Ishmael QQC #1

Angela Guerrero

For pages 1-29, find one quote that strikes you. Copy it in your blog, noting the page. Generate a question about the quote then write a response to the question. Your blogs throughout the reading of this book wil be graded for thoughtfulness, attention to logic, thought and grammar, and the thouhtfulness of responses to other class blogs.

Sample QQC

QUOTE: "You're captives of a civilizational system that more or less compels you to go on destroying the world in order to live." (Ishmael)

Question?: How can we stop this sytem or the cycle?

Comment:
I see Ishmael's point. And I agree with his point. Whenever we talk about consuming less, we think about the "market fluctuation". How will my stocks do if I consume less? How will our economy survive if we consume less? If people stop buying shoes and purses and cars, well that means there are no jobs for people, which means no food, which means... we all know what that means. This is a relatively standard response when you think about the implications of reducing your output seriously. I want so much to consume less, and compared to say three years ago, I do. But even my drop in consumption is not enough. I still drive to work. I still buy groceries in containers that are disposable. I still shop for shoes (I know, it's bad). No matter how much I recycle, or use canvas bags at thegrocery store, I can't seem to escape my overall "need" to consume, and also can't escape my guilt over what a drop in consumption could mean for the people behind the product. And it seems that the new "green" marketing tactics alleviate that consumer guilt a bit. Well, I say to myself, I am buying something BUT it has a recycle symbol on it. Can the need to save the world ever reconcile itself with our perceived need to consume? This question still plagues me.