Hardcore Preamble 'If you are that uncritical
of hardcore, you do not love the scene. You accept it.' -Robyn of Alice
is an Island zine
Introduction Good stuff Bad Stuff Someone once wrote that without
men the world would be full of fat, happy women. They had a point.
Most days I go to a gym as part
of my physiotherapy. This is a womenªfs only gym and therefore the only one
I have been to where women were not a very small minority confined to the
step machines and ab-cradles. There is a pretty right-on atmosphere there.
When you join they ask you what you want to use the gym for and give you a
personal exercise programme to follow so you get a pretty thorough workout.
If you say you want to ªelose weightªf, they kindly correct you by saying
ªeOh, you want to get fitªf.
Whenever I go I see all sorts
of people, obese young women from the local afro-caribbean community who tend
to spend lots of time on the walking/running machines, well fit very young
white women who tend to use free weights a lot, bulky but very fit young black
women, muscley lesbians with lots of tattoos and unnatural tans, harassed-looking
white middle aged mothers whose husbands probably told them they had 'let
themselves go'. A couple of times every day there are various classes including
the early-morning aerobics that some people take before work and the evening
kickboxing classes that are populated by a young clientele (yes, I did go
once but I really did not enjoy it at all).
Apart from the awful music from
the crap pop radio stations blasting throughout, there is a fairly positive
atmosphere in my gym. There is a noticeable difference in this one than all
my previous gyms, which seemed to be dens of testosterone. Some people are
actually put off going to gyms when they know they will be full of these lads
strutting about and being territorial over the equipment. I once asked the
manager why my current gym is women-only. Someone else said it is because
men smell, but I donªft think that was very significant. One thing was the
availability of machines because a man will tend to monopolise the machine
he is using so that even when he is finished he stays at the equipment to
rest. The equipment is also pretty specialised. There arenªft many free weights
and instead lots of cardio-vascular and lower-body stuff. The truth is that
women tend to want to go to gyms to get smaller legs rather than bigger biceps.
My experience is that men at gyms are very possessive and territorial about
equipment so that if you go towards some that seems to be free they will tell
you off not very nicely. Of course there is also that general awful atmosphere
of competition and machismo at gyms with men in them.
This is something genuinely discouraging
if you want to just go and do your exercise the best you can in a relaxing
atmosphere without feeling judged or pressured or harassed. I believe absolutely
that most of the members here would not join a gym at all if it were not women-only.
There is something more welcoming and inviting and less daunting about a women-only
gym. But mine is dominated by female rather than male energy, and that female
essence is sometimes one of palpable self-hatred. Walking into the cardio-vascular
area, one can feel various degrees of misery, frustration and loathing that
makes up many of these womenªfs experiences of their bodies. So few seem contented
with their bodies.
The staff are far from being the
most fit-looking people there, but they donªft seem to be bothered; they know
they have the ability to instruct the members in their exercise programmes
and that one does not need to have a ªeperfectªf body to exercise properly.
The one or two butch lesbians there tend to have a real and deep confidence;
like an unoffensive arrogance, that is such a rare and wonderful thing to
see in a woman. Then there are the much older women. I wonder if some of them
took up exercise to recover from stroke. They donªft exert themselves much,
but are probably fitter since joining the gym than they had been for the previous
30 years. They are doing it for their health, they know it is making them
more healthy, and they are satisfied with that; they are long past worrying
over having the perfect body.
At the other end of the spectrum
from these unconcerned women; I once saw a young, tall, blonde, white woman
who clearly was or has been starving herself. However the saddest thing I
ever witnessed was in the changing room. At first I found the changing room
quite shocking, because I donªft much like seeing strange naked people running
about. And here were complete strangers holding conversations while one stood
there dripping from the shower. All sorts of ages and usually with body 'imperfections
abounding, yet no one seems to feel the need for modesty. However much I was
embarrassed by it at first, I eventually found it really empowering that these
women didnªft feel ashamed. This was except for one. I had seen her on the
walking/running machines several times. She was probably in her mid-30s, very
fat and almost completely round, black, and always seeming awkward. Then one
day I walked into the changing room and saw her preparing for the sauna by
wrapping cling film around her whole body; evidently hoping to sweat it off
that way. She had obviously done this before. I wondered how she felt after
her visits to the gym.
