this post was submitted on 29 Feb 2024
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Anarchism and Social Ecology

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Anarchism

Anarchism is a social and political theory and practice that works for a free society without domination and hierarchy.

Social Ecology

Social Ecology, developed from green anarchism, is the idea that our ecological problems have their ultimate roots in our social problems. This is because the domination of nature and our ecology by humanity has its ultimate roots in the domination humanity by humans. Therefore, the solutions to our ecological problems are found by addressing our social and ecological problems simultaneously.

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Poetry and imagination must be integrated with science and technology, for we have evolved beyond an innocence that can be nourished exclusively by myths and dreams.

~ Murray Bookchin, The Ecology of Freedom

People want to treat ‘we’ll figure it out by working to get there’ as some sort of rhetorical evasion instead of being a fundamental expression of trust in the power of conscious collective effort.

~Anonymous, but quoted by Mariame Kaba, We Do This 'Til We Free Us

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Social ecology advances a message that calls not only for a society free of hierarchy and hierarchical sensibilities, but for an ethics that places humanity in the natural world as an agent for rendering evolution social and natural fully self-conscious.

~ Murray Bookchin

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On February 25, Aaron Bushnell set himself on fire at the gate of the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC as an act of protest against the ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. Hostile critics have attempted to shrug off Aaron’s action as the consequence of mental illness. On the contrary, Aaron’s choice was a political action arising from his deeply held anarchist convictions. In the following collection, we share Aaron’s own summary of his politics, followed by testimony from three of Aaron’s close friends.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Thank you for sharing this. Not completely finished it yet, but what a counter point to some of mainstream coverage

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 months ago (2 children)

I'm glad you enjoyed it! It definitely is. You may also appreciate Democracy Now's coverage yesterday where they interviewed his friend from the military https://youtu.be/6f8MYAF1L9M?si=vmyZ25IK8fIg9-22

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Thanks! Will watch it

Edit to say I watched it. His friend was incredibly well spoken. And brave in his own right, frankly.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 months ago (1 children)

The more I read and hear about this man, the more I see a reflection of myself. While our lives went in different directions, the descriptions of his upbringing and of how his beliefs changed over time mirror my own so closely that I feel like I've lost a brother I never had the pleasure of meeting. Even his friends' accounts of his mannerisms remind me a lot of myself, and I feel the same guilt at how little I am able to do in the face of so much injustice.

It makes me incredibly sad and angry at the system that drove Aaron Bushnell to such an extreme act. That his life and body burned in order to inspire this feeling in me is devastating, but highlights that burning one's life and body as well as the life and body of others is the routine and cold logic the state uses to maintain its hegemony.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 months ago

He's me on a good day, maybe my best day. One thing is for sure, I never met him but he's our people.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago (1 children)

No, no and no. Of course he was free to do what he wanted, but come on, can we please finally stop glorifying suicide for whatever reason? We cannot afford to lose more kindhearted people.

Sorry if my input offends anyone, but this makes me angry and sad. Anarchy is not supposed to be a cult of martyrs.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago

I understand your sentiment and appreciate it but I disagree with it. I'm not offended but I'm curious if you read all this. In no way is anyone glorifying suicide or encouraging it and his friend from the military states clearly that that's not what this was. I didn't read this is as glorifying or martyring him but honoring the message and who this man was. I'm sad as well but would rather do that without directing anger at those remembering him.