What are the big ideas, the radical transformations – the metamemes – without which a viable future is unthinkable?
For twenty years the culture jammer movement has been building momentum for a cultural revolution that will topple consumerism and spark a new way of living. Now Adbusters and our worldwide network of activists (86,000+ and growing) is calling for a Carnivalesque Rebellion this November. Our aim is to create a sudden, unexpected moment of truth – a mass reversal of perspective; a global mindshift – from which the corporate/consumerist forces never fully recover.
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Tactical Briefing:
In the weeks leading up to rebellion, we will release a MANIFESTO, tentatively called THE METAMEME MANIFESTO, that will go pandemic and spread from email to website and zine to word-of-mouth. What do you think should be the gist of this manifesto? What are our demands? What are the big ideas, the radical transformations – the metamemes – without which a viable future is unthinkable? Shoot from the hip to: [email protected].
Inspiration:
Tony Judt passed away August 6. He was a bold meme warrior who inspired generations of social activists with the way he lived, the fearless way he fought for his beliefs and then for the courageous way he died. Check out his work at NYBooks.com, Guardian.co.uk and NYTimes.com and be inspired one more time.
Action:
For the next two weeks, take these two visual memes and circulate them widely. Post them on Twitter, Facebook and blogs or print out the PDFs and paste them to bulletin boards and street corners.
Support + Share
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![A Tahrir Moment on Wall Street [Portuguese]](http://www.adbusters.org/files/magazine/teaser/flag_portuguese_guardian.png?1317158969 "A Tahrir Moment on Wall Street [Portuguese]")
http://www.realitysandwich.co
http://www.realitysandwich.com/shamanism_anarchy_and_end_world
From the article:
...others have led me to conclude that we should not be attaching religious symbolism and meaning to shamanic experience, but instead should seek a practice which takes us to the awareness that preceded the alienating beginning of agriculture and religion.
I agree with this article. I
I agree with this article. I believe that we should embrace an "older culture" model that pays respect to the land and respects its elders and does not seek to dominate women. I also believe that technological progress can continue with this sustainable way of life. The modern world should try to achieve a "trans-neolithic" lifestyle. We should have communities again and "wise elders", but we should also be rationalists and use science not to destroy the land and hoard resources for the few but to enrich the human experience.
Wake up people. We are all
Wake up people. We are all slaves.
i am a slave....a slave to
i am a slave....a slave to awesomeness!
This is an excerpt from an
This is an excerpt from an article I found.
Free people can say "no". Free people can refuse demands for their money,time, and children. Slaves cannot. If someone demands that you do something and you can say "no" and refuse to do it, then you are a free human being. When you are forced to surrender half your life's work to the government in ever increasing taxes, then you are a slave. Can you say "no" to the confiscation of half your life? can you get the masters to reduce the burden by a significant amount? No? Congratulations you are a slave.
Millions of Americans did not want the war in Iraq. Could you refuse the war? No? Congratulations you are a slave. Can you refuse the confiscation of your children to fight and die in wars to fatten the profits of war profiteers? No? Congratulations you are a slave. After 9/11, the constitutional right to freedom of expression was confined to "free-speech" zones. And torture was "necessary" to "deal with our crisis". Were you able to refuse the changes made to the constitution? No? Congratulations you are a slave. Were you able to refuse having your public lands placed at risk by the US Government to cover loans you never authorized the government to make? No? Congratulations. You are a slave. Are you able to refuse corrupt and dishonest government? No? Congratulations. You are a slave. The United States is like that other slave empire, Rome. And I think it is headed for the same fate.
Cassius "Mohammed Ali" Clay
Cassius "Mohammed Ali" Clay rather went to prison then to war...
