http://technoccult.net/archives/2010/03/25/revolution-history-and-praxis-technoccult-interviews-johnny-brainwash/
Thought I'd share this with the forum.
I want to listen, but the word praxis makes me want to kick Marxist puppies.
I'll relent, sooner or later. Thanks Telarus.
Praxis is Klint's word, not mine. But where'd you find the marxist puppies?
In Soviet Russia, Marxist puppies find you.
Also OMG ITS JOHNNY!
Hello Mr. Brainwash!
HI!!!
Hey, Brainwash. You coming to Day of Discord on 5/23? Hot dogs at Irving Park!
Quote from: johnnybrainwash on March 25, 2010, 10:12:05 PM
HI!!!
We've met actually, come to think of it. KCon last year. :D I was the dude who made the "cake". :lol:
Never been anywhere; never met anyone; but I read the interview and I found it thought provoking/enjoyed it. Praxis is a stunningly useful term if you just [edit] DON'T [edit] think of it as inherantly marxist - I mean what is not to love about "purposive action" as a concept . . .
Edit for total meaning fail :oops:
Hey, Nigel. Curiously enough, I was just thinking about 5/23 on my way back from lunch. It's a Sunday, I think, which makes it feasible. I wasn't going to give it much thought until after the Fools Day gig so we can see how that goes. Do you got something planned already?
Are you still around FB? I don't come here much.
QuoteRevolution usually happens when things are getting better but not as fast as people expect, or when things were getting better and have now taken a dive.
This is something I never considered, but I guess it makes sense. If you, say, can't eat, you probably aren't going to stockpile money for guns.
Quote from: johnnybrainwash on March 26, 2010, 09:21:27 PM
Hey, Nigel. Curiously enough, I was just thinking about 5/23 on my way back from lunch. It's a Sunday, I think, which makes it feasible. I wasn't going to give it much thought until after the Fools Day gig so we can see how that goes. Do you got something planned already?
Are you still around FB? I don't come here much.
Currently the plan is for a bunch of PD and other Disco-spags to have a picnic in Irving Park, and then maybe wander around seeing what fun mischief we can get into. I was thinking that might be a fun day to use St. Mae's generic protest concept, or do a reverse protest... picket outside of somewhere with signs that extoll how AWESOME it is. Or wander around in a group with signs that say "Dental hygiene is the best!" "We love clean teeth!" "Up with Dentistry" or something.
Or not. We could also just go to my house and burn stuff and drink beer.
I'm on FB but I check it maybe twice a week.
How many locals do you have? We can turn out an average of 23 if there's food or beer involved, but more like a dozen if it requires any activity. Hopefully we can pick up a few new faces at the April Fools event.
Er, not to blow my own horn (because if I could do that, I would never leave the house), but the generic protest is my peculiar scheme, as are most of the street events that we've done. My ideal for this year is to score a bullhorn with an aux jack, plug in an mp3 player, and have a roaming dance party. But that's an idea I've been muttering about for a while, so if not this year, then another time.
There's already talk of more public performance/ritual events after April Fools too. I think we've got a solid nucleus, as long as we don't crash and burn this time.
I have no idea how many people I can turn out. I know of three for sure, coming from Port Townsend, and then there are anywhere from a dozen to 40 people who may or may not show up depending on how they feel that day.
I have a bunch of green choir robes, I can probably get more people to come by enticing them with choir robes. It sound like, for maximum enjoyment of the day, we should plan just a picnic and if people want to split off and do other activities it can happen spontaneously.
Ooh, robes make me think of playing Hare Krishna. Stand on the corner handing out comic books saying "Hi! Have you seen our book?"
Too bad I freeboxed my collection of crappy freeboxed comics a month or two ago.
Not going to worry about 5/23 until next weekend, but let's talk more about it after that.
I like the idea of going Krishna-style on the streetcorner. Talk to you next week!
wo0o0ot. Danny C gave me two big boxes of comics we can hand out. Be in touch soon.
I dug that interview, JB!
I looooove this part:
QuoteWhat do you think radically minded activists can do to make a difference in their communities or the world?
Well, I keep using the word "organize," and I'm not sure it's one people really get. We're mostly stuck in the "activism" paradigm, which is very individualistic and focuses on people getting to express themselves. It's egotistical in that the goal is for the activist to feel fulfilled, rather than to achieve anything concrete.
Real organizing means you have to work with people you might not have a beer with otherwise, and focus on what's important to them instead of you. It means building an organization or a network that is capable of responding to events instead of building ad hoc groups for every issue.
If you're thinking of revolutionary change, it means recruiting people who are not as revolutionary as you, and helping them become radicalized as their expectations of Obama are continually dashed.
It also means leadership, organization and discipline, three things that are anathema to many radicals with roots in the old "new left."
Quote from: johnnybrainwash on April 05, 2010, 03:30:38 AM
wo0o0ot. Danny C gave me two big boxes of comics we can hand out. Be in touch soon.
WHAT'S
this?