permaculture

[Chris Jackson <kairos.chris@gmail.com>]

I read the book a couple of years ago.  I liked much of what it had to say,
but the organization itself has become problematic.  Aric McBay has left
the group: http://www.aricmcbay.org/2013/05/14/dgr-and-transphobia/, and
there have been many critiques about their structure and "cult of
personality" that you can find on the web.
Chris


On Thu, Jul 4, 2013 at 11:14 AM, Bob Waldrop <bob@bobwaldrop.net> wrote:

> 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.
> >
>
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