Transition Towns
A study group formed out of the Occupy Experience which has met twice now and discussed the Transition Town model as developed by Rob Hopkins. It takes as a basis the notion that an energy crisis is fast approaching, further exacerbating the global economic crisis and communities should transition towards something more resilient. He primarily advocates localizing food systems, which appeals to a lot of folks here on many levels. The concept of "peak oil" elicits many different responses and this one strives to be very scale oriented, "doable" and appealing to a mainstream but politically aware audience.
The literature and video presentations go out of their way not to critique capitalism as such or spend much time on asking why we are in this precarious situation. They just say it is coming and you best be prepared. It is political only in the least antagonistic sense of the word, hoping to actually incorporate local government and business in the guise of community building.
The first night the group basically built consensus around the nature of the problem (carbon based economy) and a commitment to learn more. Last night a critique was introduced and it was refreshing to see how well it was received, if not the specific arguments, at least the fact we can be critical without being divisive. (of course Beak didn't show up). To the consternation of some, the anti-capitalists pressed for a radical investigation of the crisis in all it's forms but it didn't degenerate into cries against infantile leftism. There is a legitimate argument around the use of language, around compromise and inclusiveness and hopefully we are mature enough to work it out ( I don't equate historical stages with human growth, btw). We don't have to advertise our project as Communist Transition Towns and we don't have to withhold divulging our personal politics during discussions. There should be a synthesis possible.
The most problematic parts of Hopkins' vision for me are notions of "social enterprises and entrepreneurship". For instance : "social enterprises often stem from one visionary, bold individual, an entrepreneur...the important point is not to fear business..not all businesses are in some way wicked." Me fears old Rob is one of these visionaries and is saying radicals need not apply.
He wants to "bring land into community ownership" but in "real existing capitalism" this means titles, taxes, insurance, and the State. Also problematic are foundations and trusts and non-profits as the guardians of the liberal status quo. They have money for this stuff, not poor working people. This thing is supposed to be open source so it will be interesting to see what Missoula morphs into.
posted by troutsky @ 9:20 AM
28 comments
28 Comments:
lol! You are going in EXACTLY to OPPOSITE direction that you should be going. The Left is truly the anti-progressive reactionary.
For as Lazare carnot so aptly stated, "If man wants to progress, he must create new forms of energy of greater and greater densities."
I'll see you Leftwing Luddites in the footnotes of history. ;)
Fascinating, human institutions behave according to the Laws of Thermodynamics.
Fascinating.
Now, is Carnot's a statement of philosophy or science.
You're being pithy Farmer.
Go, Amish!
You're suffering from what Zizek calls the "fetishist split"...and because of that split, you can't ever do anything about the coming environmental and financial catastrophe's because you believe there's a chance of going back to the way things once were (but never really were).... before carbon.
There is no going back. The carbon genie is OUT of the bottle. It's the cheapest fuel in the world, there are LOADS of it, and if WE don't use it, the Chinese WILL.
Your movement is destined to FAIL. You need to accept the fact that carbon is going to be used regardless, and take steps to minimize and or reverse the damage. If that means carbon sequestration, then carbon sequestration it will be. But you're NOT going to EVER take action unless you accept the fact that with the environment, there IS NO GOING BACK. And THAT applies especially to NUCLEAR.
The name of the game for Commies is to sabotage all efforts in the USA to develop domestic energy sources to aid Hugo. Cancer will get Hugo before he could get a taste of people's justice like his friend the nutty Col.
Don't be so sure of that Beak. I think there's a good chance that by at least a month before the 2012 election, either Chavez or Ahmadinejahd will be toast, either a victim of a predator drone strike, or some kind of special ops. Obama won't be able to get in front of the cameras fast enough to brag about it. He might actually kill both of them.
FJ - you already are a footnote of history, only not a very important one. LOL!!!
Pagan - that surely is the Prince of Peace's MO!! Kill the fuckers and everyone else who stands in the way of his glory.
Beak - sure am glad I am one your list of crazy commies; otherwise, I might be mistaken for an ignorant bigot. Ya think?
Trout - Unfortunately there really is no going back, but simply somewhere forward to a new post-critical primitivism, for lack of a better word. Of course we won't need to live in caves, or eat with or fingers all the time; but 3 billion to 4 billion of us must die. And we may have to learn how to hunt and forage to supplement what we can grow in our local gardens. And, BTW, fuck all these trolls that are hanging around your site.
