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Nov 19, 18
Filed under: Anarchist Movement, Capitalism, Civilization, Editorials, Environment, Southeast
The tree-sit blocking the Mountain Valley Pipeline in the Hellbender Autonomous Zone turns 75 days old, as one of its participant remarks on events taking place across the US.
“Winter is approaching, but we are warm and toasty up here.
This blockade has stood for 75 days thus far, and we would like to thank everyone who has shown their support to this point.
To the folks bringing warm food, bedding, warm clothes, and hand warmers: it means more than you realize. The love from this community has done more than warm our bodies. You all – from those who bring books and wool socks to those who have contributed their minds, bodies, and time to this fight – warm our hearts. It also helps tremendously that whenever MVP has come to “check things out,” they have been outnumbered by our friends on the ground. We could not do this without you!
Not everyone is so lucky.
Fire is burning homes to the ground in California, with over 75 deceased and over 1000 missing (its climate change, Donald). The wealthiest people in the dystopian urban monstrosity of San Francisco are purchasing filtered masks as they cannot safely breathe the air.
Over a billion people worldwide already lack adequate housing due to the exploitation woven into our economic system. It is a system predicated on the relentless pursuit of profits over all else. While houses stand unoccupied and food rots in dumpsters, the houseless suffer and starve.
Meanwhile, the US government has spent nearly $5 trillion on criminal, counterproductive, endless wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The priorities of the state are clear. They do not care about people. They care only for profit.
As the nights get longer and families gather in warm houses, I would urge you to acknowledge that we are fighting more than a corporation steamrolling vulnerable people and disregarding health and safety in the name of private profits.
We are fighting against the idea that caring about others is anything other than an inherent quality of our humanity. We are fighting against the notion that our struggles are ever individual.
The fight against capitalism is international and intersectional. Racism, patriarchy, extraction, imperialism, and war are all rooted in the culture of the colonizer. We were born into this culture, but we do not have to accept it.
It will take an active and continual self-criticism to awaken to this reality and change it. We must realize that this madness did not start on Nov 9, 2016. This is how the system works. It is not broken.
Anyways, don’t ignore less fortunate folks as the weather gets chilly. Refusing to acknowledge human suffering is just not natural. Extend a helping hand to those without food, safety, and shelter…because the government sure as heck won’t.”
Donate to support the tree sits and the ongoing resistance: bit.ly/supportmvpresistance
