"We have voted to increase suffering, both human and more-than-human, across this planet."
Jason, thank you making a sentence out of so much nonsense. You have saved me time that I would have frittered away trying to find logic where there is none. Now, still reeling from Hurricane Helene, I have to come to terms with the enormous number or obstacles, and the level of suffering.
I sort through the Rights of Nature movement that you, Kollibri, and I discussed last week. I don't know if I have what it takes to fight that fight. I continue to think through Trish O'Kane's approach in Birding To Change the World ~ the story of moving forward in community, acting as if the Right has been legally established. It's weird to even consider that we need legal backing for nature, yet obviously we do.
For now, I'm reading Discovering the Unknown Landscapes: A History of America's Wetlands by Ann Vileisis, Island Press, 1997 (recommended by Trish O'Kane).
Jason, thank you for your work. in kinship, Katharine
Thank you, Katharine. You're one of the millions here in this country who have already faced up to the increased suffering. I only wish that they had seen what this election means for all that. Until then, we'll keep working to find our place in this disruption. Thanks for all you're doing.
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way--in short, the period was so far like the present period that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only." -C Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
A new golden age is coming- brought to us by our sciences and greater understanding but its birth will be made difficult by the forces of greed and ignorance. Many will die, a great many I fear. Those in this election past who voted for suffering may have thought they were voting for less suffering, more affordable lives, greater freedoms of the narrow types they craved. But they didn't think deeply. They seldom do.
Thanks so much for the wisdom of Dickens, Michael. It certainly feels like we're heading for an Anthropocene bottleneck of some kind. Let's hope for and work toward one that serves all of life as best it can.
The quote is just to remind us that's there nothing new in finding ourselves in predicaments, either the French revolution Dickens wrote about or the Trumpian revolution we are currently struggling with. Of the two convulsions, the latter is by far the worse for the reasons you enumerate. My own wisdom is derived from having run many marathons and ultras myself until age and injuries brought me to a halt at age 58:. When all the endorphins have faded and you've burnt up all your easily metabolizable energy, and the pain lights on your dashboard are all changing from green to amber and red, and even your thinking can get confused... you simply keep on going, one foot before the other, the distant finish line ever in your mind.
You will achieve your goal, even if, as in the case of ultramarathons, it is in the blackness of night.
You've lived a few lives, Michael, and run a few races. We "simply keep on going," indeed. I think of the many miles I've walked through mtns here, NZ, and elsewhere. Staying in motion can clarify the world as much as being still does, with the right mindset.
Marathon Man, right now, all I can think of is the 1974 movie starring Dustin Hoffman. Not the context of the entire movie, just the one line, I’m sure you remember ; “ Is it safe?” ( no it is not safe) and the famous torture scene begins.
A few days ago, my husband and I were listening to an NPR story on Project 25, and the breaking apart of NOAA, to privatize weather forecasting. That was broadcasted on the morning of Election Day, at that time we were thinking Harris would win. It was shocking just listening to the possibility, who would do such a thing. Of course we know the answer and the why. The very best screen writers of our time could not come up with such a script for a fictional motion picture. Maybe Suzanne Collins who wrote the books ,The Hunger Games. Thinking of all the states and communities across the country who rely on warnings for impending disasters ; hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, fires , droughts, the list is endless .
So many who cannot afford a , dare I say , subscription for forecasting?! Hmm let me guess , a perfect market for Elon Musk.
“At mile 17, he gave me a quick hug and said, with a grin, “This fucking sucks!” before rushing off to rejoin the river of humanity.” I love this, Jason. Also , his statement pretty much sums it all up. I will be spending even more time in the mountains, to be one with the wildlife.
Thanks, Lor. Really glad you let me know about the comments problem. And thanks for all this perspective. The inventory of all that will go wrong and be wrong in the years to come is truly overwhelming. The privatization of forecasting is a good symbolic one, though.
