Thursday, April 29, 2004

Dominated Minds

By Micah Holmquist

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Posted 04/29 | Add a Comment

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  1. Thanks, Micah. There was no “counter-narrative” offered by a small group of American revolutionaries when they forced a change in the momentum they were living in; I don’t want to go back and forth re how small that group was...how many were aligned against them...how many were indifferent...what forces were stacked against them as it’s all easily available in Ray Raphael’s A PEOPLE’S HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION and in Howard Zinn’s work.  This is NOT to say that you aren’t on target re the need to TRY to come up w a counter-narrative.  However, it is very important that people doing so NOT have that be the focus of their primary energy/heartbeats.  It is clear that harsh confrontations are likely...if we want to institute change here.  In the bigger picture, in fact, one must tackle reversing so-called industrial civilization’s “progress” as they address the war-related issues or we will not accomplish very much.  Long before the terrorist angle, of course, the U.S. was insanely warring against this one and that one...legally and illegally...for this and that reason.  The fundamental ground of being for what we object to is found in something much more basic than the mass psychosis delineated above.  A counter-narrative, perhaps, can be found in Jensen’s and Draffan’s STRANGELY LIKE WAR.  Daniel Sheehan’s New Paradigm Institute (he’s formerly of the Christic Institute which exposed Reagan) has come up with a new counter-narrative, but it is, for one, too rooted in trusting American institutions that do not deserve our faith.  Merci in solidarity, Micah...Richard Oxman

    Posted by Richard Oxman from  on  04/29  at  11:34 AM

  2. I recommend that readers consider Arundhati Roy’s statements --made at the WSF-- that we shouldn’t be fooled into thinking that we need to have “replacements” in order...in order to bring down the present structures that are inflicting misery.  Of course, many anal retentive people...AND citizens in general are going to balk at such an attitude, but...as with the American Revolution...that does not have to be the deciding factor.  There are plenty of paradigms that have been put out there such as Michael Albert’s PARECON stuff...to address the economic aspects...so there is no lack of blueprints for those who need them; plenty to choose from.  There is ALSO...a “mass psychosis” among the Left.  To wit, the vast majority of “progressives” believe that they are involved in some unified effort to address the ills of society.  That group of people --if it can be described as such-- not only has a soft underbelly...it doesn’t exist. I know this from 18 consecutive months of being on the street level organizing...coming up against the bases and lack of bases for solidarity.  One quick review of the comments here on Press Action alone will give you a good idea of how much of a non-entity the so-called Movement is....  Nonetheless, the notion that there is a significant core group of people out there who are together on certain fundamental (Left) principles...and are positioned “to make a difference” as a group...is a serious delusion.  The alternative isn’t despair.  The alternative isn’t to give up entirely on creating solidarity.  However, in the interests of the urgency called for on many issues...I recommend that people dig deep down and come up with what they can do individually to bring this Machine to a halt...reverse the ways of this destructive industrial civilization.  Daunting, but not impossible.  One must...first...see with new eyes...as all we’ve been taught, for the most part, flys in the face of such a suggestion.  Best, ROx

    Posted by Richard Oxman from  on  04/29  at  12:38 PM

  3. Richard,

    Thanks for your comments. Two things:

    I’m not the most knowledgeable about the American Revolution but my understanding is that those who would form the U.S. did very much offer another way of viewing the world and their struggle. Instead of the divine right of kings, they said, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…” I don’t know how this was “self-evident” other than they chose to believe it and believe it was ordained by their divine figure. This idea lives on in the way in which many on the right will say that conservatism means a belief that rights come from God while liberalism means a belief that they come from a government. Sounds good, but these people sure believe that God gives them a lot of rights that can’t be found in any of the holy books they respect. (The Bill of Rights and the Bible don’t match up on a lot.)

    I agree that one needn’t have a utopia in mind in order to try to change the harmful. A different narrative can, and almost certainly should, come out of action, but it will at some point need to be articulated. I also am quite a bit more skeptical than you of the idea that a small group can create change beyond the level of reformism. Yes it will start out small, but the world is far different in the 1770s and I’m skeptical about how much change can be achieved unless broad support, and participation, is also achieved.

    Posted by micah holmquist from  on  04/30  at  04:17 PM

  4. There is no large support forthcoming today for anything along the lines you are suggesting.  There was no majority support for anything either during Revolutionary times in America.  There IS something already articulated...that will NOT very likely be picked up by any majority...but that should not stop people from pursuing where it takes them; I am speaking of what’s articulated, for one, in Derrick Jensen’s A LANGUAGE OLDER THAN WORDS.  It HAS been articulated for a long time by indigenous people, and it must be honored or all will be lost.  The few people who will follow that path...have nothing to do with reforming matters as they now stand; only radical approaches can make a difference.  And in that light, all of the niceties discussed within the academic parameters you work within here will not allow for improvement whether the Right or Left are in control.  It is time --long overdue-- for people to stop wasting time on all of the political talk that goes nowhere.  People are too sick today from the effects of so-called civilization (which includes academia’s narrow parameters for discussion) to band together to do anything in relatively large groups...in any kind of traditionally organized fashion...to make the improvements we need.  There’s too much reliance on authority, celebrity, science and the like...and too little respect for indigenous values...wherein lies our only hope.  People are in denial.  And I’m not talking just about “other people.” There cannot be the kind of solidarity you seem to call for --whether or not some Euro-based paradigm is articulated-- as long as civilization’s primary values stand untouched.  I recommend Galeano, Susan Griffin, Zerzan, Laing, Stanley Diamond, Jack D. Forbes, Sheldon Rampton and Derrick Jensen...along with Ward Churchill...if people want to venture outside of Chomsky, Michael Albert, Ralph Nader, Amy Goodman, Norman Solomon and the usual suspects. People need to push the envelope daily...as what I see is a lot of talking in circles.  One does NOT need to have something to replace something as sick as our culture...except to acknowledge that certain values (indigenous values are a good place to start...for consideration) should be honored.  Hebraic/Christian values which give too much credit to one side of the brain...denigrating Nature...and arrogantly disrespecting so-called “primitive” people and the way the lived before agriculture took over...won’t work anymore.  If you really don’t want to waste anymore time with attempts at relatively meaningless “reforms,” you had better consider some radical self-education down as yet unexplored roads.  Loving best, Richard P.s.  Don’t wait, please, for huge groups to form in support of something.  You can take meaningful “vertical” action on your own, making hard personal choices now.

    Posted by Richard Oxman from  on  05/01  at  12:19 AM

  5. GREAT picture. Black and white captures the mood so effectively.

    LAst weekend really was a smashing success. I hope we do it again next year. Becuase if we don’t keep it up - those abortion rights will go right out the window.

    ABORT RIGHTS UBER ALLES!!! HEIL PLANNED PARENTHOOD UND NOW!! SIEG HEIL!!!

    Posted by Dan Gem from  on  05/02  at  03:46 PM
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