Vegans, Leaders & Followers (Freelee, Durianrider, Gary Yourofsky & Ecology)

07 July 2015 [link youtube]


Leadership is created by followership: vegans tends to select certain types of charismatic leaders, in the absence of any "institutional" structure for their ecological and ethical interests (that could have, hypothetically, been shaped by the Green Party, Greenpeace or other institutions, that have thus far failed to take on any such leadership role). This video raises broad questions of who our leaders are (how and why we select them), examining the type of leadership that results from internet-centered activism in the 21st century.


Youtube Automatic Transcription

of leadership.
have leadership, and it wouldn't have problems be discredited by bad leadership. (and if you don't know what I'm talking about, don't worry, you don't have to know any of the issues I'm going to be exploring in this rise and fall of Gary Yourofsky. through videos he posted on the internet, and his fame reflected the intense desire pent-up followership. Yourofsky, although he was just a leader on being vegan for ethical reasons, for ecological himself --to some extent-- by making insensitive Palestinians and other ethnic groups. that up by reiterating that he's prejudiced have any particular prejudice against Palestinians, reflects the fundamental desire of vegans those leaders will be real, political leaders, party, or, you could say, a religious leader. or "sensitive" perspective on the Palestinian of any of our political parties know anything in Canada know nothing (I think they're largely Canada), but there's an expectation of them accurate statements about Palestine and numerous hilarious to me [that] every so often somebody statement about Myanmar (also known as Burma); who knows anything about Southeast Asia or when somebody has to step forward and make desires of the followership. his rights to say, "Hey, I didn't ask for if Gary Yourofsky really held tremendously be entitled to say, "Hey, [my] public message judged for [my] views on the Israel-Palestine narrow the significance of his leadership of a fringe diet of no greater significance. the intensity of the yearning of vegans to and unambiguously), reflects a broader political they're within their rights to say they didn't sell books on how to lose weight, books on encouraging people to exercise, and they could leaders of a political party, they shouldn't be politically-correct or well-informed on defined as a diet). has aspirations "to change the world", "to than just a diet. Yourofsky, Freelee, Durianrider), why are when they didn't ask for it? recognize is the failure of other institutions leadership role for veganism. maybe starting in 1998/1999. if an organization like the Green Party had starting in (let's say) 1995. things would be different for ecology in Canada, 1990s) a lot of people would have said, "Oh reciprocal with that, the Green Party would vegans who really supported that party, really a lot of other Green Parties and ecological excuses and taken a half-way position and drawbacks of taking a clear stand on veganism country is Greenpeace. but Greenpeace has a unique history linked (the most important founders) were Canadian had been unambiguously committed to veganism instead of 1995). would have felt challenged by that: people have felt challenged back in the 1980s and public stunts, hanging banners from a boat they also say that everyone should stop drinking also mean that today (in 2015) an organization were more famous and influential amongst vegans and publications and a news-service that mattered by Gary Yourofsky, Durianrider, Freelee or had the opportunity (the greatest opportunity role for veganism, and they either didn't and they failed. Treatment of Animals (P.E.T.A.), I would argue to get into, and… for several years, so, just to keep this video has years of experience with P.E.T.A., they story to tell. one of the founders of Greenpeace, and, again, different from any other country, so… connected to that history. at Greenpeace, one of its leaders and most in his whole life he never even tried to be I don't think he quit smoking cigarettes or activist for ecology. the fact that one institution misses that (a demand for leadership) that can latch on Durianrider, whether or not those people ever is long enough, huh? here is just that success in one place will that creates an institution will take away and the leader of the Green Party happens who is not very intelligent or who you disagree "Okay, I'm going to vote for that other Green globally, like Greenpeace. Canada like Greenpeace. there could be an infinite number of political of those ecological charities, in reality institution my grandmother used to donate for a limited number of people to get that disappointment if a guy like Gary Yourofsky himself. connected to Buddhism in Canada. just so happened that the people in charge were crazy or incompetent, or whatever you are plenty of other opportunities!" institutional failures), those did discredit deeply embarrassing, and then you've just on. to talk about those examples, but I don't watching this video. very eccentric, at worst insane; he did lie or anything like that, but he was dishonest an institution right on the edge of the University a kind of academically valid Buddhist institution. real research, and providing language classes donate money to it and then feel ripped off, eccentric, that has consequences. you can have ten different institutions like and do it!" anyone can start up another Green Party. got to deal with the long shadow of that institutional is crazy and discredits his department, or you know. into a position of leadership. again: a certain type of personality is drawn teenager, when I was better-looking than I now, let me just say. a certain type of personality was drawn to it. for a couple of weekends or once-in-a-while, go back again and again. and the self-discipline to get up on stage vulnerability to really want the approval crowd, or the applause, or the laughter. type of personality. [and] successful actors, people who have that involved with drugs, just as a psychological not something new that has just come out of drug user; he hasn't called himself a drug of drug under the sun, he's used every drug been in-and-out of prison, somehow related it's wonderful that he turned his life around. user and ex-convict to being a vegan and a role, when she started out her main act was she was a former drug addict, she would refer history with drug use that included cocaine kind of thing. that she turned her life around. they have a certain kind of reckless self-confidence, vulnerability, where they need your approval them so much, certain types of rejection, them. comics. a leadership role that (in some ways) they and encouraging you to get on your bicycle they happen to make some politically-incorrect aboriginal people, about indigenous people in this leadership role, really are closer than they are just somebody promoting a diet. and fitness guru, even though they may have who chooses themselves for this role, who kind of leadership. drug addict, former convict, and he did talk in and out of halfway houses and so on. he's now turned his life around, he's become he shows off his body, that's great. friend of mine from high-school, who had that habit, etc.), I would be so happy for him, small town mayor, because those questions your life, and what haven't you done with who started a channel called The Glucose Network, says it's his fifth time, y'know. certain kind of bravado (his name's Abdullah, and he wants to be macho and act like it's obviously paid money repeatedly to put you for the rest of your life. but, obviously, for people like Harley and surround them: okay, so this is your background, to be a drug addict, you used to be a convict, have a public profile, you're selling diet and get a diploma as a nutritionist? people ask about what you did with your life, a B.A., y'know. store, in a town, if you've just been an honest can run for mayor. with pride and give an account of what you to take on that leadership role. because of the failure of institutions like in, the Green Party in Germany, the Green we're talking about), the process we've got forward to become stand-up comedians and then so much more.