We Must Learn How To Think Like

So Many Indigenous People Have Said To Me That The Fundamental Difference Between Western And Indigenous Ways Of Being Is That Even The Most Open-minded Westerners Generally View Listening To The Natural World As A Metaphor, As Opposed To The Way The World Really Is. Trees And Rocks And Rivers Really Do Have Things To Say To Us.

A Very Poor Kid Came Up To Me After A Talk And Said 'i Want To Go Blow Up A Factory.' I Asked How Old He Was And He Said 17. I Said 'have You Ever Had Sex?' He Said 'no.' I Said 'just Remember If You Get Caught You Aren't Going To Have Sex For Twenty Years At Least.' That's Not Saying That One Person Having Sex Is Worth The Salmon. I'm Not Saying It's A Reason Not To Act, I'm Saying Don't Be Stupid.

Civilization Is Not And Can Never Be Sustainable.

Surely By Now There Can Be Few Here Who Still Believe The Purpose Of Government Is To Protect Us From The Destructive Activities Of Corporations. At Last Most Of Us Must Understand That The Opposite Is True: That The Primary Purpose Of Government Is To Protect Those Who Run The Economy From The Outrage Of Injured Citizens.

To Pretend That Civilization Can Exist Without Destroying Its Own Landbase And The Landbases And Cultures Of Others Is To Be Entirely Ignorant Of History, Biology, Thermodynamics, Morality, And Self-preservation.