Pacifism alone appears obsolete in the face of tyranny. Yet what if pacifism is but only one form of nonviolence in a spectrum limited only by our imagination? The author looks at one scenario sure to rock your world!
(inspired in part by the art of Eric Drooker; his art of the many horns!)
scenario:
While the industrially-stuck imaginations of seemingly most "demonstrators" and others seeking to 'speak truth to terrorism called "power" are off doing the same old thing, let's say we care enough to be waiting nearby, ready to spring into our radicalized desires at a most crucial time.
Let's say that the soldiers called police are on the brink of their usual orders--to smash heads and spray their peppers, WHEN SUDDENLY a terrific NOISE turns all attentions in various directions (NOISE bouncing off buildings or whathaveyou).
The NOISE is pure, deafening NOISE reflecting our intensities too long held secret. The NOISE has no notes, no "rhythm", just pure, unadulterated NOISE. Rough, tumbling, coming from many directions when noisemakers so desire.
Then becoming alternately more articulated, perhaps. Suggestion: Michael Jackson as a kid singing "A,B,C, 1,2,3," UNTIL musicians feel like throwing in their own input (as in jazz); then perhaps a string of Highland Pipers belts out their pipes and wend into the center, flanked by a line, on each side, of HEAVY METAL (or Blues) guitarists crouching, ready to reflect the soul of batons that may be raised, and go into *it* from there.
Authority attempts to move its soldiers called cops in response formations and as they do, in a chaos of various places (remote and not-so-remote), NOISEs cacaphony (especially near places where renewed war tension threatens).
Here comedians interspersed with ___(you name it!)___ initiate some form of ecstatic mobile ceremonial celebrating for the human beings everywhere caught up in and feeling trapped in a plethora of respective reductions of ourselves. Object: a spanarchy of becoming radically beautiful RIGHT NOW towards evolution of shared mind-set.
Even in the cacaphony of NOISE, song, and jokes, such quickly wouldn't be enough (since surveillers study even this writing right now, passing it onto their "superiors"), so this scenario invites (and would invite) all's radically creative input. All, returning to the scene (or creating others everywhere?) arting themselves as they see fit!
Imagine Christian fundies and other religionists tryin to inspire more followers with their best, joined in the chaos by the refrigerator bloc, the doughnut bloc, the abstract painting bloc. People dressed as paintings (famous and unknown) and mobile bushes being picked up (and "deployed") by giant hot-air balloon trees (the helicopter pilots would've reported seeing a large floating forest descending upon the scene).
You get the ideah. Utter chaos with intention. All invited , if ya dare !
Spectacular confusion in face of threat of force and other coercion
And when/if obedient soldiers smash anyway?
Send to the 'front' the doughnut bloc! Persons dressed in real tossed-out doughnuts piled high. And let the batons smash through the cops' known frustrations in their lives (all the while perhaps audibly narrating about how cops just gotta clobber their doughnut habits!); oh, the refrigerator bloc could come in too if it liked, old and new food spilling everywhere as batons and fire hoses crush back the naughty 'citizen' peasants and their *who do they think they are*. If a lull, perhaps the granny bloc joined with the be-suited businessman bloc could try to talk some sense into the human beings reduced to mere government machines.
And how about containments and chases? Running into buildings radically changed within--hall of mirrors anyone? Or in containment measure, giant black parachute raised and ad-hoc location transformed into something completely unexpected. All the while avoiding the stupidity and same old perpetuation of alienation!
Not all of us, of course, *want* to sacrifice ourselves to the gods of soldierdumb; so take this methodology and imagine where you might play!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Angles on jump-starting our creative nonviolent intelligence
Three recent art pieces to possibly inspire (all anti-copyright; if you wish to use, please merely give this blog url/address wherever you post them, thanks!):
The art at the immediate left (or above?) is a visionary illustration of a movement which might start with a critical mass of balloonists tired of the same old fare (and lack of actual community-making they might experience). Imagine communities "in the sky", tying together, even soaring (in between bike work-outs to create more heat)! And then coming down to Earth and sharing their spirits with the "ground bound".
Visionary writers, poets, welcome to expound upon this idea!
