4 posts tagged “politics”

A friend texted me, confessing that they were in tears while he delivered his speech. I wish i'd caught the beginning so i could have enjoyed the catharsis. I found a full text of the speech, and picked out my favourite passage. After some rousing passages on Universal Healthcare and Education, came this. I think he'll make a fine president.

"The other side will come here in September and offer a very different set of policies and positions, and that is a debate I look forward to. It is a debate the American people deserve. But what you don't deserve is another election that's governed by fear, and innuendo, and division. What you won't hear from this campaign or this party is the kind of politics that uses religion as a wedge, and patriotism as a bludgeon - that sees our opponents not as competitors to challenge, but enemies to demonise. Because we may call ourselves Democrats and Republicans, but we are Americans first. We are always Americans first." (emphasis his)

Though i missed the CNN of this speech, i did get to switch over to Fox News. It was instructive. Their hand wringing either pathetically weak, or downright mutinous. Their talking heads were so moved by Obama's speech, and were so ready to concede this, rather than their usual 2c hack job, that Brit Hume crossed to a different (and totally unprepared) studio... the new host confessing his surprise that he was suddenly on the air before trotting out Karl Rove (the architect of the Bush Campaign) ... and the best part was that even he was stuck with a measly handful of terribly weak comment. e.g.

So he wants to pay teachers ... as far as i know how this is the first time that the federal goverment has gotten involved paying local teachers, how exactly is he going to do this?

... which hardly sounds like an attack ... and nor does:

Over coffee, Al and I got to talking about taking a Cadillac roadtrip down the campaign trail come september... doing a Fear and Loathing on the campaign trail ... i think that it's too perfect and too historic a campaign to miss. Al is keen to follow McCain as he slowly falls apart, and to document - film verite for youtube - the paid rent-a-crowds ... i'm keen to use it as an opportunity to be terrifically Australian (they LOVE us over there), and charmingly american kitsch in 10 gallon hats, stetson boots ... maybe even six shooters ... vox-popping our way along the campaign trail and through the contradictions of neo-conservatism. I.e. this strange alliance between the radical Libertarianism of  Poor White Rural America, and the egregious Plutocracy that the Republican Leadership not only represents, but IS.

We could us the charming wild-west hick image that the american's have of us to totally disarm them, and as a humourous wedge to open the door to some biting irony and mock-surprise on our parts.

Al came up with the title "Shock and Awe"

... so tempting. Anyone else wanna come?

Lately, I've been surprised and impressed by a massive Action that I felt was gesturing to the future of e-democracy, not to mention, a real sign of the times. It's fascinating (and equally hilarious) because it was organised entirely online, and entirely by youngsters who have grown up taking the interenet for granted-- many of these kids participating in a public act for the very first time. Starting online, and rapidly taking on a global real-life presence picketing, in some 40 different countries, and some 120 locations. This all in less than three weeks since the above words were uttered.

I'm speaking of Anonymous, and their campaign against Scientology known around the nets as Project Chanology.

I don't know how you feel about this kind of political action, or Scientology for that matter, and I'd be interested to hear other peoples thoughts. Is this e-democracy? Some early form of things to come?

I was interested in them, Anonymous that is, as a political phenomenon. They're a unique kind of protest movement-- as it's a global protest organised entirely organically, without leadership, entirely online, by kids almost all of whom are under 18. Young kids who before their protest didn't know each other except for myspace, bulletin boards (notably the most popular and perhaps foulest imageposting boards on the internet, 4chan.org) and other bits of the internet.

... and with a tone and humour completely unlike anything i've seen in all my years of activism.

For those interested, the primary sources are all online (in large part thanks to Anonymous itself) and can be found in these four locations. For fairness, i'd include some statement by Scientology itself. But fuck that.

1. The censored propaganda video, now freely available, alongside many satirical cut-ups.
2. An archive of the forum discussion on 4chan.org where the movement started, inflamed by the censorship of the above video. (warning, contains terrible grammar, IM lingo, profanity, nudity ... everything)
3. The infamous and chilling Manifesto / Declaration of War issued by Anonymous. This is the one that launched the global campaign of protests. A must see, here.
4. Their own collective autobiography, and description of Scientology on their online dictionary, a Hysterical take on Wikipedia: Enclyclopedia Dramatica.