Hey Jason! Thank you so much for this post. I especially enjoyed your line "any Buddhist, feedlot cow, debeaked chicken . . ." A great, if morbid, list of beings to turn to for inspiration during this equally morbid time. I'm living in Asheville these days, and I'm shocked by some of the climate complacency I continue to see even after we are all trying to cope with the devastating damage of Helene. It makes me feel hopeful to read your work and feel like part of a community of activists. In my own writing, I'm also trying to reckon with the work that lies ahead, both in response to the hurricane and the election. I'm trying to proverbially "train," building up the endurance for empathy and activism that my community needs. I attached my most recent post below, in hopes that I can offer some of the clarity and courage that your work has so generously given me. Thank you! https://riahnewfont.substack.com/p/oil-and-water
Thank you, Riah. It's normal now to feel like we're all at sea far from shore. Some days we have a boat, some days not so much. The hardest part is seeing (through our own limited windows) what choices others are making, and what decisions we feel forced to make even if all the options diminish us and the community in some way. Anyway, thanks for all you're doing. And thank you for linking us to your excellent essay on the tangled knot of suffering and empathy and action illustrated by your experience in Asheville since Helene. I hope others are discovering your writing too.
So we should be happy that over the past two hundred years, less infants die, more people read, fewer are in dire poverty, more live in a democracy. And now we get vaccinated. No more black plagues. More suffering coming up for many in the US. And for those around the world we do or should support.
And I’m not being cynical, I am glad that this global data and outlook is included in this essay. We need it now more than ever.
Hey everyone, my apologies for forgetting to allow all subscribers to comment. Every time I post I have to click on that option and for the first time in three and a half years I forgot. It's fixed now.
"We have voted to increase suffering, both human and more-than-human, across this planet."
Jason, thank you making a sentence out of so much nonsense. You have saved me time that I would have frittered away trying to find logic where there is none. Now, still reeling from Hurricane Helene, I have to come to terms with the enormous number or obstacles, and the level of suffering.
I sort through the Rights of Nature movement that you, Kollibri, and I discussed last week. I don't know if I have what it takes to fight that fight. I continue to think through Trish O'Kane's approach in Birding To Change the World ~ the story of moving forward in community, acting as if the Right has been legally established. It's weird to even consider that we need legal backing for nature, yet obviously we do.
For now, I'm reading Discovering the Unknown Landscapes: A History of America's Wetlands by Ann Vileisis, Island Press, 1997 (recommended by Trish O'Kane).
Jason, thank you for your work. in kinship, Katharine
Thank you, Katharine. You're one of the millions here in this country who have already faced up to the increased suffering. I only wish that they had seen what this election means for all that. Until then, we'll keep working to find our place in this disruption. Thanks for all you're doing.
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way--in short, the period was so far like the present period that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only." -C Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
A new golden age is coming- brought to us by our sciences and greater understanding but its birth will be made difficult by the forces of greed and ignorance. Many will die, a great many I fear. Those in this election past who voted for suffering may have thought they were voting for less suffering, more affordable lives, greater freedoms of the narrow types they craved. But they didn't think deeply. They seldom do.
Thanks so much for the wisdom of Dickens, Michael. It certainly feels like we're heading for an Anthropocene bottleneck of some kind. Let's hope for and work toward one that serves all of life as best it can.
The quote is just to remind us that's there nothing new in finding ourselves in predicaments, either the French revolution Dickens wrote about or the Trumpian revolution we are currently struggling with. Of the two convulsions, the latter is by far the worse for the reasons you enumerate. My own wisdom is derived from having run many marathons and ultras myself until age and injuries brought me to a halt at age 58:. When all the endorphins have faded and you've burnt up all your easily metabolizable energy, and the pain lights on your dashboard are all changing from green to amber and red, and even your thinking can get confused... you simply keep on going, one foot before the other, the distant finish line ever in your mind.
You will achieve your goal, even if, as in the case of ultramarathons, it is in the blackness of night.