Freedom is in your mind brother, not your body.
your argument depends upon an
your argument depends upon an identification of our income as a source of identity, and the use of that income through other people's actions as a source of responsibility.
although I agree that many people are enslaved by these identifications, i am not a pessimist, i think liberation is possible, even though it is made more difficult by the oppressive environment.
however, that liberation is dangerous and risky...but some of us have liberated ourselves, and we owe it to people to say there is an underground railroad, always has been, always will be....
one thing that many political thinkers avoid is the human predilection to follow, the desire for slavery as a means of avoiding the psychological struggle to find meaning...this is why i think progress requires a bottom-up as well as a top-down perspective...
Forget the income and
Forget the income and identity analogy. I'm not talking about money as a cultural problem. I'm talking about money in an economic sense. Money can be traded for time, goods, and services. All of these are necessary to a certain extent. I agree having a lot of money can turn us into consumer junkies, but in an industrial society we need money to represent the value of goods and services. If we have parasitic organizations like the "private banking cartel" that use federal income tax to pay off our debts to them, we are using our time and energy to make these bastards richer when we could have that time and energy for ourselves. The same is true for the energy and food interests that are buying up our government to further enrich themselves. We need to do something about this huge problem.
you know i agree with you on
you know i agree with you on a very basic level...
however, my personal opinion is that you can't beat the devil taking away a little bit of fire...this is a horrible analogy, but it works...
if we try to address the problem from a personal understanding of money..like you said, then we, by deduction identify our lives with that money...
here's an example of how i mean we can detach from this...when i work, i assume the money i get, as distinct from the money the government takes, is the only money that is mine...because we all budget our lives 'after taxes'...so that money is never really ours...so, i do not take responsibility for how money is used, that is never really mine, because there is no choice involved..morality is only operable in a realm of choice...so, that frees me up to use money responsibly...
this is a long way of saying what jesus understood when he said "Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s"..in other words, a truly spiritual revolution can exist within a political/economic reality because the gravity of truth is such that it will naturally absorb the economic picture once the spiritual unity necessary for unified action occurs...and it has not yet....
so, i am taking a position that is slightly different from yours, but please understand that i agree with your basic complaint...
Also, I agree that we do
Also, I agree that we do identify our lives with money because life is money. Money represents energy and matter in the form of goods and services. I don't believe that it is the key to happiness, but I believe that it is necessary to live a comfortable life in a modern industrial society.
If, on the other hand, we realized that money was nothing less than a representation of real wealth (natural resources) and used this idea to create wealth autonomously through self-sufficiency or communal self-sufficiency, we could cut down our working hours and possibly have more free time. My ideal situation is where I have a plot of land that produces food for me and my family through automation and the energy to support these robots would come from a sustainable energy (the sun). If I can produce my own food and my own energy, I can reduce a substantial part of my bill and free up time for myself. The problem is that most of our costs are not from food, water, and energy but in the form of parasitic programs like insurance and property taxes. If we can somehow get rid of those road blocks, I could actually be free. Until the sun explodes or stops shining. But as long as the sun shines, I will be free.
Yeah I agree with that. I
Yeah I agree with that. I think what you're saying is that people will eventually realize that our modern economic system cannot function because we will reach ecological limits, so we need a mass conciousness/spiritual revolution to get people to wake up. I agree with that, but people still need things, we can't just abolish money. It is an important aspect of our lives; it gives us a system of pricing that allows us to allocate resources efficiently. I think we can have a sustainable society that uses money, but we would need to completely change the present system of how money is created.
to respond to Anonymous #1
to respond to Anonymous #1 and Anonymous #2...
the belief in the necessity of money is a form of consolidating the material reality of it as an object. in other words, it goes from merely being symbolic of actual goods, to an actual good itself, when we abdicate to its necessity. symbols are allowed to change, stark necessities cannot.
i'm not saying we ought to throw away our money...i am saying we ought to throw away our belief that it is real, and focus instead on how it is we personally use the money we have.
political, ethical and philosophical discussions often include 'ought's' and 'shoulds' that are pointed at a top-down approach from people who have no access to a top-down expression of their power...i find this to be counter-productive. systems, ideologies, economic plans...all of these are the playthings of the elite. for those of us in the masses, myself a proud member, we are better off remaining in the discussion of what we 'can' do with money, what we can do with our limited options. Ceasar cannot be reasoned with, but if the masses find creative ways to fabricate lives outside of his system, then we have no need to worry about all the political turmoil that ultimately serves him anyway.