The movement first coalesced around the issue of censorship - internet censorship - when Scientology lobbied for, and successfully removed from YouTube an internal propaganda video of Tom Cruise at his disturbingly inspired best. These kids thought it was hillarious, and were initally pissed off that they were being denied legitimate LOL (or 'lulz' as they say) Taking on an indignant tone, with tongue placed firmly in cheek, they started a campaign against the 'Church'.

Their first act was to take down the Scientology website. This was done with a kind of internet picketing. Variously described as 'hacking' or 'vandalism' by it's detractors, a DDoS is actually far from an secret or underground act. Details of how to do this yourself can be found in the archived discussion linked above, alongside the exhortations that sparked Anonymous to do so. Simply put, a DDoS involves getting a bunch of friends to block the gates to Scientology.org-- having each protester start mass downloading of all the images of the site, hogging the targets bandwidth, and thereby denying access or 'service' by the public. I large number of individuals are required to participate in such an act, and this makes it inherently political. Those that describe it as 'hacking' deliberately misleading by adding connotations of criminality and (in this case) literally calling them terrorists.

This online act quickly evolved into a series of real life protests that drew from an astonishingly wide variety of inspiration, history and tradition of protest, taking on a character that - to me at the least, and to them most certainly - was hillarious, and hillariously irreverant.

The real life protest that I went to in Sydney, focused on being funny. The chants were themselves highly ironic: parodies of traditional leftist chants, done in fancy dress outfits replete with pop-culture references, and a heavy dose of internet in-jokes to polish things off.

Yes, everyone was in fancy dress: Xenu inspired Alien masks, V for Vendetta outfits, and Matrix style 'Agents' abounded. WWII Gas masks and surgeons masks worn in the asian style thrown in for good measure.

The chants tended, when more serious, to gravitate around cheers such as "tax the cult", but more often were funny "show us your thetans (clapclap, cla-clap clap)" with by far the most popular item being a poster "HONK if you think SCIENTOLOGY is a CULT"-- which was very popular with passers by, even with the authorities: the fire department took their trucks around the block to drive their especially loud truck horns past ... twice!) ... huge cheers erupted from the crowd ... huge cheeky smiles written across the faces of protesters and fireys alike.

All this and (because these kids are all internerds) the repeated playing of Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" on portable boom boxes. This being an inside joke: It's become folklore or internet tradition for young netsters to verbally outwit their opponents, and then falsely link them to a copy of the song with a phrase such as "you suck, click here for proof". The link being to Rick Astley's ... this virtual victory is known as a 'Rickroll', and the second Anonymous protest was declared a "Global Rickroll on Scientology"

So, my question is this: Should we see this a sign of things to come? If so, what? It's hard to draw concrete political conclusions from a process that is still building itself and gaining consciousness-- and i'll refrain from doing so here ... but perhaps we can see something of a less apathetic generation growing here. Their tastes, and there quite remarkable ability to organise, all on their own.

An open letter to Pastor Vernon C. Lyons, Ashburn Baptist Church, and a response to this article "America, A Christian Nation?" that appeared in the 27th September last year. A more ridiculous article appeared last week that began with the sentence 'Many identify the Christian faith with the United States of America' ... Enough said. For a laugh see it here.

• Though it's obvious that Neither Pastor Vernon, nor the "Homer Horizon" are particularly important organs, they are representative. Representative of that great Mid-West of America: the words, the beliefs, and the organs, that create and re-create the slice of humanity that - perhaps more than any other in the world - defines the worlds future through their decisive impact on US Presidential Elections.
  
• What follows is a draft i'll be reworking with your help before I send it off ... I was provoked into writing by a new internet friend who send me the original disturbing article; that and while thinking of a response found this free movie-- a wonderful rambling discussion between four of my favourite Atheists: Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion), Christopher Hitchens (The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice), Daniel Dennett (Breaking the Spell) and Sam Harris (The End of Faith and Letter to a Christian Nation) ...
  
• I've held back from making it a truely biting atheist retort, though i'd love the self indulgence, because i'm actually going to try and get it published in the letters section. God knows there isn't much competition. Maybe i'll even get a response from the man himself.
  