Again, at left (or above?), the idea of the "information society" has been promoted everywhere (where "we" once were "an industrial society"); the reality of such, thoughtfully "arted" is that "we" are to be an "in formation" society, where the reality of the "chain of command" which runs "our democracy" is now being peeled back (re: "privileges" watered down and rendered meaningless), now that "we" are not so needed anymore and so-called "developing" nations' peoples "are needed"--with their "rights" curtailed scientifically even more.
But don't take my word for it, listen to this indigenous wisdom keeper explain reality. (link forthcoming soon)
What to do?
I'll assume that you've already been undertaking a course of intellectual self-defense, that you already have been able to connect your intuitive dissent feelings with facts (and contexts), and that your critical faculties are either being honed to crucial finery as you practice your visions or something of that sort. And you may've already begun entertaining and envisioning scenarios of contention and confrontation in creative nonviolent strategies.
I'm skeptical, of course. Because many creative people in my experience are deeply "strategically challenged"; that is, all our lives we've been imbibed with either the well-financed propaganda system, or one of its competing "alternatives". This is where I challenge you to not merely see how corporations manipulate, or how capitalism (merely one symptom) exploits the uncomprehending. This is where I challenge you to "see others as you would like others to see you"; where we see people coerced and manipulated into systems of domination (and submission), both as "dominators" and "dominated". Where we come to a critical understanding of how implementers (such as cops) can become so hostile and alienated. Where we start to see how the very systems that people (whom once had great ideals) find themselves stuck in confines and traps in which the so-called "alternatives" have a way of perpetuating (at least on the surface; behind the scenes is another story), and in my view, actually contributing significantly to the problem rather than "solving" it.
There are various factors at work in this reality, and I'll touch on just a few. One is that all of these competing elites (as Chomsky shows) are engaged in "propaganda" aka the techniques of thought control. You can see it most plainly when you understand how "PR" (Public Relations) works. Another problem is that everyone is working in the unstated/meta context of believing they must work only within these confines. In this way, the situation is like a war. Supposedly a non-killing war, but if you happen to be a member of a group that is being officially scapegoated...then, even your death doesn't make a dent in the enforced silence. "Too much" is supposedly "at stake" for the alleged arbiters of the "alternatives" to "stick their neck out" and get the word out that could save your life.
This is the problem of politics in general. People who buy into playing politics do not want to demystify the meta game they are all playing. If you'd like to educate yourself about this topic, take a look at www.anti-politics.net. This is as far as I'll touch on this for now. (And please do challenge me on this premise of mine!)
The next question then becomes, do we realize the value of seeking to reach the hearts of those whom have been manipulated away from being in touch with their own hearts and original desires (before the institutions which tool them wrapped around them)? I'm not saying that it's "not important" to reach the hearts of the groups traditionally known as being oppressed. They/we are important, OF COURSE! Yet, in order to enact CRUCIAL challenge, we're going to have to find ways of reaching the hearts of those who are part and parcel (and help support) war in all its forms, at home and abroad; openly aggressive and covertly aggressive.
So the question is how to move us *and* them in such creative ways that collective we's feel we need not any longer continue to always subordinate our intelligence to martial/war methods and ideology. How do we bridge with intensities of alienation while not getting trampled ourselves?
One way I'm envisioning is something along the lines of "anti-organization". Note that this is qualatively different from normalized ideas of traditional organization. There's a reason for this; the reason is to learn from those whom have already been pre-emptively attacked by the reality of today's politics and police methods. I'll go into this in more depth sometime (sooner if anyone speaks up).
So imagine this: varying "affinity groups" or "teams" (or individuals, even) of creative contention which "hammer" at formalized mind-sets planted within all of us, but especially those artificially separated from "the commons" by their uncritical trust in "The Way Things Is" and such.
Here we go out not only from the ghettos of "normal" methods of interaction but also of the ghettos of "normalized" ideas of contention. What does that mean? What does that entail? I'll let you percolate that in your mind for awhile! If you still don't get it, ask and we'll speak.
So imagine teams of comedians (coming away from their ghetto-like separated-away stages) and engaging folks known to be rife with severe alienation --in ways which inspire folks to come out from behind their armor and out into meaningful communications and community!
That's key: meaningful community. If we don't have something to offer human beings so that they realize the value of coming away from the war reality they've always known --(and hear me, ALL domesticated folks/most of everyone "in society" does live in various varieties of war, "low intensity" as such may be!)--why should they "risk their necks"? So we need to offer something that can INSPIRE.
