whole journey.
It is a doorway.

It is the moment where the abstract world becomes visible, and the real world becomes imaginable.

It is the moment where you begin to see that the life you have been living is not the only life available.

It is the moment where you begin to understand that locality is not a step backward – it is the only step forward that makes sense.

It is the moment where LEGS stops looking radical and starts looking obvious.

It is the moment where The Revaluation begins.

And once you step through this doorway, the rest of the work – the deeper structures, the practical mechanisms, the full system – are waiting for you.

Not as theory.
Not as ideology.
Not as abstraction.

But as the architecture of a real, local, human life.

Closing Reflection

When the Real World Stops Looking Abstract

If you have reached this point, something important has already happened.

You have seen the abstract world clearly enough to recognise its shape.

You have seen how distance, centralisation, and money have replaced the real with the artificial.

You have seen how food reveals the pattern.

You have seen how locality restores what abstraction removes.

You have seen how the Basic Living Standard and LEGS make real life possible again.

But more importantly, you have felt something shift.

The real world – the local, the human, the grounded – no longer looks abstract.

It no longer looks naïve.
It no longer looks unrealistic.

It looks obvious.

This is the beginning of The Revaluation – the moment when the real becomes visible again, and the abstract begins to lose its power.

It is the moment when you realise that rejecting the real was never a rational choice – it was a conditioned response.

It is the moment when you recognise that the systems we inherited were never designed for human wellbeing.

It is the moment when you understand that stepping back into the real is not a risk – it is a return.

A return to meaning.
A return to agency.
A return to contribution.
A return to community.
A return to health.
A return to life.

This essay is not the end of the journey.

It is the threshold.

Beyond this point lies the deeper work – the full architecture of The Local Economy & Governance System, the Basic Living Standard, the Local Market Exchange, the redefinition of work, the restoration of value, the rebuilding of governance, and the practical steps that make a real, local, human life possible again.

If the abstract world once felt like the only world available, and the real world once felt like an abstraction, that illusion has now begun to dissolve.

You are standing at the doorway.

The rest of the journey is yours to choose.

Frequently Asked Questions & Common Objections

1. Isn’t locality just nostalgia or romanticism?

Answer:
Locality is not about longing for the past or rejecting progress. It’s the natural scale at which human beings thrive – where relationships, meaning, and health are experienced directly.

The argument for locality is grounded in practical realities: when life is lived locally, people are more resilient, communities are stronger, and systems are more accountable. Locality is not backward; it’s the foundation for a future that makes sense.

2. Is centralisation always bad?

Answer:
Centralisation isn’t inherently evil, but when it becomes the dominant organising principle, it creates distance, removes empathy, and undermines accountability.

The problem arises when centralisation replaces local agency and turns lived experience into abstraction.

The goal is not to eliminate all central systems, but to restore balance – ensuring that decisions and value creation happen at the scale where people actually live.

3. Isn’t locality inefficient compared to global systems?

Answer:
Efficiency is often measured in terms of speed, scale, or profit, but these metrics can hide the true costs: loss of meaning, health, and resilience.

Local systems may appear less “efficient” in narrow economic terms, but they excel at creating stability, agency, and wellbeing.

Locality is not small or limiting – it’s the scale at which human beings can flourish, adapt, and sustain themselves.

4. How can locality work in urban or highly connected environments?

Answer:
Locality is not limited to rural areas. Urban communities can – and do – build local food systems, governance structures, and networks of mutual support.

The principles of locality apply wherever people live: grounding life in relationships, contribution, and shared responsibility.

Technology can be harnessed to strengthen local connections, not just to centralise control.

5. What about global challenges like climate change or pandemics?

Answer:
Global challenges require cooperation across scales, but local resilience is essential for effective response.

Local systems are better able to adapt, mobilise, and care for their members.

The argument is not for isolation, but for restoring the capacity of communities to act meaningfully – while still collaborating globally where needed.

6. Isn’t the Basic Living Standard (BLS) just another form of welfare?

Answer:
The BLS is not welfare, charity, or a safety net.

It’s a structural guarantee that every person who works a full week at the lowest legal wage can meet their essential needs.

The BLS removes the fear that keeps people trapped in the abstract world, enabling genuine contribution, agency, and community. It’s the foundation for a healthy society, not a handout.

7. How does LEGS differ from other economic or governance models?

Answer:
LEGS – The Local Economy & Governance System – is not an ideology or utopian dream. It’s a practical structure built around the natural scale of human life.

LEGS centres value, work, and governance on people and communities, rather than money or distant institutions.

It restores visibility, accountability, and meaning to everyday life.

8. Isn’t this vision unrealistic in today’s world?

Answer:
What’s truly unrealistic is expecting people to thrive in systems that disconnect them from meaning, agency, and community.

The abstract world is collapsing – socially, economically, and environmentally.

The vision of locality, BLS, and LEGS is not radical; it’s obvious once you see the costs of abstraction.

The journey begins with a shift in consciousness, and practical steps are possible for individuals, communities, and policymakers.

9. How do I start making my life more local and real?

Answer:
Begin by noticing where abstraction has replaced reality in your daily life – food, work, relationships, governance.

Seek out opportunities to reconnect: grow or source local food, participate in community initiatives, support local businesses, and engage in local decision-making.

The journey is incremental, but every step toward locality restores meaning, agency, and health.

Glossary of Key Terms

Abstraction
The process by which real, lived experiences are replaced by distant systems, representations, or mechanisms.

In the context of this book, abstraction refers to the way modern life is organised around concepts, structures, and processes that are removed from direct human experience.

Locality
The natural scale of human life, where relationships, value, and meaning are experienced directly.

Locality emphasises living, working, and governing at the community or human scale, as opposed to distant or centralised systems.

Centralisation
The concentration of power, decision-making, and resources in distant institutions or authorities, often at the expense of local agency and accountability.

Centralisation is identified as the engine that perpetuates abstraction and undermines local resilience.

Basic Living Standard (BLS)
A structural guarantee that every person who works a full week at the lowest legal wage can meet all essential needs – food, housing, heat, water, clothing, healthcare, transport, communication, and basic participation in community life.

The BLS is designed to remove the fear that keeps people trapped in abstract systems.

Local Economy & Governance System (LEGS)
A practical framework for organising economic and social life at the local scale.

LEGS centres value, work, and governance on people and communities, restoring visibility, accountability, and meaning to everyday life.

Contribution
Work or effort that benefits the community or others, as opposed to transactional labour driven by fear or necessity.

Contribution is valued for its impact on wellbeing and community, not just its economic output.