Incredibly, even now women are
still led to believe, and often do believe, that we have to value our physical
beauty and femininity (which are usually equated with each other) above anything
else. Consequently, if you are female and not attractive to men, you are worthless.
I wonªft give you all those statistics about models and real women, statistics
donªft reflect the real experience of the beauty myth on womenªfs lives.
I was embarrassingly skinny at
age 14 and embarrassingly overweight at age 19, and it seems like I have always
had men trying to destroy my self-esteem. It happens in the usual misogynistic
way, with them telling me Iªfm not sexy enough, not feminine enough, not pretty
enough for their friends or whatever. Sometimes they say this deliberately
because they think it is the worst possible insult to a woman. I even used
to let a boyfriend get away with shallow, sexist criticism. At first I pretty
much laughed it off, but when I would think about it later I was disgusted
with myself for not telling him what a shit attitude that was. Iªfm a feminist,
I know better than to put up with that crap, but it is hard to get over a
perspective that is so fundamental in our culture. We are used to tolerating
it, or at least letting it slide, every day of our lives.
Shame is an extremely powerful
weapon for domination. It can be used actively, but often is internalised.
Sometimes it seems as if in our society the very possession of a female body
is reason enough for shame. And because of this, we have to always be striving
for perfection. But we never reach it; so many women do find it so difficult
to be happy, satisfied, or even just not unhappy with their bodies. The particular
obsession with physical beauty in our culture will continue to make women
hate ourselves as long as we allow appearance to be the overriding estimation
of a womanªfs human value. But there is no indication that we are going in
that direction. Instead of positive sexual equality, we are going in the opposite
direction so that many men too are increasingly concerned with their personal
appearance to almost the same extent as women. We live in a culture of self-loathing
that only serves to make some people rich at the cost of anorexic teenagers
and general misery. What are you doing about it?
(For a boy's-eye view of male
body image, read I Hate The World That I Think Hates Me from Andreas Hagberg,
Sörgårdsg, 67 1tr 58 46, Linköping, Sweden, please_dont_kick_me@hotmail.com)
In the introduction to Screams
From Inside 7 (the punk girl issue) Carissa begins with this declaration:
ªeLet me start off by saying this is not an anti-male zineªc Just because
something focuses on females doesnªft mean itªfs anti-male.ªf As many feminists
can tell you, it is unfortunately necessary to produce such statements and
sometimes to back them up with more such as, (Carissa again) ªeªcOtherwise,
most of the zines I read should be considered anti-female since they rarely
mention womyn.ªf
Straight Edge has been in the
media again. Following the murder of some drunk jocks in Salt Lake City by
some fanatical straight edge jocks, incompetent American parents are being
frightened by the trashy American media into believing that ªestraight edge
gangsªf will turn their kiddies into murderers. Anywhere you go of course,
the media does tend to be at its most moderate pretty conservative, preserving
of the status quo etc. A considerable proportion of the mass media is also
very reactionary, and the fact that sensationalism sells leads print journalism
in particular in this direction. So naturally the mainstream folks who find
out about straight edge/hardcore/punk through mass media channels will have
a deliberately negative picture which has been skewed to represent anything
ªeotherªf as a threat. More often than not the issues being covered will be
completely misrepresented. Partially this is through journalistic/editorial
desire to slap down any hint of challenge or nonconformity and partially it
is through ignorance. Since journalists are usually summoned to write about
things they know absolutely nothing about and naturally get things wrong,
for instance when an article in the Observer newspaper listed ªeToo Drunk
to Fuckªf as a straight edge song. Yeh.
