“Was it a conscious decision or a momentary lapse of reason?” I used to think the latter but now I see it is the conscious decision at the top of the capitalist food chain, by those who think they are exempt from suffering. “God is a concept, by which we measure our pain.”, John Lennon. Thanks for your writing and observations of the Iowa sky.
As along as enough of us are just consumers disengaged-inactive citizens...we will boil to death like the frog. Ralph Nader at 89 has been trying to get people engaged active citizens for about 70 years. I am 63. When I was a boy Ralph was my hero, I even I named my Dog Ralph! Ralph's book Breaking Through Power came to mind as Atra Taylor gave her 2023 eloquent arguments for ways to organize to break through power. The truth is the vast majority just do not care...oh sure they care...but they do not have the will to act to organize. Most folks chose escapism found in its huge well marketed highly available comforting forms. Erich Fromm in his1941 book Escape from Freedom expressed that freedom was what we actually feared most. So, we try to escape it. Ralph begins Breaking Through Power with- “Freedom is participation in power” quoting Cicero... hell, just getting folks off the couch, away from their screens takes a miracle or the unemployment-underemployment- anger.... alienation. Too many-the vast majority would rather be doing other things-escapism. That’s the crux of the problem. That is what needs to be addressed. That is the focus of the book that I am writing.
"Noam Chomsky says that we can’t wait for socialist transformation to solve the rapidly moving climate crisis. It will have to be solved under capitalism, he claims, arguing for a Green New Deal.
But the notion of solving the climate crisis under capitalism is about as realistic... " Noam is a realist. Ralph Nader is a realist. Bernie is a realist. Dismissing the whole system and everyone trying to make it work better is the easy way out is escapism. The Green New Deal is better than standing on the sidelines and saying the whole system is fucked. Any idiot can see that and say that. Certainly, Noam knows it is. But he knows that getting behind more of the like's AOC would make a substantial difference. Erich Fromm talked about a revolution too. The Revolution of Hope. Not sandcastles in the air. Tearing things down is a whole lot easier than diving in to make it better. Astra Taylor's book We May Not Have Democracy, But We Will Miss It When Its Gone. Speaks to the far right and the far left. Extremists. But NO, Paul Street knows better than Noam, Fromm, Bernie Nader AOC. A revolution of hope has you working towards not tearing everything and everyone down-except for communists.
If you think you see deeper than AOC-Ralph Nader-Bernie or Noam-that's just your arrogance.
The scourge of capitalism has out lived any rationale it had, and is now playing its part in introducing its dear friend fascism, which is racing down the road on another death wish carrying the folks along with it. One can hear the band playing ' nearer my god to thee' as the capitalist ship slid under the waves.
Both you and Chomsky are correct. The necessary shift in orientation will be forced upon the few of us who survive the inevitable collapse of industrial civilization. It won't be a 'choice' in the common sense of that word. It will be the ultimate manifestation of Marx' definition of 'freedom' - 'the appreciation of necessity.' There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that he and Engels, were they alive today, would be so-called 'Doomers,' predicting a return to 'primitive communism' is our species' only chance.
I do not at all think that Marx and Engels of all people would be doomers. That would point out that a return to "primitive communism" would be materially and historically impossible and undesirable even if possible. They would support the mass development and deployment of carbon capture technologies and methods in the wake of the radical replacement of capitlaism by revolutinary socialism.
Well, carbon capture, even if doable on the scale needed, doesn't resolve the finite planet with finite resources problem. Where Marx & Engels would stand is, of course, total conjecture on both our parts. Now, it certainly seems that a large percentage of today's current inhabitants of Earth, at least those in the Global North, would agree that living the kinds of lives our pre-civilization ancestors did would probably not 'be worth it.' So the people with the best chance of surviving the inevitable collapse will be those who never left those hunter/gatherer ways. In other words, we must give up the idea of ignoring or breaking the immutable laws of Nature or perish. It really is quite that simple.
always a depressing pleasure reading your commentary. We all be sinners when it comes to usage of fossil fuels at sooooo many levels. We need regs to get transport on the ground electrified. Shipping needs to go more green than what it currently is. That would remove some guilt. A lot of guilt! Cities/towns/rural america need green building code regs....that means 100% electrified and solar on roof. That would help. Public transit needs to elecfyrify. Traveling by air will be a hard nut to crack but short distance flights could be electrified. Maybe longer vacation time would allow folks to travel not by plane but by electrified rail or green cruise ships.