Revaluation
A shift in consciousness where individuals begin to see the abstract world clearly, understand the importance of locality, and reclaim agency, meaning, and connection.

The Revaluation marks the beginning of the journey back to real, local, human life.

Food Security
The condition in which communities have reliable access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food produced and distributed locally.

Food security is presented as a cornerstone of local resilience and wellbeing.

Community
A group of people who share responsibility, relationships, and lived experience at the local scale.

Community is distinguished from abstract or digital groups by its grounding in place and mutual support.

Agency
The capacity of individuals or communities to act meaningfully, make decisions, and shape their own lives.

Agency is diminished by abstraction and centralisation, but restored through locality and the Basic Living Standard.

Resilience
The ability of individuals or communities to adapt, recover, and thrive in the face of challenges.

Local systems are described as more resilient than centralised ones because they are grounded in relationships and direct experience.

Out of the Abstract PDF_Vers1_2Feb26 Download

An Overview of A People First Society

What is a People First Society?

A People First Society is one where people, community, and the environment come before money and profit.

It’s about making sure everyone has what they need to live well — and that everyone can contribute to the wellbeing of the whole.

Why does this matter?

Because too many people today are:

struggling to afford the basics
stressed, insecure, or isolated
working hard but still falling behind
disconnected from their community
living in systems that don’t put them first

A People First Society changes that.

What does this philosophy believe about people?

It starts with a simple truth:
People do best when they feel secure, trusted, and valued.

Most people want to:

help
contribute
belong
make a difference

When life isn’t a constant struggle, people naturally step up.

What is the Basic Living Standard?

It’s a guarantee that everyone can afford the essentials of life — food, housing, transport, clothing, communication, and social participation — from a normal week’s work.

No debt.
No welfare dependency.
No fear of falling through the cracks.

Just a fair foundation for everyone.

What is LEGS?

LEGS stands for the Local Economy & Governance System.
It’s a practical way of running communities so that decisions are made locally, transparently, and with everyone involved.

LEGS focuses on:

local food
local services
local decision‑making
local businesses that serve the community
local resilience and sustainability

It’s about bringing life back to the local level.

What is The Revaluation?

The Revaluation is the shift from seeing life through the lens of money to seeing it through the lens of people.

It’s a change in mindset:

from scarcity to security
from competition to contribution
from hierarchy to participation
from profit to wellbeing

It’s the moment we realise life can be organised differently – and better.

Is this anti‑business?

No.
It supports businesses that:

meet real needs
treat people fairly
protect the environment
strengthen the community

It only challenges businesses that exploit people or extract wealth without giving anything back.

Why is local decision‑making so important?

Because people understand their own community better than distant institutions do.

Local decision‑making means:

more accountability
more transparency
quicker solutions
stronger communities
decisions that actually make sense

It brings power back to the people it affects.

What does this philosophy say about the environment?

The environment isn’t a resource to use up – it’s the foundation of life.
A People First Society protects and regenerates the land, water, and ecosystems we depend on.

Healthy communities need a healthy environment.

What does “freedom” mean in a People First Society?

Freedom means being able to live without fear, contribute without pressure, and participate without barriers.

Real freedom requires:

security
dignity
opportunity
community
a healthy environment

Freedom is something we build together.

What’s the goal of all this?

To create a society where:

everyone has what they need
no one is left behind
communities are strong and resilient
people can contribute meaningfully
the environment is protected
life feels fair, connected, and human again

A People First Society is simply a society that works – for everyone.

Want to learn more?

This leaflet is a short introduction.

If you’d like a deeper explanation, more materials, or help sharing this philosophy in your community, just ask.

What I Write About

What I Really Write About – Beyond What AI Can Tell You

The rapid rise of AI, large language models, and the ever-expanding suite of digital tools has transformed how we create, share, and consume content.

These technologies are mesmerising, offering new possibilities for creativity and connection. Yet, their promise is often accompanied by myths and misconceptions about what AI can do, what it will become, and how it might shape our future.

As a content producer – primarily through books, blogs, and essays, and occasionally through video – I’ve invited AI to review my work and online presence.

What I’ve learned is that whilst these systems can provide interesting overviews, their perspective is inevitably limited. AI tends to focus on the most recent and visible outputs, missing the depth, context, and evolution that underpins a body of work. Its research dazzles with immediacy but rarely encourages deeper reflection or genuine understanding.

For example, when I asked an AI to summarise my advocacy for grassroots-driven change, it captured the headline but missed the substance: the ideas I’ve developed about new constitutions and governance systems for the UK, which are woven throughout my books. This highlights a broader truth – AI can surface patterns, but it cannot fully grasp the intentions, experiences, context and values that drive meaningful change.

My writing is rooted in exploring the challenges facing the UK: how we arrived here, what lies ahead without change, what transformation could look like, and why it must be shaped by people for the people.

Central to this is a critique of our money-centric value system, which influences not just our economy, but our politics, culture, and sense of possibility.

I believe that genuine progress requires reimagining these foundations, embracing accountability, and empowering communities to design their own futures.

I don’t expect everyone to agree with my solutions. My hope is simply that readers recognise the potential for a radically different way of doing things – one that is available to us now, if we are willing to engage, adapt, and take responsibility.

The Books about the system today; change and the system tomorrow (In chronological order, from early 2022)

The Books: Understanding the System Today and Shaping Tomorrow

The following books explore the challenges within our current system of governance, why meaningful change is necessary, and how a better future might be achieved.

Each title addresses different aspects of the journey – from identifying the problems in today’s structures, to proposing practical solutions and envisioning new models for society.

The majority of these works are available to buy and download for Kindle on Amazon, and many can also be read in full online.

Together, they offer a comprehensive look at the issues we face and the possibilities for genuine transformation.

Levelling Level

I had no plan to write a series of books that would collectively capture my interpretation of the different dynamics of everything that’s wrong with our system of governance and how it’s all playing out and impacting people like you and me.

In fact, I began writing Levelling Level in early 2022 – initially building the plan for a book upon the rather dark truth that the political right had been pushing the so-called ‘Levelling Up’ agenda, whilst the left is obsessed with levelling down.

I hoped to make some sense of the roles of the different influences that have created all the problems; what is likely to happen and how we can begin putting things right by “levelling level” so that a new people-centric system could begin.

Writing Levelling Level certainly lit a fuse for me. Aas I wrote, I found myself increasingly focused on the need for the Basic Living Standard, which after a short break away from the computer, I decided I should write about in more detail next.

Read Levelling Level Online HERE

The Basic Living Standard

The concept of the Basic Living Standard first emerged during the writing of Levelling Level, as I confronted the reality that financial independence is increasingly out of reach for many.

