788 <strong>The</strong> <strong>N<strong>at</strong>ion</strong>. June 5,1995century-and then by reput<strong>at</strong>ion kept it alive right into thetwentieth-it could also be said th<strong>at</strong> its failure was th<strong>at</strong> it didnot spark a true deb<strong>at</strong>e on th<strong>at</strong> issue or even put forth theterms in which such a deb<strong>at</strong>e might be waged. Th<strong>at</strong> was a fadurefor which the Luddites <strong>of</strong> course cannot be blamed, sinceit was never part <strong>of</strong> their perceived mission to make their grievancea m<strong>at</strong>ter <strong>of</strong> deb<strong>at</strong>e, and indeed they chose machinebreakingexactly to push the issue beyond deb<strong>at</strong>e. But because<strong>of</strong> th<strong>at</strong> failure, and the inability <strong>of</strong> subsequent critics <strong>of</strong> technologyto penetr<strong>at</strong>e the complacency <strong>of</strong> its beneficiaries andtheir chosen theorists, or to successfully call its values intoquestion, the principles and goals <strong>of</strong> industrialism, to saynothing <strong>of</strong> the machines th<strong>at</strong> embody them, have pretty muchgone unchallenged in the public arena. Industrial civiliz<strong>at</strong>ionis today the w<strong>at</strong>er we swim in, and we seem almost as incapable<strong>of</strong> imagining wh<strong>at</strong> an altern<strong>at</strong>ive might look like, or evenrealizing th<strong>at</strong> an altern<strong>at</strong>ive could exist, as fish in the ocean.<strong>The</strong> political task <strong>of</strong> “resistance” today, then-beyond the“quiet acts” <strong>of</strong> personal withdrawal Mumford urged-is totry to make the culture <strong>of</strong> industrialism and its assumptionsless invisible and to put the issue <strong>of</strong> its technology on the politicalagenda, in industrial societies as well as their imit<strong>at</strong>ors. Inthe words <strong>of</strong> Neil Postman, a pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> communic<strong>at</strong>ions <strong>at</strong>New York <strong>University</strong> and author <strong>of</strong> Technopoly, “it is necessaryfor a gre<strong>at</strong> deb<strong>at</strong>e” to place take in industrial society between“technology and everybody else” around all the issues<strong>of</strong> the “uncontrolled growth <strong>of</strong> technology” in recent decades.This means laying out as clearly and as fully as possible thecosts and consequences <strong>of</strong> our technologies, in the near termand long, so th<strong>at</strong> even those overwhelmed by the ease/comfort/speedipower <strong>of</strong> high-tech gadgetry (wh<strong>at</strong> Mumford calledtechnical “bribery”) are forced to understand <strong>at</strong> wh<strong>at</strong> priceit all comes and who is paying for it. Wh<strong>at</strong> purpose does thismachine serve? Wh<strong>at</strong> problem has become so gre<strong>at</strong> th<strong>at</strong> itneeds this solution? Is this invention nothing but, as Thoreauput it, an improved means to an unimproved end? It also meansforcing some awareness <strong>of</strong> who the principal beneficiaries <strong>of</strong>the new technology are-they tend to be the large, bureaucr<strong>at</strong>ic,complex and secretive organiz<strong>at</strong>ions <strong>of</strong> the industrialworld-and trying to make public all the undemocr<strong>at</strong>ic waysthey make the technological choices th<strong>at</strong> so affect all the rest<strong>of</strong> us. Who are the winners, who the losers? Will this inventionconcentr<strong>at</strong>e or disperse power, encourage or dlscourageNow you can rent or buy videos by mail <strong>of</strong> over 2,600 hard-t<strong>of</strong>indquality films, Including Betty Blue; E<strong>at</strong> Drink Man Woman;Ju Dou; Queen Margot; La Belle Noisuese; <strong>The</strong> Decameron;<strong>The</strong> Blue Kite; <strong>The</strong> Wonderful, Hom‘ble Life <strong>of</strong> Leni Riefenstahl;Biue and White; Zero P<strong>at</strong>ience; and 31 trtles by Ingmar BeqmanOur collection includes foreign films,limited releases, indies, docs, class~cs.It’s simple and Inexpensive. Rogert3Ebert