Underminers
A Guide to Subverting the Machine
To undermine something is to weaken its very foundation in order to bring about its eventual collapse. Underminers is a radical guide to dismantling the industrial machine. The first section of the book deconstructs the Tools of Disconnection - the subtle and seemingly innocuous methods by which we are manipulated into artificial separation from other people and the natural world. These can take many forms, from tangible and intangible rewards for "good" consumer behavior, to indoctrination through advertising, media and compulsory schooling. Once these Tools of Disconnection have been identified, the challenge is to expose their true nature and to provide realistic alternatives to our culture of greed. Outlining a wide array of unconventional responses, Underminers is a practical, rational and very human response to the ecological and social catastrophes facing us. By turns shocking, entertaining, inspiring and empowering, this manual for a subversive revolution shows how ordinary people can become tomorrow's catalysts for change - reconnected to one another and co-creators of a viable future for humanity.We are the Underminers, and this is our time.Keith Farnish is a long-time activist who has been writing about environmental and social issues since 2006 on sites such as The Earth Blog and The Unsuitablog. He is the author of Time's Up! and has been featured on BBC radio and CBC among others. He has written for the Culture Change, Energy Bulletin and ClubOrlov websites and is an influential voice in radical activism.
To undermine something is to weaken its very foundation in order to bring about its eventual collapse. Underminers is a radical guide to dismantling the industrial machine. The first section of the book deconstructs the Tools of Disconnection - the subtle and seemingly innocuous methods by which we are manipulated into artificial separation from other people and the natural world. These can take many forms, from tangible and intangible rewards for "good" consumer behavior, to indoctrination through advertising, media and compulsory schooling. Once these Tools of Disconnection have been identified, the challenge is to expose their true nature and to provide realistic alternatives to our culture of greed. Outlining a wide array of unconventional responses, Underminers is a practical, rational and very human response to the ecological and social catastrophes facing us. By turns shocking, entertaining, inspiring and empowering, this manual for a subversive revolution shows how ordinary people can become tomorrow's catalysts for change - reconnected to one another and co-creators of a viable future for humanity.We are the Underminers, and this is our time.Keith Farnish is a long-time activist who has been writing about environmental and social issues since 2006 on sites such as The Earth Blog and The Unsuitablog. He is the author of Time's Up! and has been featured on BBC radio and CBC among others. He has written for the Culture Change, Energy Bulletin and ClubOrlov websites and is an influential voice in radical activism.