Dear Vernon,

    I can't help but notice some very dangerous trends in your sermon... I agree with you that one of the great civilising forces of the modern age has been America's religious freedoms. The pilgrims fled religious persecution in Europe, and founded their states, and their nation on a respect for different religious beleifs that they found so lacking in 17th century Europe.

You, Pastor Lyons, far from defending this proud tradition are giving into the selfsame feelings that the Inqusitions of that time gave into while searching for their own "true christainity".

You make an identification between Christianity and Freedom and America, and i think this is the most dangerous, precisely because it is so comforting.

You argue that freedom of religion is Christian and American. But, It appears that you also think religious freedom is a Uniquely Christian, and Uniquely American. At the very least, you imply it heavilly, knowing that your audience will enjoy the comfort, and accept the claim without you having to state it directly. This is dishonest.

You argue for Religious Tolerance, yet you fail to recognise that this is a claim made by all religions. Infact, you single out four (4) other creeds as against this freedom. Your tone in a time of war implies you agree with certain acts of force between the faiths and nations. Aside from the fact that this is itself exactly the religious intolerance that you claim Free Christian America defends against, It is also completely untrue.

Before we single out other nations, and seek comfort in our own warm thoughts, we should remember that religious intolerance is a common, and great failing of all men, in all nations. To face such a thing in others, for indeed it is a great evil, and indeed we must face it-- we must face the same evil in ourselves. A short list should remind us. Inside America the Salem witch trials, the systematic eradication of heathen indian tribes in the North and South Americas, the eradication of the religions of west africa amonst slaves, to say nothing of the on the street racism in a post 9/11 world.

Before we become too rash, and paint some 1 billion human muslims with the same brush, we must also remember some great things about our Muslim brothers. Putting dictatorship in Saudi Arabia aside in the same way that we put Salem or the Mohicians for ourselves, the vast majority of ordinary man-in-the-street Muslims do not practice systematic religious intolerance. I've heard them argue, using almost the same words as you: that is, your "true christianity" that does not use force in such matters. They say that "real islam" does no such thing either.

I reccomend any Christian to travel through the muslim world. There you will be greeted warmly, and told that you must be friends because you are both "people of the book" ... I look quite Jewish you see, with my dark curly hair, dark eyes, and olive skin (which are actually from Ireland) Quite apart from being singled out, I was often greeted in Hebrew while i was in Egypt, and far from being attacked, or fearing for my life because i was part of some infidel nation, was treated with special a special warmth everywhere I went. Hospitality, and care for travelers in particular is not good manners in Islam. It is a duty, and a point of personal honor. Because if this, i have scarcely felt more safe anywhere i have travelled.

I felt much more scared on the streets of New York City.

My many companions in Cairo's coffee shops, museums, parks and streets made a point of this: That we were all "people of the book". They also pointed out that there are important and proud moments in the Koran, and early Islamic history, where the great leaders of their faith insisted that they not push their military advantage because of this: "force will cary no weight in matters of faith." The recent film "Kingdom of Heaven" shows the Righteous Caliph Saladin, with his clemency for the crusaders in Jerusalem. I recommend this film to you, and also the passages from the Koran about Muhammad's proud and passionate orders not to kill after the battle for Medina. It was this holding back of force, and a kind of proud, chivalrous sense of honor that characterized early Islam. I would say that it's a surviving constant among muslim peoples.

One might remember Lawrence of Arabia's diaries, where a christian, while liberating the same people some 1300 years later remarked often of their generosity, and this proud withholding of force. He held it in great admiration, and dedicated some beautiful prose in his "Seven Pillars of Wisdom"

What is important to remember, is that all people feel the temptation to force their views. The passionate amonst us fail most often. It is an evil which we must all guard against. Sometimes passion is a virtue. Not on its own, not in and of itself. It is no virtue without reflection, no virtue without knowledge, and no virtue when it is used to cover important facts.

Yours Sincerely,
Benjamin George Griffin

(P.S. You should also loose the toupee. It makes you look dishonest and creepy. Someone should make a poster with "would you trust this man with your children.")