![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]")
Perhaps the greatest attack on the image of consumerism happens in these frenzied moments when a tsunami of euphoric looting bursts through the windows of megacorporate stores. In a blitz, property is communized – and all take freely what each desires. Local, independent and mom-and-pop stores are conspicuously spared in these times of calculated plundering because what is happening here is an intentional strategy of expropriating the expropriators, of overthrowing the law of scarcity with the creed of surplus and, as Sotirios Bahtsetzis observes, of “rendering visible the emptiness and random replaceability of consumerist goods.” It is on this last point, that acts of looting become like sophisticated image attacks. Elated pillagers present the megacorporations with a lose-lose conundrum: either stand by while pictures of their ransacked stores show the world how they are despised; or renovate their premises, restock their shelves, pretend as if nothing happened and admit to the farce of consumerism by demonstrating that consumer goods are worthless because they are not unique, because they may be identically replaced with ease.
What can we do to pull off sophisticated image attacks this Carnivalesque Rebellion Nov. 22–28?
the facts: this photo was
the facts: this photo was taken at a student protest (around 50,000 people) in london 10/10/11, the window being smashed was outside the conservative party HQ, before/during which the building was stormed by a few hundred people, trashing the place, burning placards, smashing windows etc, whilst the vast majority of people outside cheered them on. a few managed to get on the roof, some of whom decided to throw stuff (including one fire extinguisher) which led to the rest of the crowd to begin chanting "stop throwing shit". this photo was on the front page of most british newspapers the next day.... i was there. those who stormed the building/broke windows had the support of the majority of the protesters, including me. just a bit of background on the photo. i would suggest you use a different photo, as most british people who read this article will recognise the photo straight away and be confused as to what you're trying to say. apart from that, brilliant article
Hogwash. Kids and others
Hogwash. Kids and others unable to attenuate their desire to bask in the glory of consumerism. A principled boycott suggests a new set of ethics. A smash and grab job suggests helplessness in the face of corporate greed.
The beauty of capitalism is
The beauty of capitalism is you can opt out. Just don't buy. Unfortunately for Europeans government imposition is becoming more and more prevalent as neighboring successful countries must bail out one that cannot support themselves. This sort of forced system is the one that pushes groups we see to revolt. Thankfully for Adbuster the EU is continuing to ruin shit, and Portugal and Spain will be next to join in the anger and frustration of broken systems.
Pretending that frustration with government is part of the "carnivalesque" rebellion is kind of sad. These people are in the streets protesting, if they kick in a store window its just because it close by.
The few responders that hit
The few responders that hit on the idea of everyone paying for looting is spot on. Corporations work for profit. If they lose goods due to a lone looting incident, it is more than made up by adding a small percentage to the price of the next pile of goods. This is not how to stop this financial rape on the common man (or woman).
The only way, to me, is to refuse to use their goods, Hell, we ALL have far too much shit in our lives ! Buy local when you can. Hoard. Can. Save. Stand on your own two feet for once.
Refuse to use credit. Pay Cash.Refuse to comply.
There are thousands of ways to make this a better planet than being a mini-terrorist.
Anger begats anger. Hate begats hate. To become what you hate is worse than living as a slave.
At least a slave has the dignity of being honest.
Amen.
Amen.
Looting is still stealing.
Looting is still stealing. And you don't steal from 'megacorporate stores', you steal from people. Individuals still have to pay in many ways for the damages done and despite the motives of looters, they are not respecting the rights that individuals have to their property. People don't suddenly own nothing simply because a small group of people decide for themselves that it should be so. Means far less destructive than looting can be taken to give the same message.
Micah, please edit this
Micah, please edit this article. You should know that this picture was taken from the student protest on the tenth of November, as one user has commented below. It was a spontaneous act of vandalism against the institutional violence that the Conservative government has inflicted on the UK.
The description of euphoria is correct though. At the protest on Wednesday (24th Nov) I was one of about a thousand who were kettled (held illegally by the police in an area outside in the cold, without food or water or toilet facilities, in order to lower morale and prevent us from joining other groups of protestors) for eight hours. Kids as young as twelve, the majority 15-17 year olds. They were proud, angry and fearless. I've never seen so many young people at a demo, fighting because they know that what they're being told to swallow is a lie.
Cuts to education at every level, from nursery to university, cuts to health, fuel allowance for the elderly, mobility allowance for the disabled, libraries and swimming pools to close, and debt of thousands upon thousands of pounds.
The politiks, from the labour, lib dem and conservative parties, who all represent right wing neo liberalism, have succeeded in radicalising a whole generation. The fight is just beginning, but the mood is electric.
