As Near told the NYT, “I feel it was the first and probably the most famous example of what I would call the ‘conservation species concept,’ where people are going to decide a species should be distinct because it will have a downstream conservation implication.”
Nicely done, Emmet. As usual.
(We thought at first the snail darter might be a segue to the delta smelt/current events.)
Wow this is clear and compelling. It explains the social shift from the hippies of the 60s and 70s to the yuppies of the eighties and nineties. i lived through that shift, g
Continued comment, I lived through that shift and this piece is a brief and clear explanation of what was really opaque to me - growing up, in middle school I was afraid of the Vietnam war draft and grateful that conflict ended before I reached high school, then watched righteous environmentalists take down big public works projects as well as big business, successfully in their eyes. Lots to think about here, some really insightful social commentary. Subscribing.
When I started reading I thought this was a study in genetics versus political expediency. As we know there has been a lot of the latter using the former. Then it pivoted to a history of the American Left. As a conservative I see a common thread in all this. The belief that human endeavors can save us from destruction. So far that has been disproven.
I’m trying to get my head around the psychology of leftists, socialists, activists, and their ilk. Of course, the existential threats peddled today are against humanity. What better way to gain control than to limit information, control the narrative, and instill fear. But what is it in their own psyche that takes them down that path?
As Near told the NYT, “I feel it was the first and probably the most famous example of what I would call the ‘conservation species concept,’ where people are going to decide a species should be distinct because it will have a downstream conservation implication.”
Nicely done, Emmet. As usual.
(We thought at first the snail darter might be a segue to the delta smelt/current events.)
Interested to read your take on the progressivist movement in America. Thank you for the thought provoking stack here.
Wow this is clear and compelling. It explains the social shift from the hippies of the 60s and 70s to the yuppies of the eighties and nineties. i lived through that shift, g
Continued comment, I lived through that shift and this piece is a brief and clear explanation of what was really opaque to me - growing up, in middle school I was afraid of the Vietnam war draft and grateful that conflict ended before I reached high school, then watched righteous environmentalists take down big public works projects as well as big business, successfully in their eyes. Lots to think about here, some really insightful social commentary. Subscribing.
Thank you!!
When I started reading I thought this was a study in genetics versus political expediency. As we know there has been a lot of the latter using the former. Then it pivoted to a history of the American Left. As a conservative I see a common thread in all this. The belief that human endeavors can save us from destruction. So far that has been disproven.
I’m trying to get my head around the psychology of leftists, socialists, activists, and their ilk. Of course, the existential threats peddled today are against humanity. What better way to gain control than to limit information, control the narrative, and instill fear. But what is it in their own psyche that takes them down that path?
Great summary of a general and growing problem in the USA: obtaining permits to do anything.
Great stuff as always! I guess the moral here is that when ends are used to justify means things fall apart. I guess it was always thus…