permaculture

[Bob Waldrop <bob@bobwaldrop.net>]

I finished the book yesterday, the second half was better than the 
first.  Ultimately, however, they are depending on the same "pie in the 
sky" that all the rest of us are depending upon -- the growth of a 
movement big enough to make a difference.  The book is a masterpiece of 
deductive logic, which is odd, as it seems to me that deductive logic is 
associated mostly with patriarchy, which they abhor and oppose. A = A, 
and B = A, then if C=B, C must also = A.  I like deductive logic, I've 
used it a lot myself, but I resist the temptation to believe that 
deductive logic is a completely accurate description of reality.

The book does not contain a true critique of permaculture, although the 
Deep Green Resistance folks think that we are the best candidates to be 
Sinn  Fein (the above ground political/activist manifestation) to their 
Irish Republican Army (the "underground action" wing).

The redeeming aspect of the 2nd half is a discussion of strategy, which 
is interesting and can be applied on many levels without going as far as 
they would like to go.  We don't ever actually talk much about strategy 
per se, mostly because I think our strategy is that of the rhizome and 
the stolon.

The second redemptive aspect of the book is that it is a reasonably 
stirring called to action and it also increases the visibility of the 
need for resistance.  The ecological concepts of constancy (systemic 
ability to support itself), persistence (systemic ability to defend 
itself), and resilience (systemic ability to restore itself after 
damage) are all three important, and but we tend to focus on constancy 
and resilience, and should probably start paying more attention to the 
resistance aspects of persistence.

As to "pie in the sky" as a strategy, as noted above, all of us in 
opposition to the powers that be are relying on this, as we attempt to 
provoke and await some kind of great breakout of change in a positive 
direction.  The authors of DGR deplore that as wishful thinking, and 
seem somewhat blind to their own reliance on that same emotion, but I 
see it as realistic.  The world is complex and chaotic and small efforts 
can have large impacts, for good or for ill.  So we know what we know, 
and we don't know what we don't know, and all points in between.

Bob Waldrop, Oklahoma City
http://www.ipermie.net -- How to permaculture your urban lifestyle

P.S. They deny advocacy of die-off, but they point out that die-off is 
coming, whether they do anything or not.

On 7/2/2013 10:47 PM, Bob Waldrop wrote:
> I bought the book and am about half way through it.  The word
> "permaculture" has only appeared once, but what followed thereafter was
> nothing like anything I've ever read in the Design Manual or heard
> people talking about around here. Maybe they get into more of a critique
> later in the book, but from what I've read thus far, there's no evidence
> of much info about permaculture.  The entire first half have been almost
> totally dedicated to piling up the evidence that every other possible
> way of dealing with the present situation is inadequate, inane, stupid,
> narcisistic, counter-productive, or some combination.  It is really
> heavy on the psychology.