(en) WSM.ie: Dub: Catastrophism: The Apocalyptic Politics of Collapse and Rebirth - discussion with author James Davis

James Davis is visiting Dublin and will be giving a talk for the WSM on the topic of 
Catastrophism in Seomra Spraoi (10 Belvedere Court) at 20.00 on Weds June 25th. ---- We 
live in catastrophic times. The world is reeling from the deepest economic crisis since 
the Great Depression, with the threat of further meltdowns ever-looming. Global warming 
and myriad dire ecological disasters worsen?with little if any action to halt them?their 
effects rippling across the planet in the shape of almost Biblical floods, fires, 
droughts, and hurricanes. Governments warn that there is no alternative to the bitter 
medicine they prescribe?or risk devastating financial or social collapse. The right, 
whether religious or secular, views the present as catastrophic and wants to turn the 
clock back. The left fears for the worst, but hopes some good will emerge from the rubble. 
Visions of the apocalypse and predictions of impending doom abound. Across the political 
spectrum, a culture of fear reigns.?

Catastrophism explores the politics of apocalypse?on the left and right, in the 
environmental movement?and examines why the lens of catastrophe can distort our 
understanding of the dynamics at the heart of these numerous disasters?and fatally impede 
our ability to transform the world. Lilley, McNally, Yuen, and Davis probe the reasons why 
catastrophic thinking is so prevalent, and challenge the belief that it is only out of the 
ashes that a better society may be born. The authors argue that those who care about 
social justice and the environment should jettison doomsaying?even as it relates to 
indisputably apocalyptic climate change. Far from calling people to arms, they suggest, 
catastrophic fear often results in passivity and paralysis?and, at worst, reactionary 
politics.?

James is an Irish a writer and film maker living in the Berkeley, CA. He is a Retort 
Collective participant and co-author of Catastrophism: The Apocalyptic politics of 
Collapse and Rebirth. He is also the director of 'Meeting Room', the documentary about the 
Concerned Parents Against Drugs movement.

One review of Catastrophism describes how it "offers a superb and needed critical overview 
of current tendencies toward an aestheticizing politics of doom. Evolving out of 
discussions catalyzed by Iain Boal and the Retort collective, these essays by Lilley, 
McNally, Yuen and Davis survey and analyze the traps and delusions involved when 
catastrophe scenarios are deployed as a mobilizing political figure. Clearly, we need to 
understand these pitfalls, for as Yuen observes, our moment ?is saturated with 
instrumental, spurious, and sometimes maniacal versions of catastrophism ? including 
right-wing racial paranoia, religious millenarianism, liberal panics over fascism, leftist 
fetishization of capitalist collapse, capitalist invocation of the ?shock doctrine,? and 
pop culture clich??.

Davis scrutinizes the political right, finding a broad willingness to view the gains and 
remnants of leftist social movements of the past as unmitigated disaster; this ?disease 
catastrophism? is linked to a potentially violent ?cure catastrophism? that welcomes 
apocalypse as the remedy. expressions of a history of rebellion and resistance from below."

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Event date and time:
Wed, 2014-06-25 20:00 - 21:30