Anarchy is Boring - The Stranger
Brilliant article about anarchism in the context of the May Day protests in Seattle.
While I don’t fully agree with anarchist philosophy (I currently consider support Marxist socialism which is both very similar and very different to anarchism), I sympathize with those who do, and have a great respect for the largely unknown history of anarchist involvement in radical movements such as the struggle for the 8 hour day.
Unfortunately, like “socialism”, the word “anarchy” has been smeared by time. When most people think socialism, they think poverty, uniformity and mass murder. Most people are so conditioned, they don’t realize the rather wholesome root, “social”. I grew up assuming the word “anarchy” was a synonym for “chaos”. In truth, the etymology of the word is from the Greek “anarkhos”, meaning “no rulers”.
Anarchy is not scary. Anarchists are not idiots (although I would argue that the media-created black glossy sheen on anarchy probably attracts a lot of newly angry teenagers). Anarchy has a rich history of sacrifice for social movements that we don’t even question as radical today.
The anarchists we see on tv getting all smashy are supporters of black bloc tactics - they believe destruction of business property is the way to start a conversation. While I’m not against smashy smashy, I don’t personally think it’s productive (because then people focus only on the smashy and what you were wearing while you smash things and no one gives a thought about anarchism or what, say, the Occupy Movement as a whole is trying to get people to think about).
My point though, is that this group is a small subset of anarchists, who are on the whole, as this article explains well, quite thoughtful, dedicated and caring individuals.
Showing some love for legs both shaven and hairy.
I’m trying to be more “post political” about this stuff. I used to keep my legs hairy because I wanted to make a statement: many beauty standards are fabricated for profit and we shouldn’t ostracize people who don’t adhere to them. I still believe this wholeheartedly and believe that doing things to make a statement is great.
But damnit, sometimes I feel like shaving my legs. I’m tired of worrying that if I don’t shave, mainstream people will think I’m gross and if I do shave, radical people will see me as a sell out. I want to find a balance between fighting for a more accepting world on one hand and making decisions based on what makes me happy on the other.
An anecdote.
At Amanda Palmer’s most recent show in Seattle, someone in the crowd yelled, “Amanda, do you shave your armpits?” and Amanda responded, “No,” and then added dryly, “EXCEPT when I fucking feel like it.”
Be The Change - Luminaries ft. Trevor Hall (Official Music Video) (by luminariesmusic)
Found through the Burning Man community. I don’t even care what anyone else thinks, I LOVE THIS.
There’s a part of me I’ve been denying since I started this musical journey, and I think I’d like to get it back. This song describes the place it comes from. Not the religious colorings, but the love, the love, the love.
Bonus: adorable video and cute hippie boys.
I don’t believe in laziness. We all have reasons for inaction.
(via amodernmanifesto)
A potentially widely misinterpreted book with some questionable ideals, but a lot that I’m all about. This being one of them. The American Dream is gone - it never existed.
(via sexinthecinema)
Why I got arrested at the Capitol
Seattle high school teacher , a member of Social Equality Educators, describes a teachers’ protest in state capital—and the inspiring response of students.
Amanda Palmer covering Leon Rosselson’s “The World Turned Upside Down”
This is the song about The Diggers!! Political history nerdiness FTW. I nearly pissed myself when Amanda performed this at #OccupySeattle. I’d heard about The Diggers from a Hawai’ian anarchist artist pamphlet about public space called NoMoola: Eating in Public, from which this exerpt is taken:
In November of 2003 we planted twenty papaya seedlings on public land near our house in Kailua, Hawai’i. In doing so, we broke the existing laws of the state that delineate this space as ‘public’ and thereby set the terms for its use. Our act has two major purposes: one is to grow and share food; the other is to problematize the concept of ‘public’ within public space.
Yup. So much design win going on lately.
(via amodernmanifesto)
You may think my approach is simple-minded and naïve like if you want to save the world then why not quit and feed the hungry, but people for millennia have needed music to survive and that’s why I’ve promised John [Lennon] that I will not feel guilty…
Amanda Palmer in Ukulele Anthem
I can’t believe I didn’t notice this before. It still stands that I shouldn’t give more authority to anyone, including Amanda Palmer, than I do to myself but…
Hearing her sing this tonight made a light go off in my head. She announced her plan to play at Occupy Seattle on Twitter, and at the show, and is asking people to spread the word… Not the normal ninja gig. I mean, I imagine a ton more people, new people, scared people, averse people, confused people… Will now attend the occupation with the opportunity to strengthen their interest and therefore the movement.
I promise too, to John Lennon and all the rest… I won’t feel guilty for wanting my activism to be my music.
And I won’t shave my pitts… Except when I fucking feel like it.
And I’ll write a three chord song and stop complaining that art is hard. Maybe.
Drawing before breakfast makes me cynical
Dang. This is shaking all of the walls I’ve been slowly building to hold back a flood of guilt. I’ve been telling myself for the past two years, “It’s ok that you haven’t joined a socialist organization, it’s ok you’re not reading political books all the time anymore, it’s ok that you’re not attending every protest, or spending the night at Occupy Seattle, or intentionally getting arrested”.
I told myself it was ok because I was doing something I’d hoped would be bigger, louder and more potent than anything I could possibly do as a single person in a crowd.
As someone who spent 27 years believing that I didn’t have the right to make a peep, even though singing has been my lifelong dream, building a voice for myself has been a huge challenge, and nothing short of unshackling. I’ve been hoping that I could give a voice to the people as well. To new ideas, to challenging ideas, to comforting ideas. I’ve been hoping I could make people stop and think, that I could help people feel like they aren’t alone, that I could bring people together and fire people up, or give them some hope after a long day of fighting.
I guess this is one of those times when I have to make the decision not to give a stranger authority over my own beliefs. I really do believe I’d be more use to the world as a musician than as an activist. I believe that there is more than one valid kind of activism. I believe I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to prove that.
It just sucks to think that there might be people in the crowd looking at me like I took the easy way out and I’m getting undeserved credit by being on a stage. Making music (particularly with political lyrics) has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. It’s never been easy, and it’s never been just for me.
I dunno, the author is a musician - maybe I took this the wrong way?
Bank of America’s “eviction notice,”
Westlake Square, Occupy Seattle Protests
Looks like Seattle to me!!
(via amodernmanifesto)
amanda palmer: an open letter to mayor menino, from amanda fucking palmer.
hola comrades.
last night i went to a rally that lasted several hours in roxbury (a neighborhood of boston proper) called “occupy the hood”, just a few blocks from where i live.
roxbury is what local boston folks would refer to as The Ghetto. almost all black. shitloads of gangs, crime, and…
I say this a lot, but I hope to have the power to do this someday. For someone like Amanda Palmer to have this kind of clear perspective, and to not be afraid to speak on it, and to attempt to be thorough - these are messages that will get through to a LOT of people.
Thank you, Amanda, for always using your powers for good. Or cheesecake.
My occupy Halloween pumpkin.
