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Julie Gabrielli's avatar

Thanks for this deep dive into an important history. I’m as frustrated / enraged as you at the puerile enviros versus [ranchers, loggers, drillers, etc] storyline. And it usually does come down to what environmentalists “believe,” based on the foundational fallacy that human needs trump nature’s needs. It’s idiotic and dangerous. The real motivation for this is greed and power.

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Annie Gottlieb's avatar

Industrial-capitalist society is unsustainable, a juggernaut whose impending crash cannot be mitigated. See also Chris Hedges' devastating description of the Alberta tar sands https://chrishedges.substack.com/p/fire-weather?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=778851&post_id=154695993&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=false&r=16gkv&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email.

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Margi Prideaux, PhD's avatar

Greed, power, and hubris. Again, and again, and again. Across the entire world.

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Kollibri terre Sonnenblume's avatar

You can say that again.

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Sacred Healing Remedy's avatar

Thank you for another excellent piece. It just always goes back to greed doesn’t it? We simply can’t get out of our own way. Or refuse to sacrifice in order that others, people’s, beings may also flourish. ❤️

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Kollibri terre Sonnenblume's avatar

You're welcome! Yeah it does seem to go back to greed over and over. Somehow I still hold out hope that we'll do better though eventually.

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𝓙𝓪𝓼𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓮 𝓦𝓸𝓵𝓯𝓮's avatar

We're not a rational society. Vast swaths of us have been well and thoroughly domesticated like sheep. Completely passive and wholly unaware of the massive threats we're facing. They will not defend themselves. They will obey in advance. They call themselves liberals/Democrats. They cannot and should not be trusted. MLK warned us about the white moderates.

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Owl Green's avatar

This is great. Thank you for telling this much needed story. I just finished watching Pistachio Wars, a new documentary about billionaire-owned water in California ... it's not about the Owens Valley, although it did touch on it, but it might be up your alley. I'll send you the link.

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Jan 13
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Kollibri terre Sonnenblume's avatar

You're welcome, Scout! I think 2015 was my first drive on the 395 and I've taken it a few times since then. One of my favorite highways for sure for the scenery. And yes, such a tragic story that the Paiute have suffered so long. I had the pleasure of meeting one of the tribe's environmental staff and she straight up described their relationship with LA as colonialism.

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