These two
documentaries discuss the theme of violent resistance. I don’t know whether
Derrick Jensen has ever been arrested, or had the courage of his convictions when
it comes to planting bombs and throwing missiles (I doubt it somehow), but as a
TV and Film guest, and author of multiple deep green books on saving Mother
Earth, he looks quite comfortable doing his mudslinging to me. Despite his
criticism of mainstream environmental groups, he is establishment, and he is
packaging a type of quixotic radicalism designed to appeal to alienated kids; a
“market” for his books.
I have many
reservations about attacking “civilisation” as opposed to the (more accurate) terms “corporatism”
or “capitalism” which indicates Jensen would rather throw the baby out with the
bathwater, and we all revert to Luddite squalour living in tipis, despite the fact that as a world population we have already surpassed the carrying capacity of the natural environment to
sustain that hand to mouth mode of life.
(i)
We
are technological apes;
(ii)
Technology
(as an outgrowth of lumpen mechanistic science) is the handmaiden of capitalism, and
will necessarily undergo paradigmatic change in a post scarcity culture.
(iii)
Not
all “civilisation” is “bad”.
(iv)
Enlightened
technology could be used for the betterment of humankind and the planet (See
the upcoming John Liu documentary on soil depletion and terraforming)
Don’t get me wrong- I agree with much of Jensen’s
critique of “civilisation” as he calls it, but he sounds to me like so many
Deep Greeners- bleating on about tearing up the existing social relations, and (unless
I’ve missed something) short on how to be
the change (permaculture, design, education, extensification, going off grid, promoting diversity, non cooperation with authority
structures and the failing money economy). I expect he is an advocate of
depopulation to resolve the ecological crisis which brings a number of undesirable ethical problems.
Human society should be small scale (after E.F
Schumacher, Colin Ward, etc etc), community based, diverse, resilient, low
tech, but appropriate use of technology is a defining feature of our species.
This wholesale “anti- civilisation” theme is a characteristic of the Deep Green
movement, which Murray Bookchin identified and took to task throughout the
course of his lifetime. Probably we will return to it, but suffice to say
anyone who has to work the land will agree the use of some technology is a
necessity, unless we want to live in abject drudgery in enslavement to a bucolic
ideal. People who write “revolutionary books” should realise that.
The Weathermen Underground is a fascinating
portrayal of the radical revolutionary group in the 60’s- 70’s which used
violent means to advance their left wing program. The whole documentary is an
allegorical repost to the violent resistance sentiment of Derrick Jensen and
others who believe that smashing up a few windows downtown is the answer. Two quotes from the Weathermen documentary:
We believe that The
Weathermen actions are anarchistic, opportunistic, individualistic, chauvinistic,
its custeristic, and that’s the bad part about it. It’s custeristic in that
its leaders take people into situations where the people can be massacred. And they
call that revolution? Aint nothin’ but child’s play- it’s folly.
Illinois Black Panther Party
leader Fred Hampton condemning the Weathermen’s
Days of Rage demonstrations.
I think what has to be stared at is that they
brought themselves (they were not brought- they brought themselves) to that point. To the point where they were ready to be
mass murderers. This is mass murder we are talking about. They came to this
conclusion, which is the conclusion that was come to by all the great killers;
whether Hitler, or Stalin, or Mao: that they have a grand project for the transformation
and purification of the world. And in the face of that project, ordinary life
is dispensable. They joined that tradition.
Todd Gitlin: American
sociologist, political writer, novelist, and cultural commentator.
I don’t want to be too hard on Jensen. I share
his anger and despondency at this time. But I just don’t think killing, maiming, and "destroying civilisation" is the way to go. I will leave the last words to MLK, since he was
ungraciously lampooned in the Endgame documentary:
“Peace
is not merely a distant goal that we seek,
but a means by
which we arrive at that goal.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
By South Utsire
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