Urban Scout: Not an Anarcho-Primitivist!
August 15th, 2009 | Posted by in General BlogCulture Change recently published a cool article about primitive skills:
http://culturechange.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=511&Itemid=1
I have to say, for the record, I don’t think of myself as an anarcho-primtivist. Nor do I practice Rewilding as a “political statement.” Nor do I think that primitive skills offer a sustainable model. I do think they work as *part* of a sustainable model though! Which shows why I go to gatherings like Echoes in Time and other skill-shares. I believe that the sustainable model of hunter-gatherers lies in their land management routines and social (non-hierarchical) family structured organization. The first empires and civilizations used primitive tools. So the tools of hunter-gatherers don’t point to sustainability, but the lack of creating empire and civilizations (which inherently destroy the planet) do. You can have primitive tools without sustainability, you can’t have sustainability without primitive tools.
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What a great read Urban! Great links too! Thank you!
“Echo in Time” photos look like everyone is having a lot of fun.
Might that be you weaving a pouch with strips of cedar bark?
Just curious, why the aversion to being labeled an Anarcho-Primitivist? I’m not trying to be a smart ass, just genuinely curious.
Later!
Alan
I have MANY reasons why I would not label myself one. First and foremost, while I generally agree with their critique of civilization, our similarities end there. There is a lot of philosophy in anarcho-primitivism that I think is a poor analysis and lacks seeing civilization (and the world) through native eyes and culture. The second reason I want to make it clear I didn’t say that I was one is because I constantly get e-mails from self-labeled anarcho-primitivists saying how much of a poseur i am and how lame I am and blah blah blah, so the last thing I want is for them to think that I’m calling myself one of them (cause I hate getting letters from them) and the last thing I want is for others to think that I am one (because they must be mailing awful letters to other people as well) and I don’t want people to think I’m that kind of asshole.
Fair enough…
hey peter,
why not try saying something positive for a change?
Wait, I take that back: I see you called it “cool.” Hehe. Thanks. BTW, I really like the pic of you reading your manuscript.
I found your blog while googling some stuff. I like your ideas and it was an interesting find…and ironic we are in the same city. Nice work!
- the whiny baby stuff about emails just comes off as sad. stop already.
- basically you just dont want to be associated with people who call themselves anarcho-primitivists as some sweeping generalization, and then list a bunch of really corny, bland and generic caveats on why? but then ironically make yourself sound ridiculous with this:
“anarcho-primitivism… is a poor analysis and lacks seeing civilization (and the world) through native eyes and culture.”
“native eyes”? land management and family-based structure? slippery slopes there to just generically sweep all “native eyes” into. almost sounds “purist” in a way (barf). thats usually how the whole “skills” / mysticism scene romanticizes everything.
- “I believe that the sustainable model of hunter-gatherers lies in their land management routines and social (non-hierarchical) family structured organization. ”
you own Limited Wants, Unlimited Means and this is what you got out of it? i find it hard to believe you actually read it seriously with comments like this.
- Derrick Jensen is 100 times worse in his analysis (and its getting worse as he tries to further his careerism by making a solid living on his 2-3000$ comedy hour, terrible ethnographic research and ivory tower of internet nerds who mediate what gets transmitted in/out to the cult). you should probably make a caveat against him also. or would that sort of fan club “structure” be considered northwest coast hierarchy? you do know they were very hierarchical, had plenty of warfare and slaves pre-contact.
theres way more to respond to here but its not even worth the time.
anarcho-primitivism has room for improvement in many areas but whatever youre dishing out here in “response” is only standing on legs because no one came over to seriously critique it. youd be better off actually helping people with primitive skill videos (since you have the camera and editing equipment), or video field guides of wild plants, etc… it might actually be more respectful and worth peoples times instead of dialectic crap philosophy of _____ vs. _____.
Yes, exactly. Thanks for letting others know who I don’t want to sound like.
Ive come to find out that in todays modern society, one could label me as an anarcho-primitivist. I seen the movie “fight Club” awhile ago and it REALLY opened my eyes. But the downfall is, it feels like ive been infected with truth. Knowing and beleiving in something such as this has left me abandoned. My friends, family, mostly everybody cannot understand me or this idea of absolute freedom that i have. Is there anyone out there(besides me) that aches for “The Day”?