Performative activism 😊

[Basman]

When how you look matters more than outcomes.

I see the kind of performative activism like blocking roads or vandalizing national art as for one, an attempt at ceasing a sense of agency in a confusing world, secondly, as an outlet for destructive urges. You get to feel justified in acting destructively because it's for a good cause. Especially if they are misanthropic to a certain extent due to their ideological beliefs. Also clout.

Politically, this kind of activism is worthless because it it fundamentally apolitical. It's not about negotiating our space but ideologically shutting off people that you disagree with, which is like sticking your head in the sand. Just because you write off certain people who dislike your crazy stunts (usually the majority) doesn't mean that they cease to exist politically and that they no longer are going to vote. The only outcome here is making people dislike environmentalism.

Actual effective climate activism that is politically constructive is often dry and legislative and predominately targets industry, in contrast to the notion that the individual is responsible for the climate, which is marketing usually paid for by big corporations. Being disruptive only makes sense if it's connected to constructive political action. Performative activism is about the consensus of action without any of the substance in order to feel good about one self. Just saying it's for the environment won't move the needle.

 

 

Edited 2 hours ago by Basman

[enchanted]

Yes interesting thing to think about and great YouTube channel. 

The point these vandals are trying to make is to expose a hypocrisy: society expresses massive outrage over damage to a canvas, yet remains completely indifferent to the real, irreversible destruction of our planet's ecosystems. They are asking us why we love the painting of a landscape more than the landscape itself.

The environment is much more important than a work of art yet people aren't outraged at the damage done to the environment. 

Sure these vandals are using divisive and ugly tactics but logic and reason isn't working. We are actively destroying the very planet we need to live on in exchange for cheap clothes and a whole bunch of other things we don't need.

Edited 1 hour ago by enchanted

[Basman]

18 minutes ago, enchanted said:

Yes interesting thing to think about and great YouTube channel. 

The point these vandals are trying to make is to expose a hypocrisy: society expresses massive outrage over damage to a canvas, yet remains completely indifferent to the real, irreversible destruction of our planet's ecosystems. They are asking us why we love the painting of a landscape more than the landscape itself.

The environment is much more important than a work of art yet people aren't outraged at the damage done to the environment. 

Sure these vandals are using divisive and ugly tactics but logic and reason isn't working. We are actively destroying the very planet we need to live on in exchange for cheap clothes and a whole bunch of other things we don't need.

People are only less supportive of their cause after such stunts. There is no constructive outcome. You might as well just take a shit in the middle of town and declare it a stance against racism and injustice. This people are fooling themselves. Just because you say it is for the environment doesn't automatically make it so.

Edited 1 hour ago by Basman

[Elliott]

"All publicity is bad publicity"

🙄

[LordFall]

1 hour ago, enchanted said:

Yes interesting thing to think about and great YouTube channel. 

The point these vandals are trying to make is to expose a hypocrisy: society expresses massive outrage over damage to a canvas, yet remains completely indifferent to the real, irreversible destruction of our planet's ecosystems. They are asking us why we love the painting of a landscape more than the landscape itself.

The environment is much more important than a work of art yet people aren't outraged at the damage done to the environment. 

Sure these vandals are using divisive and ugly tactics but logic and reason isn't working. We are actively destroying the very planet we need to live on in exchange for cheap clothes and a whole bunch of other things we don't need.

Climate science is way more complicated than these guys give it credit for. Activists and socialists/communists never actually start businesses or powerful organizations that support their causes. I find that generally they are mostly angry of their low status in society and misdirect that anger in a social cause because that has the benefit of feeding their ego. Once they do find a place in modern society then they usually fall out of activism as people that are actually running serious organizations making change are doing a good enough job and they usually don't actually care about the cause enough to dedicate their life purpose to it. This is true of probably 80-90% of cases but not everyone, there are really people passionate to their causes but I don't meet a lot of them.