Endgame Premises Archives: 5: Property is more valuable than lives
The property of those higher on the hierarchy is more valuable
than the lives of those below. It is acceptable for those above to increase the
amount of property they control—in everyday language, to make money—by
destroying or taking the lives of those below. This is called production. If those
below damage the property of those above, those above may kill or otherwise
destroy the lives of those below. This is called justice.
This piece, republished from Counterpunch, explores the current uprising against police brutality in the context of the struggle against capitalism and asks: what are the most effective forms of struggle going forward? Join the conversation in the comments section. Amputating Capitalism by Vincent Emanuele / Counterpunch “We fought a military war; our opponents fought a … Continue reading Would Defunding Police Amputate Capitalism?→
This piece was anonymously authored by a former cop from California and originally published on June 6th, 2020 in response to recent police violence. Confessions of a Former Bastard Cop By Anonymous / Medium I was a police officer for nearly ten years and I was a bastard. We all were. This essay has been … Continue reading Confessions of a Former Bastard Cop→
Rage and violence are exploding in the streets of the United States. Eleven people have been killed, hundreds injured, and thousands arrested over the last week. Police are running wild, attacking and injuring non-violent protesters, journalists, and bystanders in their rush to protect private property. A revolt on this scale has not seen since the … Continue reading Equipment for Scouting and Action→
Corporations are driven by a necessity to privatize profits and externalize costs. In this article, Suresh Balraj highlights how the concept of limited liability further reduces the accountability of corporations to the consequences of their actions, and asks “how can we hold corporations accountable?” The Myth of Limited Liability By Suresh Balraj Prof. Nicholas Murray, … Continue reading How Can We Hold Corporations Accountable?→
Coronavirus rarely kills people directly—so why are people dying? This piece from Paul Feather, animist farmer and writer, challenges simplistic, reductionist thinking, and proposes a synthesis approach to understanding the current crisis. Cause of Death: Civilization By Paul Feather Sixty five thousand, six hundred and fifty two. As of this writing, John Hopkins reports this … Continue reading How Does Coronavirus Kill People?→
Paul Feather calls us to reframe this time of crisis: “Shall we permit the storytellers to name what it is that we do? They would call this a lockdown, but we are going through the motions of a general strike. Our foe is down. Are there no holds barred? Strike now! Strike down their stories. … Continue reading Will People Go On General Strike?→
🌏🔥 I'm glad anytime youth speak out and organize, but the U.S. Court rejection of the #YouthvGov #JulianavUS climate lawsuit is predictable. Courts can be an important defensive battleground, but are fundamentally colonial + corporate institutions.https://t.co/CN6dUT6qzP — Max Wilbert (@MaxWilbert) January 19, 2020 via Common Dreams: “In a ruling taken as a devastating blow for … Continue reading U.S. Court Rejects “Our Children’s Trust” Youth Climate Lawsuit→
by Sean Butler and Will Falk / Featured image: an aerial photograph showing harmful algae blooms in Lake Erie in August of 2017. These are believed to be caused by the effluent runoff from factory farms in the watershed. Public domain photo by NOAA. Rights of nature advocates often repeat the words, “The structure of … Continue reading Rights for Lake Erie? Why Corporate Rights and Preemption Must Go→
By Max Wilbert As the world moves further into a state of climate crisis, it’s imperative that we study and critique the strategies being proposed to address greenhouse gas emissions, and develop our own strategies based on rigorous assessment of their effectiveness. Many of the strategies currently being pursued by the mainstream environmental movement hinge … Continue reading The Legal System Will Not Save the Planet→
By Jayalaxshmi Mistry / Republished from The Conversation, CC license. Despite centuries of persecution, indigenous groups still manage or have tenure rights over at least a quarter of the world’s land surface. Often inhabiting these lands as far back as memory extends, they share a deep and unique connection to their environment. Recently released figures … Continue reading Defending Earth Now More Dangerous Than Some War Zones→