to bring it down to earth....i tried to do all of this, and i found it was not that hard. i once had my own cleaning business. i cleaned apartments, had very low hours, good pay...i won't be specific about my taxes, but you get the drift...it's not that hard to live outside the system, but as Mr. Miagi says 'Daniel-son, you may walk on one side of the road, or the other, but if you try to walk in the middle sooner or later you get squashed.'
it does require us to face the true nature of our desired goals..and whether or not we entertain future fantasies of power...this is easier said than done..
Well said. I'd like to build
Well said. I'd like to build solar panels on my roof, but they cost so damn much. I need some land to grow my crops, but land costs so damn much. I need water to drink and feed my crops, but building a reservoir costs so damn much. Freedom costs money.
just pointing out that there
just pointing out that there are a lot of communal societies around the country..and these places offer you the ability to do these things, and be free in ways you would not otherwise...i lived in a communal living place in NYC, the friends home, quaker run, but you didn't have to be a quaker...we had shared chores, and shared common areas, and dinners and breakfast were served, cutting down on waste, and more healthy than i would normally eat...my point is that it was amazing, and if i hadn't have gotten married i would have lived there forever, it was the best...and there are lots of places like that...there's a new green community in Ithaca, NY, haven't visited yet, but plan to because i think these types of communities are the way of the future, and there is a tremendous amount of freedom in them, more than one would think...anyways, good luck!
Metamemes are fighting fire
Metamemes are fighting fire with fire ? or coopting the coopter? or just more of the same with a twist? With the right product placement you might turn a head or two but still resemble white noise to an umteenth degree. MetaMemes have a place in a skatter shot offensive of tactics deployed by motivated induviduals changing their behavior toward healthier lifestyle. Not sexy or flashy.
If you live inland sushi is off the menu, support local entreprise, join a CSA, better yet grow your own, get a bike and ride the shit out of it, walk, Kill your TV, Get rid of your cell phone (Get a pager and line line...seriously?) Deface consumerist pap tastefully, share sometime with the mentally/physically disabled, aged, infirm or neglected youth (Keeps you Holy), cohouse/habitate, look around your person, livingspace, neighborhood, burough, City, county, community and support what is of value. You don´t need to do all the leg work, glom on to clusters and networks that are already doing whatfor. Build the island or ark and welcome people abroad who opt out of the statis quo soul rape. Don´t be paracite except to authority that prods the beast along and don´t shun filthy lucre, sequester it in localebbs and flows-somebody elaborate on how to do that, keep the scatter shot coming, death by a thousand cuts, birth by a million small, local acts of neighborliness FTP.
-bugbee
Even though I really like the
Even though I really like the artwork I find it nostalgic in a weird sort of way....Those days are over.
Now it is about stealing what somebody else already stole...
Free ......... Online
See for yourself
http://www.globalocalism.com/?cat=211
if you really want to do
if you really want to do something or show the strength we have as a people,,you need to convince the working class not to go to work ...everybody...nobody go to work..until our demands are met...that is a non violent approach to rebellion...think about it..we are the ones that make the world go around...without us what really can be done....the person working the tolls wont be available...the correctional officers cant secure the prisons..the lady handling the local votes in your county wont be available...the establishment cannot survive without us....
Or... We just stop the kind
Or... We just stop the kind of work that leaves us with nothing except more money. Maybe return to work that allows us to actually benefit from our labour? Growing food, using our muscles to get around, helping our local communities re-learn what the word 'community' actually means... Isn't the point to overthrow the existing 'establishment' that has led us to this conversation of rebellion?
these are both supplemental
these are both supplemental ideas...first we have to stop doing work that feeds into the problem...that will free up emotional energy to explore the local power that we have forgotten we have...much of the resentment in a lot of the comments could be solved by actual local volunteerism...that creates a feedback loop that gives us hope and a new sense of enthusiasm about the future...
there is a psychological layer of political life, that must be processed if we are to enter into new relations with a changing technological structure...
this shit is awesome. catch
this shit is awesome. catch 22?
