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1709 lines
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P r a c t i c a l @ n a r c h y
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O N L I N E
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Issue 2.5, November/December 1993
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Winter Solstice Edition
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A bimonthly electronic zine concerning anarchy from a practical point of
|
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view, to help you put some anarchy in your everyday life. The anarchy scene
|
||
is covered through reviews and reports from people in the living anarchy.
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Editors:
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Chuck Munson
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Internet ctmunson@macc.wisc.edu
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Bitnet ctmunson@wiscmacc.bitnet
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Postal address
|
||
Practical Anarchy
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PO Box 173
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Madison, WI 53701-0173
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USA
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|
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Subscription of PA Online is free in it's electronic format and each issue
|
||
is anti-copyright and may be distributed freely as long as the source is
|
||
credited. Please direct subscription matters to cardell at the above
|
||
address.
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||
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We encourage our readers to submit articles and to send in bits of news
|
||
from everywhere. Local or worldwide doesn't matter -- we publish it. Send
|
||
mail to the editors.
|
||
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******************IMPORTANT NOTE***************************
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THIS IS THE LAST ISSUE OF PRACTICAL ANARCHY ONLINE, at least for a
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||
little while!
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This zine needs some new editors if it is to continue in 1994. I
|
||
recently found out that my acting position will be filled by someone else,
|
||
so my job future as of January is up in the air. I'll also be losing
|
||
access to the Internet for awhile, so I won't be able to put this zine out.
|
||
I'll put out three more issues and then someone else will have to pick up
|
||
the reins. The paper edition of Practical Anarchy will continue to be
|
||
published by me. So if you are in general agreement with the philosophy of
|
||
this zine (an emphasis on practical anarchy, anti-statism, anti-capitalism,
|
||
and anti-vanguardism) please send me a note. Ideally we should have at
|
||
least two people doing this publication. I can also send you the current
|
||
mailing list.
|
||
I will be out of town from December 19th to January 4th. You might
|
||
be able to reach me via email in January, but I can't guarantee that.
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||
Contact me at my post office box if you need to.
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||
*********************************************************************
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=@= NEWS AND SCENE REPORTS =@=
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SPUNK NEWS
|
||
Spunk Press, an electronic archive of anarchist and alternative
|
||
materials, keeps growing! An upcoming update to the archive will bring the
|
||
total number of etexts to over 160. We are still looking for more
|
||
materials and more volunteers. Spunk Press is run by an international
|
||
collective. The archive may soon be available from multiple sites.
|
||
Contact us for more details. Members of Spunk also get together weekly for
|
||
a chat session on the IRC. Check out the #Spunk channel every Saturday at
|
||
1800 UT. If you can't access Spunk via FTP, you can ask one of the
|
||
collective members to print out the material you want and they will mail it
|
||
to you.
|
||
|
||
To get more news about Spunk Press, send a message to spunk-list@lysator.liu.se
|
||
|
||
To access the archive via FTP:
|
||
Archive is located at etext.archive.umich.edu
|
||
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=@= FOCUS SECTION =@=
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ANARCHY & ECONOMICS Part 2
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What is MONEY?
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[by boog highberger. This originally appeared in *The Gentle Anarchist*
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#15, Fall 1987]
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Thinking about money in this society is like being a fish wondering
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about the nature of water. We build our lives around money, we live money,
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we breathe money, we swim in it like fish in the sea.
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Millions of people spend (so to speak) 40 hours a week, 50 weeks a
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year doing nothing but playing with money-printing it, minting it, counting
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it, recounting it, taking it from here, sending it there, juggling it,
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smuggling it...sitting in offices in huge buildings making phone calls and
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shuffling bits of paper, adding & re-adding endless columns of numbers to
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make sure that they come out exactly the same...yeah, but...
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"I don't know what money is today, and I don't think anybody at the Fed
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does either."
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Richard Pratt, Chairman of the Board of the
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Federal Home Loan Bank, 1982
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Money is Inevitable
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Money is not an accident. Neither was it the "invention" of some
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particularly progressive culture or clever individual. Money in various
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forms has arisen independently, in different ages and on every continent,
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wherever the local economy has evolved beyond the level of subsistence.
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Wherever there is surplus, trade inevitably follows, and primitive barter
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economies progress almost inevitably to money economies, as certain
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articles of recognized usefulness slowly come to symbolize wealth and are
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accepted at a fixed value. In an area where cattle are the common form of
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wealth, money is born when a cow comes to have the value of 1 cow,
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regardless of its size, weight, health, or other physical characteristics.
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>From there the process of abstraction continues: cattle come [to] be
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represented by tokens bearing pictures of cattle, the tokens evolve into
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coins symbolizing value in general, and on down to our own day where value
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is symbolized by marks on paper and the magnetic configurations of silicon
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wafers.
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And the inevitability of money is clear even in the present day.
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Wherever national governments have attempted to impose worthless currencies
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as the means of exchange, black markets dealing in "hard" currencies have
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arisen. This phenomenon perhaps reached the peak of absurdity in the 1970s
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in Communist Laos, where the official money of the country was the "kip",
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but the only money accepted by the Laotian government was the US dollar.
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The Soviet Union is the only country in the world where counterfeiting is
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a capital offense (so to speak).
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Money is Inequality
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John Locke thought that money arose before society, and
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that by its use people have consented to class society:
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"it is plain, that Men have agreed to disproportionate and unequal
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Possession of the Earth, they haying by a tacit and voluntary consent found
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out a way, how a man may fairly possess more land than he himself can use
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the product of, by receiving in exchange for the overplus, Gold and Silver,
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which may be hoarded up without injury to any one, these metalls not
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spoiling or decaying in the hands of the possessor. This partage of things,
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in an inequality of private possessions, men have made practicable out of
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the bounds of Societie, and without compact, only by putting a value on
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gold and silver and tacitly agreeing in the use of Money
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[emphasis added]."
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Georg Simmel, writing two hundred years later, was not nearly so
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naive about the nature of money and society. Simmel recognized that money
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is "entirely a social institution", and said that "When barter is replaced
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by money transactions, a third factor is introduced between the two
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parties: the community as a whole, which provides a real value
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corresponding to money." Those who become "rich" are those who manage to
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monopolize big chunks of the social wealth for their own ends. Far from
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being a tacit agreement, this is done despite the sometimes violent
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resistance of those whose share of the social wealth is being taken away.
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The division of labor in society depends on a money economy. And so
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||
does capitalism. It's very hard to extract surplus value in a system based
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on barter exchange. The growth of the state has gone hand in hand with the
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||
growth of the money economy- the emerging nation-states imposed taxes
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payable only in money, replacing taxes payable in kind and driving more and
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||
more people into alienated labor and the money economy. Like S. Herbert
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||
Frankel says, "a trustworthy, disciplined monetary system is indispensable
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for the free unfolding of the extended division of labor on which the
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growth of world economies depends... A reliable standard in which
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long-term debts can be expressed is indispensable for the growth of
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capital."
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So capitalists didn't invent money... but perhaps we can say that
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money invented capitalism. For once money has been born into the world it
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quickly begins to recreate the world in its own image.
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Chrematophobia: Fear of Money.
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Money Is Midas
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||
Like King Midas, money turns everything it touches to gold, or at
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least into commodities that can be exchanged for gold. Unique living
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beings become standardized things.
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"Trade is the reduction and quantification of the world to commodity
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equivalents, the leveller of quality, skill, and concrete labor to
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numerical units that can be measured by time and money, clocks and gold."
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Murray Bookchin
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||
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And as money itself becomes more abstract and divorced from
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concrete reality, so do the society and people that use it. As Simmel puts
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it, "The increasing replacement of metal money by paper money and the
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various forms of credit unavoidably react upon the character of money-in
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roughly the same way as in personal relations when somebody allows himself
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||
to be represented by others, so that finally he receives no greater esteem
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||
than is accorded his representatives...The idea that life is essentially
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||
based on intellect, and that intellect is accepted in practical life as the
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||
most valuable of our mental energies, goes hand in hand with the growth of
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||
a money economy."
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Money Is What Money Does
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||
Featured on the back of the Swiss 1000-franc note, the highest
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valued item of currency in regular circulation in the world, is a figure of
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the Grim Reaper.
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||
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||
Money Is
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||
the Secret Name of All Things
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In many ancient cultures, to know the name of something was to control it,
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to have power over it. In the Christian Bible, Adam is given authority
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||
over the animals of the world when God allows him to name them. In the
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||
underworld of the ancient Egyptians, the dead had to pass through a series
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of gates to reach the Kingdom of Osiris, the Land of the Blessed. The key
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to passing through each gate was to know the secret name of the gate and
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the secret name of the gatekeeper. Today everyone and everything has the
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same secret name: MONEY.
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Money Is White Sugar
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"What we call the primitive is a mature system with deep capacities for
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stability and protection built into it. In fact it seems to be able to
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withstand everything except white sugar and the money economy trading
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relationship; and alcohol, kerosene, nails, and matches."
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Gary Snyder
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Money is electricity: power stripped from its context and refined to its
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purest form. We have created elaborate networks for its circulation. We
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have devised ingenious instruments and mechanisms to let it do our work for
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us. It jumps through hoops at our command but it is no longer clear who is
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the master...
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Money Is A Pyramid Scheme
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It's highly appropriate that there's a picture of a pyramid on the
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back of the US dollar bill, because money is the original pyramid scheme.
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Here's how it works: You go to work to help make something for the
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boss. At the end of the week you get a few pieces of paper that are a
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promise that somebody else will give you some stuff you want. So you worked
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all week for the promise of a promise.
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But where did the boss get the money to pay you? Well, either he
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sold the stuff that you had already made for him (and pocketed his share),
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or he "borrowed" it. And where did this "borrowed" money come from? From a
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bank. And where did the bank get it? From somebody like you, who had some
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money to save, who wanted to wait a while to cash in their promises. So the
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bank gives the money to the boss, who gives it back to you. And all this
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works just fine, most of the time. The only problem is when everyone wants
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to cash in their promises all at once and they find out there are more
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promises than stuff. Every pyramid scheme eventually crashes, and when a
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pyramid scheme crashes somebody always gets burned. Guess who?
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Money Is Shit
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||
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Freudian psychoanalysts equate money and feces. Ernest Bornemann
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says that "according to ancient Babylonian doctrine, gold was referred to
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as the 'feces of hell', and Theodor Reik mentions that the Aztecs used to
|
||
call gold the 'feces of the gods'." Freudians also make a connection
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||
between money and guilt. Again according to Bornemann, "capital
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accumulation and indebtedness are as closely related as feces accumulation
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and feelings of guilt." Unfortunately Bornemann uses this sound base of
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||
symbolic insight as a jumping off point for some painfully goofy flights of
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imagination, as when he speculates that "there is no reason to assume that
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a desire for the private ownership of the means of production would have to
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||
persist in a socialist society with appropriate weaning and toilet
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||
training."
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"Money is like muck, not good except it be spread."
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Francis Bacon
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The phrase "money doesn't smell" was coined by the Roman Emperor Vespasian
|
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who had taxed the collection of urine because the ammonia it contained was
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used by the Romans to do their laundry. The Roman Emperor Tiberius feared
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that he was made of feces, and forbade Romans to enter public toilets with
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rings or gold coins showing his portrait.
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Money Is A Disease
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A 1972 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association
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found 21 different disease-causing microorganisms living on samples of
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paper money. 42% of the bills tested carried one or more of the pathogens.
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In medieval Russia, there existed silver coins so small that it was
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impossible to take them by hand from a table. When transactions took place,
|
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the buyer emptied his purse on the table, the amount to be paid was
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separated out, and both parties then picked up their share of the coins
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with their tongues and spat them into their respective purses.
