(no subject)

[pantryslut]

Once upon a time, I speculated that the reason that, say, anti-fur campaigns were more universally accepted than anti-sweatshop campaigns was partly because of this: protecting animals does not require one to face one's own class privilege. They are conveniently mute and automatically "other."

This morning I had the uncharitable thought that the reason certain flavors of environmental activism are so popular and primary among a certain set of people is the same. The environment doesn't talk back. Social justice is so much harder, in part because the people you're helping might want a say in what you offer them. They might ask to share power. They might ask you to confront your assumptions. And so on.

This is sketchy as usual, but I wanted to get it down.

Comments

[mr-heathen.livejournal.com]

very, very well put.

[mckennl.livejournal.com]

"They are conveniently mute" -- I wish I could say that about my dogs.

Joking aside, I think you're right on the money.

[zevinboots.livejournal.com]

I think you're absolutely right. One of the things that makes it difficult for me is that in my mind, it's reasonable to assume that living creatures want to continue living. So, anti-fur is easy because of course animals would rather live. (Not that I'm vegetarian, but nobody's perfect.)

If the same people working in sweatshops were about to be put to death, I'd feel no apprehensiveness, no doubts about doing whatever I could to end the murders. But sweatshops aren't an immediate life or death situation, and especially because I've lived in the third world and known factory workers who earn a pittance by US standards, I cannot assume that the choices I would make for them are the choices that they would make for themselves.

To choose to pressure corporations into making business decisions that have complicated long-term economic impacts that I cannot anticipate is much more difficult than simply to choose life, be it for myself or another living creature.

[wild-irises.livejournal.com]

Dead in the center of the target.

[jesse_the_k]

Nothing but net!

[serenejournal.livejournal.com]

I'm not really sure that anti-fur campaigns have more support than anti-sweatshop campaigns (I have no evidence to say they're not -- this is something I'm wondering about my perceptions on).

I also think it's possible that the sweatshop issue is a larger problem by at least an order of magnitude, in terms of the amount of problem that needs fixing, so every gain is a smaller chunk of the entirety of fixing the problem. Same with social justice -- there are just so MANY social-justice issues, and people are spread thin.

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

Same with social justice -- there are just so MANY social-justice issues, and people are spread thin.

But this same statement could quite easily be made for environmental issues.

[serenejournal.livejournal.com]

Yes, but I'm not sure it feels that way, perceptually. I'm still mulling this over.

[slackerstalker.livejournal.com]

I do agree the environment is less personally threatening to people's shit. I've moved that way for related reasons. Burn out.

When I got the opportunity I left local social work for global human rights work, because there were fewer hopeless cases on your doorstep every morning. You could work more systematically. Then when I got the opportunity I left global human rights work for global environmental work because there were fewer hopeless cases in your e-mail inbox every morning. Fewer people confronting you on collect calls from within detention cells. Then I realized the global environment is the biggest hopeless case there is, and we are all so completely COMPLETELY f*cked on that level, that I quit and went to grad school for public policy, and now what really fires me up is public policy that could possibly help the people on my doorstep back in my social work phase.

Do what you can when you can. Invite in opportunities to confront your own prejudices when you can. Don't make convenient choices all the time. Do make choices that reduce your risk of burn out and - as the slogan says - keep loving keep fighting.