I had a look at the Slow Factory web pages and it had really good vibe. Made me think we could do a slow factory for the global north. As the benefactors of our colonial past some may think we have it all and more and that that 'more' should be repaid. I don't disagree but repaying won't in itself change us or our supremacist outlook.
Speaking as a Brit, I feel strongly that in 'conquering' the world and gathering to ourselves the riches of others we have lost the sense of who we really are. This has been overlaid by a narrative of power and supremacy and expectation of a better standard of living than elsewhere in the world. As that narrative becomes increasingly shot through with holes from the fast paced artillery of global change there is an inability in many to find the language for a different narrative.
The section of this interview about language was, I think, the most powerful part and highlighted for me how accustomed we are in Britain (and the US) to hearing and reading everything in English and somehow feeling that because people in other countries have learned to speak English too that everything there is to know must be in English. As Celine highlighted, there is much wisdom and knowledge embodied in other languages that we will never hear.
This sense that our small island nation bestrides the world has robbed us of the language to describe ourselves as we are, to value the benefits of community and cooperation, to value people for who they are rather than who we need them to be and to value what is around us. This soulless economic system that counts only what it can extract still provides the everyday language of our lives. Language is by no means perfect in its ability to convey all the subtleties of what we want to communicate but put together in story and metaphor it has a powerful capacity to change our perceptions and slow factory of sorts might unite the small pockets of community that already exist and build a more united movement.
Let's not forget that even the small island nation of the UK has systematocally destroyed anti-imperial language within its own borders and other languages within the UK still face the risk of extinction.
Indeed. In a sense, that is what I was getting at. That the domination and extraction practiced by our former and current governments was applied to our populations as much as ones abroad. We nonetheless cheer this aggression to the rafters, apparently insensible to the fact that the same governments have corralled us into employment pens, left the weakest to fend for themselves and duped us with false hopes of improvement and the fake puffed up pride in our exploits. An everyday story of political folk....
Watched on YouTube. Great guest and discussion. Thanks for continuing to bring us both. I especially enjoyed the conversation around change — both personal and in community, and Celine’s introduction of the concept of unlearning the frameworks we are born into that shape how we see and live — personal behavior, in the world.
Really loved this conversation. Everybody has the right to know! So many important aspects of unfolding and accelerating collapse were put forward and I really felt Rachel nailed it about 35mins in. Fear of change is understandable and all living things since cell-division 5.2 bya aspire to energetic surplus in order to maintain and reproduce - and we people are but a late twig on this Tree of Life. Although unfolding climate/ecological collapse seem entirely assured to accelerate, decentralised community responses are essential to reclaiming our power as the edifices of the status-quo, capital, and colonisation, crumble and fall. Some measure of socio-ecological justice can still be had as it all comes tumbling down.
I understand the value of unlearning especially in the context of adaptations to trauma (collective and personal)—and I always appreciate the way you (Rachel) wonder aloud about the impact and efficacy of a particular word or concept. And as a monolingual English speaker, I feel such deep regret that language acquisition is such a struggle for me I got a waiver from the theological language requirement in divinity school. I am embarrassed that I don’t speak other languages though I am trying hard to learn languages other than human—the language of trees and wind. Now that scientists know whales have dialects, perhaps more humans will gain humility that our languages are not the only ones. Linguistic supremacy relates to other forms. Thanks for another enlightening conversation.
I had a look at the Slow Factory web pages and it had really good vibe. Made me think we could do a slow factory for the global north. As the benefactors of our colonial past some may think we have it all and more and that that 'more' should be repaid. I don't disagree but repaying won't in itself change us or our supremacist outlook.
Speaking as a Brit, I feel strongly that in 'conquering' the world and gathering to ourselves the riches of others we have lost the sense of who we really are. This has been overlaid by a narrative of power and supremacy and expectation of a better standard of living than elsewhere in the world. As that narrative becomes increasingly shot through with holes from the fast paced artillery of global change there is an inability in many to find the language for a different narrative.
The section of this interview about language was, I think, the most powerful part and highlighted for me how accustomed we are in Britain (and the US) to hearing and reading everything in English and somehow feeling that because people in other countries have learned to speak English too that everything there is to know must be in English. As Celine highlighted, there is much wisdom and knowledge embodied in other languages that we will never hear.
This sense that our small island nation bestrides the world has robbed us of the language to describe ourselves as we are, to value the benefits of community and cooperation, to value people for who they are rather than who we need them to be and to value what is around us. This soulless economic system that counts only what it can extract still provides the everyday language of our lives. Language is by no means perfect in its ability to convey all the subtleties of what we want to communicate but put together in story and metaphor it has a powerful capacity to change our perceptions and slow factory of sorts might unite the small pockets of community that already exist and build a more united movement.
Let's not forget that even the small island nation of the UK has systematocally destroyed anti-imperial language within its own borders and other languages within the UK still face the risk of extinction.
Indeed. In a sense, that is what I was getting at. That the domination and extraction practiced by our former and current governments was applied to our populations as much as ones abroad. We nonetheless cheer this aggression to the rafters, apparently insensible to the fact that the same governments have corralled us into employment pens, left the weakest to fend for themselves and duped us with false hopes of improvement and the fake puffed up pride in our exploits. An everyday story of political folk....
Watched on YouTube. Great guest and discussion. Thanks for continuing to bring us both. I especially enjoyed the conversation around change — both personal and in community, and Celine’s introduction of the concept of unlearning the frameworks we are born into that shape how we see and live — personal behavior, in the world.
Really loved this conversation. Everybody has the right to know! So many important aspects of unfolding and accelerating collapse were put forward and I really felt Rachel nailed it about 35mins in. Fear of change is understandable and all living things since cell-division 5.2 bya aspire to energetic surplus in order to maintain and reproduce - and we people are but a late twig on this Tree of Life. Although unfolding climate/ecological collapse seem entirely assured to accelerate, decentralised community responses are essential to reclaiming our power as the edifices of the status-quo, capital, and colonisation, crumble and fall. Some measure of socio-ecological justice can still be had as it all comes tumbling down.
I understand the value of unlearning especially in the context of adaptations to trauma (collective and personal)—and I always appreciate the way you (Rachel) wonder aloud about the impact and efficacy of a particular word or concept. And as a monolingual English speaker, I feel such deep regret that language acquisition is such a struggle for me I got a waiver from the theological language requirement in divinity school. I am embarrassed that I don’t speak other languages though I am trying hard to learn languages other than human—the language of trees and wind. Now that scientists know whales have dialects, perhaps more humans will gain humility that our languages are not the only ones. Linguistic supremacy relates to other forms. Thanks for another enlightening conversation.
French folk might use the term 'déconstruire', which Celine brings up in conclusion.
This acknowledges that understanding is construct. Bad habbits and misunderstanding may be taken appart to open space.
Change is life. The narrative that “change is terrifying” implies that not changing is somehow possible.
It’s not.
I just want to share an excellent conversation I read (and you can listen if you prefer) that feels so connected to Planet Critical conversations in general. https://emergencemagazine.org/conversation/ethics-of-listening-to-whales/?utm_source=Emergence+Magazine&utm_campaign=2328b738b1-Newsletter_20250601&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-0be9b497cf-357240756
Another lefty talking all wet and cashing in on the climate panic and encouraging the self deprecation of the internal enemies of the west.