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Is eco-terrorism now self-defence? Inside explosive film How to Blow Up a Pipeline
(www.theguardian.com)
this post was submitted on 27 Apr 2023
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While the word "terrorism" has been problematically applied historically, at no point does this article or the film, which I highly recommend, say otherwise. It merely grapples with what citizens need to do now to defend against the climate crisis against the climate crisis forced upon us by multinational corporations.
While I appreciate the sentiment, these kinds of actions aren't going to achieve the desired effects in practice. Creating movements that attack the energy infrastructure will result in countries repressing freedoms, using mass surveillance, and curtailing personal freedoms. It's also highly unlikely that the general public will support such actions because most people don't understand that there is a problem in the first place.
The only real path forward is to change the economic system away from growth economy that capitalism necessitates. This requires educating people and building a strong movement that overthrows the current capitalist system.
I don't disagree and appreciate your perspective with that but I still think the point is being lost here. With all due respect, it's a fictional movie although one that is inherently provocative. At no point does it say this is the solution, it dramatizes the the way in which people are marginalized and lead to take desperate measures. This is done in fiction to create discussions like this without trying to give an ultimate answer. The movie certainly could've gone more expansive into the ramifications of these issues but it's telling a story and trying to get people to watch and be entertained while raising these issues. I personally think it's a pretty big deal that this movie was even made and is in wide release as it grapples with these moral and philosophical dilemmas and is getting people talking like we're doing here. I'm merely sharing the article because I found it to be a powerful film that people should see so there might be more like this. The solutions would be hard to unpack in the time it takes for a suspense film to unfold, let alone here and I generally think it's foolish to proclaim the one solution to a problem, especially as complex and systemic as the climate crisis. It seems like the movie and its title are being taken too literally here. Have you seen it?
Yeah, I agree with the idea of using fiction to get people to consider these kinds of scenarios. I haven't seen the movie, but The Ministry for the Future is a book that tackles the same questions that I highly recommend. What I liked about it is that it takes a systemic view of the problem and does provide plausible solutions. It shows how we can get towards a better world and I found it very inspirational.
Thanks for the recommendation. I'll check it out. The two sound like very different stories in that one is science fiction , one is present day and of course film vs novel but it sounds like they both contribute to the very important ongoing discussion. I do highly recommend the film and feel it even addresses some of the issues you've brought up and is inspirational in its own right.