During our last class before break, we had a smaller size, leading to even more intimacy than usual. We started with our customary mood checks, in which we all seemed to be totally drained and ready for beak. Here’s to finishing out our last two weeks strong!
Chapter Five: Happy Futures is a critique of hope and the bleak future we face with it. Dylan used this discussion to focus on the raging revolution- which are people are bringing about change without happiness. Dylan also made sure that we knew that Ahmed believes it is wrong to be optimistic and pessimistic, as they both are object oriented. Instead, reject them both so we are not object oriented.
We believe that we will bring about change through happiness. But rather, Ahmed says that we should be viewing the future as a possibility and that hope is found in endless possibilities. With seeing the future as a possibility, we need to start making changes now. With being revolutionaries, revolutionary violence reveals structural violence. Emma mention that revolutionary violence overshadows the real truth of a revolution. People seem so focused on the negative that the truth behind the revolution isn’t exposed. I brought up the fact that while revolutionary violence does unveil structural violence, change is not on the front burner. Structural violence is usually permitted by a majority and the minority is shut down.
Dylan then brought up the Yale v. Harvard football game in which students from both universities sat on the field during half time and protested climate change. Dr. Gallegos then asked the class about hope in relation to change- if there is any. I personally do not believe that change will happen until the notion of happiness=money=power changes and there’s a raging revolution in the majority. A few others input their opinion and while we all agreed that climate change is real and detrimental, we do not know how we can fix it, even with hope.
Hunter, I believe, brought up this idea that hope is like betting; you become emotionally invested in something. Steven brought up that there are two types of hope; hope towards an object and hope in ourselves, which both are needed for change. Lastly, someone brought up the idea that snapping is revolutionary, but you cannot be a raging revolutionary (you cannot snap) your whole life. You will burn out. When you feel yourself start to become unhappy, give up hope, and rage with other unhappy people.
Shared by: Madison Roope