The fact that the minimum wage doesn’t provide genuine independence – yet is widely accepted as normal – reveals much about the deeper issues within our economic and monetary system.

Since introducing the Basic Living Standard, I have worked to refine and develop the accessibility and understanding of this concept. My aim has been to move beyond simply identifying the problem, and to offer a practical solution that prioritises the real reasons for working: enabling people to meet essential needs, and empowering businesses to serve people, communities and the environment – as they always should.

At its heart, the Basic Living Standard is about shifting our values from a money-centric system to a people-centric one – a theme that runs throughout my work and is explored further in One Rule Changes Everything. It challenges us to rethink what truly matters in our economy and society.

Key points of the Basic Living Standard:

Reframes the purpose of work: ensuring everyone can afford the essentials for a dignified, independent life.
Calls out the inadequacy of a minimum wage that doesn’t guarantee financial independence.
Advocates for businesses to focus on providing essential goods, services, and opportunities for people and their communities.
Emphasises reprioritising our value system, placing people and community above profit and monetary gain.

To make the concept clearer and more actionable, I created “The Basic Living Standard Explained,” which provides a detailed breakdown and practical guidance.

Read The Basic Living Standard Online HERE

Read The Basic Living Standard Explained HERE

From Here to There Through Now

Both Levelling Level and The Basic Living Standard hinge upon the need for system change or a paradigm shift.

I have to admit it would be much better if that kind of societal change were something we were all happy to embrace voluntarily, and do so because we have all realised that a world that works for everyone, rather than one that exploits and manipulates the masses for the benefit of the few, will be a much happier, healthier, and all round better place to be.

Voluntary change of this kind wouldn’t be easy. But being realistic about how bought-in we are to the money-centric way of life, where no reality beyond having enough and then more of the stuff is what we are obsessed with, means that many will only wake up and see the reality we are in for what it is, once we have experienced pain.

Many of us do understand this. These are often the people who in a capitulated fashion respond ‘That’s just the way things are’ or something similar, when you suggest and outline how things could be different. However, they are also comfortable with what they feel are the benefits to rejecting change too.

Unfortunately for all those who are comfortable with a status quo that is so destructive, many also take for granted or indeed feel entitled to continue living and developing themselves and their relationship with the world on the basis we have understood it to work up until now.

But things cannot continue the same way as they have been. Because in real terms, we have been living for decades and longer within a system that has developed around a giant con.

False realities inevitably lead to a wake-up moment

That con relies on unsustainable living in just about every sense the word unsustainable can be used or can mean.

As many are beginning to realise, the world is fast approaching a place called stop. Where we either change everything and return to a world built around values and putting people first. Or we sit, wait and accept the dystopian digital prison that the current Labour government, under the direction of the WEF, is falling over itself to help usher in.

Whatever we choose, and even if we don’t think we are choosing anything (as failing to act is also a choice), there are challenges, disruptions and probably horrors that lie ahead. Horrors that we would be much better able to deal with, if we are at least mindful of them, and at best prepared.

From Here to There Through Now covers this process. What we might expect, what we are likely to experience, and how we can choose to thrive and survive in real, practical terms.

Read From Here to There Through Now Online HERE

The Way of Awakened Politics for Good Government

I make no secret of my wish that we could just make better use of the system of government that we have now. Not because I think that the current system can be fixed, but because it’s broken and failing us in every conceivable sense today—specifically because of the way that generations of politicians and the people who work within and influence government and the public sector think and act, even though they are there to work and deliver on behalf of us all.

The idea of public service and what public services are about shouldn’t be a difficult concept for anyone to get their head around. Not least of all, because the biggest giveaway is in the name itself!

The Way of Awakened Politics for Good Government is the book I wrote that covers this rather thorny topic.

Thorny, because of the reality we face: when we can look at ourselves and understand the way that we ourselves are motivated and what makes us think the way that we do, we can also begin to see how easy it has become for us to repeatedly elect and appoint people into positions of public responsibility who are getting so much wrong, by doing the same things that we would probably do in those circumstances.

It’s not impossible for us to change things with the right people. But finding and electing the right people will not be straightforward with the system that we have, even if we were to fully utilise the approach I have suggested in my book Officially None of the Above which follows below.

Time is not on our side with this system, and it could collapse at any time. But getting politics and public representation right within a new one still requires much of the thinking that The Way of Awakened Politics for Good Government attempts to define.

Read The Way of Awakened Politics for Good Government Online HERE

The Grassroots Manifesto

Few people realise that one of the greatest problems and root causes of many of the other problems that are now reaching into every part of our culture and society have come about as the direct result of centralisation.

Centralisation is another word or term for hierarchy, or a system that operates top-down.

It just doesn’t sound like it.

When everything that has any real meaning in life has been steadily refocused and power and independence in so many things has been moved away from us – whilst we are continually told that it’s better for us, makes life cheaper and better in every possible sense – we have been losing sight and possession of our own value.

This travesty has led to all the societal and economic problems which suddenly seem to have come into sight.

Unfortunately, there are very few politicians who will give power and influence back to local communities once they have taken hold of it. And as history has time and again proven, most of them – once elected – will do whatever it takes to accumulate more.

Devolution is top-down centralisation with a different name

Whilst high level politicians will tell us they are devolving power and giving back, they are often taking what’s left of local power away from people and practicing regional centralisation to place what remains of local power in the hands of people they can control, rather than giving back to representatives who actually have good reason and motives that will give us much better lives.

The system of governance won’t change back from where it is now. Much like the Brexit process that never really happened as the starting point was deliberately seen as being an EU member, rather than as it should have been, which was to start anew or all over again.

The better future for all cannot and will not come from a centralised structure or anything top-down.

Genuine localisation is key

The future and change that delivers it for us must come from the neighbourhoods and communities we live and work in, and the real-life relationships and interactions that we have, in person, with the people we meet face to face each day.

The Grassroots Manifesto is a book version of what the first steps of a governance structure based and built from the grassroots-up will look like.

Read The Grassroots Manifesto Online HERE

A Community Route

Whilst every message the world pumps at us today (whether it’s direct or not) tells us that success and happiness is all about putting what we want and what we think is right first (as long as it correlates with the accepted narrative), the reality is that falling over ourselves to put our own interests first is very destructive. Particularly when most of us are doing the same thing.

Selfishness and self-interest have certainly been exploited to get the world into the mess that it’s in. And we certainly won’t and cannot change things for the better if we either insist on putting our own ideas first – no matter whether they are good for others or not, or by getting behind anyone else who is doing exactly that too.