Iªfll bet that you found out about
hardcore (and veganism) first hand from another individual involved in the
scene. You probably did not read a column by some ossified retired headmaster
and Leader of a Hunt in which he said young people ought to be beaten until
they eat their boiled beef. You were probably also not raised hearing jokes
being made by crap comedians on telly about how frustrated straight edgers
are always trying to take away everybodyªfs fun by protesting against vivisection
and the manufacture of beer. On the other hand, I also bet that you did find
out about feminism from a negative representation in a reactionary mass media.
Many, many people are convinced that they know precisely what feminism is
about. Yet when I hear their descriptions, it is clear that their idea of
feminism is equivalent to the Popeªfs.
Even hc girls who are intelligent
and critical enough of mainstream values that they should know better will
come out with some outrageous remark about feminism being automatically ªeextremeªf
or having something to do with ªehating menªf or even with making women better
than (rather than equal to) men. Is every non-meat-eater you know ªeextremeªf?
Are you sxe because you hate people who drink? Has fighting for gay liberation
meant oppression for straight people? Has fighting for racial equality meant
making minorities ªebetter thanªf the majority colour? Has the extension of
the rights of disabled people done any harm to the able-bodied? So why do
we give in so easily to hostility toward feminism? Why do men react so defensively
and believe that fighting womenªfs oppression means replacing it with menªfs
oppression? Why do people imagine that being pro-girl means being anti-boy?
Why does womenªfs liberation/equality remain as such a hard fight?
Words Upon Words Obviously it is a problem when
we feminists have taken a great deal of responsibility and put a great deal
of energy into the project for women and for society in general that the project
for men has remained stagnant; or even been ignored. We have had a great deal
of work to do, and we can only keep so many pots on the boil at once! But
feminism has failed to achieve many things, and now we are realising that
tactics may be a large part of this. The Australian/British feminist writer
Germaine Greer recently pointed out that a lot of the remaining failures of
and hostilities to feminism are a direct result of focussing perhaps too exclusively
on women, feminine roles etc. It seems that men fight harder to defend the
idea of masculinity than women fought against the limitations of feminine
roles. According to Greer, feminists have encouraged this stalemate to a large
extent because although we critiqued feminine roles and forged new directions,
for masculinity we only provided a critique.
A consensus is forming that the
new direction of feminism seems to be ªeworrying about menªf or the ªecrisis
of menªf (see Faludi, 1999 among others). In the industrialised West, being
a man is no longer a guarantee of status and the traditional security bases
for men – the family and employment have been completely eroded. Menªfs
identities have stayed wrapped up in these things because they seemed to provide
the sorts of social status that men were taught to find important. Even as
the world is changing around them however, men are still not questioning the
fact that the sort of status they are seeking has no intrinsic value and serves
no purpose other than carrying on hierarchical power relationships throughout
society. Feminists figured out a long time ago that hierarchy and gender roles
are crap, and as women they were in an ideal position to observe this. They
sought for equality between the genders but only gave men the task of assisting
women with their liberation. There were obvious ways that men could change
themselves, but how to go about encouraging them to do so? We just had to
go about making the world more woman-friendly.
So we got some laws changed and
we got a couple of generations of women who were more confident and better
equipped to stand up to patriarchy. In this society, girls now outperform
boys even in traditional ªeboys subjectsªf at schools. People often point
to increases in numbers of women in what are called ªetop positionsªf such
as management in big companies. The reality is that every woman has to deal
with patriarchy and sexist limitations throughout her life whether it is harassment
in the schoolyard, dealing with the majority of childcare and work in the
home or negotiating her role in masculine work environments. Even if feminism
has got as far as it could go for women themselves in their own lives, we
still have barely made any progress in providing new options for men.