(Of course, we'll have to *hear them out* just as we wish to be understood! The more creative and fun ways we can do this, the better! See, for example, the card game in the links section at right: "The Game")
Up to our imagination and courage how much sanity we birth!
Practice practice practice practice!
(And in case you poo-poo this angle on things, know that I've personally engaged varying degrees of the strategically challenged, including in potentially very dangerous situations, and yet, with this methodology, have found amazing openings! Challenge me sometime to pontificate, and I'll speak about it on live radio or TV; "Democracy Now" anyone?!)
Finally, this piece invites readers to *look behind* intensities which are launched at us informally (as opposed to formally, such as by soldiers/implements of the State who are on duty who are usually acting as they are trained/indoctrinated). When people fire out things upon us with particularly emotive invective, we need to listen to the Toltec teachings and first, "not take it personally" (unless that's your calling). Such hurlings are symptoms and if we can metaphorically "step out of the way" of such, and "take a step back", we may better see "the bigger picture".
That is, the idea that people who fire off such emotive things are seeking to make a kind of bridge! But since they/we have all usually been systematically separated from knowing how to even engage in the most basic dialogue (beyond "How are you?" "I'm fine, and you?"), thanks to our domestication, it's typical that early attempts at communications are enraged.
Listen to your favorite wisdom keeper on this. Krishnamurti, Osho, indigenous persons, who-ever; they all say similar things, I think. The question is, can we implement such consciousness in ways that are truly meaningful? Can we "run with the ball" further? Do we give ourselves permission?!?
One need not be fake about it, though; one need not be "nice". We can be enraged as well (or some grey area in between, depending on what spirit you want to perfect). We can be real. Hell, many enraged people DON'T TRUST "nice"; they see right through such!
More details to follow!
The art at the immediate left (or above?) is a visionary illustration of a movement which might start with a critical mass of balloonists tired of the same old fare (and lack of actual community-making they might experience). Imagine communities "in the sky", tying together, even soaring (in between bike work-outs to create more heat)! And then coming down to Earth and sharing their spirits with the "ground bound".
Visionary writers, poets, welcome to expound upon this idea!
Again, at left (or above?), the idea of the "information society" has been promoted everywhere (where "we" once were "an industrial society"); the reality of such, thoughtfully "arted" is that "we" are to be an "in formation" society, where the reality of the "chain of command" which runs "our democracy" is now being peeled back (re: "privileges" watered down and rendered meaningless), now that "we" are not so needed anymore and so-called "developing" nations' peoples "are needed"--with their "rights" curtailed scientifically even more.
But don't take my word for it, listen to this indigenous wisdom keeper explain reality. (link forthcoming soon)
What to do?
I'll assume that you've already been undertaking a course of intellectual self-defense, that you already have been able to connect your intuitive dissent feelings with facts (and contexts), and that your critical faculties are either being honed to crucial finery as you practice your visions or something of that sort. And you may've already begun entertaining and envisioning scenarios of contention and confrontation in creative nonviolent strategies.
I'm skeptical, of course. Because many creative people in my experience are deeply "strategically challenged"; that is, all our lives we've been imbibed with either the well-financed propaganda system, or one of its competing "alternatives". This is where I challenge you to not merely see how corporations manipulate, or how capitalism (merely one symptom) exploits the uncomprehending. This is where I challenge you to "see others as you would like others to see you"; where we see people coerced and manipulated into systems of domination (and submission), both as "dominators" and "dominated". Where we come to a critical understanding of how implementers (such as cops) can become so hostile and alienated. Where we start to see how the very systems that people (whom once had great ideals) find themselves stuck in confines and traps in which the so-called "alternatives" have a way of perpetuating (at least on the surface; behind the scenes is another story), and in my view, actually contributing significantly to the problem rather than "solving" it.
There are various factors at work in this reality, and I'll touch on just a few. One is that all of these competing elites (as Chomsky shows) are engaged in "propaganda" aka the techniques of thought control. You can see it most plainly when you understand how "PR" (Public Relations) works. Another problem is that everyone is working in the unstated/meta context of believing they must work only within these confines. In this way, the situation is like a war. Supposedly a non-killing war, but if you happen to be a member of a group that is being officially scapegoated...then, even your death doesn't make a dent in the enforced silence. "Too much" is supposedly "at stake" for the alleged arbiters of the "alternatives" to "stick their neck out" and get the word out that could save your life.