The future is all about community. And local communities too.

But working together as a community requires a different mindset and way of thinking to what we are used to working with now.

A Community Route is the book I wrote with the intention of capturing the essence of working and collaborating with others, together, over what we share, really means and requires, if we want a world for the future that genuinely works and delivers for us all.

Read A Community Route Online HERE

Officially None of The Above

As I alluded to when I mentioned The Way of Awakened Politics for Good Government above, and also outlined in practice, in my How to Get Elected guide that I will come back to later, there are ways that we could make the existing electoral system work better for us – if we had the luxury of time to do so. (Which regrettably, we no longer do)

Officially None of the Above is a walk-through guide of how we could bypass and ignore the political parties that we have today. Working together as communities to identify, assess, select and appoint our own candidates to stand in all elections. So that we could be sure that the public representatives we elect are always going to put the needs of our people and communities first.

Refusing to vote is still a choice – as many of us have begun to realise at our cost.

However, not having candidates who we have chosen ourselves, rather than leaving that choice to the political parties and the agendas that they have, is a bigger problem. If not a lot worse.

With a collapse of some kind well on the way, the system will have to change, if we want to have power and influence over it ourselves.

In the meantime, Officially None of the Above shows us how we could work together, locally, to make the existing electoral system work democratically for us – as it always should have.

Read Officially None of The Above Online HERE

One Rule Changes Everything

Whilst the Basic Living Standard proposes a formula or focal point for a system of economy and governance that builds on financial independence for every working person, the reason we need a framework for life like this is because of the way that money has become the basis of our entire value set.

This values takeover was deliberate.

The weaknesses that make us all vulnerable to easy living and minimal effort in return for what seem to be great rewards have been exploited. Whilst the dazzling pay-off has meant we have failed repeatedly to question the true cost of what we have given up and what has really been involved.

One Rule Changes Everything is the most simplistic and straightforward formula for changing everything about the world we live in for the better.

It’s just the way we feel about the world today and what we mistakenly believe to be the things that benefit us from it that are hurting us, making the decision and steps necessary seem extremely hard!

Read One Rule Changes Everything Online HERE

Manifesto for a Good Dictator

Having been a frontline politician, elected member of 3 different local authorities and committee chair – including 4 years as a Licensing Authority Chair, I’ve spent a fair bit of time working with policy and policy frameworks. I also have a cross-sector background that has given me a reasonably good insight into how the way things get done works in real life too.

Being able to see why things are as they are and why they don’t work for the people they should – even when they are meant to – can be a bit of a two-edged sword. Especially when trying to explain to others why things don’t work as we have the right to expect them to.

As a councillor, some of the most challenging moments I ever experienced was trying to explain the unexplainable to local people, who had every right to expect things to have gone a very different way to that which they did.

However, doing the best for everyone in the circumstances also provided some good wins for everyone concerned. And I know from that experience that we could achieve much more than we do today – if everyone were open to and minded of doing things the right way.

In December 2019, as we raced towards the General Election that Boris won with the Conservatives, I wrote the Makeshift Manifesto – which I will come back to later.

Whilst the Makeshift Manifesto was a take on what a good government could do right across public policy – which of course Johnson’s Tory government never was – my return to the subject and possible updates made me realise that the problems have now gone too far for everything to be fixed.

Whilst we have heard chat about the need for a dictator – and young people are apparently particularly interested in this approach, the reality we face is that we are already the victims of a bad, tyrannical dictatorship that’s been dressed in a cosplay kit that those controlling everything have branded as democracy.

The idea of a good dictator sounds like an oxymoron to say the least. But it would be possible.

Not only that. A good dictator is also what we probably need. Because it may be the only way that what needs to get done can get done!

Manifesto for a Good Dictator is a policy list of all the things that a Good Dictator would need to do to change everything and oversee the process of bringing democracy back to local communities. Ultimately, placing power back in the hands of people like you and me.

Spoiler: this book was not written about and does not have any politician who is widely or publicly known in the U.K. today in mind!

Read Manifesto for a Good Dictator Online HERE

An Economy for the Common Good

During the summer of 2023, I was thinking more about the practical application of localised governance. How it would work, and what that would mean in terms of delivery of the essential or basic goods and services that we all need in and around our communities to make life work for us all each day.

As a business planner myself, writing out plans and even creating job specs for key employees, with pointers to the responsibilities linked to their roles seems normal. And I quickly found my pace creating what at the time I called the Gloucestershire Community Project.

I called it the Glos Community Project, because I used the areas that I know and understand to create a kind of real-life blueprint of a structure of social enterprise-based franchises or turnkey business outlines, that would provide the essential backdrop of how a new structure and system for society could work.

Importantly, the model included references to a new monetary and barter or exchange marketplace system. Very much linked to The Basic Living Standard that I have mentioned above.

It was the process of writing and realising how critical the role of food and food production should be within our communities, to ensure freedom and independence for everyone, that led to my more recent focus on Food; my time at the RAU where I did a PGCert in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security, and the books I have since written and published such as Who Controls Our Food Controls Our Future and Food From Farms Guaranteed.

Your Beliefs Today create Everyone’s Tomorrow

At the beginning of 2025, I was wrestling with a common theme.

We have an endemic problem with situational bias, or people refusing to see possibilities, perspectives or even the potential for outcomes that do not align with what they already accept to be normal within their own range of experiences.

It’s quite alarming how closed people can be to anything different than what they already accept. Especially if there isn’t an obvious progression from wherever their thoughts and experiences are, right now.

Unfortunately for all of us who learn this way and don’t look beyond, real-world problems may mean creating a completely new picture or starting all over again, rather than trying to keep hold of the things you are comfortable with about even a very bad situation or place.

Our beliefs are everything. They are what we are, and they are what makes us what we are.

So, it’s perfectly understandable that we get prickly when anything comes along which might question them.

The problem is – and it is increasingly a real problem – that what we already believe (our truth) and what is the truth, may be very different things.

This disparity is causing us all many problems. Because we refuse to be open to seeing life and learning from life about different ways of doing things and achieving the outcomes that we need.

Your Beliefs Today create Everyone’s Experiences Tomorrow focuses on the different things that people believe about the way everything works. Why they believe them, and why what we consider to be true today will inform not only our approach, responses and view of tomorrow, but what happens when we get there too.

In real terms, Your Beliefs Today create Everyone’s Experiences Tomorrow is an exploration of the real point of our power for any kind of change being right now, and why thinking (and believing) as we do, may be setting us all up for a very big fall.