So men are clinging to these increasingly
ludicrous decrepit ideas of masculinity and masculinities are being packaged
and sold by cynical profiteers who have successfully convinced men that if
they buy this magazine and the products advertised within they will be more
of a man. This is stuff that women fell for decades ago. And now, as with
women then, men are being taught that their appearance is intrinsic to their
value and to the fulfilment of their masculine role. You must have these muscles,
these clothes, no flab, makeup, no unsightly hair etc. etc. Eating disorders,
once an exclusively female bastion, are increasingly common among young men.
If men do finally stop being so
dependent on gender roles shaping their universe, it will be difficult. There
is no quick fix to social problems. Any major disruption will have its resistance
and repression followed by a backlash followed by a settling down to the benefits
of the progressive choices that people have made and the new options that
have been created. We have seen this process with many social developments
from vegetarianism to environmentalism (and feminism is on a constant cycle
of progress and backlash). Social commentators are already saying that society/
families/ individual men are being harmed by the decline of masculine role
models or some such rubbish. Thatªfs the resistance. In some countries today
politicians are gaining votes by calling for men to regain patriarchal stature
in traditional families. Thatªfs the backlash. The scariest development I
know of at the moment is the upsurge of interest in an approach to evolutionary
biology that attempts to find that gender roles were developed when people
lived in caves and that they are now inevitable.
The thing to remember always is
that everyone is suffering from sexism, patriarchy and fixed gender roles.
There is no way to justify these things when they are causing so much unnecessary
unhappiness, it doesnªft matter whether men or women have a worse time of
it. Are there any men out there who are fighting these things? Any men who
support feminists? Who see what can be learned from feminism? Who know that
womenªfs liberation is not a threat to anyone except the people who want to
keep us submissive? Who challenge other men who are sexist and homophobic?
Who are more willing to show their own emotional pain than they are to cause
someone else physical pain? Who admire women? Who have genuine friendships
with other men that are not based on competition and point-scoring? Who have
genuine relationships with women that are not based on impressing other men?
Who are aware that their value as individual human beings does not depend
on their fulfilling esoteric tenets of ªemasculinityªf? Are you brave enough?
I have seen and experienced the immense empowerment, liberation and just
indescribable emancipation that comes from finding other womyn who take control
of their own lives, who are not afraid to be outspoken whether it is about
sexism or anything else, and who know what is really important. I wonªft list
them all here, but I hope to be soon distroing a UK riot grrrl listings zine
and you can get a good contacts/zine list from: Rachel Kaye, 37 Longlands
Road, Slaithwaite, Huddersfield, HD7 5DN, UK. We are lucky in the UK to sometimes
have fairly effective public debates and public awareness of important issues
and 1999 saw a revolution in British public awareness and concern almost overnight.
For several years, green campaigners, organic farmers, and consumer rights
campaigners have been working to inform people about genetic engineering of
food and to pressurise politicians in the UK and EU to pass policy to keep
the producers of genetically engineered products in check. Genetic engineers
have been experimenting with various plants and animals in laboratories and
experimental farms that are springing up all over Britain. In one particular
laboratory experiment, mice had been fed with genetically modified (GM) potatoes
to see if the potatoes would be safe to market to humans. The miceªfs immune
systems were reportedly damaged by these potatoes and luckily for us the British
media gave this particular story some decent coverage.
The result was the sort of public
panic and media frenzy that happens quite often in a tightly-knit country
like this one, particularly when fed by Britainªfs sensationalist tabloid
press. Suddenly people who never before cared about what they ate, or at least
not since the BSE scare, were asking questions. What is GM food? Is it unsafe?
How much of it are we already eating and how much more is going to be put
in our food in the future? Most importantly, how can we stop this huge experiment
on our health and environment? Is this the next BSE/Mad Cows' Disease?
Over the following days and weeks,
the resistance to GM food increased. Public pressure brought supermarkets
and even fast food chains to adopt anti-GM policies and food producers and
sellers began to label and produce information about what foods are GM or
GM-free. At the same time, the useless coward of a Prime Minister refused
to acknowledge the public concern because he had been lobbied by the President
of the United States who had of course been lobbied by the American GM food
producers.
