To many New Zealanders who have stood up for their rights in the face of injustice, this will be a familiar, but nonetheless disturbing story. Indeed, it is an experience shared by many environmental activists arond the world as they are subjected to an escalating degree of violence as a natural product of the capitalist system. However, whilst the destructionof our physical environment is a primary concern, the degeneration of our sense of community is the first and greatest casualty when capitalism comes to live next door.