Thank you, Amanda, for your thoughtful, important and ongoing work! One comment: Ken Burns' commencement address was great, and at the same time, the one quote you use is indicative of how hard it is for us to not think in terms of us vs. them. If there is no "them," who is the someone we're running away from? Rather than run away, a better choice might be to engage. Build relationship on the odds it may gain you influence, and maybe teach you something about the human condition we all share.
Bill McKibben, the environmentalist, says something very similar. His answer to the question,"Where should I move to, because of climate change?" isn't places that won't be too hot or cold. Instead it is: To a place where there is a high level of social trust. Because (1) there is no safe place, and (2) without social trust, people can't collaborate to adapt to the terrible climate changes where they live. Or in other words, without social trust you get the Protest Trap, or vice versa.
1. George Packer illustrates the same point as McKibben, I'm not sure how consciously, in his long article about water and climate change in Phoenix, AZ:
Very true that relationships are key. However, when examining Venezuela under Maduro's authoritarian regime, it becomes clear that relationships alone are insufficient. Over the past 15 years, numerous attempts to negotiate have failed, with the government consistently breaking commitments. A recent example is the upcoming July 28, 2024, elections. Despite agreeing with the European community and other countries to allow international observers, the government has now uninvited them, demonstrating a pattern of untrustworthiness and manipulation.
Thank you, Amanda, for your thoughtful, important and ongoing work! One comment: Ken Burns' commencement address was great, and at the same time, the one quote you use is indicative of how hard it is for us to not think in terms of us vs. them. If there is no "them," who is the someone we're running away from? Rather than run away, a better choice might be to engage. Build relationship on the odds it may gain you influence, and maybe teach you something about the human condition we all share.
Excellent point, Kern! So funny how we can create a new "them" while trying to avoid "us-vs-them" thinking...! Thank you for pointing this out!
Woot! I'm excited for the new (old...) book. Hope all is well for you in this hot summer.
Bill McKibben, the environmentalist, says something very similar. His answer to the question,"Where should I move to, because of climate change?" isn't places that won't be too hot or cold. Instead it is: To a place where there is a high level of social trust. Because (1) there is no safe place, and (2) without social trust, people can't collaborate to adapt to the terrible climate changes where they live. Or in other words, without social trust you get the Protest Trap, or vice versa.
https://billmckibben.substack.com/p/where-should-i-live?
I didn't know this, Richard, and it makes so much sense. Thank you for sharing this!
Two more things that might interest you:
1. George Packer illustrates the same point as McKibben, I'm not sure how consciously, in his long article about water and climate change in Phoenix, AZ:
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/07/phoenix-climate-drought-republican-politics/678494/
2. Nature just published a study on what distinguishes successful from unsuccessful protest movements: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-02082-5?utm_source=Live+Audience&utm_campaign=a1e0f911bf-nature-briefing-daily-20240626&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b27a691814-a1e0f911bf-51902044
Adding to the list, this one on is how media coverage skews our perceptions of protests. At the end of the article, it also reinforces Amanda's key points. How we protest matters. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/heres-why-protest-news-doesnt-tell-you-much/
This is an excellent curation! Thank you Richard and Kern! So much good stuff here that I did not know about!
Very true that relationships are key. However, when examining Venezuela under Maduro's authoritarian regime, it becomes clear that relationships alone are insufficient. Over the past 15 years, numerous attempts to negotiate have failed, with the government consistently breaking commitments. A recent example is the upcoming July 28, 2024, elections. Despite agreeing with the European community and other countries to allow international observers, the government has now uninvited them, demonstrating a pattern of untrustworthiness and manipulation.
Nice piece… my fav part was the last paragraph with the links… so very helpful…