But in spite of the strong resistance
from the leaders of two countries and from the GM producer Monsanto, WE WON!!!
The fight is not over yet, but I have never seen so much progress so quickly
in any progressive campaign as I have with the anti-GMO campaign. Here are
some of the things that happened:
Progress Accomplishments Know the Enemy Monsanto: American transnational
corporation. The same company that developed and produced Agent Orange, the
notorious defoliant used in the Vietnam War. They are the creators of the
Roundup Ready soya bean which was created to resist the weedkiller Roundup
which, surprise, surprise is also made by Monsanto. Monsantoªfs latest project
has been ªeterminatorªf plant technology – sterile seeds. Throughout
the history of agriculture, farmers have taken seeds from their crops to sow
in the next year. Monsantoªfs plan was to force growers to buy their seeds
again every year. In the developing world, this technology would have been
economically devastating for farmers.
Bill Clinton: As we all
know, the main function of the US Government is to promote the interests of
US corporations. Clinton has effectively lobbied British Prime Minister Tony
Blair to allow Monsanto to carry on with its experiments in the UK and to
ignore the huge public resistance to GM foods.
The EU: Brussels usually
gives in to the interests of big business, and there are indications that
this will be the case with the GM foods debate. Even if Britain for instance
passes a policy against the import of GM foods, the EU may override that policy.
All the same, public pressure looks likely to bring some regulation of GMOs
in the EU. But Brussels has so far given some resistance to Monsantoªfs technology.
Other GM companies: Ciba-Geigy,
Switzerland (transgenic corn animal feed), Astria/Zeneca Plant Science (GM
tomatoes), Du Pont, Novartis, Aventisªc Some of these have produced terminator
technologies and it is hoped that they will be forced to follow Monsanto in
withdrawing this.
Companies that still use GMOs
in their food: Nestle, Lindt
[Information taken from: SuperHeroes
Against Genetix website, Greenpeace True Foods Campaign literature, Green
World magazine, and lots of underground publications]
The Resistance What You Can Do Examples of genetic engineering Implications of genetically
manipulating food
Genetic pollution through
pollen or seed dispersal - plants
Scientific findings in this area
include the following:
Genetic pollution - micro-organisms
OK, first of all say thanks to
Laura for leaving me this space to express myself.
The Uruguay scene is obviously
small because there are just 3 million people living there. Anyway weâve got
all that a hc punk scene should have: bands, zines, distros, collectives,
fights, friends, enemies, gigs, activitiesªE We can say that this scene is
split into two groups; by one way the NYHC scene and by the other the emo
scene. Using a really fashionable word, Iâm taking part in the 2nd. It is
really small, even more this year, last year we did things together with the
@ punks and it meant that there were more bands, zines and people, but now
we are less each time.
This scene is political, there
are many guys but sadly not enough girls (girlfriends ofªE sisters ofªE. About
bands there are just 4 or 5, the oldest is HABLAN POR LA ESPALDA; I play the
bass in this band. Musically we can label it like screaming pop with personal
& political lyrics. Weâve got a few releases; a split cassette with DEPRESION
ADOLESCENTE (rip) and a brand new 7ªErecently released . Another old band
is SWITCHSTANCE; this band is really good. I love them, they play ãEnglish
popªEpretty interesting. Theyâve just got a cassette split released by the
Uruguayan label ãJe tâaimeªE It is a split with XPUPURAX; the first and only
Uruguayan SXE band. This band split up early this year and they released (besides
the stuff with SWITCHSTANCE) a tape released by the Argentinean band CIVILIZACION
VIOLENTA. FARADEY is a new band with ex-members of XPUPURAX, AGARIA (rip emo
metal) and SWITCHSTANCE. They play screamy metal with melodic parts, they
are really intense. More bands are CRECER, NOT FOR SALE and ANTI MUSIC LIG;
the last one is French emo like Fingerprint.
