You're brushing up against @timothysnyder.bsky.social's definition in 'On Freedom,' where he makes the case that real freedom is only achievable if society provides the space for people to choose what they want to do unpredictably.
Put another way, many of you are very keen to tell people what not to do and do little to help people grasp what they should be doing. Saying don't do something is easier.
I don't have good answers for what people should be doing, but besides telling people not to eat mayo my only other consistent don't is telling people not to subscribe to the NYT.
Idk man. Someone in here got mad at me for drinking fairlife because I guess they're owned by Coke and someone on here was ready to pounce on me for my silly little newsletter demanding to know of it was a substack (its not) and like a person's consumption is a limited way of knowing their values
And a thing that comes up a lot in climate spaces is that some of the greenest most ethical things you can't see. You can see an EV you can't see if a person doesn't have a car. Do I try to consume "better" yes but 13 years ago I literally wrote a book about the limits of "buying better"
This is like the public health dilemma: "I didn't catch the dreaded disease so I guess it was no big deal" IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY. Of course we are apparently dealing with many people that are profoundly... um, simple.
Much like the message in “the good place”. It’s impossible to make only good choices in modern society. All we can do is our best to minimise the harm we contribute to.
it’s also not all or none. there’s a tendency to act like if you’re not fully abstaining then it’s not worth doing anything. a wholistic approach to what we’re consuming and why, what to cut back on, what to add in its place, and which actions are most impactful is more sustainable and effective
If you think my argument is never boycott and not the ever escalating lists of things people on here insisting people should not do you're missing the point. Boycotts are strategic for a reason.
I switched to reading the NYT through the LAPL as soon as I learned I could. I use everything I can from my library and support them instead, truly one of the best decisions I’ve made.
Comments
I don't tell people to quit Amazon. But I do have tips if you want to use them less and how to consciously uncouple from them
https://thebookmavenrevue.substack.com/p/turn-off-your-virtue-signals
Someone is going to have to say it, but it's not going to be me.