recommends Home Fllm FestivalHome as an Idea whose time has come.”Film Festival” Phone or write for free lnform<strong>at</strong>lon andP o BOX 2032, kranton. PA 18501 list <strong>of</strong> films: 1-800-258-3456.self-worth? Can society <strong>at</strong> large afford it? Can the biosphere?7. Phrlosophically, resistance to industrialism must be embeddedin an analysrs-an rdeology, perhaps-th<strong>at</strong> IS morallyinformed, carefully artrcul<strong>at</strong>ed and wrdely shared. One<strong>of</strong> the failures <strong>of</strong> Luddism (if <strong>at</strong> first perhaps one <strong>of</strong> itsstrengths) was its formlessness, its unintentionality, its indistinctnessabout goals, desires, possibilities. If it is to be anythingmore than sporadlc and martyristic, resistance couldlearn from the Luddite experience <strong>at</strong> least how important itis to work out some common analysis th<strong>at</strong> is morally clearabout the problem<strong>at</strong>ic present and the desirable future, andthe common str<strong>at</strong>egies th<strong>at</strong> stem from it.All the elements <strong>of</strong> such an analysis, it seems to me, are inexistence, sc<strong>at</strong>tered and still needing refinement, perhaps, butthere: in Mumford and E.F. Schumacher (SmallIsBeautIful)and Wendell Berry (<strong>The</strong> Unsettlmg <strong>of</strong> America) and Jerry Mander(In the Absence <strong>of</strong> the Sacred) and the Chellis Glendinningmanifesto (UtneReader, March/April 1990); In the writing <strong>of</strong>the Earth Flrst!ers and the bioregionalists and deep ecologists;in the lessons and models <strong>of</strong> the Amish and the Iroquois; inthe wlsdom <strong>of</strong> tribal elders and the legacy <strong>of</strong> tribal experienceeverywhere; in the work <strong>of</strong> the long line <strong>of</strong> dlssenters-fromprogressand naysayers-to-technology. I think we mlght evenbe able to identify some essentials <strong>of</strong> th<strong>at</strong> analysis, such as:IndustnulBm, the ethos encapsul<strong>at</strong>lng the values and technologies<strong>of</strong> Western civiliz<strong>at</strong>lon, is seriously endangering stablesocial and environmental existence on thls planet, to whichmust be opposed the values and techmques <strong>of</strong> an organic ethosth<strong>at</strong> seeks to preserve the Integrity, stability and harmony <strong>of</strong>the biotic communlties, and the human community within it.Anthropocentrrsrn, and its expression in both humanismand monotheism, is the ruling principle <strong>of</strong> th<strong>at</strong> civiliz<strong>at</strong>ion.to which must be opposed the principle <strong>of</strong> blocentrism andthe spiritual identific<strong>at</strong>lon <strong>of</strong> the human with all living speciesand systems.Globulism, and its economic and military expression, is theguiding str<strong>at</strong>egy <strong>of</strong> th<strong>at</strong> civiliz<strong>at</strong>ion, to which must be opposedthe str<strong>at</strong>egy <strong>of</strong> localism, based upon the empowerment <strong>of</strong> thecoherent bioreglon and the small community.Industrralcap1talwn, as an economy built upon the exploit<strong>at</strong>ionand degrad<strong>at</strong>ion <strong>of</strong> the earth, 1s the productive and distributiveenterprise <strong>of</strong> th<strong>at</strong> civiliz<strong>at</strong>ion, to whlch must be opposedthe practices <strong>of</strong> an ecologlcal and sustainable economy builtupon accommod<strong>at</strong>ion and commitment to the earth and followingprinciples <strong>of</strong> conserv<strong>at</strong>ion, stabdity. self-sufficiencyand cooper<strong>at</strong>lon.A movement <strong>of</strong> resistance starting with Just those principlesas the sinews <strong>of</strong> its analysis would <strong>at</strong> least have a firm and uncompromisingground on which to stand and a clear and inspir<strong>at</strong>ionalvision <strong>of</strong> where to go. If nothmg else, it would beable to live up to the task th<strong>at</strong> George Grant, the Canadianphilosopher, has set this way: “<strong>The</strong> darkness which envelopsthe western world because <strong>of</strong> Its long dedic<strong>at</strong>ion to the overcoming<strong>of</strong> chance”-by which he means the triumph <strong>of</strong> thescientific mind and its industrlal constructs-“is just a fact.<strong>The</strong> Job <strong>of</strong> thought <strong>at</strong> our time is to bring into the light th<strong>at</strong>darkness as darkness.” And <strong>at</strong> its best, It might bring into thelight the dawn th<strong>at</strong> is the altern<strong>at</strong>ive. 0