We also have some zines in the
scene, but sadly all are in Spanish (?!!Why!!??). MI PEQUENO GOVENADOR is
a personal zine and very funny, NEGACION is another personal one by the Faradey
guitar player, ADQUIRIENDO IRONIA from the Faradey singer is more political.
I write one called MI NARANJO EN FLOR; with politics and personal issues.
There are two distros; one called
ESOTERIC run by the HABLAN POR LA ESPALDA guitar player, itâs a worldwide
emo music distro, it has a lot of stuff. The other one is called EN FLOR and
it is run by myself. It is a reading stuff distro; mostly @ stuff, books,
zines, newspapers in English and Spanish.
Finally, there is also an @ collective
called 1937 that releases a bimonthly newsletter and a puts out a radio programme
on a communitarian station.
OK, this is a summary of the Uruguay
scene; itâs a group of friends that enjoy to meet to play music, write, dance,
go to the cinema, eat, go campingªEThat is, basically a group of friends.
If you want to know about my zine,
distro, bandsªEget in touch with me.
See you, Victor
Victor Borras, Benito Blanco 1094/401 CP 11300, Montevideo Uruguay, enflor69@hotmail.com Elisa: guitar+vocals/Debora: drums/Isabella:
bass+vocals
Tell us a bit about the history
of the band. Who does what? When and why did you start? Did you play music
together and become Riot Grrrls because of frequenting the HC/punk scene?
Or were you feminists before being musicians and wanted to spread that message
through playing in a band? E: We started the band in early 1996 because we
wanted to express ourselves as girls and as individuals. I play the guitar
and do half of the vocals, my sister Isabella plays the bass and sings too;
Debora plays the drums now. Estella who was on the 1st CD left the band. Elaine
used to play 2nd guitar but she wasn't able to manage both Dmx and her other
band Pin Ups. Weªfre not Riot Grrrls, we're part of Riot Grrrl. Whatªfs the
difference? E: It means that itªfs not an ªeabsolute truthªf. I know some
might be confused by this. We see Riot Grrrl as a collective thing, not as
a limited club. We think itªfs not necessary to say, ªeI'm a Riot Grrr1ªf,
it's not a 'membership thing'. We have our vision of it. It's a personal choice
to label yourself as such but I'm not saying that I don't want to be part
of the movement. I know girls that call themselves Riot Grrrls that are intelligent
and do amazing things; so I don't have anything against people that label
themselves, I don't prejudge them because of their labels and I appreciate
all good things they do...
What do I think is being part
of something? Being active, sharing experiences and ideas with others. I don't
need to call myself a Riot Grrrl; it's inside of me, I don't need to tell
everyone. I have the desire to do what I want, to help people, to give and
get education. The point is: it's counterproductive to fight for the label
itself, we should fight for the cause.
I did not become politically engaged
because of the HC/punk-scene but because of the daily suffering I'm obliged
to swallow every day; with diseases like sexism, elitism, ageism, homophobia,
etc. When I first wanted to get involved with all the revolutionary stuff,
I didn't even think about what a ªescene' means, I didn't know what HC/punk
was. It all came a little later. Feminism came first. How did you get in touch
with it? I was unsatisfied with my situation as a woman (in my family, school,
on the streets, etc.). I wanted to know what women, during the centuries,
did to resist patriarchy. I wanted a direction, examples, ªelessonsªf, experiences...
Many people told me I should read about this thing called feminism, they told
me it was the ultimate thing in girl-rebellion. I started looking for definitions,
authors, literature in general, etc,. I constructed my own feminism, not different
from the original ideas but based on my life.
Has anyone ever said they thought
your name was intimidating? Did you choose it deliberately, realising that
it questions the traditional gender-roles (men assuming to be ªein chargeªf)?
E: We took the name from a Bratmobile song and thought it was a good one.