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Money Is Freedom,
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Money Is Slavery;
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Money Is Community,
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Money Is Alienation
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Yeah, and money is a paradox...What money gives on one level it
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takes away on another. Money frees us to realize our wildest desires-money
|
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is pure choice-but at the same time it binds us to a system of wage slavery
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in which we have to sell our time to survive. Money strengthens our
|
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connections to our fellow human by tying us into a system of production
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that makes us all mutually dependent... but at the same time it cheapens
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and destroys even the most intimate of our interpersonal relations by
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reducing them to the level of commodity exchanges.
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Locke celebrated the fact that "money... replaced the utter
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dependence on nature by a new dependence, a dependence on other individuals
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and on society." Locke looked forward to the promise of such freedom with
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an optimism that seems naive from our jaded 20th century perspective. As
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Frankel explains it: "Today we have more freedom but are unable to enjoy it
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properly; money makes it possible to buy ourselves not only out of bonds
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with others but even out of bonds with our possessions. We develop a
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rootless search for ever new things because money is our only nexus with
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them. Money's abstract power to command anything ultimately seems to
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command nothing."
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And again with the paradoxes: while money as an institution may
|
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threaten our freedom and our sanity, in the short run certain forms of
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money work greatly in our favor. In particular, banknotes and metal money
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are a protection against the people who want to monitor our every motion.
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Consider this serious proposal from a lawyer who had a friend whose wallet
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had just been ripped off:
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ABOLISH PAPER MONEY AND ELIMINATE MOST CRIME
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Paper currency is the lifeblood of crime and corruption in the
|
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United States. Without paper money it would be virtually impossible for
|
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criminals and corrupt officials to profit from illegal activities. If all
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substantial transfers of money were recorded in bank transactions, nobody
|
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could conduct profitable illegal activities without creating highly visible
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permanent evidence of the illegal activities or of income tax evasion or
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both. With the chances of profit from illegal activities so slim, it is
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difficult to visualize large numbers of persons running the risks of
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imprisonment. Crime would be reduced dramatically to the point where
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today's police forces could effectively control it. Fortunately, technology
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has advanced to the point that today there is a substitute for paper money:
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a 'payment card' system keyed to bank accounts.
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Each person wishing to spend money other than coins, which would
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remain in circulation, would be required to have a bank account. The bank
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or federal government would issue to each depositor a U.S. payment card
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similar to plastic credit cards. In addition to the necessary codings, each
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card would contain the photograph and fingerprint of the depositor... Every
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business establishment, including taxicabs, would be equipped with a
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terminal in which the payment card could be inserted...(and) make a visual
|
||
display of the charge so that the customer could see the exact amount being
|
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deducted from his bank account. . . In the event the customer did not have
|
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the amount in his account the terminal would so indicate...
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O Brave New World that has such people in it!
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Money Is Faith, Money is Power
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Non aes sed fides: not by iron but by faith. This inscription
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formerly found on Maltese coins sums up a very important truth about money:
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that the value of every kind of money, including metal money, rests on
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trust. Money cannot be enforced, and money is accepted only when people
|
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exchange it for a certain amount of real stuff at some point in the future.
|
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This is perhaps an important point to remember in times of
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impending economic crises. In the face of short term economic upheaval,
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conservatives are correct to insist on accepting only gold and silve as
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"real" money, since they are relatively rare and can't be manufactured out
|
||
of common materials by the government. But ultimately the value of gold
|
||
and silver as money rests on faith and trust in the future, just like paper
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currency does. When the real crunch finally comes, it may be useful to
|
||
remember that there are more calories in paper than in silver or gold.
|
||
And here we come to yet another of the paradoxes of money: while
|
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money depends on trust at the personal level, that trust ultimately depends
|
||
on the power of the issuing authority. Our currency is backed not by the
|
||
gold in Fort Knox but by the guns in Fort Knox. The value of money,
|
||
whether gold or paper, ultimately rests on faith, and the value of the US
|
||
dollar rests on the faith that the US domination of the world economy is
|
||
backed by the US Army, Air Force, and Marines.
|
||
For several hundred years economists have recognized that our money
|
||
has value "to the extent of our faith in a viable tomorrow." Thus it seems
|
||
surprising that no economist has drawn a connection between the dawn of the
|
||
nuclear era and the chronic inflation that has characterized the post-war
|
||
economies of the industrial nations. Perhaps this can also help explain the
|
||
willingness of both liberals and conservatives in this country to rack up
|
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huge federal deficits-what's so bad about stealing from tomorrow when
|
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there's not going to be a tomorrow?
|
||
|
||
|
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MONEY
|
||
Money, get away
|
||
Get a good job with more pay and your O.K.
|
||
Money it's a gas
|
||
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash
|
||
New car, caviar, four star daydream,
|
||
Think I'll buy me a footbal team
|
||
|
||
Money get back
|
||
I'm all right Jack keep your hands off my stack
|
||
Money it's a hit
|
||
Don't give me that do goody bullshit
|
||
I'm in the hi-fidelity first class travelling set
|
||
And I think I need a Lear jet
|
||
|
||
Money it's a crime
|
||
Share it fairly but don't take a slice of my pie
|
||
Money so they say
|
||
Is the root of all evil today
|
||
But if you ask for a rise it's no surprise that they're
|
||
giving none away
|
||
|
||
Money Is Information
|
||
|
||
Money is information-the only problem is that it's not very much
|
||
information. Money talks, but it doesn't say much. In the wonderful world
|
||
of capitalism, everything-and everyone-has a price, and that price is the
|
||
only information that matters in the marketplace. For the marketplace to
|
||
work, reality has to be simplified and standardized. As our everyday life
|
||
becomes more and more characterized by exchnages, by buying and selling,
|
||
many of the facts and observations about the objects in our lives become
|
||
irrelevant and are no longer valued. Commodities have no history. There
|
||
are no tenses in the lenguage of money-prices are always now.
|
||
Interest rates, stock prices, and commodity index futures all
|
||
provide information about the economy and provide clues as to how to most
|
||
efficiently organize society's resources. But as with prices, lots of
|
||
information is lost in the translation of daily life into economic
|
||
indicators. Countless facts about millions of people doing millions of
|
||
different things get reduced to a few bits of data which are interpreted by
|
||
economists like Chinese mystics prophesying from the pattern of I Ching
|
||
sticks-all economics is voodoo economics. Through their interpretation of
|
||
the magic signs, the best allocation of economic resources is
|
||
determined-but best for who? Priests who prophesy against their masters
|
||
usually don't have much job security...
|
||
This development is an inevitable consequence of the increasing
|
||
abstraction of money. When money becomes intellectualized, intellectuals
|
||
control money and the economy. And, as always, the intellectuals are
|
||
controlled by the governments and corporations that sign their paychecks.
|
||
And thus the productive forces of a society are organized to
|
||
maintain the existing power relations of that society. Simmel again: "Money
|
||
is thus one of the great cultural elements whose function it is to assemble
|
||
great forces at a single point and so to overcome the passive and active
|
||
opposition...by this concentration of energies. We should think of the
|
||
machine in this context."
|
||
Welcome to the machine...
|
||
|
||
Money Never Sleeps
|
||
|
||
The speed of electricity approaches that of the speed of light, and today
|
||
the speed of money is the speed of electricity. Every day billions of
|
||
"dollars" race the sun around the globe. As one financial market closes,
|
||
the dollars rush on to the next so that not a moment is wasted.
|
||
|
||
"Knowledge - Zzzzzp! Money - Zzzzzp! - Power!
|
||
That's the cycle democracy is built on!"
|
||
Tennessee Williams
|
||
|
||
What Can I Do?
|
||
|
||
Raoul Vaneigem says that "a truly new reality can only be based on
|
||
the principle of the gift." And many anarchists have argued the need for
|
||
the abolition of money. But history has shown that money cannot be
|
||
abolished before people's need for money has been abolished. Until we have
|
||
created a society of the gift that is no longer built on a system of
|
||
commodity exchanges, money will be necessary or perhaps even desirable. So
|
||
what we need are some practical short term strategies that will move us in
|
||
the direction of the type of society we want to see, and at the same time
|
||
we need to create new monetary institutions that will reduce some of the
|
||
more destructive effects of money in the meantime.
|
||
Burning money is always good theater, but until we have provided
|
||
ourselves with a permanent non-money means of sustenance, doing very much
|
||
of it will be counterproductive. Removing as much of our daily lives from
|
||
the arena of commodity exchange seems important, since that's how the new
|
||
reality will be created- by individuals consciously removing themselves
|
||
from the old, destructive system. So freely giving and receiving as much as
|
||
possible seems like a step in the right direction.
|
||
And while money is still with us, we need to place limits on the
|
||
money we use. Instead of passively accepting ever expanding and
|
||
accelerating forms of money like they were divinely commanded by some
|
||
all-powerful god, we need to raise the awareness that money is essentially
|
||
a social relationship and as such we have the right to collectively
|
||
determine the nature of that relationship.
|
||
Some anarchists in the past have argued for placing time limits on
|
||
money, such as issuing money that expires and has no value after a certain
|
||
date. What seems more practical is to create new forms of money that are
|
||
spatially limited- regional, decentralized currencies only good in a
|
||
specified area. This may seem impractical, too, but experiments like this
|
||
have worked in the past, and one such project is in progress right now in
|
||
the United States.
|
||
Part of the benefit of regional or local currency comes from the
|
||
fact that a banknote essentially represents an interest-free loan to the
|
||
central government. In the Isle of Man in the early 1800's, citizens there
|
||
replaced all the English money on the island with their own local currency,
|
||
invested the English money, and in a few years had earned enough interest
|
||
to finance the construction of a new public hall.
|
||
In the Berkshires area of Massachusetts, the SHARE (Self Help
|
||
Association for a Regional Economy) program is currently making loans that
|
||
encourage greater regional self-sufficiency in the production of basic
|
||
necessities, and plans to soon issue a regional currency called
|
||
"Berkshares", with a value based on the value of cordwood. Berkshares are
|
||
designed to meet the criteria for an appropriately scaled currency proposed
|
||
by Robert Swann of the E.F. Schumacher Society. Swann says that the new
|
||
local currencies should be: 1) consistent with customary practices (i.e.
|
||
taking the form of cash and checks and being compatible with common
|
||
accounting systems); 2) redeemable in some form of real everyday value; 3)
|
||
based on local production but tied to a universal measure of value; and 4)
|
||
controlled by the community, perhaps through a non-profit bank. It's too
|
||
early to evaluate the success of the Berkshares program, but in its first
|
||
stages it seems to be a short but firm step in the direction of local
|
||
autonomy.
|
||
|
||
Closing Benediction and Words of Inspiration
|
||
|
||
Capitalists understand far better than the rest of us what money
|
||
does, but with rare exceptions they seem to have little idea about what
|
||
money is. It's the same with computers-often the best programmers have
|
||
little idea of how their machines are built. And Beethoven didn't know how
|
||
to make pianos.
|
||
But here is where our opportunity lies. Only those who understand
|
||
their tools can really control them (what happens to Beethoven when his
|
||
piano is broken?), and only if we understand the tools that are used to
|
||
control us can we fight back effectively. So, by coming to understand the
|
||
reality behind the shell game & light show of the current world economic
|
||
system, perhaps we can learn to build the hardware for a new way of
|
||
organizing our productive activities that will build community instead of
|
||
destroying it and will empower us as individuals rather than enslaving us
|
||
and reducing us to cogs in an incomprehensible and uncontrollable machine.
|
||
|
||
boog
|
||
|
||
"Go out and fight so life shouldn't be printed on dollar bills."
