The Wild and the Free

‘The Wild & The Free’ begins as a series of meditations about wilderness and freedom; about the American frontier in fact and fiction, and its promise of freedom for refugees. But then it draws back to consider Rousseau, Zerzan and the largely negative effects on humanity and personal freedom which stem from the advent of agriculture. Along the way, Donal McGraith considers such topics as ‘buyer’s regret,’ which is evidenced by our consumerism and attempts to convince ourselves that we have not lost something of value. And he takes a detailed look at the film ‘Shane’ whose chief protagonist exemplifies the impossibility of personal integrity when faced by the demands of loyalty brought about by civilization. With his insistence on individual responsibility, Shane chooses to become an outsider, to stand apart from the family, law and gangs that compete for his allegiance. Part screed, McGraith attacks the complicity between post-modernism, technocracy and consumerism. His criticism of our complacency with misery, homelessness, and ecological disaster is ruthless. Distracted by the pursuit of things, he demonstrates our collusion in global misery. Wholesale capitulation to so-called technological innovation has allowed us to ignore the utter degradation and self-loathing we incarnate. McGraith finds clues to a different kind of life we all know to be possible which utterly condemns our moral vacancy. Filled with provocative insights, this is a personal and unconventional book.