> Of course our choices are constrained. But if you really believe there's an
> ecological crisis - and here James Heartfield can tell us why there isn't
> one -
And I & several others on this list can tell us why there IS one.
> then it's not enough to blame corporations for the problem.
Of course not. Who ever said it was?
> The entire American way of life is ecocidal - suburbs, SUVs,
> Wal-Marts, 5000 sq ft houses in the desert with central air,
> etc.
(1) First there's no ecocide (James Heartfield can explain why), now we're ALL ecocidal.
(2) The entire American way of life is built on the exploitation of labor, too. Are we ALL to blame for that as well? Or are both situations simply more complicated in terms of articulation than they are in terms of root cause?
> People acting alone as individuals can't do much to change
> all that, but you can't just blame "corporate polluters" for
> the problem.
No, of course not, not anymore than you can JUST blame corporations for capitalism. And, while I think you've been quite correct to criticize those such as Korten, *When Corporations Rule The World*, for missing the bigger picture,
(1) The general problem in the real world is that people miss the role of corporate power.
(2) Intelligent mobilizing to counter this power CAN be part of a larger critique of/attack on capitalism per se.
(3) The issue of ecocide opens up another front -- a front on which OUR side is far more popular than THEIR side. This is what you're supposed to capitalize on in fighting a war of position.
In short, I think that folks who routinely dismiss environmental politics really just don't want to win in the long run. They're much happier being big, meta-politically-correct fish in mighty small ponds.
-- Paul Rosenberg Reason and Democracy rad at gte.net
"Let's put the information BACK into the information age!"