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Tangentially Speaking

385 – Derrick Jensen (Ecological Activist/Author)

By July 22, 2019June 15th, 20222 Comments

Derrick Jensen is a coauthor of Deep Green Resistance, and the author of EndgameThe Culture of Make BelieveA Language Older than Words, and many other books. He was named one of Utne Reader’s “50 Visionaries Who Are Changing Your World” and won the Eric Hoffer Award in 2008. We discuss animal communication, the trajectory of history, and the dangers of comfort.

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Music: “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range; “Summertime,” by Fort Francis; “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton.

2 Comments

  • Really powerful discussion. I mean, Derrick mentions the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father so nonchalantly!

    His idea that we suffer more with the loss of a palace than a hut reminded me of when Notre Dame burned down earlier this year. It was all over the news and perceived as a global catastrophe because it’s such an iconic repository of history and culture; many European millionaires jumped in offering to donate millions of euros for its restoration. But how many mosques and churches have been utterly destroyed in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq in the 15 years of continuous conflict since the Americans overthrew Hussein? Who hears about those in the news? Who cares?

    Also this notion that if an alien species were to do to our environment what our industries are doing, we would all rally up and unite to fight them, I know I’ve mentioned to you this is basically the Gnostic viewpoint and is thousands of years old, but what’s interesting to notice is that recently we’ve been having some confirmation that people in extremely sensitive positions in Silicon Valley and the aerospace industry are totally convinced the most important technological developments we’ve experienced in the last few years have been caused by "alien intervention." The book American Cosmic by Dr. Diana Walsh Pasulka –not published by a woo woo press, but by Oxford University!– centers on an anonymous technocrat referred as "Tyler" who allegedly uses his capacity to communicate with a non human intelligence to "download" ideas he then uses to patent devices for his biomedical company; he was also heavily involved in the development of the space shuttle.

    So… does that mean aliens want us to ravage the Earth in order to colonize the Cosmos? That is one of the many arguments currently discussed on my Fortean neck of the woods…

  • Rob Yost says:

    Hey Chris, I really love your podcast! I still haven’t wrapped my head all the way around this one, particularly the idea of not worrying so much about my personal footprint, or shower as mentioned by Derrick. Could you or someone else list the books mentioned by Derrick and yourself, I listen while driving and can never remember details like that by the time I get home.

    Thanks for all you do!
    Rob

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