|
||
Clifford Odets
|
||
|
||
|
||
And So, For Further Reading
|
||
Regional Currencies
|
||
For a packet of information on the SHARE program, write to SHARE,
|
||
PO Box 125, Great Barrington, MA 01230 [editor note: this address has
|
||
probably changed since this article was first published]. For a copy of the
|
||
Robert Swann paper "Community Survival in the Age of Inflation" (which lays
|
||
out the ideas behind the Bershares program) send a buck or two to the E.F.
|
||
Schumacher Society, Box 76, RD 3, Great Barrington, MA 01230.
|
||
|
||
Some Books About Money
|
||
The Brotherhood of Money, Murray Teigh Bloom, BNR Press, 1983
|
||
The Psychoanalysis of Money, Ernest Bornemann, Urizen Books, 1976
|
||
Money and Liberty, S. Herbert Frankel, American Enterprise Institute, 1980
|
||
The Phenomenon Money, Money and How It Gets That Way, Henry Miller
|
||
|
||
And For The Intellectual Masochists Among Us
|
||
The Philosophy of Money, Georg Simmel, Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1978
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
=@= ARTICLES =@=
|
||
|
||
_Permanent TAZs_
|
||
|
||
TAZ-theory tries to concern itself with existing or emerging situations
|
||
rather than with pure utopianism. All over the world people are leaving or
|
||
"disappearing" themselves from the Grid of Alienation and seeking ways to
|
||
restore human contact. An interesting example of this-on the level of
|
||
"urban folk culture"-can be found in the proliferation of hobby networks
|
||
and conferences. Recently I discovered the zines of two such groups, Crown
|
||
Jewels of the Hlgh Wire (devoted to the collection of glass electrical
|
||
insulators) and a journal on cucurbitology (The Gourd). A vast amount of
|
||
creativity goes into these obsessions. The various periodic gatherings of
|
||
fellow-maniacs amount to
|
||
genuine face-to-face (unmediated) festivals of eccentricity. It's not just
|
||
the "counter-culture" which seeks its TAZs, its nomad encampments and
|
||
nights of liberation from the Consensus. Self-organized and autonomous
|
||
groups are springing up amongst every "class" and "sub-culture". Vast
|
||
tracts of the Babylonian Empire are now virtually empty, populated only by
|
||
the spooks of MassMedia, and a few psychotic policemen.
|
||
|
||
TAZ-theory realizes that THIS IS HAPPENING- we're not talking about
|
||
"should" or "will be"-we're talking about an already-existing movement. Our
|
||
use of various thought-experiments, utopian poetics, paranoia criticism,
|
||
etc., aims at helping to clarify this complex and still largely
|
||
undocumented movement, to give it some theoretical focus and
|
||
self-awareness, and to suggest tactics based on coherent integral
|
||
strategies-to act the midwife or the panegyrist, not the "vanguard"!
|
||
|
||
And so we've had to consider the fact that not all existing autonomous
|
||
zones are "temporary". Some are (at least by intention) more-or-less
|
||
"permanent". Certain cracks in the Babylonian Monolith appear so vacant
|
||
that whole groups can move into them and settle down. Certain theories,
|
||
such as "Permaculture", have been developed to deal with this situation and
|
||
make the most of it. "Villages", "communes", "communities", even
|
||
"arcologies" and "biospheres" (or other utopian-city forms) are being
|
||
experimented with and implemented. Even here however TAZ-theory may offer
|
||
some useful thought-tools and clarifications.
|
||
|
||
What about a poetique (a "way of making") and a politique (a "way of
|
||
living-together) for the "permanent" TAZ (or "PAZ")? What about the actual
|
||
relation between temporariness and permanence? And how can the PAZ renew
|
||
and refresh itself periodically with the "festival" aspect of the TAZ?
|
||
|
||
THE QUESTION OF PUBLICITY
|
||
|
||
Recent events in the US and Europe have shown that
|
||
self-organized/autonomous groups strike fear into the heart of the State.
|
||
MOVE in Philadelphia, the Koreshites of Waco, Deadheads, Rainbow Tribes,
|
||
computer-hackers, squatters, etc., have been targeted for varying
|
||
intensity-levels of extermination. And yet other autonomous groups go
|
||
unnoticed, or at least unpersecuted. What makes the difference? One factor
|
||
may be the malign effect of publicity or mediation. The Media experience a
|
||
vampiric thirst for the shadow-Passion play of "Terrorism", Babylon's
|
||
public ritual of expiation, scapegoating, and blood-sacrifice. Once any
|
||
autonomous group allows this particular "gaze" to fall upon it, the shit
|
||
hits the fan:-the Media will try to arrange a mini-armageddon to satisfy
|
||
its junk-sickness for spectacle and death.
|
||
|
||
Now, the PAZ makes a fine sitting target for such a Media smart-bomb.
|
||
Beseiged inside its "con-pound", the self-organized group can only succumb
|
||
to some sort of cheap pre-determined martyrdom. Presumably this role
|
||
appeals only to neurotic masochists??? In any case, most groups will want
|
||
to live out their natural span or trajectory in peace and quiet. A good
|
||
tactic here might be to avoid publicity from the Mass Media as if it were
|
||
the plague. A bit of natural paranoia comes in handy, so
|
||
long as it doesn't become an end in itself. One must be cunning in order to
|
||
get away with being bold. A touch of camoflage, a flair for invisibility, a
|
||
sense of tact as a tactic...might be as useful to a PAZ as a TAZ. Humble
|
||
suggestions:-Use only "intimate media" (zines, phonetrees, BBSs, free radio
|
||
and mini-FM, public-access cable, etc.)-avoid blustering-macho-
|
||
confrontationist attitude-you don't need five seconds on the Evening News
|
||
("Police Raid Cultists") to validate your existence.
|
||
Our slogan might be:-"Get a life, not a life-style."
|
||
|
||
ACCESS
|
||
|
||
People probably ought to choose the people they live with.
|
||
''Open-membership" communes invariably end up swamped with freeloaders and
|
||
sex-starved pathetic creeps. PAZs must choose their own membership
|
||
mutually-this has nothing to do with "elitism". The PAZ may exercize a
|
||
temporarily open function-such as hosting festivals or giving away free
|
||
food, etc.-but it need not be permanently open to any self-proclaimed
|
||
sympathizer who wanders by.
|
||
|
||
THE EMERGENCE OF A GENUINELY
|
||
ALTERNATIVE ECONOMY
|
||
|
||
Once again, this is already happening-but it still needs a huge amount of
|
||
work before it comes into focus. The sub-economies of "lavoro nero",
|
||
untaxed transactions, barter, etc., tend to be severely limited and
|
||
localized. BBSs and other networking systems could be used to link up these
|
||
regional/marginal aeconomies ("household managements") into a viable
|
||
alternative economy of
|
||
some magnitude. "P.M." has already outlined something like this in
|
||
bolo'bolo-in fact a number of possible systems already exist, in theory
|
||
anyway. The problem is: -how to construct a true alternative economy, i.e.
|
||
a complete economy, without attracting the IRS and other capitalist
|
||
runningdogs? How can I exchange my skills as, say, a plumber or moonshiner,
|
||
for the food, books, shelter, and psychoactive plants I want-without paying
|
||
taxes, or even without using ally State-forged money? How can I live a
|
||
comfortable (even luxurious) life free of all interactions and transactions
|
||
with CommodityWorld? If we took all the energy the Leftists put into
|
||
"demos", and all the energy the Libertarians put into playing futile little
|
||
3rd-party games, and if we redirected all that power into the construction
|
||
of a real underground economy, we would already have accomplished "the
|
||
Revolution" long ago.
|
||
|
||
THE "WORLD" CAME TO AN END IN 1972
|
||
|
||
The hollowed-out effigy of the Absolute State finally toppled in "1989".
|
||
The last ideology, Capitalism, is no more than a skin-disease of the Very
|
||
Late Neolithic. It's a desiring-machine running on empty. I'm hoping to see
|
||
it deliquesce in my lifetime, like one of Dali's mindscapes. And I want to
|
||
have somewhere to "go" when the shit comes down. Of course the death of
|
||
Capitalism needn't entail the Godzilla-like destruction of all human
|
||
culture; this scenario is merely a terror- image propagated by Capitalism
|
||
itself. Nevertheless it stands to reason that the dreaming corpse will
|
||
spasm violently before rigor mortis sets in-and New York or LA may not be
|
||
the smartest places to wait out the storm. (And the storm may already have
|
||
begun.) [On the other hand NYC and LA might not be the worst places to
|
||
create the New World; one can imagine whole squatted neighborhoods, gangs
|
||
transformed into Peoples' Militias, etc.] Now, the gypsy-RV way of life may
|
||
be one way to deal with the on-going melt-down of Too-Late Capitalism - but
|
||
as for me, I'd prefer a nice anarchist monastery somewhere-a typical place
|
||
for "scholars" to sit out the "Dark Ages". The more we organize this NOW
|
||
the less hassle we'll have to face later. I'm not talking about
|
||
"survival"-I'm not interested in mere survival. I want to thrive. BACK TO
|
||
UTOPIA.
|
||
|
||
FESTIVALS
|
||
|
||
The PAZ serves a vital function as a node in the TAZ-web, a meetingplace
|
||
for a wide circle of friends and allies who may not actually live fulltime
|
||
on the "farm" or in the "village". Ancient villages held fairs which
|
||
brought wealth to the community, provided markets for travelers, and
|
||
created festal time/space for all participants. Nowadays the festival is
|
||
emerging as one of the most important forms for the TAZ itself, but can
|
||
also provide renewal and fresh energy for the PAZ. I remember reading
|
||
somewhere that in the Middle Ages there were one hundred and eleven
|
||
holidays a year; we should take this as our "utopian minimum" and strive to
|
||
do even better. [Note: the utopian minima proposed by C. Fourier consisted
|
||
of more food and sex than the average 18th century French aristocrat
|
||
enjoyed; B. Fuller proposed the term "bare minimum" for a similar concept]
|
||
|
||
THE LIVING EARTH
|
||
|
||
I believe that there exist plenty of good selfish reasons for desiring the
|
||
"organic" (it's sexier), the "natural" (it tastes better), the "green"
|
||
(it's more beautiful), the Wild(er)ness (it's more exciting). Communitas
|
||
(as P. Goodman called it) and conviviality (as I. Illich called it) are
|
||
more pleasurable than their opposites. The living earth need not exclude
|
||
the organic city-the small but intense conglomeration of humanity devoted
|
||
to the arts and slightly decadent joys of a civilization purged of all its
|
||
gigantism and enforced loneliness-but even those of us who enjoy cities can
|
||
see immediate and hedonic motives for fighting for the "environment". We
|
||
are militant biophiles. Deep ecology, social ecology, permaculture,
|
||
appropriate tech..we're not too picky about ideologies. Let 1000
|
||
flowers bloom.
|
||
|
||
PAZ TYPOLOGY
|
||
|
||
A "weird religion" or a rebel art movement can become a kind of non-local
|
||
PAZ, like a more intense and all-consuming hobby network. The Secret
|
||
Society (like the Chinese Tong) also provides a model for a PAZ without
|
||
geographic limits. But the "perfect case scenario" involves a free space
|
||
that extends into free time. The essence of the PAZ must be the
|
||
long-drawn-out intensification of the joys-and risks-of the TAZ. And the
|
||
intensification of the PAZ will be....Utopia Now.
|
||
|
||
Hakim Bey
|
||
D R E A M T I M E, A U G U ST 1 9 93
|
||
|
||
CONTACT:
|
||
|
||
DREAMTIME
|
||
VILLAGE * ROUTE 2 BOX 242W VIOLA WI 54664 $4 FOR NEWSLETTER
|
||
|
||
_Bioregionalism_
|
||
Bioregionalism in the Heartland:
|
||
Still Far From Home
|
||
by Richard Taylor
|
||
|
||
About two years ago I borrowed a book called HOME!: A Bioregional Reader.
