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A very interesting thread on the forums of the Permaculture Research Institute prompted me to think about profiting off others. Echoing some of the “leaders” in the permaculture movement, most posters saw nothing inherently wrong with profit, as long as it was used for doing good like “ethical investing” and “giving back.” Besides, many of them said, it’s impossible to live without profit. I thought it was curious that people who claimed it’s possible on a societal level to actually live sustainably with nature suddenly became fatalistic and considered other changes too far a stretch of the imagination.
After spending the summer in Portland, Christina and I have decided to return to Florida. We experienced some interesting things: a week of communal living and invaluable workshops at the west coast the convergence for climate action, the beautiful Oregon coast, amazing Columbian gorge, inspiring Mount Hood, the stream of bikers commuting in Portland as well as the widespread gardens in the city.
I have decided to quit the sociology graduate program at the University of Florida after my first year. I have definitely learned many invaluable lessons and grown immensely, but most of these were gained from my experiences outside the classroom. It seems many in academia are primarily in it just for the money, status, and cushy privileges. The classes were monotonous and far from challenging; the politics in the department absurdly immature and even down right nasty (there are still many ongoing repercussions of these articles). The students and faculty who I previously held some respect for their ability to critique, proved themselves to be hypocritical when some of us attempted to turn the gaze of sociology back on itself and stand up for the rights of all students to be treated with respect and dignity within the department.