Paul, another striking description of what is wrong-but no insights as to how to get the masses of the couch. As along as enough of us are just consumers disengaged-inactive citizens...we will boil to death like the frog. Ralph Nader at 89 has been trying to get people engaged active citizens for about 70 years. I am 63. When I was a boy Ralph was my hero, I even I named my Dog Ralph! Ralph's book Breaking Through Power came to mind as Atra Taylor gave her 2023 eloquent arguments for ways to organize to break through power. The truth is the vast majority just do not care...oh sure they care...but they do not have the will to act to organize. Most folks chose escapism found in its huge well marketed highly available comforting forms. Erich Fromm in his1941 book Escape from Freedom expressed that freedom was what we actually feared most. So, we try to escape it. Ralph begins Breaking Through Power with- “Freedom is participation in power” quoting Cicero... hell, just getting folks off the couch, away from their screens takes a miracle or the unemployment-underemployment- anger.... alienation. Too many-the vast majority would rather be doing other things-escapism. That’s the crux of the problem. That is what needs to be addressed. That is the focus of the book that I am writing. We need insights for change.... not just descriptions of what's wrong. Repeating descriptions of what is wrong dismissing and labeling everybody in the ugliest of terms... too becomes just escapism...leaving communism as an unrealistic panacea. It is easy to be a critic far harder to be a man of insight.
I love Ralph but running for POTUS goes nowhere in the US system. I think you are underestimating the significannce of really and truly naming and taproot problem the way I do here. And this notion that no solutions are proposed is just wrong. You don't sound too friendly to the RCP USA but they are quoted twice in this essay and the links to those quotes take you to their Web site, which is all about an actual socialist revolution and includes links to a full draft Constitution for A Socialist Republic of North America, FFS, man! The site is loaded with ideas for change. I find that "you only descibe the problem but offer not solutions" typically has an accurate translation: "you propose solutions but I don't like them" (or perhaps in this cass "I dont't look at them"). Particpation in power? That, sir would mean seizing state power and wielding it. That would mean organizing for a socialist revolution.
RALPH did a lot more than run for president ....this is an example of your arrogant dismissal....he has saved lives cintrubted to the common good ...you are an all or nothing at all ....preacher
You are overeacting Paul...As you know I am on your side agreeing with your analysis of our deadly status quo.... I will RCP a closer look. My head was perhaps too much in my own writings.
I'll add here that while I am largely a polemecist tied to movements for resistance and revolution, I am also at times simply a journalist and a commentator and journalists and commentators do not in fact always have to give solutions to every problem they describe. I reserve the right to at times just do journalism and/or commentary.
“Was it a conscious decision or a momentary lapse of reason?” I used to think the latter but now I see it is the conscious decision at the top of the capitalist food chain, by those who think they are exempt from suffering. “God is a concept, by which we measure our pain.”, John Lennon. Thanks for your writing and observations of the Iowa sky.
As along as enough of us are just consumers disengaged-inactive citizens...we will boil to death like the frog. Ralph Nader at 89 has been trying to get people engaged active citizens for about 70 years. I am 63. When I was a boy Ralph was my hero, I even I named my Dog Ralph! Ralph's book Breaking Through Power came to mind as Atra Taylor gave her 2023 eloquent arguments for ways to organize to break through power. The truth is the vast majority just do not care...oh sure they care...but they do not have the will to act to organize. Most folks chose escapism found in its huge well marketed highly available comforting forms. Erich Fromm in his1941 book Escape from Freedom expressed that freedom was what we actually feared most. So, we try to escape it. Ralph begins Breaking Through Power with- “Freedom is participation in power” quoting Cicero... hell, just getting folks off the couch, away from their screens takes a miracle or the unemployment-underemployment- anger.... alienation. Too many-the vast majority would rather be doing other things-escapism. That’s the crux of the problem. That is what needs to be addressed. That is the focus of the book that I am writing.
I love Ralph...but see my comment below. Years ago I knew a guy who name his dog Trotsky. Good name for a dog.
"Noam Chomsky says that we can’t wait for socialist transformation to solve the rapidly moving climate crisis. It will have to be solved under capitalism, he claims, arguing for a Green New Deal.
But the notion of solving the climate crisis under capitalism is about as realistic... " Noam is a realist. Ralph Nader is a realist. Bernie is a realist. Dismissing the whole system and everyone trying to make it work better is the easy way out is escapism. The Green New Deal is better than standing on the sidelines and saying the whole system is fucked. Any idiot can see that and say that. Certainly, Noam knows it is. But he knows that getting behind more of the like's AOC would make a substantial difference. Erich Fromm talked about a revolution too. The Revolution of Hope. Not sandcastles in the air. Tearing things down is a whole lot easier than diving in to make it better. Astra Taylor's book We May Not Have Democracy, But We Will Miss It When Its Gone. Speaks to the far right and the far left. Extremists. But NO, Paul Street knows better than Noam, Fromm, Bernie Nader AOC. A revolution of hope has you working towards not tearing everything and everyone down-except for communists.
If you think you see deeper than AOC-Ralph Nader-Bernie or Noam-that's just your arrogance.
