Discordian Evangelism

[Captain Utopia]

All ideas should be considered viable until proven otherwise.  If each of us actually took our ideas and ran with them we could inundate the population from all sides. 

I like to think that's the situation we're approaching.. though it takes time.. I certainly haven't figured out what part I can or want to play in moving towards that future yet.

[Freeky]

We can't get people to be theirselves if they are afraid that they will receive negative attention for being theirselves. If we make it cold, unsafe, and hostile for people to come out of their shells, they will not come out of their shells.

This.

[Cramulus]

All ideas should be considered viable until proven otherwise.  If each of us actually took our ideas and ran with them we could inundate the population from all sides. 

We can't get people to be theirselves if they are afraid that they will receive negative attention for being theirselves. If we make it cold, unsafe, and hostile for people to come out of their shells, they will not come out of their shells.

on that note - In Wired, there was an interview with one of the founders of wikipedia. He was talking about the varying levels of success that wikipedia has had in non-english languages.

When asked what it takes to make a project survive until it's own momentum will sustain it, he said that all it takes is five people, all working at once. Five people, all approaching the task in unique ways, will generate enough solutions to knock down most problems.



Operationalization:

here's three quick stabs at transmuting this energy into ACTION

A)  The War on Christmas - time is limited on this one, as christmas is only 10 days away. (SWEET MERCIFUL FUCK!) Perhaps an e-mail forward would be best? Something that will be passed around between bored coworkers and/or outraged moms? Anybody want to draft something up?

B) Discordian Conspiracy Theory - this is the plan where we hint at the giant spooky discordian society which battles against the illuminati [in all of our souls]. Is there a piece of media we can generate, a rumor we can start, or some other way to put out more feelers to the paranoid lunatics out there? In terms of fliers, this is territory Vex and others have actually explored. Anybody feel like rounding up that media and seeing what we've got / what we're missing? (All the PDFs from vex's ftp is now housed on scridb with the tag "vexftp".)

C) Direct Message, AKA the Straight Forward Approach - this is probably started already in the Off the Tracts thread. If people could go there and vote for their favorite pamphlet. Then we'll develop that into something we can distribute.

[Kaienne]

B) Discordian Conspiracy Theory - this is the plan where we hint at the giant spooky discordian society which battles against the illuminati [in all of our souls]. Is there a piece of media we can generate, a rumor we can start, or some other way to put out more feelers to the paranoid lunatics out there? In terms of fliers, this is territory Vex and others have actually explored. Anybody feel like rounding up that media and seeing what we've got / what we're missing? (All the PDFs from vex's ftp is now housed on scridb with the tag "vexftp".)

Someone mentioned The Examiner. There's also the National Inquirer. Perhaps these are options. I'd be most amused if we could generate a war between the two societies, using either publication as the voice of either side. Other media than tabloids would also work.

[Freeky]

B) Discordian Conspiracy Theory - this is the plan where we hint at the giant spooky discordian society which battles against the illuminati [in all of our souls]. Is there a piece of media we can generate, a rumor we can start, or some other way to put out more feelers to the paranoid lunatics out there? In terms of fliers, this is territory Vex and others have actually explored. Anybody feel like rounding up that media and seeing what we've got / what we're missing? (All the PDFs from vex's ftp is now housed on scridb with the tag "vexftp".)

Someone mentioned The Examiner. There's also the National Inquirer. Perhaps these are options. I'd be most amused if we could generate a war between the two societies, using either publication as the voice of either side. Other media than tabloids would also work.

I was talking about the internet examiner, which is like a local newspaper online, not the tabloid.

ETA: Unless it's the same thing. Then my bad.

Which reminds me, I'm signing up to be a writer right now, and they allow you to suggest a topic to write about. Should I be all sneaky with it, (I'm thinking I should be sneaky, it'll give credence that I don't really know what's going on), or should I suggest my topic be "Discordian activities"?

[Cain]

Enemies.  We need individualized enemies to rail against.  Polarization is a wonderful tactic, and if we start hating on someone, other people who hate on them will take notice.  Also, their allies will take notice and hate on us, further spreading our ideas.

I would think this to be counterproductive to the 'choosing creative order and disorder over ordered creation and destruction' bit, although the book is of course by no means law. I'd personally like to see the spirit of the Principia be captured; a good-natured call out to people to take their lives into their own hands and discover the power within them. Overt manipulation- which is ultimately a form of control- strikes me as a tactic which can only damage the cause of trying to free people. Utilizing political tactics which have been used time and time again would be kind of disruptive to the notion of utilizing novelty and creativity to overcome the mindless repetition of historical events [unless given some sort of twist people haven't seen before].

I think the greatest weapon we have at our disposal is art. We can rant and rave or distribute flyer after flyer, but these are the same tactics advertisers have been throwing at people for the past century, and they're becoming less and less impactful. Flash someone a high-res poster (or, if you're really lucky, the real thing) of, say, Raul Casillas' Entanglement (caution: large file) or Alex Grey's New Man/New Woman or Mark Henson's Illusions of Reality, however, and you can't not be struck by it. (See Metagallery for more random shit.)