|
||
This book is a collection of articles describing a way of life that seems
|
||
sensible enough to me: living within one's means. Bioregionalism is about
|
||
the association of life with place, about sustainability through reliance
|
||
on local resources. The bioregionalist ideal is that the kind of life
|
||
people live depends on what the land provides them. As a result of this
|
||
dependency on a bounded area, people must take the well-being of other
|
||
creatures and of the land itself into account with their decisions.
|
||
Well, this all seems fair enough, so in the fall of 1991 I went to
|
||
the First Annual Ohio River Watershed Bioregional Gathering in Oldenburg,
|
||
Indiana. My comments here refer to that experience and to the subsequent
|
||
gathering which I attended in fall of 92, with some remarks on
|
||
bioregionalism in general. I have both positive and negative feelings about
|
||
what I have seen, and for purposes of this article I am going to focus on
|
||
the negative.
|
||
The gatherings were held on a farm owned by a Franciscan convent,
|
||
with a barn, some pasture, and a small wooded area in which people were to
|
||
camp. I felt disappointed when I saw that people were driving their cars
|
||
from the barn area less than a quarter-mile through the pasture to the
|
||
woods and unloading coolers and other gear. I had brought a single backpack
|
||
and although I did not hike to Oldenburg I thought the least I could do at
|
||
this sort of event was to walk a little ways to the woods. At a meeting
|
||
that evening, it was requested by staffers that people remove their cars to
|
||
the parking area by the barn, but they did not. The cars stayed in the
|
||
forest until it was time to leave Sunday morning. This scenario was
|
||
repeated at the second gathering, despite the attempted establishment of a
|
||
no-drive zone at the edge of the pasture. Literally, an example of not
|
||
walking the talk.
|
||
Another disturbing event was the "Council of All Beings" held the
|
||
first morning of the gathering. This is a practice drawn from a certain
|
||
North American native tradition wherein people form a meeting circle, then
|
||
go out into the surrounding area a little ways to find some creature or
|
||
element (like a tree, or wind for example) and try to picture themselves as
|
||
that thing and grasp its point of view on the world. Everyone then comes
|
||
back to the circle and tells of their experience as the thing. This was ok
|
||
with me until it got to the part of coming back and telling about it. Not
|
||
as if I have a hard time flexing my imagination or anything, but I think
|
||
these people took it way too seriously.
|
||
The Council of All Beings seems to be mainly a way for the group to
|
||
create a sense of fellowship through mutually declaring a certain
|
||
suspension of disbelief; sort of like declaring the body and blood of
|
||
Christ during a Eucharist. In this case though, my disbelief is in the
|
||
possibility of really swapping places with other entities. The rationale is
|
||
that these other entities have no voice and so it is necessary for humans
|
||
to embody them, but how do we know the "interpreters" aren't just playing
|
||
their own game? I had a religious studies class once where I was told a
|
||
story about a woman who "channelled the spirit" of a giant redwood tree;
|
||
the message was not to worry about saving the trees, the redwoods were
|
||
saying they would let themselves be cut down and thereby awaken human
|
||
consciousness as to the evil being done. Taking such "representation"
|
||
seriously would be as disastrous for ecological affairs as it is for civil
|
||
rights. It requires you to suppose that you are even capable of putting
|
||
yourself in the position of another being. To me this is supposing a lot,
|
||
and it probably stems from the familiar chauvinism about the human ability
|
||
to adapt and imagine, plus environmentalism's equivalent of white guilt.
|
||
The best statements one can make about how nonhuman life experiences itself
|
||
amount to speculation-- which is not necessarily bad, except speculation
|
||
should not masquerade as experience. Pretending to get into other beings'
|
||
heads like this seems really arrogant to me. In trying to avoid being
|
||
human- centered, this Council winds up putting a human face on everything.
|
||
In the HOME! book, it says that the acid test of a bioregion is
|
||
whether its inhabitants recognize it as such and in this regard my
|
||
"bioregion", as it was presented to me, fails miserably.
|
||
A watershed is an area of land that drains (sheds its water) to a
|
||
certain river or stream. The "Ohio River Watershed Bioregion" extends from
|
||
the junction of the Ohio and the Mississippi to upstate New York, south to
|
||
Tennessee and north to Wisconsin. The basic problem is that it's larger
|
||
than any of the states that it overlaps; from a perspective that human
|
||
institutions must operate on a human scale, this is intolerable.
|
||
Bioregionalists continually insist that the proper boundaries for human
|
||
activity are watersheds. Actually, land can be divided up in many ways
|
||
using many geographic constructs, but the people at the gathering did not
|
||
seem to accept that the watershed is just another such construct; for them
|
||
the watershed comes first and other talk about geography is based on it. I
|
||
see this "watershed- ism" as taking the easy way out; it's much simpler for
|
||
a small group to autocratically decide that people's experience of the land
|
||
should be based upon some physical feature than it is to actually get
|
||
people engaged in dialogue about how they perceive the place where they
|
||
live and discuss how the land is boundaried in their consciousness. The
|
||
people I met seemed more intent on making their point by pretentiously
|
||
asking others near what river they lived. Wink wink nudge nudge.
|
||
This tendency exists at the national level also. In the 1980s,
|
||
there was a North American Bioregional Congress which was attended by
|
||
several Mexicans. The Mexicans expressed concern that the term North
|
||
American was exclusionist and applied only to the white peoples north of
|
||
the Rio Grande. Ok so the whites decided that in order to get around this,
|
||
they would change the name of the whole continent to Turtle Island. I see
|
||
this as very undemocratic in that these congress participants had no way to
|
||
gather ideas and consensus from the populations that live on the continent.
|
||
The usual bioregionalist rationale is that all the North American native
|
||
tribes share a mythology in which the continent is represented as a big
|
||
turtle. I am not convinced this is true, but even if so it raises another,
|
||
more serious issue; how do the indigenous people feel about this group of
|
||
middle-class neo-Europeans appropriating native traditions for their own
|
||
purposes?
|
||
Much of the concern and interest that I see among whites for
|
||
natives is directed more toward picking up the "fallen mantle of a great
|
||
culture" than with building bridges to actual native communities. The
|
||
culture and religion of aboriginal peoples is based on their relationship
|
||
to the land, and the most extreme and pressing issues for them right now
|
||
are treaty rights and recovery of ancestral lands, as well as things like
|
||
hazardous waste dumping and rampant alcoholism. This is where their
|
||
struggles lie, and they have little time for cultural voyeurs who would
|
||
rather just mimic their rituals. It is probably no accident that the native
|
||
people are very scarce at these sorts of gatherings.
|
||
Bioregionalism's spirituality strongly resembles its geopolitics.
|
||
The root of the word religion is lig, which means -to bind- ; a religion is
|
||
a set of beliefs that binds a community of people together and affirms
|
||
their common interests and heritage. Work in anthropology seems to show
|
||
that the religious or spiritual life of a society is modeled on the social
|
||
relationships that exist in that society. Spirituality, then, can be seen
|
||
as something coming forth from community. But bioregionalism tries to
|
||
contrive a spiritual tradition first and hopes that community will follow.
|
||
This is no surprise, having noted some of its autocratic sentiments, and it
|
||
is no wonder that an exercise like the Council of All Beings feels as
|
||
artificial as it does. Bioregionalist spirituality is described as
|
||
"earth-centered", but it comes off like an earth-spirit theocracy with no
|
||
room for atheists.
|
||
Even the bioregionalist "movement" as such seems to have grown in
|
||
kind of a top-down way; initially there were national congresses, and only
|
||
more lately have there been regional or local gatherings. This has resulted
|
||
in far-flung policy statements that have little popular input and which do
|
||
not address the needs of individual regions. To me this goes against the
|
||
original idea of decentralized communities forming larger levels of
|
||
organization through voluntary association, but that is certainly not
|
||
unique to bioregionalism. Nobody likes to feel lonely, and it has always
|
||
been easier for a marginal group to identify with a paper tiger at the
|
||
national level than to do something tangible in its locale.
|
||
On the last day of the gathering, some people from Indianapolis
|
||
drove down to Oldenburg for the morning circle. On the way, they had seen a
|
||
box turtle crossing the road and had picked it up and brought it to the
|
||
gathering, three counties away from where they found it. They placed it in
|
||
the center of the circle where it sat and cowered in its shell. People
|
||
began saying things about the turtle, of which I forget the words, but the
|
||
general theme was that we should all try to identify with this turtle as it
|
||
represented the earth spirit or something like that. It must have been a
|
||
field day for people who claim they live on something called Turtle Island.
|
||
Box turtles are those little orange-and-black critters with the
|
||
hinged bottom plate on the shell, and I know a couple things about them.
|
||
Don't try to eat one unless you would starve otherwise; they can eat toxic
|
||
mushrooms and store enough toxin in their tissues to nail you later. I've
|
||
also read they don't taste that great anyway...
|
||
But the other thing is, they are territorial and don't like to be
|
||
whisked miles from their home ranges by narcissistic humans. I don't know
|
||
what became of the poor animal, but it was wrong to seize it and force it
|
||
into a role like they did. This episode nearly provoked me to get up and
|
||
leave the gathering forthwith. It was pure paternalism, manifested as
|
||
disrespect, and it heavily colors my feelings towards the people in the
|
||
midwest who are "into bioregionalism".
|
||
This review is drawn mainly from what I have seen of midwestern
|
||
bioregionalism in action, and does not amount to a blanket indictment of
|
||
all principles described by bioregionalists. Some of the principles have
|
||
sense in them, and should be worked out into practice. The tendencies I
|
||
have described are those either unworkable or at variance with
|
||
bioregionalist precepts in the first place. They need to be confronted.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
=@= LETTERS TO THE EDITORS =@=
|
||
|
||
Please send us your comments and letters and we'll print them here.
|
||
|
||
=@= ZINES =@=
|
||
|
||
PAPER ZINES
|
||
The following zine reviews appeared in Practical Anarchy #8 (print
|
||
version). All were reviewed by Chuck.
|
||
|
||
Reviewers this issue:
|
||
Zines: Chuck
|
||
Music: Fred Weaver, Chuck
|
||
Books: Chuck
|
||
|
||
A. INFOS No.35 / June 1993 is a newsletter that details what the French
|
||
anarchists are doing. This time I got an edition in French, so I can't
|
||
tell you much about it. It appears that this issue includes a flyer on a
|
||
libertarian school. This project also appears to have affiliates in other
|
||
countries. Humeurs Noires-Federation Anarchistes, B.P. 79, 59370
|
||
Mons-en-Baroeul, FRANCE. S-8-LP-?. [Send money for sample or trade].
|
||
|
||
Adbusters Summer 1993 (vol.2, no.4) is an excellent magazine for folks
|
||
interested in media activism and fighting advertising. If you are
|
||
interested in "culture jamming" this is the place to go for fresh ideas.
|
||
The Media Foundation, 1243 West 7th Ave., Vancouver, B.C., V6H 1B7 Canada.
