Comments on: Environmental activists may soon benefit from “paradox of repression” http://wagingnonviolence.org/2010/03/environmental-activists-may-soon-benefit-from-paradox-of-repression/ People-Powered News and Analysis Wed, 23 May 2012 20:02:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Nick http://wagingnonviolence.org/2010/03/environmental-activists-may-soon-benefit-from-paradox-of-repression/comment-page-1/#comment-2764 Nick Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:48:21 +0000 http://wagingnonviolence.org/?p=3904#comment-2764 It's an interesting theory Bryan. As a Brit myself, I'm disgusted that the future of the Tory party are being trained to think like this and it maybe proves there are still minor reasons for voting New Labour instead of Conservative in the upcoming election. But as regards the original question, I'm sure that it would create a bit more sympathy amongst the public with environmentalists. However, I don't think it's possible to compare current times with what happened during the civil rights movement in the 1960's. Although environmental awareness is much greater nowadays, our comfortable modern lives means that people would have to actually rebel against themselves to support many environmental causes. For example, if environmentalist were trying to block a new motorway being built through the countryside in the UK, if it was going to alleviate traffic congestion in the UK and help people get around quicker, I find it hard to believe the majority of the public would be too outraged if they saw environmentalists being water cannoned off the site. George Monbiot concludes in his book "Heat" that this challenge for people to "rebel against themselves" is one of the major challenges facing the environmental movement and I think he's definitely on to something. PS On a technical note, did you know that you can install a plugin for Wordpress that allows people to receive e-mail notifications when a new comment is posted? :) http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/subscribe-to-comments/ It’s an interesting theory Bryan. As a Brit myself, I’m disgusted that the future of the Tory party are being trained to think like this and it maybe proves there are still minor reasons for voting New Labour instead of Conservative in the upcoming election.

But as regards the original question, I’m sure that it would create a bit more sympathy amongst the public with environmentalists. However, I don’t think it’s possible to compare current times with what happened during the civil rights movement in the 1960′s.

Although environmental awareness is much greater nowadays, our comfortable modern lives means that people would have to actually rebel against themselves to support many environmental causes. For example, if environmentalist were trying to block a new motorway being built through the countryside in the UK, if it was going to alleviate traffic congestion in the UK and help people get around quicker, I find it hard to believe the majority of the public would be too outraged if they saw environmentalists being water cannoned off the site.

George Monbiot concludes in his book “Heat” that this challenge for people to “rebel against themselves” is one of the major challenges facing the environmental movement and I think he’s definitely on to something.

PS On a technical note, did you know that you can install a plugin for WordPress that allows people to receive e-mail notifications when a new comment is posted? :)

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/subscribe-to-comments/

]]> By: Anthony kelly http://wagingnonviolence.org/2010/03/environmental-activists-may-soon-benefit-from-paradox-of-repression/comment-page-1/#comment-2704 Anthony kelly Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:42:03 +0000 http://wagingnonviolence.org/?p=3904#comment-2704 Hi Bryan, this is very related to what Brian Martin here in Australia has called Backfire. See http://www.bmartin.cc/pubs/backfire.html In the backfire model he outlines the most pertinant dynamics of what you describe as the paradox of repression. Hope you find it usefull. Hi Bryan,
this is very related to what Brian Martin here in Australia has called Backfire.
See
http://www.bmartin.cc/pubs/backfire.html

In the backfire model he outlines the most pertinant dynamics of what you describe as the paradox of repression.
Hope you find it usefull.

]]> By: Bryan Farrell http://wagingnonviolence.org/2010/03/environmental-activists-may-soon-benefit-from-paradox-of-repression/comment-page-1/#comment-2685 Bryan Farrell Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:57:49 +0000 http://wagingnonviolence.org/?p=3904#comment-2685 Hi Simon. Thanks for your comment. Here's another question: Do you think environmental protesters carry too much of a negative stigma for ordinary folks to find them relatable? The black people that were blasted by police water cannons during the civil rights movement were just ordinary citizens in most cases, not committed activists. They dressed like ordinary people and did rather ordinary things, like simply marching. But the traditional environmental activist is anything but ordinary. They sit in trees, scale buildings or national monuments, and use provocative, if not confrontational language. Will this work against them when or if they are subjected to brutal policing? How can environmentalists bridge the gap to the ordinary citizen so as to earn their empathy? Hi Simon. Thanks for your comment. Here’s another question: Do you think environmental protesters carry too much of a negative stigma for ordinary folks to find them relatable? The black people that were blasted by police water cannons during the civil rights movement were just ordinary citizens in most cases, not committed activists. They dressed like ordinary people and did rather ordinary things, like simply marching. But the traditional environmental activist is anything but ordinary. They sit in trees, scale buildings or national monuments, and use provocative, if not confrontational language. Will this work against them when or if they are subjected to brutal policing? How can environmentalists bridge the gap to the ordinary citizen so as to earn their empathy?

]]> By: Simon Moyle http://wagingnonviolence.org/2010/03/environmental-activists-may-soon-benefit-from-paradox-of-repression/comment-page-1/#comment-2681 Simon Moyle Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:31:09 +0000 http://wagingnonviolence.org/?p=3904#comment-2681 I don't think we're quite there yet (though I'd like to think we are!). Maybe in a couple of years the mainstream would have that reaction. It would at least take some serious persistence for that reaction to manifest itself, which will mean accepting some serious suffering by many many people. I don’t think we’re quite there yet (though I’d like to think we are!). Maybe in a couple of years the mainstream would have that reaction. It would at least take some serious persistence for that reaction to manifest itself, which will mean accepting some serious suffering by many many people.

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