And this goes back to what Payne said about quality over quantity; you can spend four years writing and editing and distributing and rebuffing and trying to convince person after person, one by one, that you know what you're talking about, or you can paint Entanglement and show them that you know what you're talking about. The conceptual notion of going into seclusion for four years and not proselytizing to anyone except maybe your close circle is bound to conjure up feelings of wasted time; it's only when you actually see the finished product in front of you, and have it to show to people and can see the immediate profound impact it has on them that the entire episode actually starts to pay off. So, there's this aspect of having faith to it.

But yeah. Art. Everywhere. All kinds. As much as possible. Rock balances, street performance, graffiti, music, even something so simple as dancing like an idiot while listening to your .mp3 player at the bus stop; when people see other people acting like they're having fun and not giving a shit if they're being judged, it gives them the idea that it might actually be okay to have fun and not give a shit if they're being judged.

I've witnessed the transformative power of art first-hand; in Toronto here there is an agency called Sketch, which is a working arts studio for homeless and street involved youth. The number of people who I have seen in the past two years go there, discover theirself, and change and grow by bounds as a human being has been staggering. Hell, I was one of them. Sketch has been by far the most important contributer to my recovery. There's inspiration hanging on every wall and tucked into every nook, and the people who've been there for awhile become leaders and inspirations unto theirselves. There are so many different kinds of art on the walls that appeal to so many different kinds of people that 'good' and 'bad' lose their objectivity, and when that happens, people feel free to express theirself without fear of inadequacy. I've heard numerous people refer to it as heaven-on-Earth. People have gotten off the streets, out of prisons and shelters and into stable housing, into college and university, and into meaningful employment because of this agency, which is explicitly art-oriented.

Global News did a cover of them recently, the video can be found here.

So, creation. Ordered creation, disordered creation, doesn't matter. Just create.

Both the Dadaists and Situationists (artistic avant-garde movements) used scurrilous attacks on their enemies to win infamy and a measure of respect from those they opposed (the Situationists, of course, had to take it a step too far, and engage in scurrilous attacks and purges on their own ranks, but they were French, and that was kind of expected, if not planned from the very beginning by Debord).  Art itself was a tool, an attack of the senses and sensibilities of the established classes and styles of the day.

Or do you think trying to make people think for themselves is not going to win you any enemies?  Do you think everyone can be reasonably dealt with in such a manner? If you're going to overthrow the status quo, and you're using a technique likely to succeed, then by definition the status quo will move against you.  Tristan Tzara wanted to overthrow reality and negate meaning.  Guy Debord wanted to destroy capitalist consumerism, "the spectacle" and both capitalist and socialist socitities.  By comparison our aims are small fry, but if they make things unpredictable, if they mock established routines and cultures and beliefs (and Discordianism, simply by virtue of what it is, does all of these) then they will create enemies.

Enemies will come regardless, so the best thing to do is make them work for you.  Making enemies is stupid and counterproductive, and I would recommend taking countermeasures to prevent such things.  However, it would be equally stupid to assume we will not have people looking to do us harm or blacken our name, and if we can identify these sorts early on, then so much better for us.

And having a visible, identifiable enemy brings other advantages.  Enemies watch you for mistakes, and like to broadcast them, to humiliate you.  So you can learn from them.  They give you a focus, someone to practice on, someone who you can also guage yourself and your effectiveness against.  They have lots of uses.

[Cain]

Evangelism will require having or getting certain sort of skills, skills I'm not sure we individually, or as a group, have developed much.

I have well practiced evangelical skills... just not sure if I'm comfortable touching them again. I'm not very happy with how I've used them in the past.

That thought occured as well.

[Cain]

A)  The War on Christmas - time is limited on this one, as christmas is only 10 days away. (SWEET MERCIFUL FUCK!) Perhaps an e-mail forward would be best? Something that will be passed around between bored coworkers and/or outraged moms? Anybody want to draft something up?

B) Discordian Conspiracy Theory - this is the plan where we hint at the giant spooky discordian society which battles against the illuminati [in all of our souls]. Is there a piece of media we can generate, a rumor we can start, or some other way to put out more feelers to the paranoid lunatics out there? In terms of fliers, this is territory Vex and others have actually explored. Anybody feel like rounding up that media and seeing what we've got / what we're missing? (All the PDFs from vex's ftp is now housed on scridb with the tag "vexftp".)

C) Direct Message, AKA the Straight Forward Approach - this is probably started already in the Off the Tracts thread. If people could go there and vote for their favorite pamphlet. Then we'll develop that into something we can distribute.