Read Your Beliefs Today Create Everyone’s Experiences Tomorrow Online HERE

The Choice – A Waking Up Story

One of my most recent Books was written and published this summer and is called The Choice.

The Choice focuses in on what is happening; what we believe is happening; what isn’t really happening and what may or may not be happening out of sight behind the scenes.

The Book asks the fundamental questions ‘What do we believe’ and then ‘What are we going to do about it – if anything at all.

Yes, it sounds like a higgledy-piggledy mess. But that is reflective of what the UK faces; the behaviour of both the establishment and our politicians, and the rather difficult situation we all face where very few of us are in any way ready to accept how restricted our own views and understanding of the bigger picture might soon regrettably turn out to be.

Read The Choice Online HERE

Our Local Future

Our Local Future marked a turning point in my writing, bringing together insights from my previous works to outline a vision for governance and community that truly serves people, the environment, and the common good. This book was conceived as a springboard for discussion – a framework for rethinking how our systems could be rebuilt to deliver fairness, balance, and justice for everyone.

A central theme throughout Our Local Future is the importance of localism. I argue that a future which genuinely works for all must be rooted in local communities, structured to empower people where they live, and resilient against remote or purely online influences that can undermine local agency. This isn’t a rejection of technology or progress, but a call to ensure that technological advances support, rather than erode, the autonomy and wellbeing of local people and organizations.

Reflecting on over three years of writing and research, I see Our Local Future as a pivotal work—one that attempts to weave together diverse perspectives and experiences to envision a better life for all. It stands as a response to the chaos and disharmony that many experience today, and as a foundation for the next stage of my work.

Read Our Local Future Online HERE

Evolving Forward:
As my thinking and research have progressed, it became clear that the vision set out in Our Local Future needed to be developed into a practical, actionable framework. This realisation led to the creation of The Local Economy & Governance System, which builds directly on the principles of localism and community empowerment, offering concrete steps for implementation.

The Local Economy & Governance System: The Evolution of “Our Local Future”

As my writing and research have continued to develop, the ideas first outlined in Our Local Future have evolved into a more detailed and actionable framework: The Local Economy & Governance System. This new work builds directly on the foundation of localism, community empowerment, and the need for governance structures that truly serve people where they live.

Why this evolution?
While Our Local Future provided a vision for rethinking and restructuring governance to work for people, communities, and the environment, it became clear that a practical blueprint was needed – one that could guide real-world implementation. The Local Economy & Governance System is that blueprint. It offers a comprehensive model for how local economies can be structured, how governance can be genuinely democratic and accountable, and how communities can reclaim agency over their future.

What’s inside?

A step-by-step outline for building local economic systems that prioritise people over profit.
Practical guidance for establishing governance structures rooted in community needs and values.
Strategies for ensuring that essential goods, services, and opportunities are delivered locally, sustainably, and equitably.
Reflections on the lessons learned from recent years of political and economic upheaval, and how these inform the path forward.

Read The Local Economy & Governance System HERE

Foods We Can Trust

In April 2025, I launched the Foods We Can Trust website as a dedicated platform to explore and address the realities of food production, food security, and the vital role that food must play at the heart of our communities and local economies.

The website brings together practical resources, research, and commentary, all aimed at helping individuals, families, and communities reclaim agency over what they eat and how it’s produced. It’s a space for sharing knowledge, building resilience, and supporting the journey toward food systems that genuinely serve people.

Building on this foundation, December 2025 saw the publication of my book, Foods We Can Trust: A Blueprint for Food Security and Community Resilience in the UK.

This work brings together some of the key areas I’ve been writing about – food production, food security, and the urgent need to return food to the centre of life and community.

The book challenges the complacency that leaves households and communities vulnerable to supply chain disruptions and rising prices, and offers practical guidance for building local food resilience. It’s both a critique of current policy and a call to action for individuals, growers, and communities to take back control of their food future.

At the core of both the website and the book is the belief that food must be at the heart of any meaningful Local Economy & Governance System.

Food is not just a commodity – it is foundational to community wellbeing, economic independence, and the principles behind The Basic Living Standard.

By prioritising local food production and empowering communities, we can create systems that are more secure, nourishing, and sustainable for all.

Visit the website: foodswecantrust.org

Available on Amazon: Foods We Can Trust: A Blueprint for Food Security and Community Resilience in the UK

Read Foods We Can Trust: A Blueprint for Food Security and Community Resilience in the UK online HERE

Some of the other Books that I have written and published

How to Get Elected

The first book I wrote in 2018 was this one, How to Get Elected.

How to Get Elected, or what I sometimes call H2GE, leant heavily on my experience as a local councillor and the many different election campaigns that I ran in, won in, lost in and spent a lot of time supporting and helping with different campaigns focused on somebody else.

As I’d been out of politics for nearly 3 years when I wrote H2GE and had adopted my position of viewing and commenting from the outside looking in, I was under no illusion that what I was sharing is not the kind of how to guide that many of the candidates from established political parties would be interested in. Because How to Get Elected is all about putting people, rather than what the parties want from their candidates, first.

Read How to Get Elected HERE

Beating the Backstop

On the 24^th of July 2019, Boris Johnson became Prime Minister of the U.K. and immediately set to work building a rather questionable, ‘oven ready’ narrative of how his vision for Brexit was going to work, and what he was going to push the EU to do.

Like many who saw the opportunity that the Brexit vote really was, I greatly wished that the situation was being handled by adults who recognised that Brexit could and only would work in the way voters expected, if negotiations for the forward relationship between the U.K. and EU had been treated on the basis of a relationship that was completely brand new. Rather than how it was, which was little more than a half-arsed, self-serving attempt by Remainers masquerading as born-again Brexiteers to step outside while keeping hold of all the things they wanted to keep before they went.

It was therefore regrettably inevitable that whatever happened next was going to be more about bluff and bluster on the part of Boris. Rather than being anything that would be genuinely ‘new’, given that the then Conservative Leader hadn’t even decided which side of the European Referendum debate he was on until hours before he declared his intent.

That Boris really was the best alternative to predecessor Theresa May says more about the quality of the politicians and leaders that we have – and I regret that nothing so far appears to have changed.

However, no matter how we might feel about Boris, the other truth that we often miss about this period in British politics, is that as far as the existing ‘exit agreement’ with the EU was concerned, the UK had already been somewhat stitched up by the groundwork already done by Theresa May. A well-known Eu-phile who should never have followed David Cameron into No.10 when it seems to be the very reason that he himself stepped down.

Looking on from my perch in Gloucestershire, I found myself thinking about the best way to make what was on the table work in the most effective way that it could. Given all the different operational, strategic and political issues that were at work.

