One huge problem is that the media is owned by neoliberals. They don't cover themselves as a source of the problem, they think of themselves as conveyors of information. They don't get at the truth, they simply report the dispute. The result is "both sideism", distorting reality. I think the scariest news item I have seen lately is that ecosystems are no longer capturing more carbon than they emit. Will the media cover this, or will they focus on Trump fake dancing for 39 minutes? Is it just to scary to contemplate facts? So we react by supporting a farce?
Totally! The media has not been a true 4th Estate for quite some time, tho there are certainly still outlets that fill this void. Also, it is not that it is too scary to contemplate, it is that it is not profitable to contemplate, or seen as too risky to profit to pose contemplation to the viewers. Will you still sell ads? Cause you can guarantee ad sales for hate or love watching Trump. The media is not in the news business - they are in the ad sales business.
Here is an interview with Chris Hedges I really appreciate. Hedges has a gift of bringing out the best, and most painful points of truth in his guests.
Thank you for reviewing this book and i appreciate the review format! A written conversation...amazing!
I haven't yet read the book, but plan to. I would suggest the Wendy Brown book from a few years back "In the Ruins of Neoliberalism" if you haven't read it yet. I think this text is important context to understand how deeply APOLITICAL the neoliberal framework is and how far back it goes. The express intent of a global capitalism that just "runs" in the background while the populace is actively encouraged to think first (and only) of their immediate family (Milton Friedman and Thatcher), is covertly nihilistic messaging at best, deeply antisocial in its intent to force cultural disputes to the fore to allow economic power align with political power and be held outside of the reach of the people, and thus overtly apolitical. We no longer truly have a politic - it is all grievance and finger pointing (accept maybe on the true far left, but it is very small).
I have a problem as a materialist when one walks all the way up to the line but cannot acknowledge that this is a framework we choose to accept. History is littered with hinge points where the populace re-politicized...As a person serving in local elected office, it is a great antidote to an apolitical mindset - things must get done, and conflicts must get resolved for everyone's core needs to be met. The school has to open, the roads need to be plowed, the fires need to get put out - and we all agree that we must help each other do these things because "we care about our neighbors", sometimes at the expense of ourselves. From this initial step, it is not impossible to see the rebuilding of a sense of shared community beyond whomever literally lives next door.
I'd like to recommend the podcast 'Origin Story' with Ian Dunt and Dorian Lynskey, in general but particularly the episodes on Neoliberalism and Climate Change Denial.
I admire George Monbiot, can't always go along with everything he says and advocates, but he's infuriatingly right quite often and he always has the courage to a) insist that what people want to hear isn't always good enough and b) change his mind when necessary.
Bravissimo for the format of your book review! Very entertaining yet informative. Something caught my eye while reading "The Invisible Doctrine": the weakness of its counter-proposal (more of an incantation than a well-theorized narrative) and, moreover, its striking similarities with the very neoliberalism it critiques (both claim to be grounded in natural evidence). I elaborate on this point in more detail here:
One huge problem is that the media is owned by neoliberals. They don't cover themselves as a source of the problem, they think of themselves as conveyors of information. They don't get at the truth, they simply report the dispute. The result is "both sideism", distorting reality. I think the scariest news item I have seen lately is that ecosystems are no longer capturing more carbon than they emit. Will the media cover this, or will they focus on Trump fake dancing for 39 minutes? Is it just to scary to contemplate facts? So we react by supporting a farce?
Totally! The media has not been a true 4th Estate for quite some time, tho there are certainly still outlets that fill this void. Also, it is not that it is too scary to contemplate, it is that it is not profitable to contemplate, or seen as too risky to profit to pose contemplation to the viewers. Will you still sell ads? Cause you can guarantee ad sales for hate or love watching Trump. The media is not in the news business - they are in the ad sales business.
Here is an interview with Chris Hedges I really appreciate. Hedges has a gift of bringing out the best, and most painful points of truth in his guests.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=see5c5Sgi14
Thank you for reviewing this book and i appreciate the review format! A written conversation...amazing!
I haven't yet read the book, but plan to. I would suggest the Wendy Brown book from a few years back "In the Ruins of Neoliberalism" if you haven't read it yet. I think this text is important context to understand how deeply APOLITICAL the neoliberal framework is and how far back it goes. The express intent of a global capitalism that just "runs" in the background while the populace is actively encouraged to think first (and only) of their immediate family (Milton Friedman and Thatcher), is covertly nihilistic messaging at best, deeply antisocial in its intent to force cultural disputes to the fore to allow economic power align with political power and be held outside of the reach of the people, and thus overtly apolitical. We no longer truly have a politic - it is all grievance and finger pointing (accept maybe on the true far left, but it is very small).
I have a problem as a materialist when one walks all the way up to the line but cannot acknowledge that this is a framework we choose to accept. History is littered with hinge points where the populace re-politicized...As a person serving in local elected office, it is a great antidote to an apolitical mindset - things must get done, and conflicts must get resolved for everyone's core needs to be met. The school has to open, the roads need to be plowed, the fires need to get put out - and we all agree that we must help each other do these things because "we care about our neighbors", sometimes at the expense of ourselves. From this initial step, it is not impossible to see the rebuilding of a sense of shared community beyond whomever literally lives next door.
I'd like to recommend the podcast 'Origin Story' with Ian Dunt and Dorian Lynskey, in general but particularly the episodes on Neoliberalism and Climate Change Denial.
I admire George Monbiot, can't always go along with everything he says and advocates, but he's infuriatingly right quite often and he always has the courage to a) insist that what people want to hear isn't always good enough and b) change his mind when necessary.
Dear Paul Hormick and Lloyd Alter,
Bravissimo for the format of your book review! Very entertaining yet informative. Something caught my eye while reading "The Invisible Doctrine": the weakness of its counter-proposal (more of an incantation than a well-theorized narrative) and, moreover, its striking similarities with the very neoliberalism it critiques (both claim to be grounded in natural evidence). I elaborate on this point in more detail here:
https://medium.com/the-environment/dear-george-monbiot-what-make-you-certain-that-earth-is-a-living-planet-a91862f48f25