I'm sorry, but I really
I'm sorry, but I really doesn't help you included twitter and facebook under the organized crime banner.
Just wait and see what they
Just wait and see what they have planned for all that personal info you uploaded there.....
why do I sit on my computer
why do I sit on my computer and type stuff and do nothing to change something I don't know if I can change.It's already happening.I see dark times ahead.Only a group of violent people with political sway can change the future of shit.People who aren't afraid to break down the dirty smoke shit and bring the Fresh back.No Fear
I would be very interested to
I would be very interested to hear any critique anyone has regarding the idea of "social business," as created and advocated by Nobel Prize winner, Muhammad Yuans. He is a Bangladesh economist and activist who developed the idea of microfinancing and started the first "bank for the poor." His more recent book critiques the intolerable abuses and excesses of big for-profit businesses, as well as the way non-profit organizations are weak and overly vulnerable sidekicks in the capitalist system.
I think his social business model is a very viable form of activism and power shift- anybody?
Thanks!
i'm a huge
i'm a huge fan...
micro-financing is fascinating...i especially like how it utilizes women usually as agents of social change, i find this beautiful...
Yunas- not Yuans
Yunas- not Yuans
Do not consent to the
Do not consent to the imposed, Contractual Conditions of our existence. Do not consent to the Income Tax contract. Do not consent to Council Payments Contract. Do not consent to Parking or Traffic Fines Contracts. DO not consent to Voting Contract. Do not consent to the Registration of Anything. Do not consent to being Detained. Do not give Jurisdiction to any Officer, Judge or Court. Do not honor any implied 'Debt' or 'Interest' where you received merely 'Credit' - Ask for Invoice and Proof of Loss. Do not consent to Licensing of Anything. Do not sign Anything, EVER. If you can do that without Hurting anyone, Destroying property or Defrauding other humans, you will succeed.
see:
http://johnfenzel.typepad.com/john_fenzels_blog/images/2008/01/21/img8.jpg
Adbusters is great for two
Adbusters is great for two reasons:
1. It helps me remember to limit my time on the Internet.
2. It provides a great outlet for revolutionary courage.
However, I believe that their present Carnivalesque Rebellion has not been well thought out. They promote rebellion for revolutionary sake and not for good reason. It's like those kids in high school that would just dress "weird" because they wanted to be different, not because they believed in a better universe through alternative clothing choices. If you want to promote a communal lifestyle encourage people to take the initiative to act as a community, whether that means buying locally or getting together and discussing world events. As taught in human development, it is better to give the human a different option than to say, "Stop doing that!" Adbusters should try changing the mindset of the people - the people are the creators, talk to them.
Also, we evolutionized because we wanted things done simpler and easier, if you want to advocate working harder I don't think going to Starbucks or walking out of the office (where people perform labor) is the best place to start. If everyone boycotted corporations and those corporations fell, so many people would be out of work (how would we fix that problem?). Popularity is not evil. Branding is necessary (as Adbusters shows through the black spot).
if someone doesn't like Starbucks they have the free agency to choose, the so called, indie alternative. (Bleh! Once Indie become too vogue I'm sure Adbusters' followers will resort to another uncommon word).
I'm very lost now, what is the ideal result Adbusters is trying to achieve?
Did you just say "we
Did you just say "we evolutionized"?! Do you mean "evolved"? If so, I believe Mr. Darwin would disagree with your ascribed cause ("we wanted things done simpler and easier"). You do indeed appear to be "very lost now."
I think you missed my point
I think you missed my point because you only addressed personal writing style. And, if you don't think we as a people have transformed into a society that values and strives for convenience than I'm also confused about you.
Also, I'm still concerned, or "lost," about Adbusters idea of utopia in regards to corporations, consuming goods, and us.
Your thoughts?