|
||
S-82-T,M+,F-Q [$5.75/$16]
|
||
|
||
Alternative Press Review Fall 1993 (vol.1, no.1) is the promising new mag
|
||
from the folks who publish Anarchy: A Journal of Desire Armed. This new
|
||
publication, which bills itself as "your guide beyond the mainstream,"
|
||
accomplishes in one issue what Utne Reader tried to do for years, but was
|
||
afraid to accomplish. It brings us reprints from mainstream alternative
|
||
magazines like Gnosis and Mother Jones, but it also includes reprints from
|
||
zines like Lookout, Madworld Survival Guide, and Mesechabe. The anarchist
|
||
press is well represented. One of the promising aspects of this project
|
||
will be the focus on zine, magazine, book, and film reviews. C.A.L. Press,
|
||
PO Box 1446, Columbia, MO 65205-1446 S-84-T,M+,F-Q [$4.95/$16]
|
||
|
||
Anarchy: A Journal of Desire Armed #38 / Fall 93 features Dina Fisher's
|
||
essay on the FBI and the Branch Davidians, an article titled "A World
|
||
without Morality", an article on "half-assed radicalism", and another
|
||
article on the Spanish Civil War. Also includes a section called "On Gogol
|
||
Boulevard", an excellent roundup of anarchist and antiauthoritarian news
|
||
from around the world. And, as usual, excellent reviews and letters
|
||
section. C.A.L, PO Box 1446, Columbia, MO 65205-1446. S-84-T,C,M-Q.
|
||
[$3.50/$12]
|
||
|
||
Animadverse #9 July/August 1993 is an anarchist zine with articles on
|
||
anti-racist action, prisoner support, South Africa, and the Anarchist Queer
|
||
Cross. Also includes reviews and short news items. PO Box 57464, Jackson
|
||
Station. Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8P 3X4 S-16-LP-B [$1/$8]
|
||
|
||
Autonomy May 1993 is the newsletter of Some Chicago Anarchists. News and
|
||
opinion from some very traditional anarchists. Useful for finding out
|
||
about anarchist activities in Chicago. Some Chicago Anarchists, Box 163,
|
||
1340 West Irving Park Rd., Chicago, IL 60613 S-2-LP-Mo [$1]
|
||
|
||
Bayou La Rose #42 is an anarchist newspaper that usually has excellent
|
||
coverage of native peoples and labor. Editor Arthur Miller reflects on
|
||
where the anarchist movement is headed. He makes a good case for why
|
||
anarchists should avoid the trap of constantly reinventing the wheel. Why
|
||
should we always tear everything down in order to start from scratch.
|
||
These folks are also publishing what they call a "guide to useful
|
||
publications and organizations, antiauthoritarian, Native American, Labor,
|
||
Prisoners, Ecology and more." Bayou La Rose, PO Box 5464, Tacoma, WA
|
||
98415-0464. Bulk copies are available from Left Bank Distribution.
|
||
T-16-T-Q [$2/$7.50]
|
||
|
||
Black and Red #4 is the newsletter of the Anarchist Caucus of the
|
||
Committees of Correspondence. News and networking for anarchists in the
|
||
New York area. 11 John St., Rm. 506, New York, NY 10038 S-8-LP-B
|
||
[$1/$10]
|
||
|
||
Blue Ryder: the best of the underground press (November-December 1993) is
|
||
a decent alternative newspaper that does an excellent job of keeping up
|
||
with the alternative scene. Cartoons, zine reviews, music reviews, and
|
||
articles. Blue Ryder, Box 587, Olean, NY 14760 T-16-T-B [$1.50/$8]
|
||
|
||
Cybertek #8 is the zine for all of you anarcho-hackers, phreakers, and
|
||
techie-survivalists. I don't have the technical knowledge to know if any
|
||
of this really works, but hey, it's for educational purposes only! Stuff
|
||
on data taps, home security, pink boxes, and garbage channels. I found the
|
||
recipe for making your own claymore mine to be tasteless and offensive. I
|
||
hope anybody assembling such an abomination blows themselves to pieces
|
||
(would do the rest of us a favor). OCL/Magnitude, PO Box 64, Brewster, NY
|
||
10509. S-18-D-B [$/$15]
|
||
|
||
Crash (July 1993) is "your guide to travel thru the underground." This
|
||
excellent issue is devoted to bicycles with special articles on Critical
|
||
Mass, the direct action movement which started in California and is
|
||
currently spreading to other cities. Crash, 519 Castro #7, San Francisco,
|
||
CA 94114 HS-20-LP-B [$1/$5]
|
||
|
||
Discussion Bulletin #60 (July/August 1993) is a discussion and letters zine
|
||
for those interested in syndicalism, anarcho-communism, industrial
|
||
unionism, and socialism. No party line here, just dialog. This issue
|
||
includes a reprinted debate that originally appeared in the e-zine
|
||
Organized Thoughts. Discussion Bulletin, I.U.C.E., PO Box 1564, Grand
|
||
Rapids, MI 49501 HL-32-R-B [$/$3]
|
||
|
||
dreamtime talkingmail Number 4 / Summer 1993 is the newsletter of the
|
||
folks up at Dreamtime Village. The Village is located in rural Wisconsin
|
||
between Madison and Lacrosse. It's an exciting project which combines
|
||
avant-garde art with permaculture farming. A calendar of ongoing events,
|
||
up-to-date information on the Village, and stuff on bioregions,
|
||
permaculture, and temporary autonomous zones. Highly recommended.
|
||
Dreamtime Village, Rt.2 Box 242W, Viola, WI 54664. S-24-T-3 [$4/$12 for 3
|
||
issues]
|
||
|
||
Dumpster Times #12 (April '93) is one of the hippest anarchist zines
|
||
around right now. Another of those that are hard to put down once you've
|
||
started reading. The theme of this issue is the drug war and resistance to
|
||
it. An excellent book review section. Highly recommended. HL-48-LP-Q
|
||
[$2/$10]
|
||
|
||
East Coast Exchange 1993 (vol.1, no.4) is an "underground" zine serving the
|
||
East Coast. The focus here seems to be on music: record reviews as well as
|
||
interviews with bands Helmet, Agnostic Front, the Cows, and the Mighty
|
||
Mighty Bosstones. Ethan Minsker, 184 Lexington Ave. Apt. 7B, New York, NY
|
||
10016-6841 S-28-LP-I [$1.50]
|
||
|
||
Eidos: sexual freedom & erotic entertainment for women, men & couples
|
||
vol.7, no.2 1993 The publisher of this newspaper, Brenda Loew Tatelbaum,
|
||
is to sexual liberation in the 1990s what Emma Goldman was to the same
|
||
movement in the 1890s. If liberating sexuality from the modern day
|
||
Puritans is your cause this publication is for you. Eidos has an
|
||
extensive, excellent review section of the alternative press. I especially
|
||
like the reproduction of letters from libraries asking that they be taken
|
||
off the mailing list. Includes a big section of personal ads, guaranteed
|
||
to offend at least one of your neighbors. PO Box 96, Boston, MA
|
||
02137-0096. T-72-T-Q [$10/$30]
|
||
|
||
Empathy is a collection of Mike Squirrel's poems and drawings. Lots of
|
||
rants against religion and America. His work has a very anarchist tone.
|
||
Mike's a cool guy so ask him for a copy of this. PO Box 4513, East
|
||
Lansing, MI 48826 HS-?-HL-I [$1]
|
||
|
||
Exposing Mirage #1 is a cool new anarcho-zine with a personal zine flavor.
|
||
The editor used to publish Bushwacker zine. With a range of articles and
|
||
collage throughout, this is a fine example of what zines are about. Rants
|
||
about anarchy, why birth control pills are bad, war tax resistance, the
|
||
Philly anarchist gathering, and much more. 22 Standard Ave., West Warwick,
|
||
RI 02893. HS-44-LP,C-I [$2]
|
||
|
||
Factsheet Five #49 (1993 ) is THE guide to zines. Mostly zine reviews,
|
||
but they also review catalogs and books. Zine reviews are arranged
|
||
alphabetically within categories such as Queer, Art, Fringe, Politics, Sex,
|
||
B-Movies, Obsessions and so on. The reviews are usually very thorough and
|
||
well written. Factsheet is starting to find its own style, but still lacks
|
||
the idiosyncrasies of the original. Layout is excellent and all reviews
|
||
are indexed. Most of the contents are available over the Internet via
|
||
email, gopher, or anonymous FTP. Send a message to jerod23@well.sf.ca.us
|
||
for more details. Factsheet Five Subscriptions, PO Box 170099, San
|
||
Francisco, CA 94117-0099 S-114-T-B [$6/$20]
|
||
|
||
Fargo Planet is the zine published by the F-Kripz, a techno, hardcore, hip
|
||
hop band. Their music is great; see the review in the music section. PO
|
||
Box 30033, Kansas City, MO 64112. HS-16-LP,C-I [$1]
|
||
|
||
Fifth Estate vol.28, no.2 /Summer 1993 is Detroit's long-running voice of
|
||
anarchy. This issue focuses on "Dope, Queer Sex & Anarchy". The folks
|
||
that publish FE have recently acquired a computer and they include a long
|
||
piece on why they got one. This issue is really worth getting because of
|
||
the full-color cover and the excellent back cover portrait of Mao with
|
||
paint on his visage. 4632 Second Ave., Detroit, MI 48201. T-24-T,F-Q
|
||
[$1.50/$6]
|
||
|
||
Flipside #86 (October/November 1993) is one of the big alternative music
|
||
magazines. I like it, but it's not as punk as Maximum RockNRoll or Second
|
||
Guess. LOTS of band interviews, if you like that sort of thing. Wish I
|
||
could afford to send out a pair of 3-D glasses with each issue of my zine!
|
||
PO Box 60790, Pasadena, CA 91116 S-1,000,000-T,F-B [$2.50/$10]
|
||
|
||
Flour Power #3 September 1993 is a new anarchist zine which describes
|
||
itself as " a mag of anarchist politics-punk music-reporting the news from
|
||
an alternative perspective. If you are anarchist in the northwestern U.S.
|
||
or in western Canada you should check this out. Reports from the Frenzy
|
||
Anarchist Gathering which was held last summer. Other pieces deal with
|
||
squatting, how to get an abortion, and the Clayoquot campaign. Rejoice, PO
|
||
Box 78068, RPO Grandview, 2606 Commercial Dr., Vancouver, BC V5N 5W1
|
||
S-48-R,LP-I [$1/$2]
|
||
|
||
The Flush Rush Quarterly Summer 1993 (vol.1, no.2) is a newsletter for
|
||
people who are NOT fans of Rush Limbaugh. Filled with humor about Rush as
|
||
well as analysis of Rush's odious shows. I choose to ignore Rush, but I'm
|
||
glad publications like this one are out there. PO Box 270525, San Diego,
|
||
CA 92198 S-12-LP-Q [$3.50/$13.95]
|
||
|
||
Fringe Ware Review [Premiere issue] is a new zine for folks who are
|
||
interested in cutting edge "fringe" technology like PGP software and other
|
||
weird hardware. Includes a reprint of Bob Black's The Abolition of Work,
|
||
an article on cypherpunks and anarchy, and a list of Internet lists for the
|
||
anarcho-techno-hip. Pretty cool. Fringeware, Inc. PO Box 49921. Austin,
|
||
TX 78765. Internet: fringeware@wixer.bga.com S-50-T,M-Q [$3.50/$12]
|
||
|
||
Global Mail September 1993 (Issue 6) is THE guide to mail art shows being
|
||
held around the world in the next few years. It also lists archive,
|
||
anarchist, email, and tape and video projects. An indispensable resource
|
||
for mail networkers. Also available via the Internet. Global Mail, PO Box
|
||
597996, Chicago, IL 60659. S-8-LP-3 [$ T, Soapbox Junc.]
|
||
|
||
Gray Areas Fall 1993 (vol.2, no.3) is one of Chuck's current magazine
|
||
favorites. Each issue examines the shady side of law, music, technology,
|
||
and popular culture. A recent issue had an excellent interview with a
|
||
hacker. This issue has an interview with a phone sex fantasy girl and Ivan
|
||
Stang of SubGenius fame. Several articles take a look at music piracy. An
|
||
excellent review section which covers everything from zines to software.
