42:30 – Self As Other: Reflections on Self Care – By Crimethinc. – MP3: – Read – Print – Torrent – Archive – YouTube

In activist circles and elsewhere, it has become commonplace to speak of self-care, taking for granted that the meaning of this expression is self-evident. But “self” and “care” are not static or monolithic; nor is “health.” How has this discourse been colonized by capitalist values? How could we expand our notion of care to encompass a transformative practice?

“The best way to sell people on a normative program is to frame it in terms of health. Who doesn’t want to be healthy? But like “self” and “care,” health is not one thing. In itself, health is not intrinsically good—it’s simply the condition that enables a system to continue to function. You can speak about the health of an economy, or the health of an ecosystem: these often have an inverse relationship.”

Zine Artwork by Corina Dross