Hi Orsan's, sorry I can't relate to your graph, different sort of thought process. Here is my own take on the connection to nature. I've been reading a book 'If Women Rose Up Rooted', by Sharon Blackie. The title is taken from a beautiful poem by Rilke, printed below: How surely gravity’s law, strong as an ocean current, takes hold of even the strongest thing and pulls it toward the heart of the world. Each thing- each stone, blossom, child – is held in place. Only we, in our arrogance, push out beyond what we belong to for some empty freedom. If we surrendered to earth’s intelligence we could rise up rooted, like trees. Instead we entangle ourselves in knots of our own making and struggle, lonely and confused. So, like children, we begin again to learn from the things, because they are in God’s heart; they have never left him. This is what the things teach us: to fall, patiently trusting our heaviness. Even a bird has to do that before he can fly. From Book of the Hours by Raine Maria Rilke. Anna

On 19 Oct 2016, at 18:22, Örsan Şenalp <[email protected]> wrote:

Anna yes. indeed this aspect is very crucial too. and I would agree with you in terms of 'metabolic rift'. As well as there is a deeper analysis needed -of the alienation of knowledge - information workers in the production process.

Yet I wanted to stress more about the lack of understanding. in the traditional Marxist side, as well as post Marxist and non-Marxist ones, as the sides around the post-capitalism discussion, of the ICT based hegemony production, power structures, and how these are played out, as parts of class domination.

Here is a draft social network mapping I have been developing, reflecting on the history and development of intellectual-scientific-ideological and institutional aspects of such: https://graphcommons.com/graphs/64d91469-5f7d-4dba-9204-c8574945948c

Will try to lay down what I have had in mind in a longer mail.

Best, orsan

...

On 19 October 2016 at 14:06, Anna Harris <[email protected]> wrote: Orsan, I think what you are saying here links with the question Bob raised about agroecology on small scale farms, as the answer to corporate industrial agriculture. What is the difference and why is it so important?

It is clear that on small scale farms there is a possibility, even a tendency, towards a relationship to the soil, the livestock, the crops, and the environment. This profound connection raises the consciousness of those involved, so that they tend to feel protective of the resources they use, and respect the natural environment. This connection can address the alienation experienced by most of us when we remain totally cut off from where our food comes from, and how it is grown. This is not just a question of information, knowing the name of the farmer etc, but also a feeling of care which can be communicated by 'home grown' vegetables, or farmers markets.

This is not to say that we should not use automation where appropriate on small scale farms. But we need to recognise that the earth is our home, and should be treated with some reverence. When we harm the soil with fertilisers, weed killers and insecticides, we are killing our home.

On 18 Oct 2016, at 00:07, Orsan Senalp <[email protected]> wrote:

It is not surprising that in this, grounded critics of digital capitalism by Upchurch, in an SWP comm tool, overlooks, as its targeted perspectives, namely 'consciousness-ideology-alienation-hegemony' dimensions in the whole thing. I think it is time to put forward such critics instead of trying to grasp only the objective aspects of the issue. In my opinion the letter, subjective aspect is as important and vital the objective aspects as we want to not only understand but also change the reality imposed and steered by the capital. Orsan

On 17 okt. 2016, at 09:13, peter waterman <[email protected]> wrote:

I may have previously posted this item, or another version of such.

However, I don't mind re-posting it in so far as it seems to be a major Marxist (not to mention Trotskyist or SWP) position on the matter.

My feeling is that it is over-determinist. Or that it's pessimism of the intellect is unbalanced by an optimism of the will?

Or, again, that the author does not recognise 1) the technological quantum leap that ICT represents (Castells compares it to the invention of the alphabet, not the steam-engine), nor 2) the contradictory nature of ICT.

So, finally, I would appreciate other - better qualified - opinions on the matter.

Pw

http://isj.org.uk/into-the-digital-void/

_______________________________________________ NetworkedLabour mailing list [email protected] http://lists.contrast.org/mailman/listinfo/networkedlabour

_______________________________________________ NetworkedLabour mailing list [email protected] http://lists.contrast.org/mailman/listinfo/networkedlabour