THE SIXTH ANNUALNATION/I.E STONE AWARDFOR STUDENT JOURNALISMENTRY DEADLINE: JUNE 29,1995PURPOSE: <strong>The</strong> <strong>N<strong>at</strong>ion</strong> Institute/I.F. Stone Award recognizes excellence in student journalism. EntriesshouId exhibit the uniquely independent journalistic tradition <strong>of</strong> I.F. Stone. A self-described ”JeffersonianMarxist,” Stone combined progressive politics, investig<strong>at</strong>ive zeal and a compulsion to tell the truth witha commitment to human rights and the exposure <strong>of</strong> injustice. As Washington editor <strong>of</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>N<strong>at</strong>ion</strong> magazineand founder <strong>of</strong> the legendary Z.F. Stone’s Weekly, he specialized in publishing inform<strong>at</strong>ion ignored bythe mainstream media (which he <strong>of</strong>ten found in <strong>The</strong> Congressional Record and other public documentsoverlooked by the big-circul<strong>at</strong>ion dailies).ELIGIBILITY: <strong>The</strong> contest is open to all undergradu<strong>at</strong>e students enrolled in a U.S. college. Articles maybe submitted by the writers themselves or nomin<strong>at</strong>ed by editors <strong>of</strong> student public<strong>at</strong>ions or faculty members.While entries originally published in student public<strong>at</strong>ions are preferred, all articles will be consideredprovided they were not written as part <strong>of</strong> a student’s regular course work.THE PRIZE: <strong>The</strong> article th<strong>at</strong>, in the opinion <strong>of</strong> the judges, represents the most outstanding example <strong>of</strong>student journalism in the tradition <strong>of</strong> I.F. Stone will be published in a fall issue <strong>of</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>N<strong>at</strong>ion</strong>. <strong>The</strong> winnerwill receive a cash award <strong>of</strong> $1000. <strong>The</strong> <strong>N<strong>at</strong>ion</strong> reserves the right to edit the winning article to conformto the space limit<strong>at</strong>ions <strong>of</strong> the magazine. Announcement <strong>of</strong> the winning article will be made in <strong>The</strong> <strong>N<strong>at</strong>ion</strong>in the fall <strong>of</strong> 1995.DEADLINE: All entries must be postmarked by June 29, 1995.ENTRY RULES:All entnes must have been written or publlshed between June 30, 1994, and June 29, 1995 Please send 2 photocoples.Each wnter, editor <strong>of</strong> a student publlc<strong>at</strong>lon or faculty member may submit up to three separ<strong>at</strong>e entnes. A senes <strong>of</strong> rel<strong>at</strong>ed artlcleswill be considered as a single entry. Investlg<strong>at</strong>ive articles are particularly encouraged. <strong>The</strong>re are no restrlctlons as to scope, contentor length.Accompanymg m<strong>at</strong>erial In support <strong>of</strong> entries is not requlred, but entrants are encouraged to submlt a cover letter explalningthe context <strong>of</strong> the submltted story, along wlth a brief blographlcal note about the author. Elabor<strong>at</strong>e present<strong>at</strong>ions are neitherrequired nor deslred. Entrles will not be returned.Judges reserve the right to authentlc<strong>at</strong>e, accept or disallow entries <strong>at</strong> thew discretlon. <strong>The</strong> declslon <strong>of</strong> the ~udges IS fmalAll entrles must include the writer‘s school, home address and telephone numberALL ENTRIES SHOULD BE SENT T O:NATION/STONE AWARD, C/O THE NATION INSTITUTE, 72 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10011FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL (212) 463-9270A PROJECT OF THE NATION INSTITUTE
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