Read Entire Article
Forget Shorter Showers
Why personal change does not equal political change
by Derrick Jensen
Published in the July/August 2009 issue of Orion magazine
WOULD ANY SANE PERSON think dumpster diving would have stopped Hitler, or that composting would have ended slavery or brought about the eight-hour workday, or that chopping wood and carrying water would have gotten people out of Tsarist prisons, or that dancing naked around a fire would have helped put in place the Voting Rights Act of 1957 or the Civil Rights Act of 1964? Then why now, with all the world at stake, do so many people retreat into these entirely personal “solutions”?...
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
Derrick Jensen is a rabble-rouser & he's good at it. Promoting a re-actionary angle 'against' the political-corporate world is 1 of the neccessary actions. As neccessary as making our lives a cafefully measured response to the ignorant consuption we've been brought up to believe in. The Political act of the personal act is in the 'advertising' of it. The outward display of values about caring for the earth & ppl & fair shares for all. This changes hearts & minds & inspiries without the aggressive manner of a re-actionary. I find a lot of angst in Derrick Jensen's works. I dont relate to this so I dont follow his edicts. If he really was walking his talk he wouldn't have a computer or electricity or be publishing books for sale on the market economy at all. Perhaps his angst is about his own concessions that he makes daily to 'make a living'. I dont know.
ReplyDeleteBUT I do know that POSITIVITY INSPIRES & my own positive attitude has inspiried many to change their comsumptive ways, & still does.
The 'Raging against the machine' that derrick talks about seems so hollow when yr still part of it. HOW bout ingnoring the machine & appealing to the humans to disregard industry & big-business. This way has a sense of peace to it that I dont find at all in derrrick's attitude. AND 'fighting' for 'peace' is such a misguided manner. Disregard yr enemy & you've dismantled their power to be yr 'enemy'. Appealing to the human side of those who wield power is also an effective means to change the top of the heirachy.
Approval!! by whom?? I didn't know i'd have to be approved. That's not free speech. That scripting comment!! AYE!
ReplyDelete"Appealing to the human side of those who wield power is also an effective means to change the top of the heirachy."
ReplyDeleteWhen has that ever worked?
"HOW bout ingnoring the machine?"
Like Derrick said, would that have stopped slavery? If the slaves just ignored their enemy? Would it "seems so hollow" that they tried to undermine slavery while still being to be a part of it?
"Disregard yr enemy & you've dismantled their power to be yr 'enemy'."
Perhaps, but you haven't dismantled their power to cause great harm.
Maybe if you disregard it, it will become free :P :)
ReplyDelete