I may not have agreed any of what the then Government had been given to work with was either correct or necessary, but it was already becoming clear even then that Boris was not going to be able to disown even part of it without a) the will to do so and b) enough Brexit supporting MPs to back him – which at that moment was near impossible anyway, because the only real change in government was that he’d switched places with Theresa May.

I found myself, early that August, sat writing and putting a plan or strategy together about how making the Backstop work in very practical, operational terms could actually be done.

Beating the Backstop is my response and solution to dealing with the ridiculousness of the so-called Backstop and the invisible but nonetheless very real cross-border-trade-barrier that had been dropped down the middle of The Irish Sea.

Bearing the Backstop is the paper I published within a month of Boris’ arrival, which continues to be a popular online read and download. even now.

Read Beating the Backstop Online HERE

The Makeshift Manifesto

Mentioned above, I wrote the Makeshift Manifesto in early December 2019, in the run up to the General Election on the 12^th, that Boris Johnson comfortably won. Which the Tories then arguably squandered, by doing everything other than anything good, whilst insisting that Boris’ way of doing government really was the very best thing.

The Makeshift Manifesto is an alternative policy document.

It covers all the key areas of public policy that we would typically recognise today, making many different suggestions about what a good government not only could, but would do, when in power. Rather than following any one of any number of different agendas that have absolutely zero to do with anything about us or the lives and experiences of life that we are having.

One of my most popular downloads as a free-to-read PDF, the two big takeaways with the Makeshift Manifesto were and remain that the suggestions were applicable within the system and structure of government that we have now.

Whilst the Makeshift Manifesto provided a long and detailed list covering many different public policy areas, the document was published and shared, like everything that has followed – as a doorway or brainstorming board not to be cherry picked, but to be contextualized in the form of a comprehensive approach!

Read The Makeshift Manifesto Online HERE

Actions Speak Louder than Digital Words

I wrote Actions Speak Louder than Digital Words between some of the books that are listed above.

However, I have placed it here, as the subject of our relationship with AI isn’t strictly about governance and policy itself. Even if few of us can be in any doubt that one way or another it is set to have an important role.

AI is a difficult topic to discuss today.

Many myths have been created that serve the purposes of those who own, manage and are set to benefit from all forms of AI.

Yet AI and the ‘technical takeover’ can only work in the way that they want them to, if we all buy into and believe the stories that we are being sold.

Actions Speak Louder than Digital Words was my immediate take on the impact of both the older and newer forms of AI.

AI really isn’t going to be the fountain of all knowledge and thought that its being presented with the aim that we will believe it to be.

But it will nonetheless be used as a ‘legitimate’ excuse to end the need for many of our jobs, whilst teaching everyone and especially the younger and upcoming generations that the computer knows the answer to anything and everything, whilst what remains left of our ability to think, function and think critically for ourselves will be deliberately lost.

Perhaps a handbook for those who are awakening to the dangers that the use of tech to replace humans rather than genuinely help them are already proving to be, Actions Speak Louder than Digital Words is a shorter book, and it will make me very happy if you read it, get to the end and feel that it’s all stuff that you didn’t need to be told!

Read Actions Speak Louder than Digital Words Online HERE

Who Controls Our Food Controls Our Future

By now, you may have realised that Food, Food Production and UK Food Security are issues that I feel passionate about.

I feel passionate about them because of the role that they should be playing for us all in the much better future that we all really should be working to have.

Following the very challenging times that UK Farmers are facing as I do; watching the rather cruel introduction of the Inheritance Tax last October, that will affect small and Family Farms in particular, left me wondering what the best way would be to share the knowledge and understanding I have. And do so in a way that might help make sense of what is really happening for anyone who has started to see that the reason for all this happening now, is that the theft of control and the removal of independence within the UK Food Chain fits into a much bigger picture and agenda that leaves our Farmers with no further role to play.

Everything in the Food Chain, including the role of Retailers, Processers, Manufacturers, the way foods are being developed, the messaging about cows and methane, seaweed in cow food and the introduction of more and more talk about alternative protein in public policy is shouting very loud messages about the direction of travel for Food Production across the UK, and what the future of our Food Supply will involve and how it will soon be controlled.

Who Controls Our Food Controls Our Future focuses on the reality that control of the Food Supply is one of the most effective tools of control over the population itself.

The last thing the establishment and the politicians that it controls want, is for any kind of meaningful independence to exist across the UK Food Chain that would leave any kind of power to anyone else.

Difficult to believe, but a cold hard reality that we all must awaken to, if we want to have any chance of saving UK Agriculture and for People to have any choice over what they can eat in perhaps as soon as just a few years’ time.

Read Who Controls Our Food Controls Our Future Online HERE

Is Poverty Invisible to those who don’t Experience it?

The Food Journey I often talk about took me to do a postgraduate certificate in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security at the Royal Agricultural University in Autumn 2023.

Being back in full-time education brought some unexpected challenges that were very reflective of my experiences of the educational environment when I was a child. Only this time whilst coming at learning from a very different direction and experience-driven perspective.

Contrary to common misperceptions, the topic of Food Security and what Food Security really is, is a very broad topic that covers food poverty and the cost of living too.

Whilst at the RAU, I completed a module that required us to look at such issues and relate them to our own experience.

As I grew up in poverty, wearing all the societal badges that it has been given, and have a pretty good memory of what that was like to experience it in the 70’s and 80’s, I decided to research what it means to be in poverty today, and whether it feels and is treated any differently to how it was back then.

After spending time with a manager at a local foodbank, who answered every question and follow-up question that I gave them openly, I concluded that like so many of the other problems that we have across the UK today, people – and more importantly politicians – need to have experienced the real-life impact of those issues, before they can have even a chance of understanding what it is like to live with them.

My answer to the question, “Is Poverty Invisible to those who don’t Experience it?’ was a very clear yes.

This short e-book version of my original report and submission shares why.

Read Is Poverty Invisible to those who don’t Experience it Online HERE

Specific Interest Blogs

Alongside my books, I maintain an extensive archive of blogs at https://adamtugwell.blog that explore all the subjects covered in my published works—and often in greater detail.

For example, https://adamtugwell.blog/2025/12/18/adams-food-and-farming-portfolio-a-guide-to-books-blogs-and-solutions/ provides a curated list of blog posts and resources. It covers a wide range of topics, including:

Food production and supply chains
Food security and resilience
The challenges facing UK farmers
Community food initiatives
The role of food in local economies
Practical solutions for future systems and governance

These archives offer deeper dives, practical insights, and ongoing commentary on the issues at the heart of my work. Readers are encouraged to browse the full blog for further exploration of these and many other subjects.

