Part notes Deck with all hands Jan Goodey, like Cassandra, wrestles with the struggle of all who look to the future, but are destined to be untrustworthy.
So, what do we do? As anarchists, as people who care about living things? The landscape of struggle can look sparse. The call to action is a reprieve from being part of a slow march off the cliff.
read: Jan Goody’s article Ecologist
Goody shares his experience of listening to calls for action from isolating the UK, but remains critical of many aspects of the organization that he does not coexist well with the anarchism he cuts.
Injustice
The first part is the plea of ​​pragmatism. It’s about working together to cross the differences and forming an alliance. He brings in inherent contractions to any activity, with the recognition that these are not necessarily in harmony.
The central section serves as a guide to becoming an environmental activist. How to survive in prison, what to expect, DOS and DOS. It is here that Goody brings his personal experience and the book becomes an irreplaceable resource.
The various prison details are given, revealing the lottery within the system itself. You will be given valuable survival tips and positive things. Mutual assistance amongst the oppressed.
After the prison guide, there is a candid warning about the very real issues that arise when you are a former conviction. There are also solid practical advice given.
Goody uses his experience to introduce the disease prison system that perpetuates, not only as a crucible where social injustice is expanded, but also as a way that broader injustice in society is allowed to continue – he played his part in stopping the cause of climate collapse.
change
Not only does prisons oppress people inside, they also discourage people outside from trying to improve society, and in doing so they maintain both harm.
Goody’s debate about cooperation in the face of environmental collapse continues in the final section with concrete examples of unlikely allies. If vegans can find common interest in farmers, could the left be able to work with another left?
By collaborating with the agricultural issues caused by the collapse of the climate system, vegans help farmers use mutual aid to create loyalty that is not dependent on the network of ordinary activist-types.
This is demonstrated through a campaign that attracts local support through shared struggles. These connections are essential to achieving social change.
Pitfalls
For me, the weakness of the text is not in trying to participate in praxis, but in casting actions and theories in contrast, and in a way that does not critically explore the concept of “accountability” so that it gives superiority to state mechanisms.
The given example is a large catalyst, so there was room for further debate about the liberal roots of XR, but their more liberal tendencies can be found in their demands and analysis. Certainly, these more academic discussions may be outside the scope of this text.
It is a thoughtful and reflective work with invaluable, direct insight into the lives and challenges of environmental protesters.
Goody sets his arguments about actions, showing recognition of the pitfalls of the type of activism he is allied with. But more than that, it’s an honest involvement with the very realistic costs of putting yourself at the forefront and the cost of not doing it.
This author
Sylvia Mann is a former activist editor FreedomBased in London Anarchist Published by the website and two journals Freedom Press.
Jan Goodey is a regular contributor Ecologist. All Hand Deck: Climate Activities and Future Paths It will be available in all social centres and independent bookstores from late May.
