Friday, September 03, 2004

The Revolutionary Process

By Mark Hand

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Posted 09/03 | Add a Comment

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  1. Anderson writes:

    In response to the work of anti-civilization writers, Andersen says people need to be careful not to embrace illusions that “inflate the enemy beyond any rational discourse. For some, the struggle is no longer against economic inequality, prejudice, or violence. Our foe now appears to be civilization, perhaps even humanity itself.”

    ***

    This is incredibly sloppy thinking on Andersen’s part, and precisely part of the problem. He conflates civilization and humanity. Wrong. The indigenous the world over are, once again and as always by so many of the civilized, silenced, declared to be not human. Further, to suggest that to be against civilization is not to be against inequality, prejudice, or violence [sic] (I would use the word exploitation, since violence inheres in life, and to be against violence is to be against life: one can be against some forms of violence, certainly, but eating, digesting, defecating all involve violence: the point is that violence is not monolithic: it’s one thing to rape someone, and quite another to kill someone who is trying to rape you.) is to reveal a strong ignorance of what civilization is about. If Andersen is going to say anything about anti-civ critiques, it would be nice if he would read the basics. Mumford makes clear that institutionalized inequality, prejudice, and exploitation are central to civilization. Stanley Diamond put it bluntly: Civilization originates in conquest abroad and repression at home.”

    One final thing for now: The destruction of the planet IS not rational. It is insane to think that we can rationally talk those in power out of giving up that power, and out of destroying the planet. Gandhi tried that with a letter to Hitler, and was evidently disappointed when Hitler didn’t listen to his pleas. My point is that the destruction of our planet is not rational, and has never been rational (ask the Indians, who have tried for 500 years to talk sense into the civilized), and so is not amenable to rational solutions.

    Derrick

    Posted by derrick Jensen from  on  09/04  at  03:07 PM

  2. Those who wield power must love the tactics of Andersen.

    Posted by kim from  on  09/05  at  04:12 PM

  3. I am unfamiliar with anti-civilization perspectives beyond what I have heard about Zerzan etc.

    What are anti-civs against, exactly?  Because a lot of what I’ve seen with respect- seems very derivative of conservative romanticism “if only we didn’t have this demon engine of civilization then we would all go back and skip merrily.”

    I am not trying to be condescending...but as a Marxist, unorthodox mind you, I am curious as to what marked the beginning of what anti-civs call “civilization?” The dawm of capitalism?  Ancient Greece?  Seriously…

    Posted by j cummings from  on  09/06  at  03:59 PM

  4. Derrick and Kim,
    Have your read Anderson’s book? I am curious what you mean in your comments in regard to Anderson’s book. I am reading All the Power and find his approach quite based in reality and his critiques of activist tactics often valid.

    I think change in our society can begin with individuals helping each other in daily struggles to live with dignity.

    -Nancy

    Posted by Nancy from Arlington, VA  on  09/07  at  07:42 PM

  5. Nabcy,

    My comment is to the article.

    Posted by kim from  on  09/07  at  08:58 PM

  6. Thank you, Mark, for placing a thorn or two in the shoes of us activists.  Even activists can become idealogues (speaking from personal experience, of course) instead of transformers of personal lives.  And we can learn alot more from what discomforts us than what comforts us.  Thanks again.  NR

    Posted by Nader Rider from  on  10/25  at  01:30 PM
    7. Commenting is not available in this weblog entry. {/if}

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