[SustainableTompkins] The Political Economy of Relocalization

[northsheep at juno.com]

While ruminating this hot, sweaty end of summer morning on the fantasy
world of political assumptions that much of the relocalization movement
seems mired in, and how I would address that problem, I ran across the
latest Dale Allen Pfeiffer essay. This paragraph seems to articulate some
of my concerns:

"I have said elsewhere (Mountain Sentinel Vol. 1, No. 4) that we must
recognize that relocalization is a radical idea. It is radical because it
seeks to replace the dominant system with one that is more healthy and
equitable for all. And whenever a radical movement rises to threaten the
dominant system, it must fight for its survival or be crushed ruthlessly.

So far, relocalization has posed no threat to the dominant system. Where
it is happening at all, it is marginalized. Most people are not even
aware of it, and it holds little appeal to them. They prefer to shop at
Walmart, drive their SUVs and yak on their cell phones. But when
relocalization efforts do become visible, and when society has collapsed
to the point that relocalization begins to appeal to the masses, then you
can be certain that government and corporations will do their best to
stamp it out. Either that or subvert it so that it is made profitable to
them." 
For those not familiar with this long time thinker/activist on the
multiple crises that we face, the full essay and other Pfeiffer writings
can be found here . 
Along the same line of thinking as Pfeiffer's, I often wonder, reading
all the talk about changing the light bulbs and green shopping bags and
green buildings, what good that sort of thing does if at the same time
such educational projects are not seriously designed toward building a
powerful political movement as an ultimate goal. 
I have concerns about lack of awareness of the depth of the crises we
face, as well.
Earlier this summer I attended a valiant effort to bring together a
variety of 'green Ithacans' in a workshop exercise to think systemically
about sustainable redesign for a neighborhood of the city that happens to
be located in a vulnerable flood plain. Most wanted to put up 'green
buildings' including residential. Only a minority pointed out that siting
most buildings in such a location was the least healthy option, and that
given the fertility of flood plains - what we farmers reverently call
"bottom lands" - and the overwhelming importance of food production
within urban communities in the coming decades, the best use of the
neighborhood might be community gardens. But there was no overcoming the
majority urge to just build something. The ideology of economic growth,
economic profit, won the day. 
There was strong representation at the workshop from EcoVillage. I
support such efforts, particularly for their political educational
function. But here is what Pfeiffer says in the same essay about
ecovillages:
"Ecovillages and retreats into the wilderness will face a number of
problems in the coming years. If they are not successful in making
themselves self-contained, then their economic connections to the outside
world will be susceptible. If they manage to succeed they will attract
attention as the surrounding society decays. It is possible that they
might be viewed as a threat by the elite, in which case they will have to
fight for survival or risk being subverted. They may have to defend
themselves from brigands and starving, homeless masses. Or they may find
that their land is appropriated for its resources. They had best be
prepared to defend their ecovillage with whatever it takes." 
Now, this can all be denied and rejected as 'gloom and doom'. Or, people
in the relocalization movement can begin to look more deeply at the power
structure of our society and the political implications down the road, of
relocalization carried forth in that context. And reflect more critically
on the chances of success of present strategies of change. Even such
small attempts at wielding local power in the name of healthy local
communities as fights against Walmartization have been easily crushed, in
Ithaca, and again, just now, in Cortland. Aren't more sanguine political
strategies needed to achieve relocalization in the face of that kind of
power?

Karl North
Northland Sheep Dairy, Freetown, New York USA
     www.geocities.com/northsheep/
"Mother Nature never farms without animals" - Albert Howard
"Pueblo que canta no morira" - Cuban saying