I expect you already know this, but, the role of activists is not the same as the role of experts, and that’s okay. You will never know everything relevant to the situation you’re hoping to intervene in. Even if you did, institutions ignore their own environmental experts all the time. Usually, you aren’t there as some sort of policy consultant, you’re there to pressure their interests into alignment with yours. Even if you have zero clue what other constraints they are balancing, it can still be reasonable to loudly voice your problems; you are yourself one of their constraints. (There’s actually an analogy you could make with price signals, where the buyer and seller don’t need to know the other’s budget calculations, they just need to freely pursue their goals against one another.)
Ideological information is still information, the high-level conceptual narratives and emphases you place on different factors. It felt like the aura of ‘seriousness’ you talk about with money points to something more general: tradeoffs. Black-and-white thinking in politics is, uh, easy to fall into. But it’s a lot more powerful when you can say, “Sure, there are benefits/harms x y and z...and they’re completely outweighed by a b and c.” You can pay attention to those tradeoffs without losing sight of the Very Important Things. Maybe x needs to be mitigated more carefully. Maybe y is a core obstacle that needs to be dealt with first.
Obviously, though, having some in-depth subject knowledge doesn’t hurt! It helps you make sure you’re fighting for the right thing, in the most effective way, and can give you greater legitimacy dealing with other parties. It’s a tragic historical fluke that radicals the last few decades have been so, innumerate and technophobic. Get a few of your activist friends and call yourselves a research team, or a reading circle, and then spread whatever knowledge you gain. I think you’re on the right track, and good luck. :)
I totally agree with “activists are one of the constraints”. And while getting more knowledge can give you greater legitimacy, there’s also significant opportunity cost here. Like, in certain eco-activism circles, you have to specialize. You need to learn skills, and the specialization is even more granular than someone from the outside might expect. Example: there’s a lot of training involved in preparing and releasing banners, or in organizing peaceful demonstrations. You simply don’t have time to learn about the subject matter in depth, because you have to practice your knots, or social engineer your way onto a roof. Doubly so if you have work and family to balance alongside! I could maybe write about this as well.
I expect you already know this, but, the role of activists is not the same as the role of experts, and that’s okay. You will never know everything relevant to the situation you’re hoping to intervene in. Even if you did, institutions ignore their own environmental experts all the time. Usually, you aren’t there as some sort of policy consultant, you’re there to pressure their interests into alignment with yours. Even if you have zero clue what other constraints they are balancing, it can still be reasonable to loudly voice your problems; you are yourself one of their constraints. (There’s actually an analogy you could make with price signals, where the buyer and seller don’t need to know the other’s budget calculations, they just need to freely pursue their goals against one another.)
Ideological information is still information, the high-level conceptual narratives and emphases you place on different factors. It felt like the aura of ‘seriousness’ you talk about with money points to something more general: tradeoffs. Black-and-white thinking in politics is, uh, easy to fall into. But it’s a lot more powerful when you can say, “Sure, there are benefits/harms x y and z...and they’re completely outweighed by a b and c.” You can pay attention to those tradeoffs without losing sight of the Very Important Things. Maybe x needs to be mitigated more carefully. Maybe y is a core obstacle that needs to be dealt with first.
Obviously, though, having some in-depth subject knowledge doesn’t hurt! It helps you make sure you’re fighting for the right thing, in the most effective way, and can give you greater legitimacy dealing with other parties. It’s a tragic historical fluke that radicals the last few decades have been so, innumerate and technophobic. Get a few of your activist friends and call yourselves a research team, or a reading circle, and then spread whatever knowledge you gain. I think you’re on the right track, and good luck. :)
I totally agree with “activists are one of the constraints”. And while getting more knowledge can give you greater legitimacy, there’s also significant opportunity cost here. Like, in certain eco-activism circles, you have to specialize. You need to learn skills, and the specialization is even more granular than someone from the outside might expect. Example: there’s a lot of training involved in preparing and releasing banners, or in organizing peaceful demonstrations. You simply don’t have time to learn about the subject matter in depth, because you have to practice your knots, or social engineer your way onto a roof. Doubly so if you have work and family to balance alongside! I could maybe write about this as well.
Anyway, great observation and analysis, thanks!