What I Write About PDF_Vers4_19Dec25 Download

The Role of Barter and Exchange in The Local Economy & Governance System

Introduction: Understanding Key Dimensions of Trade Through the Lens of LEGS

In today’s money‑centric Old World system, barter and direct exchange are rarely practiced or legitimised. This absence disadvantages those who could benefit most from trading their goods and skills directly for the things they need, in ways that are simple and achievable.

An economy built on the recognition of human value safeguards and embraces contributions that cannot be measured or constrained by volume or transactional worth in universally accepted terms, while also accommodating goods, services, and contributions that can be.

At its core, the Local Economy & Governance System upholds The Basic Living Standard, affirming that economic value resides in people themselves. It must never be surrendered to the control of any third party – however legitimised or credible – that might manipulate the worth of individual contributions or exclude people altogether by imposing rules over a value system it dictates for universal use.

Money becomes a corrupt, authoritarian policeman when distance erases integrity and the wrong, out of sight forces are in control

The Local Economy & Governance System (LEGS) challenges us to rethink every part of how society functions – from governance and public services to food, housing, and work.

Trade is no exception. If we are to build a fair, resilient, and people‑centred society, we must re‑examine the foundations of how value moves between individuals, businesses, and communities.

For too long, trade has been defined exclusively through money. This narrow view has distorted our understanding of value, restricted our autonomy, and placed unnecessary barriers between people and the things they need.

The belief that money is the only legitimate medium of exchange has allowed governments and financial institutions to centralise control, monitor every transaction, and shape economic life in ways that benefit the few at the expense of the many.

Barter and Exchange offer a different path – one that aligns with the principles of LEGS and restores the freedom to trade directly, fairly, and without interference. They allow value to circulate locally, strengthen community resilience, and empower people to meet their needs through cooperation rather than dependency on distant systems.

This article develops the discussion already begun within LEGS by exploring the mechanics of trade in a fair society. It explains why Barter and Exchange are essential, how they work within the Local Market Exchange (LME), and how they support the wider transformation toward a system built on People, Community, and The Environment.

1. Why Barter Matters: Reclaiming the Meaning of Value

The Psychology of Value and Exchange

Money-centric society has conditioned us to believe that value exists only when expressed in money.

This belief is so deeply embedded that many struggle to imagine a world where value can be recognised or exchanged without a price tag.

Yet value is not inherent in money.

Value is inherent in people, skills, time, and the things we create.

Direct exchange restores:

Human‑scale value – worth defined by usefulness, not speculation
Relational value – trust, cooperation, and mutual respect
Intrinsic value – meaning that exists beyond financial measurement

Barter is not primitive. It is profoundly human.

2. The Ethical Foundation of Direct Exchange

Legitimacy Beyond Money

The Moneyocracy created the illusion that all legitimate trade must pass through regulated currency. This allowed governments and financial institutions to monitor, tax, and control every aspect of what they sanctioned and identified as economic life.

Within LEGS, the ethical foundation for Barter and Exchange is clear:

People have the inherent right to exchange value directly
Communities have the right to determine how value circulates locally
No authority has the moral right to restrict non‑monetary exchange when the essential needs are met

Barter is not a loophole.

It is a legitimate, ethical, community‑centred form of trade that compliments an economy with People, Community and The Environment at its heart.

3. How Barter Works: Everyday Practical Examples

Person‑to‑Person, Business‑to‑Business, and Mixed Exchanges

Barter is practical, flexible, and already familiar to most people.

Person‑to‑Person

A neighbour repairs a bicycle in exchange for vegetables
A retired teacher tutors a child in return for gardening help

Business‑to‑Business

A café trades baked goods with a farmer for eggs
A carpenter exchanges shelving units with a printing shop for marketing materials

Mixed Exchanges

Working time, plus local currency for a refurbished smartphone
Goods plus working time to settle a larger exchange

Community‑Level

Seasonal swap days – exchanging additional time and skills for goods and services
Collective repair events where the community provides people with home repair or servicing of equipment for additional community contributions
Multi‑party trades facilitated by the LME

Barter adapts to any scale and any need.

4. Barter as a Pillar of Local Resilience

Strengthening Communities Through Direct Exchange

Barter strengthens local systems by:

Reducing dependency on external supply chains
Encouraging repair, reuse, and resourcefulness
Keeping value circulating locally
Building trust and cooperation
Providing stability during economic shocks

When money becomes scarce, barter continues.

When supply chains fail, local exchange thrives.

5. Barter and Local Currency: A Complementary System

How the LME Balances Flexibility and Stability

Barter and local currency are complementary tools.

Local currency exists to:

Facilitate exchanges where direct barter is impractical
Provide a stable, community‑governed medium of exchange
Prevent speculation or hoarding
Keep value circulating locally

Barter is ideal when two parties have mutually desired goods or services.

Local currency is ideal when they do not.

The LME allows both to operate seamlessly.

6. Safeguards and Fairness in the LME

Preventing Abuse, Hoarding, and Manipulation

The LME incorporates safeguards to ensure fairness:

Prohibition of hoarding essential goods
Transparent values for Basic Living Standard items
Community oversight through The Circumpunct
Limits on accumulation of local currency and/or property ownership beyond essential use
Rules preventing speculation or artificial scarcity
Open dispute resolution

These measures ensure Barter and Exchange remain tools for empowerment.

7. Transitioning from Money to Exchange

Practical Pathways for Individuals, Businesses, and Communities

Transition is gradual and supported by community infrastructure.

Individuals

Start with small exchanges
Use the LME to find trading partners
Combine barter with local currency

Businesses

Accept partial payment in goods or services
Use barter to reduce waste
Join and promote the LME network

Communities

Host swap events
Encourage local producers to list goods
Integrate barter into community projects

Transition is organic, practical, and accessible.

8. Addressing Common Concerns and Misconceptions

Removing Barriers to Understanding

“Barter is too complicated.”

The LME simplifies valuation and facilitates multi‑party exchanges.

“How do you ensure fairness?”

Community‑agreed values and transparent governance prevent exploitation.

“What if someone cheats?”

Dispute resolution is local and immediate.

“Isn’t this going backwards?”

Barter restores autonomy and resilience, recognising that progress is not one dimensional and does not erase actions and processes that work in the best interests of all.

“What about large transactions?”

Barter can be combined with local currency or working time.

Objections dissolve through experience.