You've lived a few lives, Michael, and run a few races. We "simply keep on going," indeed. I think of the many miles I've walked through mtns here, NZ, and elsewhere. Staying in motion can clarify the world as much as being still does, with the right mindset.
( Great, it worked!)
Marathon Man, right now, all I can think of is the 1974 movie starring Dustin Hoffman. Not the context of the entire movie, just the one line, I’m sure you remember ; “ Is it safe?” ( no it is not safe) and the famous torture scene begins.
A few days ago, my husband and I were listening to an NPR story on Project 25, and the breaking apart of NOAA, to privatize weather forecasting. That was broadcasted on the morning of Election Day, at that time we were thinking Harris would win. It was shocking just listening to the possibility, who would do such a thing. Of course we know the answer and the why. The very best screen writers of our time could not come up with such a script for a fictional motion picture. Maybe Suzanne Collins who wrote the books ,The Hunger Games. Thinking of all the states and communities across the country who rely on warnings for impending disasters ; hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, fires , droughts, the list is endless .
So many who cannot afford a , dare I say , subscription for forecasting?! Hmm let me guess , a perfect market for Elon Musk.
“At mile 17, he gave me a quick hug and said, with a grin, “This fucking sucks!” before rushing off to rejoin the river of humanity.” I love this, Jason. Also , his statement pretty much sums it all up. I will be spending even more time in the mountains, to be one with the wildlife.
The NPR broadcast, (sorry for the adds)
https://www.npr.org/2024/11/05/1211597796/1a-noaa-11-05-2024
Jimmy Kimmel , in case you have not seen the rest of his monologue that evening.
https://www.aol.com/jimmy-kimmel-tears-during-monologue-045954205.html
Thank you as always. I am very glad the comments are back on.
Thanks, Lor. Really glad you let me know about the comments problem. And thanks for all this perspective. The inventory of all that will go wrong and be wrong in the years to come is truly overwhelming. The privatization of forecasting is a good symbolic one, though.
Hey Jason! Thank you so much for this post. I especially enjoyed your line "any Buddhist, feedlot cow, debeaked chicken . . ." A great, if morbid, list of beings to turn to for inspiration during this equally morbid time. I'm living in Asheville these days, and I'm shocked by some of the climate complacency I continue to see even after we are all trying to cope with the devastating damage of Helene. It makes me feel hopeful to read your work and feel like part of a community of activists. In my own writing, I'm also trying to reckon with the work that lies ahead, both in response to the hurricane and the election. I'm trying to proverbially "train," building up the endurance for empathy and activism that my community needs. I attached my most recent post below, in hopes that I can offer some of the clarity and courage that your work has so generously given me. Thank you! https://riahnewfont.substack.com/p/oil-and-water
Thank you, Riah. It's normal now to feel like we're all at sea far from shore. Some days we have a boat, some days not so much. The hardest part is seeing (through our own limited windows) what choices others are making, and what decisions we feel forced to make even if all the options diminish us and the community in some way. Anyway, thanks for all you're doing. And thank you for linking us to your excellent essay on the tangled knot of suffering and empathy and action illustrated by your experience in Asheville since Helene. I hope others are discovering your writing too.
I’m new to your neighborhood, but won’t be a stranger going forward. If ever a read could be motivational, your post hit the mark! GRATEFUL!
Thank you, Gary. Welcome aboard...
So we should be happy that over the past two hundred years, less infants die, more people read, fewer are in dire poverty, more live in a democracy. And now we get vaccinated. No more black plagues. More suffering coming up for many in the US. And for those around the world we do or should support.
And I’m not being cynical, I am glad that this global data and outlook is included in this essay. We need it now more than ever.
Happy to read hopeful comments wherever I can find them
Hey everyone, my apologies for forgetting to allow all subscribers to comment. Every time I post I have to click on that option and for the first time in three and a half years I forgot. It's fixed now.