|
||
PO Box 808, Broomall, PA 19008-0808. S-132-T,F-Q [$4.50/$18]
|
||
|
||
High On Propaganda Until I Die #1 is an angry little anarcho-punk zine
|
||
with a witty anti-religion flavor. Sort of a multimedia experience-my copy
|
||
came with a matchstick. PO Box 4453, Laguna Beach, CA 92652. HS-31-HL/C-I
|
||
[$1]
|
||
|
||
Industrial Worker September 1993 (vol.90, no.1563) is the monthly
|
||
newspaper of the IWW. I bet most of you zinesters are looking forward to
|
||
the day you put out #1563. I know that IWW members and anarcho-punks look
|
||
at each other like each is an alien from Planet X, but both tendencies need
|
||
to learn from and support each other. The Worker always has stuff of
|
||
interest to anarchist activists. The look and feel of it these days
|
||
reminds me of the Love & Rage newspaper. Each issue includes the humorous
|
||
supplement, Wage Slave World News, which in this issue exposes Beavis and
|
||
Butthead as secret members of Clinton's cabinet. IWW, 1095 Market St.
|
||
#204, San Francisco, CA 94103. T-16-T-Mo [$1/$15]
|
||
|
||
Kokopelli Notes (vol.3, no.2) is a magazine devoted to "transportation
|
||
choices for a Green planet." Lots of articles devoted to exploring
|
||
transportation alternatives, especially bikes. PO Box 8186, Asheville, NC
|
||
28814 S-32-T-? [$4/$16]
|
||
|
||
Love and Rage November 1993 (vol.4, no.5) is the bimonthly publication of
|
||
the Love and Rage Revolutionary Anarchist Federation. The old L&R network
|
||
split over the summer and one faction has decided to continue the
|
||
newspaper. News, articles, and scene news. Includes a section on the
|
||
Anarchist Black Cross. Special expanded coverage of the ongoing fight
|
||
against racism and police brutality. An account of anarchist activities
|
||
that happened last summer and a review of Ursula K. LeGuin's The
|
||
Dispossessed. And once again these folks have put out another jam-packed,
|
||
good-looking paper. PO Box 853, Peter Stuyvesant Station, NY, NY 10009.
|
||
T-24-T-6 [$1/$13]
|
||
|
||
Madworld Survival Guide: New Orleans Anarchist Quarterly #9 Spring 1993
|
||
is a fine zine that should appeal to fans of practical approaches to
|
||
anarchy. This issue includes features on women's self-help, herbal
|
||
remedies, community gardens and farming, practical bioregionalism,
|
||
reproductive control and the poor, and underground contacts. Excellent
|
||
review section. The antiauthoritarian flyer brigade sounds interesting;
|
||
the anarchist movement could definitely use a distro network for flyers.
|
||
MSG, PO Box 791377, New Orleans, LA 70179 HS-60-LP-Q [$1/$5]
|
||
|
||
"the man is clampin' down": notes on revolution is an interesting zine
|
||
published by some folks here in Madison. This effort is meant to be a
|
||
dialogue on what social change and revolution mean to the members of the
|
||
Harlequin Collective. Thoughts on the politics of sex, society vs. the
|
||
individual, and how the grind of daily living interferes with making the
|
||
revolution happen. Also an account of the Philly @ gathering.
|
||
Recommended! Aaron Donsbach, c/o Harlequin, PO Box 349, Madison, WI
|
||
53701-0349. HL-16-LP,C-I [Send money for postage]
|
||
|
||
The Match! Number 88 (Summer 1993) is an uncompromising traditional
|
||
anarchist journal. A great editorial on why they will no longer review
|
||
books with ISBN numbers. Excellent book reviews including one that takes
|
||
several swipes at the zine phenomenon. Several serialized fiction pieces
|
||
continue in this issue. Fred Woodworth, ed., PO Box 3488, Tucson, AZ 85722
|
||
HL-76-T,F-I [$2.50/$10]
|
||
|
||
Maximumrocknroll October / 1993 is an excellent place to find out what's
|
||
going on in the alternative music scenes. Mostly music-oriented, but
|
||
occasionally you can find some anarchist political stuff. This issue
|
||
includes a news report on the Philly gathering. Each issue is crammed with
|
||
band interviews, scene reports, record and zine reviews, and features some
|
||
of the best writing on music around today. Does anyone keep up with all
|
||
these 7" records anyway? PO Box 460760, San Francisco, CA 94146-0760.
|
||
S-100 plus-T-Mo [$3/$18]
|
||
|
||
Meander Quarterly: Newsletter of Evolutionary Anarchists November 1993
|
||
(vol.5, no.3) is a highly recommended letters, opinion, and news zine for
|
||
us evolutionary anarchists. The editorship revolves so the zine is looking
|
||
for a person to volunteer to be editor for a year. Also available
|
||
electronically; contact the editor of Practical Anarchy for more info. Ed
|
||
Stamm, PO Box 1402, Lawrence, KS 66044 HS-28-D-B [$1/$5]
|
||
|
||
MSRRT Newsletter September 1993 (v.6, no.7) is the newsletter of the
|
||
Minnesota Library Association Social Responsibilities Round Table. News of
|
||
interest to progressive librarians. Should Junior ROTC be allowed in St.
|
||
Paul schools? Thoughtful reviews of alternative books fill the
|
||
"Recommended Reading" section. They also review alternative publications!
|
||
Chris Dodge / Jan DeSirey, 4645 Columbus Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55407.
|
||
S-16-D-10 [$/$15, MLA/MSRRT]
|
||
|
||
Meshuggah #8 is a "journal of oddball fiction and subversive thought." A
|
||
zine that successfully mixes seriousness with humor. Inside you might find
|
||
reprints from Ernest Mann's Little Free Press, dreamtime talkingmail, World
|
||
Domination Review, or quotes from Wendell Berry. Definitely eclectic!
|
||
Feh! Press, 147 Second Ave. #603, New York, NY 10003-5701 S-40-LP-Q
|
||
[$1.50/$6]
|
||
|
||
Profane Existence #19/20 (Summer 1993) Profane is back with this
|
||
outstanding double issue! Excellent section devoted to anarchist news in
|
||
the Twin Cities area as well as around the world. Also includes a section
|
||
devoted to On Gogol Boulevard. Stories on practical anarchist projects.
|
||
Unforgettable centerfold aimed at the anti-choice forces. Also band,
|
||
record, and zine reviews. This publication continues to be an inspiration
|
||
to me! If you only request one issue of Profane, get this one! PO Box
|
||
8722, Minneapolis, MN 55408. T-?-T-B [$3/$9.00]
|
||
|
||
Satan wears a bra # 3 (April 1993) is a cool grrrl zine. Plenty of humorous
|
||
collages and a great irreverent attitude. Check out the "Suburban slumber
|
||
party diaries." Where did they take the guys during the menstruation
|
||
lesson in school? The gym? Debby Wolfinsohn, 41 7th Ave., Brooklyn, NY
|
||
11217 HS-?-LP,C-I [$?]
|
||
|
||
Second Guess #7 (Summer 1993) is my favorite punk zine. This issue
|
||
includes an account of a trip to L.A., an interview with the band
|
||
Screeching Weasel, a piece on Charles Bukowski, letters, and really good
|
||
zine and music reviews. Bob, the editor, is never afraid to say it like it
|
||
is, he even takes Practical Anarchy to task for running a list of
|
||
suggestions on how to deal with Operation Rescue (reprinted from Wind Chill
|
||
Factor). He's on target--the inclusion of the piece was a last minute
|
||
space filler and shouldn't have been included. SG, PO Box 9382, Reno, NV,
|
||
89507 HS-56-LP-I [$2/?]
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Ship of Fools #3 (Summer 1993) is a big smorgasbord of stuff for those
|
||
interested in anarchy and freedom. This tabloid zine is chock-full of
|
||
stuff of interest to anarchists: anarchist projects, prisoner support,
|
||
environmental actions, zine reviews, drug decriminalization and more. Also
|
||
has recent news about the Davis family's fight with the damn Feds. This
|
||
could almost be called "The Anarchist Year in Review: 1993". Definitely
|
||
worth checking out! Ship of Fools, PO Box 2062, Westminster, MD (No zip
|
||
listed) T-56-T-Q [$2/$5]
|
||
|
||
SLAM #4 June/July 1993 is a fine review-oriented zine. They review zines,
|
||
books, and music. Each issue usually includes several band interviews.
|
||
This issue includes articles on micro-radio and political prisoners. PO
|
||
Box 22861, Alexandria, VA 22304 S-32-T-6 [$2/$10]
|
||
|
||
These Are Revolutionary Times #5 / September 1993 is an excellent new
|
||
anarchist tabloid. They do a good job of covering the New England
|
||
anarchist scene. This issue includes portraits of famous anarchists such
|
||
as Voltairine de Cleyre and John Henry MacKay. Media reviews. TART.
|
||
Wayland Square, Box 3146, Providence, RI 02906 T-8-T-Mo. [$.35/$5.00]
|
||
|
||
The Web is "Southern California's Anarchist Journal." Contents include
|
||
pieces on high school organizing, the Whittier Food Not Bombs group, the
|
||
southern California Anarchist Retreat, as well as info on other anarchist
|
||
events happening in southern California. Includes a contact list of area
|
||
anarchist groups. PO Box 187, N. Hollywood, CA 91603 HS-20-R,HL-I [$?]
|
||
|
||
Woozy #2 is a anarchist-flavored music/culture zine published in Australia.
|
||
Interviews with alternative bands, comics, collages, and articles on Riot
|
||
Grrrls and squatting. All of it hand-lettered which gives it an
|
||
interesting visual look. PO Box 4434, Melbourne Uni, Parkville, Victoria,
|
||
3052 Australia. S-48-HL-3 [$?]
|
||
|
||
PAMPHLETS
|
||
|
||
The Abolition of Work by Bob Black. A new pamphlet featuring Black's
|
||
classic rant against work. This edition published by Feh! Press also
|
||
includes several other Black anti-work pieces as well as a suggested
|
||
anti-work reading list. Feh! Press, 147 Second Ave. #603, New York, NY
|
||
10003 [$2]
|
||
|
||
Zine Key
|
||
|
||
Description codes:
|
||
A. Size of paper
|
||
|
||
S -Standard (8 1/2" x 11")
|
||
HS - Half Standard ( 5 1/2" x 8 1/2")
|
||
L - Legal (8 1/2" x 14")
|
||
HL - Half Legal (7" x 8 1/2")
|
||
T - Tabloid (11" x 17" newsprint)
|
||
M - Mini (smaller than half standard)
|
||
O - Oversize (larger than tabloid)
|
||
|
||
B. Number of pages
|
||
|
||
C. Notes
|
||
|
||
R - Photo reduced type
|
||
D - Dot matrix printed and xeroxed
|
||
LP - Laser printed
|
||
T - Typeset or offset
|
||
C - Lots of collages
|
||
HL - Hand lettered
|
||
M - Multicolored cover
|
||
M+ - Color throughout publication
|
||
F - Full color cover
|
||
|
||
Frequency (per year)
|
||
Mo - Monthly
|
||
W - Weekly
|
||
10 - 10 times a year
|
||
Q - Quarterly
|
||
A - Annual
|
||
I - Irregular/Infrequent
|
||
|
||
Price
|
||
[price of sample / followed by subscription cost (if available) for one
|
||
year (usually third class)]
|
||
ALWAYS send money or stamps for postage if you are sending away for a sample!
|
||
A $ sign before the slash mean that a sample price was not listed--send a
|
||
couple of bucks.
|
||
Trades accepted are indicated by "T"
|
||
A name inside the brackets indicates who a check should be made out to.