-Nick
Hi Nick, In reply to: "You
Hi Nick,
In reply to: "You should know that this picture was taken from the student protest on the tenth of November"
The above article originally appeared in Adbusters #92, published prior to the UK student protests, and the picture that it was paired with was different, but the action was the same: an anonymous individual kicking through a window.
Actually, I originally wrote the article with the looting of the Levi's store in Barcelona in mind. But we've selected the picture from the UK protest as an iconic picture of fury smashing through a window.
let's get out there an funk
let's get out there an funk the junk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J_2iq37qoM
we can do it
this image has been taken out
this image has been taken out of context as it is depicting the anti-education cuts protesters of 10/11/10 in london (11/10/10 for anyone who's american). i was rather hoping adbusters would report on the fantastic reactions from young people across the UK since the day this image comes from, but instead people only seem to care about what's happening in france; we're proving the naysayers wrong over here. i was rather disillusioned with mass protest until this demonstration — i was part of the group that started a sit-down outside parliament in order to stop as many students as possible just walking straight back home (or to the high street) rather than waking up to the reason they were there.
whilst adbusters does everything it can to publicise its week of 'carnivalesque rebellion,' rebellion is already taking place and they choose to ignore it in their posts (haven't read much of the big ideas of 2011 yet, maybe i'll be pleasantly surprised).
today, 24/11, was 'day X' — a national day of action in which at least fifteen universities saw occupations, including mine (portsmouth). the centre of everywhere was inevitably london again, where thousands flocked once again to engage in a revolt that to my knowledge carried on well into this evening. once again, police vans were conquered and students everywhere showed the nation that the biased media coverage labeling those like in the above picture as criminals is merely part of a suppressive witch hunt on behalf of the media for the government, not a factual depiction of a mindless minority intent on violence for violence's sake (that's what britain has the EDL for). the revolution is coming, and adbusters appears to be a week or two behind.
No revolution. Your rich will
No revolution. Your rich will simply hire more security and police to beat you down harder, and protect their wealth from you slaves.
This is a funny picture.
This is a funny picture. There is one guy breaking the window, another guy standing there, and half a dozen photographers taking a picture of the looter.
"In a blitz, property is
"In a blitz, property is communized – and all take freely what each desires."
Ha! Otherwise known as stealing. I agree with Queerplanet. Don't like coorporate goods, don't buy them.
Rioting and looting make people look like goons.
DIY Anarchism.
DIY Anarchism.
And in this image the
And in this image the "attackers" are all wearing corporate made clothes.
How about this? You get your heterosexuals spayed and neutered and stop the population of the planet from increasing at THREE ADDITIONAL PEOPLE PER SECOND.
And then we will be spared yet another righteous attack of misplaced anger.
Don't like corporate goods? Don't buy them.
Don't like scarcity of resources? Then stop having kids.
This image although wrongly
This image although wrongly attributed has everything to do with the age of consumerism we survive in. The young man is putting the boot into the window of the HQ of the UK Conservative party in protest at the proposed introduction of tuition fees in England and Wales. The Conservatives and their co-conspirators the Labour Party have put consumerism and lifestyle debt at the very epi centre of the economy. Between them they have destroyed quality manufacturing and turned engineers sons and daughters into call centre serfs. Naturally our compliant and biased media, particularly the state controlled BBC, pronounce public opinion is 'shocked' at such images. National Union of Students apparatchiks denounce the 'rioters' as a deranged minority, naturally the NUS spokesperson will become a Labour MP in the next decade.
Mark MacLachlan
http://the-universality-of-cheese.blogspot.com
yeah, it is taken a little
yeah, it is taken a little out of context i guess. i heard that the only NUS bigwig to actually denounce the rioters was the president aaron porter though, and everyone despises him now that he's apparently called for a cap on the number of students that can attend an anti-racist rally (i'll have to look into that, i'm not at all certain what it's all about). i must say, it's also a bad move by porter to say he won't organise another event like Demolition again; he's really quite spineless.
call me crazy and this is
call me crazy and this is just a thought but maybe thats the key make it a police state make them clamp down more and more then as people lose more and more rights they start realising that the 'freedom' they have isnt really that free and more people join the cause if we want a revolution then some blood may have to be spilt which makes you think...do you want to get hurt for your 'revolution'? is it a revolution when no blood is spilt? or is it wishful thinking? like i said just a thought but try thinking from that perspective
What is the purpose of the
What is the purpose of the destruction and looting? It reinforces the police state not weaken it.
Was the person kicking in the
Was the person kicking in the glass actually wearing those shoes, are was is photoshoped?
genuinely happened, we all
genuinely happened, we all watched with glee
Looting, just like any
Looting, just like any activist direct action/statement can also be subverted by the authorities in place, to discredit and distort the message trying to be expressed. Make sure you are always on top of the real intents of any direct actions.