37. The Privilege and Necessity of Rewilding with Peter Michael Bauer of Rewild Portland

Is it a privilege to be aware of our domesticated captivity within the walls of civilization? Is it a necessity to act on that privilege?

This is a line of questioning that I followed with Peter Michael Bauer, author of Rewild or Die: Revolution and Renaissance at the End of Civilization.

Of course, to even make sense of questions like these requires some fundamental shifts of perspective: as Peter points out, you need to be able to view them through a specific sort of lens -- the lens of rewilding -- without which you're left to wade through a whole mess of cognitive dissonance and half-truths you likely inherited from the dominant culture.

Suffice it to say that the forces of oppression and exploitation have a vested interest in framing our conversations in such a way as to divide and conquer us whenever possible. And we're all guilty of perpetuating this cultural climate, to a greater or lesser extent.

"Forgiveness doesn't go viral. Shame goes viral."

How, then, do we begin to push back against The Powers That Be in a meaningful, productive way?

Recognizing the privilege of being born into the wealthiest and most destructive culture the world has ever known, how do we harness said privilege to subvert and undermine the will of our oppressors?

We recorded this conversation in late February, just after the passing of the author Daniel Quinn (who I discussed in episode 34). As you’ll hear, Quinn’s work fundamentally altered the trajectory of Peter’s life, and he has some fascinating things to share regarding his encounters with Quinn, and how Quinn felt when he learned that his books inspired this movement of people who wish to dismantle civilization. (Here's a hint: it's probably not the reaction you're anticipating.)

Oh, and stick around to the end of the episode where I share a very personal spiritual experience I had recently at the fertile intersection of domestication, resistance, grief, and love.