|
||
|
||
BOOKS
|
||
|
||
Are ISBN numbers becoming licenses to publish? Fred Woodworth of The
|
||
Match! seems to think so. In a recent edition he outlines the case against
|
||
ISBN numbers. They have decided to no longer review books with ISBNs. We
|
||
support their project and will disseminate info on Woodworth's arguments,
|
||
but this publication will continue to review books with ISBNs for now.
|
||
|
||
The Last Days of Christ the Vampire by J.G. Eccarius. [III Publishing. PO
|
||
Box 170363, San Francisco, CA 94117-0363 / Also available from Left Bank
|
||
Distribution] 188pp. $7.00 Paperback. This has to be one of the best
|
||
novels, if not best anarchist novel, of the 1980s. An account of how some
|
||
freedom loving anarchists topple worldwide religion and have fun doing it.
|
||
You won't find very many books where the radicals are the ones that win in
|
||
the end.
|
||
A grassroots movement of freedom-loving radicals who can think for
|
||
themselves gradually spread the word that Christ was actually a vampire.
|
||
This message, often spread with graffiti, is not taken lightly by church
|
||
officials and those who actually are immortals, the Primes. The Christ the
|
||
Vampire movement is mostly composed of young punks, but includes several
|
||
professionals. They travel around the world, spreading their message of
|
||
"blasphemy." They soon learn that there are vampires in control of the
|
||
world and that Christ the Vampire is not just a metaphor. Christ himself
|
||
is still alive. The movement actually builds momentum and eventually
|
||
millions of churchgoing Americans decide that going to church is a waste of
|
||
time, and that money given to churches could be better spent actually
|
||
solving problems. A wonderful message.
|
||
This book is well written, gripping, funny, and should be inspiring
|
||
to those of us who are trying to create alternatives to the worldwide
|
||
megamachine. If you are familiar with fiction that deals with the
|
||
Illuminati, you should enjoy reading this novel.
|
||
|
||
The New Political Consciousness: a context for ecocommunity by Wendell G.
|
||
Bradley. [Lysander Spooner Publishing , Mark Ziesing, PO Box 76,
|
||
Shingletown, CA 96088] 165pp. Paperback. We all know that liberal
|
||
environmentalism sucks, but what about the current Western political system
|
||
known as "liberalism"? Liberalism has been the dominant political
|
||
consciousness for centuries in North America and Europe. Why do so many
|
||
people still cling to a system that has obviously failed? Bradley examines
|
||
this any many more questions in this excellent thought-provoking book.
|
||
Bradley takes a critical look at the weaknesses of
|
||
constitution-based liberalism. He also defines more clearly what
|
||
anarchists oppose: archism. He accurately refers to the "Archist
|
||
Revolution" that has been going on for over 4000 years. Most of the human
|
||
species' history has been characterized by egalitarian societies. Archism
|
||
and civilization are recent inventions.
|
||
Bradley also examines social freedom, disciplinary control, human
|
||
nature, feminism, alternatives to education, and the prospects for
|
||
ecocommunities.
|
||
This book is an excellent addition to the social ecology movement.
|
||
It echoes Murray Bookchin's The Ecology of Freedom. Another current book
|
||
that more anarchists and those interested in building ecocommunities should
|
||
read. My copy now has penciled notes all throughout.
|
||
* * * * *
|
||
The conventional environmental activist seeks more informed or considerate
|
||
leadership and better laws. This "liberal justice" approach typically
|
||
focuses on greedy executives in an exploitative industrialism, condoned by
|
||
coopted government officials. The radical ecological approach, however,
|
||
goes to the root. It is concerned with the archist liberalism's inherently
|
||
destructive social consciousness and how it pervades nearly every facet of
|
||
existing society, public and private.
|
||
* * * * *
|
||
The temptation to get in power and prescribe for others betrays an archist
|
||
disposition. The forms of social freedom can only be developed organically,
|
||
as people arrive at shared values in an open process (actually form
|
||
authentic community). Those who prescribe, thinking their consciousness is
|
||
"pure," need to be reminded that social blueprinting is how we got into the
|
||
mess we are in.
|
||
|
||
Having Little, Being Much: A chronicle of Fredy Perlman's fifty years by
|
||
Lorraine Perlman. [Detroit: Black & Red, 1989 / Available from Fifth
|
||
Estate Bookstore, 4632 Second Ave., Detroit, MI 48201, or Left Bank
|
||
Distribution] 155pp $3.50 Paperback. I first heard of Fredy Perlman
|
||
when I started reading the Fifth Estate during the mid 80s. He was the
|
||
author that wrote these really strange, but brilliant essays on the nature
|
||
of civilization and nationalism. Later I learned that he was held in high
|
||
esteem by much of the anarchist movement. A couple of years ago I had the
|
||
fortune of reading one of his books, Against His-story, Against Leviathan.
|
||
In it Perlman traces the history of civilization in a critical,
|
||
metaphorical fashion. This book helped me make some personal insights
|
||
about the nature of civilization and helped me understand some of the
|
||
"anarcho-primitivist" flavor that has characterized Fifth Estate magazine.
|
||
Having Little is an account of Fredy's life as told by his wife
|
||
Lorraine. She relates the academic, activist, and personal side of his
|
||
life. We get a good look at his intellectual struggles, his projects, and
|
||
his experiences with activists. Fredy approached activist politics in the
|
||
U.S. as one who had lived in eastern Europe during the 50s and 60s. His
|
||
primary contribution to the radical movement in the U.S. were his books and
|
||
his involvement with the Black & Red cooperative printshop in Detroit.
|
||
One of the valuable aspects of biographies like this one is the
|
||
insight it gives readers who are social change activists into the
|
||
experiences of other activists. Activists always seem to spend a lot of
|
||
time reinventing the wheel. This biography show us the frustrations Fredy
|
||
experienced in dealing with left sectarianism in relation to the
|
||
cooperative printshop. Another valuable aspect is the detail the
|
||
biographer provides on Fredy's intellectual struggles and what he was
|
||
trying to accomplish with his writings.
|
||
|
||
Divided We Fall by Robert Millis. [Gemini Brew. 2305 Northwest Kearney
|
||
#240, Portland, OR 97210] 151pp. Paperback. So what happens after the
|
||
Revolution? What would it be like living after the big event? You would
|
||
think with all the left-leaning authors over the years there would be
|
||
novels about post-Revolution America. You would also think that at least a
|
||
few science fiction authors would have devoted some ink to the topic. It's
|
||
actually somewhat difficult to name some novels that deal with life after a
|
||
leftist style revolution. Millis attempts to bring us a glimpse of life
|
||
after the REVOLUTION in this novel.
|
||
Jonathan Palmer is a young revolutionary who is getting involved in
|
||
the resistance movement once again. The faction that he joins controls
|
||
territory in Oregon. Most of the novel deals with his stay at resistance
|
||
hideouts. Several times the faction skirmishes with the surviving U.S.
|
||
government. Eventually Jon has to come to terms with his involvement in
|
||
the "war". Should he stay involved or should he leave? Can he resume a
|
||
normal life?
|
||
In his author's note Millis notes his reservations about the type
|
||
of revolution some people preach about. He succeeds for the most part in
|
||
portraying what would probably happen after an armed uprising. The rebel
|
||
factions start to resemble those they oppose. Outfitted with tons of
|
||
weapons and power they start to become just like the government they
|
||
opposed to begin with. Hierarchy and coercion reintroduce themselves in
|
||
this situation. Anarchists have pointed out for years the futility of
|
||
revolutions that aim to seize state power. The revolutionaries rapidly
|
||
transform to resemble the old guard.
|
||
Divided We Fall is a decent book, but I wish that it had been much
|
||
longer and that the characterization was more developed. It is a good
|
||
attempt to portray the benefits and drawbacks of an armed revolution, a
|
||
situation that many leftists dream about, but often don't examine the real
|
||
consequences of such a strategy. An interesting addition to any leftist's
|
||
bookshelf.
|
||
|
||
Loompanics' Golden Records edited by Michael Hoy. [Loompanics Unlimited.
|
||
PO Box 1197, Port Townsend, WA 98369] 199pp. $14.95 Trade paperback. A
|
||
big compilation of articles, fiction, and information that have appeared in
|
||
the pages of the Loompanics catalogs in the last few years. The Loompanics
|
||
Catalog is the most interesting book catalog around these days. Each one
|
||
is chock-full of graphics, articles, and lengthy descriptions of the books
|
||
that they sell. They aren't afraid to carry the controversial. If you are
|
||
looking for material on Holocaust revisionism as written by those who
|
||
believe that the Holocaust was a hoax, they carry that stuff. If you need
|
||
to prepare for Armageddon or are just seeking revenge, they got books for
|
||
you too. But the best part of Loompanics is that they carry anarchist and
|
||
anti-authoritarian materials. Definitely send away for a copy today!
|
||
Golden Records is an eclectic collection of material. Inside you
|
||
will find classic material from anarchist iconoclast Bob Black including"No
|
||
future for the Workplace" and the funny "Bob's Hopeless Desert Classic".
|
||
Most of the articles have a libertarian bent: "Pissing away our basic
|
||
rights," "What is the FIJA" and articles on gun control. Several pieces
|
||
take on Big Brother and the increasing threats to our rights. This is an
|
||
excellent way of learning about the hidden issues and history that the
|
||
mainstream media ignore. Send away for their catalog while your at, it's
|
||
worth the wait.
|
||
|
||
The American Heretic's Dictionary with definitions by Chaz Bufe and
|
||
illustrations by J.R. Swanson. [See Sharp Press. Tucson, AZ. 1992] 85pp.
|
||
$7.95 Paperback. Another great reference item from the guy who published
|
||
the immensely useful Heretic's Handbook of Quotations. In the tradition of
|
||
Ambrose Bierce's Devil's Dictionary. The definitions in this volume are
|
||
hilarious and cut to the often painful truth. Bufe has "decided not to
|
||
attack the usual butts of American 'humor,' that is, those who have little
|
||
power and who are routinely victimized; I decided not to attack women,
|
||
racial or ethnic groups, or gay or bisexual people; instead, I decided to
|
||
concentrate on business, government, the military, and the everyday
|
||
stupidities and slimy practices which make living in the United States such
|
||
a joy."
|
||
* * * * *
|
||
NATIONAL INTEREST, n. That which increases the wealth and power of the
|
||
wealthiest 10 percent of the population at the expense of the other 90
|
||
percent.
|
||
* * * * *
|
||
INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, n. A government agency which serves the people by
|
||
extorting billions of dollars from them annually under threat of force,
|
||
much as the Immigration and Naturalization Service serves the people by
|
||
raiding homes and workplaces, and by maintaining concentration camps.
|
||
* * * * *
|
||
LIBERTARIAN PARTY, n. 1) An oxymoron; 2) A group of socially liberal
|
||
Republicans who dislike paying taxes. Finding genuine libertarians in a
|
||
political party is as unthinkable as finding hyenas dining at a vegetarian
|
||
restaurant.
|
||
* * * * *
|
||
LENINIST, n. A marxist who is unable or unwilling to learn from past
|
||
events. An individual who believes that a peaceful, free, and egalitarian
|
||
society can be built through the systematic use of terror, violence, and
|
||
coercion by a small elite. A believer in classes, but an "F" student in
|
||
History.
|
||
|
||
Freedom Road by Harold Hough. [Loompanics] 178pp. $16.95 Paperback
|
||
If you feel the urge to pull up stakes and live constantly on the road,
|
||
then this is a practical guide for you. Hough looks at life on the road
|
||
from the perspective of somebody who owns a RV. Covers practical
|
||
considerations such as which state you should get a driver's license from
|
||
and where should you maintain a maildrop.
|
||
|
||
Books Received (will be reviewed in next issue)
|
||
|
||
Shadow Merchants: Successful retailing without a storefront by Jordan L.
