Essay 'Two Million Hornets' Explores Mountains as Sites of Resistance to State Control
A personal essay contrasts Ireland's deforested, flattened mountains with the wilder peaks of Asturias, Spain, where bears and wolves still roam. The author draws on historical resistance in the region and references James Scott's 'The Art of Not Being Governed' to argue that mountainous terrain has long resisted state surveillance and governance.
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The essay suggests that physical landscapes shape not just ecology but political possibility, implying that terrain difficult to surveil or conquer can sustain cultural and political autonomy. This framing invites readers to see mountains not as scenic backdrops but as active forces resisting centralized control, a perspective with implications for how modern states approach remote or rugged regions.
- The piece contrasts Ireland's degraded, treeless mountains with Asturias's intact wild peaks.
- It cites historical resistance in Asturias and James Scott's concept of 'non-state spaces' in mountainous regions.
- The essay frames mountains as active participants in shaping culture and resisting governmental control, not mere scenery.
Source: dark-mountain.net — Tom Smith, 2026-10-23
Published there as: “Two Million Hornets”
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