The scourge of capitalism has out lived any rationale it had, and is now playing its part in introducing its dear friend fascism, which is racing down the road on another death wish carrying the folks along with it. One can hear the band playing ' nearer my god to thee' as the capitalist ship slid under the waves.
Both you and Chomsky are correct. The necessary shift in orientation will be forced upon the few of us who survive the inevitable collapse of industrial civilization. It won't be a 'choice' in the common sense of that word. It will be the ultimate manifestation of Marx' definition of 'freedom' - 'the appreciation of necessity.' There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that he and Engels, were they alive today, would be so-called 'Doomers,' predicting a return to 'primitive communism' is our species' only chance.
I do not at all think that Marx and Engels of all people would be doomers. That would point out that a return to "primitive communism" would be materially and historically impossible and undesirable even if possible. They would support the mass development and deployment of carbon capture technologies and methods in the wake of the radical replacement of capitlaism by revolutinary socialism.
Well, carbon capture, even if doable on the scale needed, doesn't resolve the finite planet with finite resources problem. Where Marx & Engels would stand is, of course, total conjecture on both our parts. Now, it certainly seems that a large percentage of today's current inhabitants of Earth, at least those in the Global North, would agree that living the kinds of lives our pre-civilization ancestors did would probably not 'be worth it.' So the people with the best chance of surviving the inevitable collapse will be those who never left those hunter/gatherer ways. In other words, we must give up the idea of ignoring or breaking the immutable laws of Nature or perish. It really is quite that simple.
Okay I see what you did there...how you were able to say both NC and I are right. So my disagreement is explained in my previous comment.
always a depressing pleasure reading your commentary. We all be sinners when it comes to usage of fossil fuels at sooooo many levels. We need regs to get transport on the ground electrified. Shipping needs to go more green than what it currently is. That would remove some guilt. A lot of guilt! Cities/towns/rural america need green building code regs....that means 100% electrified and solar on roof. That would help. Public transit needs to elecfyrify. Traveling by air will be a hard nut to crack but short distance flights could be electrified. Maybe longer vacation time would allow folks to travel not by plane but by electrified rail or green cruise ships.
Paul, another striking description of what is wrong-but no insights as to how to get the masses of the couch. As along as enough of us are just consumers disengaged-inactive citizens...we will boil to death like the frog. Ralph Nader at 89 has been trying to get people engaged active citizens for about 70 years. I am 63. When I was a boy Ralph was my hero, I even I named my Dog Ralph! Ralph's book Breaking Through Power came to mind as Atra Taylor gave her 2023 eloquent arguments for ways to organize to break through power. The truth is the vast majority just do not care...oh sure they care...but they do not have the will to act to organize. Most folks chose escapism found in its huge well marketed highly available comforting forms. Erich Fromm in his1941 book Escape from Freedom expressed that freedom was what we actually feared most. So, we try to escape it. Ralph begins Breaking Through Power with- “Freedom is participation in power” quoting Cicero... hell, just getting folks off the couch, away from their screens takes a miracle or the unemployment-underemployment- anger.... alienation. Too many-the vast majority would rather be doing other things-escapism. That’s the crux of the problem. That is what needs to be addressed. That is the focus of the book that I am writing. We need insights for change.... not just descriptions of what's wrong. Repeating descriptions of what is wrong dismissing and labeling everybody in the ugliest of terms... too becomes just escapism...leaving communism as an unrealistic panacea. It is easy to be a critic far harder to be a man of insight.
I love Ralph but running for POTUS goes nowhere in the US system. I think you are underestimating the significannce of really and truly naming and taproot problem the way I do here. And this notion that no solutions are proposed is just wrong. You don't sound too friendly to the RCP USA but they are quoted twice in this essay and the links to those quotes take you to their Web site, which is all about an actual socialist revolution and includes links to a full draft Constitution for A Socialist Republic of North America, FFS, man! The site is loaded with ideas for change. I find that "you only descibe the problem but offer not solutions" typically has an accurate translation: "you propose solutions but I don't like them" (or perhaps in this cass "I dont't look at them"). Particpation in power? That, sir would mean seizing state power and wielding it. That would mean organizing for a socialist revolution.
RALPH did a lot more than run for president ....this is an example of your arrogant dismissal....he has saved lives cintrubted to the common good ...you are an all or nothing at all ....preacher
You are overeacting Paul...As you know I am on your side agreeing with your analysis of our deadly status quo.... I will RCP a closer look. My head was perhaps too much in my own writings.
I'll add here that while I am largely a polemecist tied to movements for resistance and revolution, I am also at times simply a journalist and a commentator and journalists and commentators do not in fact always have to give solutions to every problem they describe. I reserve the right to at times just do journalism and/or commentary.
👌👍