9. The Historical and Anthropological Argument for Barter & Exchange

Why Barter Is Not Primitive – It Is Proven

Historically:

Communities relied on mixed economies of barter, gifting, and shared labour
Money became dominant not because barter failed, but because it seemed easier and its use was encourage or coerced as elites sought control
Many societies used barter alongside currency for centuries
Modern barter networks thrive during crises

Barter aligns with human social instincts far more closely than money ever did.

10. The Philosophy of Exchange

Barter as an Expression of Human Connection

Barter reflects:

Reciprocity
Trust
Mutual recognition
Shared purpose
Community interdependence

Money reduces relationships to transactions.

Barter restores relationships to relationships.

It is not simply a method of trade. It is a philosophy for living.

Conclusion: The Return of Human‑Centred Trade

Barter and Exchange are essential components of a fair, resilient, and people‑centred economy.

They restore autonomy, strengthen community bonds, and ensure that value circulates locally rather than being extracted by distant systems.

This article demonstrates that within the LEGS Human Economy model:

Value is defined by people, not money
Direct exchange empowers individuals and communities
Barter strengthens resilience and reduces dependency
Local currency complements barter within the LME
Safeguards ensure fairness and prevent abuse
Transition is practical and accessible
Barter reflects the deeper philosophy of LEGS

And that

History and anthropology validate mixed economies

Trade, when reclaimed from the distortions of money-centric economics, becomes a tool for dignity, cooperation, and shared prosperity.

Barter and Exchange are not relics of the past.

They are the foundations of a future where fairness, autonomy, and community define how we live and trade together.

The Local Economy & Governance System | Online Text

The Role of Barter and Exchange in LEGS PDF_Vers1_3Dec25 Download

Discover a Blueprint for Fair, Sustainable Communities: Introducing the Local Economy & Governance System (LEGS)

Are you searching for a fresh vision of society—one that puts people, community, and the environment first? The new book, The Local Economy & Governance System offers a transformative framework for reimagining how we live, work, and govern together.

Why Read This Book?

A Timely Critique and Practical Blueprint: LEGS doesn’t just highlight what’s broken in today’s world—it lays out actionable steps for building a society where everyone’s essential needs are guaranteed, and collective wellbeing is the top priority.
People, Community, Environment: These three principles guide every aspect of the LEGS framework, from local governance and economic models to daily life and public policy.
Personal Sovereignty: LEGS places strong emphasis on empowering every individual to live freely, responsibly, and authentically. Personal Sovereignty is recognized as the foundation for dignity, ethical living, and genuine freedom within the community.
Authentic Governance: Say goodbye to distant, hierarchical leadership. LEGS champions local, democratic decision-making, where leadership is earned through service and accountability—not status.
Basic Living Standard for All: Imagine a world where full-time work at the lowest wage covers all core living costs—no more poverty, reliance on charity, or skipped essentials.
Community Contributions: Every working member gives back 10% of their week to support local services and charity, replacing traditional public sector staffing with a community-led workforce.
Ethical Business & Economy: Businesses exist to serve the public good, not profit. Social enterprises fill gaps where private business doesn’t meet essential needs, and wealth is distributed equitably among contributors.
Responsible Technology & AI: LEGS strictly regulates technology to ensure it serves humanity and never replaces human agency. All essential services have human-led, non-digital alternatives.

Who Should Read LEGS?

Community leaders, policymakers, and activists seeking practical models for local empowerment.
Anyone concerned about inequality, environmental sustainability, or the future of governance.
Readers interested in social innovation, ethical business, and resilient communities.

Get Involved

LEGS is more than a book—it’s an invitation to participate in shaping a fairer, more compassionate world. Start conversations, challenge old systems, and take practical steps in your own community. The journey to a better future begins with the choices we make and the values we uphold.

Discover LEGS PDF_Vers1_ 20Nov25 Download

A Note from Adam

Stepping Out of the Abstract: Why This Essay Exists

SECTION 1 – Life Inside the Abstract

SECTION 2 – How Abstraction Shapes Daily Life

SECTION 3 – Food: The Evidence for Local Reality

SECTION 4 – When Abstraction Disrupts Meaning

SECTION 5 – How Centralisation Sustains Abstraction

SECTION 6 – Locality: Where Life Becomes Real

SECTION 7 – The Basic Living Standard: Security for Real Life

SECTION 8 – Beyond Food: Recognising Abstraction Everywhere

SECTION 9 – LEGS: Rebuilding Real Life

SECTION 10 – The Revaluation: Seeing the Real World Anew

SECTION 11 – What Local Life Truly Means

Closing Reflection

Further Reading: Stepping Beyond Abstraction

Frequently Asked Questions & Common Objections

Glossary of Key Terms

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What is a People First Society?

Why does this matter?

What does this philosophy believe about people?

What is the Basic Living Standard?

What is LEGS?

What is The Revaluation?

Is this anti‑business?

Why is local decision‑making so important?

What does this philosophy say about the environment?

What does “freedom” mean in a People First Society?

What’s the goal of all this?

Want to learn more?

Further Reading:

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What I Really Write About – Beyond What AI Can Tell You

The Books about the system today; change and the system tomorrow (In chronological order, from early 2022)

The Books: Understanding the System Today and Shaping Tomorrow

Levelling Level

The Basic Living Standard

From Here to There Through Now

The Way of Awakened Politics for Good Government

The Grassroots Manifesto

Devolution is top-down centralisation with a different name

Genuine localisation is key

A Community Route

Officially None of The Above

One Rule Changes Everything

Manifesto for a Good Dictator

An Economy for the Common Good

Your Beliefs Today create Everyone’s Tomorrow

The Choice – A Waking Up Story

Our Local Future

The Local Economy & Governance System: The Evolution of “Our Local Future”

Foods We Can Trust

Some of the other Books that I have written and published

How to Get Elected

Beating the Backstop

The Makeshift Manifesto

Actions Speak Louder than Digital Words

Who Controls Our Food Controls Our Future

Is Poverty Invisible to those who don’t Experience it?

Specific Interest Blogs

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Introduction: Understanding Key Dimensions of Trade Through the Lens of LEGS

Money becomes a corrupt, authoritarian policeman when distance erases integrity and the wrong, out of sight forces are in control

1. Why Barter Matters: Reclaiming the Meaning of Value

2. The Ethical Foundation of Direct Exchange

3. How Barter Works: Everyday Practical Examples

4. Barter as a Pillar of Local Resilience

5. Barter and Local Currency: A Complementary System

6. Safeguards and Fairness in the LME

7. Transitioning from Money to Exchange

8. Addressing Common Concerns and Misconceptions

9. The Historical and Anthropological Argument for Barter & Exchange

10. The Philosophy of Exchange

Conclusion: The Return of Human‑Centred Trade

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