|
||
Cooper. Loompanics. 152pp $12.95
|
||
|
||
Boundaries of Home: Mapping for local empowerment edited by Doug Aberley.
|
||
New Society Publishers. 138pp $9.95
|
||
|
||
Democracy in small groups: participation, decision making & communication
|
||
by John Gastil. New Society Publishers. 213pp $14.95
|
||
|
||
Scram: relocating under a new identity by James S. Martin. Loompanics. 78pp $12
|
||
|
||
Unconditional Freedom: social revolution through individual empowerment by
|
||
William J. Murray. Loompanics. 260pp $15.95
|
||
|
||
Common Harvest: an alternative food and agriculture directory compiled by
|
||
Dan Guenther, Rick Bonlender and Dick Kulisheck. Food Action Network
|
||
(Minneapolis) 1993 / 150pp. $11
|
||
|
||
MUSIC
|
||
|
||
Reviewers are:
|
||
CM - Chuck Munson
|
||
FW - Fred Weaver
|
||
|
||
Please send all music to be reviewed to:
|
||
Fred Weaver
|
||
City of Champions Records
|
||
303 W. Market St.
|
||
Clearfield, PA 16830
|
||
|
||
Jesus Lizard - Lash - 3x7" (Touch & Go)
|
||
Two new songs "Glamorous" (Incredible) and "Deaf as a Bat" (sounds like a
|
||
Dead kennedys song) coupled with four live songs that thoroughly document
|
||
the fact that the Lizard is one of the best live acts in the world. (FW)
|
||
|
||
Seam - The Problem With Me - CD (Touch & Go)
|
||
9 great new songs. Much better than Headsparks with arrangements that
|
||
bring Soo Young Park's former band, Bitch Magnet, to mind. Currently my
|
||
favorite record. Tight, powerful drumming from Bob Craig (Ex: Poster
|
||
Children) and incredible hooks reminding me of Dinosaur Jr's (You're
|
||
Living...) heydey.
|
||
|
||
Palace Bros. - There Is No One-What Will Take Care of You (Drag City)
|
||
Three former members of Slint reform to back their pal, Will Oldham on a
|
||
record of, get this, folk/country songs. The songs are imaginatively
|
||
written with quite a bit of tongue in cheek humor poking fun at traditional
|
||
country lyrics. Interesting, if not amazing. I just heard that Slint has
|
||
reformed-rejoice! (FW)
|
||
|
||
Gastr Del Sol - Serpentine Similar - EP (Teen Beat)
|
||
David Grubbs' new band isn't as extreme as Bastro, but it entertains just
|
||
as much. Long drones and odd guitar riffs combined with inspired poetry may
|
||
sound retro but in this case it sounds very new. (FW)
|
||
|
||
Dis - Small Fry Sessions - CD (12 Inch Records)
|
||
This band has everything (Steve Albini as their producer; they're on the
|
||
Poster Children's label) except the talent of the company they're keeping.
|
||
Sounds like a Slint/Pavement influence is very strong here. There are a
|
||
few good songs and original ideas, though. (FW)
|
||
|
||
Don Caballero - For Respect - CD/LP/CS (Touch & Go)
|
||
Instrumental powerhouse from my home state-what can I say bad? Maybe it's
|
||
too much of a good thing, some of the songs are incredible but a few seem
|
||
to lose power in artsy transitions and arrangements-not as good as their
|
||
first two 7"s but definitely worth owning. (FW)
|
||
|
||
Shiny Beast - 5 song CD (Boner)
|
||
An instrumental band that is peerles as far as I'm concerned. The CD
|
||
features guest vocals on four of the songs. I saw these guys in the Spring
|
||
and they aren't as loud and heavy as this record makes them seem. I heard
|
||
a demo of their new material that more accurately portrays the live act and
|
||
it is outstanding. (FW)
|
||
|
||
Fugazi - In On The Kill Taker - CD (Dischord)
|
||
This has some good songs on it. They seem to be more angry than on Steady
|
||
Diet...I think that Guy is a better songwriter than Ian and he's proven it
|
||
on this ("Rend It" "Smallpox Champion"). There are some songs that are
|
||
mediocre. (FW)
|
||
|
||
Not Your Friends - Don't Even Try It - Cassette (Thin Frail Genetics) These
|
||
guys are my friends and they play a kind of pop/hardcore along the lines of
|
||
All or My Name. They have that California kind of sound, I guess.
|
||
Whatever points they lose for originality they make up for with good
|
||
songwriting, talented playing and sincerity. [$4 from Thin Frail Genetics.
|
||
PO Box 78. Force, PA 15841] (FW)
|
||
|
||
F-Kripz - Envy The Dead - Cassette (Molotov Records)
|
||
Boy was this a pleasant surprise when I popped it into my cassette player!
|
||
Rap that sounds sometimes like a cross between hip hop and industrial.
|
||
Very political stuff that doesn't knock you over the head with a message.
|
||
I think this might be DIY rap. Hey this is better than most of the big rap
|
||
acts! [PO Box 141129, Minneapolis, MN 55414] (CM)
|
||
|
||
Rehash - Thru The Eyes of Flies - Cassette
|
||
Punk music from some local folks. "Nova Ember" is a real slow tempo,
|
||
instrumental, moody piece. The other songs are straightforward competent
|
||
punk. Thumbs up! [$4 from REHASH. PO Box 295. Madison, WI 53701-0295] (CM)
|
||
|
||
Sludgeplow - EveryTHING - Cassette
|
||
These tunes really "sludge" along. Punk that def has a slow tempo. Is
|
||
this influenced by a heavy metal genre I don't know about? [?$ from RR #1
|
||
Box 127, Blairstown, IA 52209] (CM)
|
||
|
||
Blow Out Kit / Donora 7" (City of Champions Records)
|
||
DIY hardcore from central Pennsylvania. Both tracks are instrumental
|
||
pieces from each band. Great hardcore though-well produced. Can't say
|
||
much more because this because Blow Out Kit was Fred's group and it's hard
|
||
for me to be objective. I did get a chance to see Blow Out Kit play in
|
||
Altoona last August before they broke up. Very loud, but definitely good
|
||
stuff. I hope that Fred starts another band whenever he isn't too busy
|
||
with his DIY label.
|
||
[City of Champions Records. 303 West Market St., Clearfield, PA 16830] (CM)
|
||
|
||
Pagan Invasion - Fuel For The Flame - Cassette (City of Champions Records)
|
||
I was there when the Pagans started to record this tape. The end result
|
||
is rather good. The title track is a forceful rap on supporting pro choice
|
||
and women's rights. They also do a cover of Bob Marley's "Redemption
|
||
Song." Do-It-Yourself rap from central Pennsylvania. [The Pagans. 303
|
||
West Market St., Clearfield, PA 16830] (CM)
|
||
|
||
The Storm Lillies - Untitled - Cassette
|
||
This Chicago punk quartet pumps out some pleasant-sounding tunes. One of
|
||
the band members is an anarchist who I have the pleasure of knowing. Only
|
||
three tunes; when will we get more? To get a copy call (312) 342-7811 (CM)
|
||
|
||
Fugazi - In on The Kill Taker - CD (Dischord)
|
||
I like this CD even though it's not as good as Repeater. Definitely worth
|
||
the money, unlike some of the other high-priced shit out there. Fred and I
|
||
tried to see Fugazi in Pittsburgh but it was sold out. Bummer. Wish they
|
||
could come to Madison. (CM)
|
||
|
||
Chuck's Top Ten
|
||
1. The Breeders - Last Splash - CD
|
||
2. Fugazi - In On The Kill Taker - CD
|
||
3. Blow Out Kit/Donora - Split 7"
|
||
4. F-Kripz - Envy The Dead - Cassette
|
||
5. House of Pain - Fine Malt Lyrics - CD
|
||
6. Menace II Society - Movie
|
||
7. El Mariachi - Movie
|
||
8. Pagan Invasion - Fuel for the Flame - Cassette
|
||
9. Dinosaur Jr. - Where You Been - CD
|
||
10. Beavis & Butthead - The episode where they mow an anarchy symbol into
|
||
the front lawn of their high school.
|
||
|
||
|
||
=@= ANNOUNCEMENTS =@=
|
||
|
||
Call for submissions
|
||
|
||
To a Book of Essays on the Topic of
|
||
PRACTICAL ANARCHY
|
||
Forthcoming for the Summer of 1994
|
||
|
||
We are an editorial collective dedicated to elaborating the fullest range
|
||
of possibilities under anarchy, and to investigating new ways to invigorate
|
||
the anarchist presence in North America. We hope to collect essays,
|
||
bibliographies, addresses and other resources which detail an array of
|
||
practical strategies and tac- tics and sensibilities that include but are
|
||
not limited to:
|
||
|
||
o Food production and Consumption (horticulture, community spon- sored
|
||
agriculture, communal farming, gardening collectives, &c)
|
||
|
||
o Housing (Squatting, Urban and Rural Co-ops, &c)
|
||
|
||
o Neighborhood and campus organizing, integrated strategies for local
|
||
political organization
|
||
|
||
o DIY art, music, and beautification (stenciling, wheatpasting, alteration,
|
||
zine production, publication, &c)
|
||
|
||
o How-to ideas on putting together a People's Bank of Goods & Services,
|
||
Pirate Radio Stations, Anarchist hostles, reading rooms, study groups,
|
||
bicycle repair collectives, a Free University, an anti-racist action
|
||
network, &c)
|
||
|
||
o Women's Health and defense, Menstrual Extraction and other issues of
|
||
specific concern to women
|
||
|
||
Send Submissions, Ideas, Graphics, Hate Mail To:
|
||
|
||
joseph average
|
||
c/o B A U
|
||
po box 3207 bloomington
|
||
in 47402-3207
|
||
|
||
OR
|
||
|
||
chuck munson
|
||
c/o Practical Anarchy
|
||
po box 173 madison
|
||
wi 53701-0173
|
||
|
||
*****************************************
|
||
The November 1993 edition of Practical Anarchy zine (#8) is now available.
|
||
This issue's focus is on Anarchy and Economics. Sample copies are $2 and
|
||
subscriptions are $7. Send cash or checks to the mailing address listed
|
||
above.
|
||
*****************************************
|
||
|
||
=@= PRACTICAL ANARCHY =@=
|
||
|
||
Practical Anarchy Suggestions
|
||
|
||
@ Organize an alternative reading room. Check out the latest Alternative
|
||
Press Review for an article on one such room in North Carolina
|
||
@ Work against the privitization of the Internet!
|
||
@ Talk to your friends about the GATT
|
||
@ Take over an abandoned building and turn it into housing
|
||
@ Start an infoshop
|
||
@ Organize a space for teens
|
||
@ Work for the abolition of national borders. Combat anti-immigrant hysteria.
|
||
@ Speak out against the Klan
|
||
@ Speak out against censors like Katherine MacKinnon
|
||
@ Organize your workplace
|
||
@ Write a letter (I hate to say this) to Bill Clinton asking for the
|
||
release of Leonard Peltier
|
||
|
||
=@= CALENDAR =@=
|
||
Keep an eye out for several gatherings next year. Planning has recently
|
||
started for an anarchist gathering to be held in Humboldt County,
|
||
California. Another gathering is tentatively scheduled next summer for the
|
||
New England area. Check out the anarchist press for more details, or
|
||
contact the aaa-web list for upcoming events. <aaa-web@gnu.ai.mit.edu>
|
||
|
||
=@= NEXT MONTH =@=
|
||
Since this publication is on hiatus, we can't promise anything!
|
||
|
||
|
||
THE END
|
||
-
|
||
This e-zine is published on 100% recycled electrons
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|