^^There's your proof of Neo-Luddism^^
Prof Tarzan
No you are the founder of the Krolic Corollary of Marxism. Rather than talk of actual hunter gathers or indigenous people you make a cartoon of their existence to suit your cartoon fusion of the noble savage meets Groucho Marxism.
Like most political academic hacks you over estimate your knowledge and under estimate those who lead productive lives. No you are more inane and comedic than dangerous.
Do your readers know that you are writing comedy?
You know little beyond the death cult and meetings of faculty hacks
and knaves. Oddly, if your fruitopia ever came to pass you would be purged long before my kind took up arms.
So where does it go next, trout?
The usual suspects have come and given us the view from the right. Everything would be fine if we just let capital have its way, they have our best interest at heart.
Not much there.
Then you have the "moderate" Dems who have everyone's interests at heart and they say take it to the ballot box. Yes sir, a democratic leadership council stooge or right wing candidate fresh out of a 50's B horror film.
Try to build anything like a grass roots movement and you get the A.C.O.R.N. treatment. Not that trying to "change the system" has potential for determining much more than how long it's going to take to have the life sucked out of us.
Given no place to go it may end in violence and the corporatists figure they have the police sufficiently well armed to keep everyone in line the way the military assures the ragheads and piccaninnies won't threaten the oil supply.
It's bleak
Everything is not going to be fine under captialism, ducky. But it'll be infinitely better than letting you and troutman pick societies' weiners and goobers. Cuz lets face facts. You're dumber than stumps when it comes to dealing with actual human beings, and not the imaginary Christ-like fictions you would pretend inhabit the world.
On a happier note, another member of the Commie Class of '68 bought the farm the other day.
Viva la Revoluccion!
That's right Farmer, and he was in negotiations with the Colombian government. Now there is the possibility a hard liner will pick it up and make negotiations less likely.
Pitch till you win but I hope this gives you just a hint of the possibilities in even a cursory analysis.
I like the Columbian approach. Kill 'em all, let G_d sort 'em out.
Hey trout, notice that the IMF is going to be working its magic in Europe. They should produce a major recession in no time.
Should still be some stuff they can privatize too.
Yeah. They should start with their economies.
Ducky
Commie criminals deserve to die. It is too bad this FARC criminal did not die in a mass suicide ala Jim Jones.
Notice only Hugo mourns the nutty Col.
Beak-
Not just Hugo, Farakahn also.
FJ-
They should start with their economies
That's alien language to Ducky, but its right on. If anybody wants to see the future of the US all they have to do is look to Greece, and to what seems to be ready to happen next to Italy.
Then all you have to do is understand its not due to too little government control, but way too much.
But of course, we all know that.
Actually, it's not that there's too much government. There's too much government use of "law" to solve non-legal problems.
Saying "Nyet" helps very little when the "government" is making promises to "get things done". Saying "Nyet" to people and corporations doesn't clean up rivers, the air, or SuperFund nuclear/toxic waste dumps. Saying "Nyet" doesn't employ anyone except other "Nyet" sayers.
It's the one thing that
Hugo Chavez actually did right. When the mudslides came, he used the army to actually HELP people. He didn't sit on his *ss and simply say, "Nyet" like MOST regulators seem to tend to think is their charter to do.
And since the West was founded upon the principles of "negative" liberties, getting used to a government that employ's positive liberty w/o pre-defining the ultimate process or ends to be served is NEVER going to happen.
After all, Barack Obama has definitively screwed the hopey-changey "trust me" (I'm from the government and I'm here to help you) pooch for DECADES to come.
Negative Liberty! Regular Oakshot here.
and as for Tessla and the Farmers dense energy, sounds like a great plan, like Clean Coal. pass the kool-aid!
Kultur; I already hunt and forage and grow but it isn't me I'm worried about.
it is a bit bleak Ducky but the Wizard of OZ. and his Gold Brick Road has had his curtain pulled back. Speedy has to vote for Mitt.
sounds like a great plan, like Clean Coal. pass the kool-aid!
lol! Like every lump of coal on earth isn't already destined for the furnace? That you think it's NOT, pass the Kool-Aid. What's your favorite flavour, Lefty-Lime?
Troutsky
I wouldn't mind voting for Romney or any man not named Ron Paul. They are men of honor who respect our American traditions unlike yourself.
Hugo will be pushing up daisies and foul whatever patch of land his corpse rests in. Why don't you and all his other apologists commit Suttee so you can be with your emperor in the after life.
True social justice would be Hugo meeting his end like the nutty Col.
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