This is the problem of politics in general. People who buy into playing politics do not want to demystify the meta game they are all playing. If you'd like to educate yourself about this topic, take a look at www.anti-politics.net. This is as far as I'll touch on this for now. (And please do challenge me on this premise of mine!)
The next question then becomes, do we realize the value of seeking to reach the hearts of those whom have been manipulated away from being in touch with their own hearts and original desires (before the institutions which tool them wrapped around them)? I'm not saying that it's "not important" to reach the hearts of the groups traditionally known as being oppressed. They/we are important, OF COURSE! Yet, in order to enact CRUCIAL challenge, we're going to have to find ways of reaching the hearts of those who are part and parcel (and help support) war in all its forms, at home and abroad; openly aggressive and covertly aggressive.
So the question is how to move us *and* them in such creative ways that collective we's feel we need not any longer continue to always subordinate our intelligence to martial/war methods and ideology. How do we bridge with intensities of alienation while not getting trampled ourselves?
One way I'm envisioning is something along the lines of "anti-organization". Note that this is qualatively different from normalized ideas of traditional organization. There's a reason for this; the reason is to learn from those whom have already been pre-emptively attacked by the reality of today's politics and police methods. I'll go into this in more depth sometime (sooner if anyone speaks up).
So imagine this: varying "affinity groups" or "teams" (or individuals, even) of creative contention which "hammer" at formalized mind-sets planted within all of us, but especially those artificially separated from "the commons" by their uncritical trust in "The Way Things Is" and such.
Here we go out not only from the ghettos of "normal" methods of interaction but also of the ghettos of "normalized" ideas of contention. What does that mean? What does that entail? I'll let you percolate that in your mind for awhile! If you still don't get it, ask and we'll speak.
So imagine teams of comedians (coming away from their ghetto-like separated-away stages) and engaging folks known to be rife with severe alienation --in ways which inspire folks to come out from behind their armor and out into meaningful communications and community!
That's key: meaningful community. If we don't have something to offer human beings so that they realize the value of coming away from the war reality they've always known --(and hear me, ALL domesticated folks/most of everyone "in society" does live in various varieties of war, "low intensity" as such may be!)--why should they "risk their necks"? So we need to offer something that can INSPIRE.
(Of course, we'll have to *hear them out* just as we wish to be understood! The more creative and fun ways we can do this, the better! See, for example, the card game in the links section at right: "The Game")
Up to our imagination and courage how much sanity we birth!
Practice practice practice practice!
(And in case you poo-poo this angle on things, know that I've personally engaged varying degrees of the strategically challenged, including in potentially very dangerous situations, and yet, with this methodology, have found amazing openings! Challenge me sometime to pontificate, and I'll speak about it on live radio or TV; "Democracy Now" anyone?!)
Finally, this piece invites readers to *look behind* intensities which are launched at us informally (as opposed to formally, such as by soldiers/implements of the State who are on duty who are usually acting as they are trained/indoctrinated). When people fire out things upon us with particularly emotive invective, we need to listen to the Toltec teachings and first, "not take it personally" (unless that's your calling). Such hurlings are symptoms and if we can metaphorically "step out of the way" of such, and "take a step back", we may better see "the bigger picture".
That is, the idea that people who fire off such emotive things are seeking to make a kind of bridge! But since they/we have all usually been systematically separated from knowing how to even engage in the most basic dialogue (beyond "How are you?" "I'm fine, and you?"), thanks to our domestication, it's typical that early attempts at communications are enraged.
Listen to your favorite wisdom keeper on this. Krishnamurti, Osho, indigenous persons, who-ever; they all say similar things, I think. The question is, can we implement such consciousness in ways that are truly meaningful? Can we "run with the ball" further? Do we give ourselves permission?!?
One need not be fake about it, though; one need not be "nice". We can be enraged as well (or some grey area in between, depending on what spirit you want to perfect). We can be real. Hell, many enraged people DON'T TRUST "nice"; they see right through such!
More details to follow!
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