I looked up the definition in a dictionary but couldnªft find it. Later I
found it comes from Latin and means 'woman who controlsªf. For some people
who don't know: dominatrix - in English is the woman wearing leather and using
a whip in S.M.-relationships. Itªfs not perceived as intimidating that much
in Brazil because hardly anyone knows what it means exactly. It's rad that
it questions the traditional gender-roles, as you said.
What backgrounds do you girls
have? Are any of you studying? Working? What are your goals in life? E: I
wonder if it will be clear to the readers (due to different definitions of
the classes in other countries) but anyway... My sister and me are so-called
'lower middleclass', our drummer is 'working-class'. I've completed high school
and I'm studying to get into college (arts). Our drummer Debora and my sister
Isabella are still in high school. Of course we have different backgrounds
but we have some things in common. All 3 of us, like every girl in this fucked
up world, suffer under sexism and elitism almost every day. My goals in life
are to live in peace, have new and good experiences, learn as much as I can
and help people as much as possible.
You have a CD out on 'Teenager
in a Box', which is - as far as I can tell - a DIY label. Is that a deliberate
choice? Do you want to have your music in the shops? Is working for an alternative
to the capitalist music industry a part of your struggle? E: Yes, it's our
choice to have a record on a DIY label. And we wanted it to be out on Teenager
because we thought it was the best DIY label at that time, in terms of distribution
and divulgation: both done in the most honest and sincere way. It was a huge
goal for us to be on the Top 10 of the best records of 1997 in the second-biggest
rock-magazine of the whole country. Are you serious about that? I'll tell
you why it was a goal for us, especially me. I'm not only interested in the
HC/punk-scene in terms of spreading messages. This is my opinion, people discuss
with me a lot on that. I do pamphlets on abortion and AIDS, and give them
to people outside the scene. Therefore it's our goal also that our music/message
gets huge public recognition as a DIY band. It encouraged many girls (in-
and outside the HC/punk-scene) to get into politics and express themselves.
It means we broke down some walls; we made people think, even if it was only
for a while. It was positive and we never sold ourselves. We are not on MTV,
etc. We don't have video-clips and 'Girl Gathering' was not played on any
radio and we don't have our pictures on the CD. Some people say that's because
we're an all-girl band and it's a novelty and blah, blah, blah,... But Dmx
is not the only all-girl band in Brazil; there are other bands that started
even 1 or 2 years before us and sing in Portugese (which makes it more popular).
I'm not trying to devalue other all-girl bands' work - actually, we're all
strongly united here, all the Grrrl-musicians - but I want people to see beyond
that simplistic rhetoric of "It's because they're a girl-band.". There's so
much more to show, not only our gender. Some people in the HC/punk-scene have
this phobia for big audiences and they can't even explain why. You can be
DIY and spread your message to a big audience; I don't see a problem in that.
The most important thing, in my view, is: we don't use our public recognition
to make money, we sell our records for $6, period. I'd also like to add that
it's very expensive to put out a record in Brazil. We're selling some things
to put out our second record (I sold my guitar and raised some money selling
T-shirts, Nenê of Teenager in a Box - we put the album out together
- sold his computer). That's just to raise a little money and that's it. I
have my own label now, it's called Chlorine recs. It's a big conquest for
a third-world band to put out a record. I'm not just talking about Dmx but
about all bands in all poor countries.
Do you play a lot of concerts?
Also out of your city or out of your country? What kind of places do you play?
Are there any squats in São Paulo, and if so do you do concerts there?
E: We do one show per weekend nowadays. I myself organize many benefits (for
Campaign Against Domestic Violence, Women's Resistance Against Homophobia,
HIV Positive Women, Food & Action Collective, etc.) and Dmx plays at these
events so that's why we play a lot. We play all over the country but never
got to play outside of Brazil; because we lack the money, it's too expensive.
