We can’t beat Nature? Agreed, beautiful art notwithstanding.
We Americans do too often go in search of dragons to slay, but sometimes there be dragons there—such as climate change, as Barnett certainly emphasizes in this book. What I think he references in his reference to “for too many—existential threat” I posit is climate catastrophism. I agree that can’t be the only thought, but we need a range of imagined futures to draw upon to chart our future course. A catastrophe is a real possibility, but not an inevitability.
Written in the early 1960s, back in the day when the John Birch Society seemed the greatest—but not too threatening—right-wing radicalism, and when mass communication occurred mainly through the mail and a few rogue radio stations.
Some random points:
I’ve been put off by campus protestors covering their faces, even those (to wit, most of them) who have acted within the bounds of propriety and should have nothing to fear from the law. In true civil disobedience, violations of (unjust) laws are committed openly as a political act by political actors. But there’s another side of the issue—especially in these days—that I hadn’t considered. A good discussion is found here: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/02/nyregion/college-campus-protests-anonymity.html?smid=url-share.
My fear the current campus unrest (more than demonstrations and shows of support & solidarity) will trigger a backlash a la 1968 is not unique to me. Here are some others who’ve identified the same concern:
Jeff Greenfield in Politico. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/05/02/why-campus-chaos-should-give-democrats-ptsd-00155537
James Traub in The Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/politics/biden-needs-to-learn-from-the-democrats-disaster-in-68-9024144a?reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink.
Note the Fareed Zakaria cited the above two articles and that of Charlie Sykes from The Atlantic that I noted in the post of yesterday.
My point? Protest is always uncomfortable for the general public, it’s objects are often ill-defined or defined simply by slogans on banners and in chants; it eschews reasoned rhetoric. But it also plays a critical role in democracy, especially if its peaceful protest. And for any action (or inaction), there are consequences, and one of potential consequence of unruly protests is aiding Donald Trump regain the White House, which would certainly not rebound to the well-being of Americans or Palestinians (or Israelis).
Did you happen to read George Will's column in the Washington Post on May Day about how the nuclear threat is more important than the climate threat? He may have a point, despite his annoying style. He's my connection to the past though, since apparently my grandfather (according to his memoir) recommended that Katherine Graham hire Will to replace Stewart Alsop at Newsweek, way back in 1974