Dying in the Anthropocene | 54 comments (54 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Bertrand's Film (none / 0)

"...try to do little positive things for the people around me" doesn't necessarily imply doing anything to positively impact the future. In fact, spreading awareness of the future consequences of present actions can often be viewed as being negative by those who would rather remain in the present and just 'be happy'. But it could, and I assume that is what you intended. I also am aware of the need to strike a balance, which requires judgement.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."

by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Wed Nov 13th, 2013 at 10:53:50 PM EST
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Re: Bertrand's Film (none / 1)

Part of what I meant by "not different" is that both our statements on their face are simple platitudes.

I've never seen a take on "you need to positively impact the future" that doesn't appeal to narratives that have to be swept away if we're going to survive more than X hundred years into the future. Of course it's hard because in order to "win" you have to beat those with power at their own game, and that means playing power politics, and humanity can no longer survive power politics. Thus to get from A to B there are going to be some dice rolls involved that humanity is not going to be a part of, or more specifically, that will be made with no human agency.

But we can send ideas forward that may or may not slip through the outcome of the dice rolls. What I've got on a personal level (or working on, anyway): empathy, the power of touch, relating to others cooperatively rather than competitively. On an intellectual level I am trying to scratch the surface on how to synthesize the best of pre- and post-agricultural societies. We need the spiritual, intuitive, and ecological skills of the former, and the knowledge of the latter.

you are the media you consume.

by MillMan (millguy at gmail) on Wed Nov 13th, 2013 at 11:51:44 PM EST
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Re: Bertrand's Film (none / 0)

MillMan:

What I've got on a personal level (or working on, anyway): empathy, the power of touch, relating to others cooperatively rather than competitively. On an intellectual level I am trying to scratch the surface on how to synthesize the best of pre- and post-agricultural societies. We need the spiritual, intuitive, and ecological skills of the former, and the knowledge of the latter.

this...^^^^^^!

'The history of public debt is full of irony. It rarely follows our ideas of order and justice.' Thomas Piketty

by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Thu Nov 14th, 2013 at 01:37:33 AM EST
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Re: Bertrand's Film (none / 0)

So high-tech stonings?

by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Thu Nov 14th, 2013 at 02:40:34 AM EST
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Re: Bertrand's Film (none / 0)

hopefully not! though cyber-bullying does come to mind...

i was thinking more along the lines of digitally literate peasants, small-holders, cottage industries etc etc.

hoi polloi online, no more divide.

'The history of public debt is full of irony. It rarely follows our ideas of order and justice.' Thomas Piketty

by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Thu Nov 14th, 2013 at 06:42:24 AM EST
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Dying in the Anthropocene | 54 comments (54 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)