Ecosocialism?

[blindpig]

Ecosocialism is socialism + Deep Ecology. Rather than muddle things by trying to explain this myself I'd like to direct you to the Ecosocialist Manifesto:

http://www.cnsjournal.org/manifesto.html

It is, to the best of my knowledge, the best hope for humanity and the biosphere.

:hide:

[GDAEx2]

1. Didn't get much of an explanation there either.

I will say that unfettered capitalism has gotten us to this point.
Are we going to voluntarily ramp down the materialism, the energy and natural resource consumption, or will it be forced on us, as we head over the cliff?

[blindpig]

3. It must be voluntary.

Consumption and population must be brought into line with carrying capacity and this must be the will of the people. Anything else is just more authoritarianism.

[GDAEx2]

4. it's not authoritarianism when...

civilization plunges into anarchy because this thread of fossil fuel powered technology suddenly snaps and millions of people don't have enough to eat.
That's takin' the plunge, friend, and it's right around the corner.

[BeFree]

5. The true costs

...are not being paid, so it is a capital based problem. Capitalism needs authoritarian measures, on ocassion, like this one.

The word economical is congruent with ecology. The way we use the environment is not economical, nor does it make much ecological sense.

The hammer needs to come down. I've hammered my uses, so can everyone else. It makes economical sense for me, it would make economical sense for everyone else.

[dcfirefighter]

6. What is the carrying capacity?

And how did you determine it? How would you enforce it - using authoritarianism?

[eliphaiku]

7. You can't leave it to "free" choice

When most people suffer false consciousness, and can't begin to understand their own economic and social interests. People can complain about authoritarianism all they like, but what vehicle other than the state has the power to stop economic abuse?

[blindpig]

8. Clarification.

The voluntary reference was meant for the population aspect of the problem. I do not expect capitalist to go quietly into the night. They shall have to be dragged.

Chalk that up to being paranoid about accusations of misanthropy and "malthusianism".

[nashville_brook]

2. the "red/green coalition" had big-post apartied cache in the 80s

everyone was riding high on the success of the divestment campaigns and around 88, i think, the 'student movement' factionalized into green, red-green, and queer issues -- just to name a few.

i'll read this... thanks for the link!