Concerning a) I've emailed as many wingnut sites forwarding the meme as possible.  Even if only one person thinks about it, then its an easy payoff for the amount of work I did (half an hour writing, an hour of collecting emails).  I knew it was a one-off topic though, so that's done.

b) we could always set up something, like say a conspiracy blog.  Focus on posting mainly "odd" news stories from the mainstream press (like www.cryptogon.com or http://aftermathnews.wordpress.com) and then intermingle them with hints of this struggle.  Publish anonymous tracts.  Perhaps even put on a public display of some sort, like a "ritual" to undo an Illuminati (or Discordian) plan.

c) we should probably come up with other direct methods too, but that one is good.

[Kaienne]

Both the Dadaists and Situationists [...] have lots of uses.

Okay. It seemed as though your intention was to specifically select a group of people, overtly target them, and use the ensuing uprising as the springboard into getting acknowledged. Utilizing whatever resources naturally arise makes total sense.

[hooplala]

b) we could always set up something, like say a conspiracy blog.  Focus on posting mainly "odd" news stories from the mainstream press (like www.cryptogon.com or http://aftermathnews.wordpress.com) and then intermingle them with hints of this struggle.  Publish anonymous tracts.  Perhaps even put on a public display of some sort, like a "ritual" to undo an Illuminati (or Discordian) plan.

In the new year I am starting a conspiracy blog for work, meaning my employers are backing the whole thing with advertising and whatnot.  I will need lots and lots of material to fill it with, and surely much of it will be Illuminati in nature.  If anyone is interested in contributing (no pay, even I don't get paid, this is on top of my regular commitments at work) please PM me.

[Requia ☣]

I intend to upload all of Intermittens onto Demonoid and TPB, but only once the site is back up, so people can get involved while their enthusiasm is at its highest (presumably just after they have read it).

assuming 'the site' means demonoid, its been up for a couple days.

Never mind, you already knew that.

[Triple Zero]

I would think this to be counterproductive to the 'choosing creative order and disorder over ordered creation and destruction' bit, although the book is of course by no means law.

there is no "bit" about choosing creative over the destructive in the PD. the "bit" I suppose you are referring to is the "bit" that explains how both creation AND destruction are necessary, in the same sense as both disorder AND order are necessary.

It's all about having the right force at the right place and time.

I'd personally like to see the spirit of the Principia be captured; a good-natured call out to people to take their lives into their own hands and discover the power within them.

Eris was NOT good-natured. Also not in the PD.

Overt manipulation- which is ultimately a form of control- strikes me as a tactic which can only damage the cause of trying to free people. Utilizing political tactics which have been used time and time again would be kind of disruptive to the notion of utilizing novelty and creativity to overcome the mindless repetition of historical events [unless given some sort of twist people haven't seen before].

manipulation is useful when it's useful and not when it's not.

I think the greatest weapon we have at our disposal is art.

I like your art. The drawings. Maybe they are your greatest weapon.

But yeah. Art. Everywhere. All kinds. As much as possible. Rock balances, street performance, graffiti, music, even something so simple as dancing like an idiot while listening to your .mp3 player at the bus stop; when people see other people acting like they're having fun and not giving a shit if they're being judged, it gives them the idea that it might actually be okay to have fun and not give a shit if they're being judged.

if you think that works, do it!

but lose the air of "everybody should do it".

So, creation. Ordered creation, disordered creation, doesn't matter. Just create.

No.

Not "just" create. Destruction is necesary and healthy too.

[LMNO]

Creative destruction, bitches.

Don't make me recycle the New Chart again.

[Dimocritus]

I would think this to be counterproductive to the 'choosing creative order and disorder over ordered creation and destruction' bit, although the book is of course by no means law.

there is no "bit" about choosing creative over the destructive in the PD. the "bit" I suppose you are referring to is the "bit" that explains how both creation AND destruction are necessary, in the same sense as both disorder AND order are necessary.

It's all about having the right force at the right place and time.

I'd personally like to see the spirit of the Principia be captured; a good-natured call out to people to take their lives into their own hands and discover the power within them.

Eris was NOT good-natured. Also not in the PD.

Overt manipulation- which is ultimately a form of control- strikes me as a tactic which can only damage the cause of trying to free people. Utilizing political tactics which have been used time and time again would be kind of disruptive to the notion of utilizing novelty and creativity to overcome the mindless repetition of historical events [unless given some sort of twist people haven't seen before].

manipulation is useful when it's useful and not when it's not.

I think the greatest weapon we have at our disposal is art.

I like your art. The drawings. Maybe they are your greatest weapon.

But yeah. Art. Everywhere. All kinds. As much as possible. Rock balances, street performance, graffiti, music, even something so simple as dancing like an idiot while listening to your .mp3 player at the bus stop; when people see other people acting like they're having fun and not giving a shit if they're being judged, it gives them the idea that it might actually be okay to have fun and not give a shit if they're being judged.

if you think that works, do it!

but lose the air of "everybody should do it".

So, creation. Ordered creation, disordered creation, doesn't matter. Just create.

No.

Not "just" create. Destruction is necesary and healthy too.

This is all awesome. I was going to say something along these lines, but it would not have come out as clear.

[Triple Zero]

heh, and I was on the brink of removing that post because I thought others before me had said it so much more clearly