We play in clubs and bars. Nowadays we only play in just one place in São
Paulo: in what we call an alternative bar. In the other places (where bands
get to play) the entrance is $4 or more but that's against the policy of our
band. In the bar where we play, the entrance is less than $3 and it's an all-ages
space. The shows start a 4 o'clock and ends at 9 o'clock (on Sundays) so that
the kids can catch the last bus to get home. Yes, there are a few squats in
São Paulo but I don't know why we never got to play there. I don't
even remember if any band ever did, I don't think so. It used to happen a
long time ago but nowadays it doesn't. Aren't squats political? Yeah, pretty
much, specially in Brazil's land- and home-distribution context. We've got
a lot of neglected buildings, abandoned houses that are not used; it would
be no problem if the government would allow people to occupy neglected public
buildings. It should be OK, especially because it's in the law. But the police
doesn't agree: they want to show their superiors that they are working hard
("take the punx out of the buildings 'cause they're doin' drugs blah blah
blah"). And also: the government sells it's buildings to private corporations
who consider having to deal with homeless people living there as a pain in
the ass. It's pathetic.
You wrote you "support the personal
choice of a drug-free, vegetarian or vegan lifestyle". Quite a few straight-edgers
here are sexist, homophobic, violent, anti-choice and/or xenophobic machos.
Is that similar in Brazil? What's your idea about hardline? E: There's contradiction
everywhere. I know some anti-men feminists too and they fucking irritate me.
It's stupid to use a label like SxE or Riot Grrrl and act totally against
the philosophy of the movement. It's very clear that these people don't have
any interest in changing anything in society. They only judge others and bother
us with all those fascist clichés while they have food/money/security
and don't need to think about the lack of responsibility of the authorities
concerning the poor people and land-distribution-politics or anything that
is "out of their reach" or "none of their business". I absolutely hate the
whole concept of hardline. "Feminism negates all natural roles of women and
destroys the family-structure; in a natural and moral vision of life, homosexuality
can be seen as nothing more than a detour of nature so it has to be destroyed.",
these are the words of the "wonderful" band Vegan Reich. They also claim that
an "anarchist vegan society ruled by vegan dictators" is needed. Sorry, sons
of Hitler, but 'anarchist society' doesn't match with 'ruling' and 'dictator'.
There are like 8 hardliners in Brazil, 8 fucking stupid motherfuckers. The
saddest thing is that some (only some) SxE-ers even talk to these arseholes,
allowing them to distribute homophobic/sexist material at SxE-shows; claiming
that the hardliners must have "freedom of speech". WHAT THE FUCK!?! Freedom
of speech to express prejudice? No, no, no, not at my show!
Is there a lot of division between
the different sub-scenes (crust/punk/emo/SxE) in your country? Are there any
'mixed' shows? Do you play them? E: People tend to go to shows that interest
them more than others. But we don't limit ourselves, we go to different shows
of different subcultures. I have to admit that it could be more mixed. Dmx
always tries to play with all-girl bands to help them and encourage other
girls and other bands that sound different. We play with SxE (metal or not),
crust, grind, melodic, emo, old-school and psychobilly bands most of the time.
Our shows are very mixed (in the sense of gender, class, race, sexual orientation,
etc.) 'cause girls feel safe and they encounter little "violent" dancing.
Of course there are more girls and black people than homosexuals. That's why
we're concentrating more on queer issues now. Like I said, a while ago I organised
a festival called 'Women's Resistance Against Homophobia' with 3 more girl-bands.
We did spoken word, handed out pamphlets & zines; all about queer issues.
We're also focussing on a direct anti-homophobia speech (amongst others) during
shows now. We want to force people to think of the scene as a place where
all kinds of people are welcome. We want queers to feel safe at our shows,
we want them to have a strong voice in our community and they will. We encourage
girls (and boys) to denounce violence and threats against them during shows
so it's almost impossible that violence occurs.
What's the situation of the average
woman in Brazil? Have you got an idea about the frequency of rape and abortion
compared to North-America or to Europe? Are there big differences between
the different social classes? E: We live in a society where women got decisive
power in some sectors. You can find women in charge of big companies. But
there's also patriarchy in some sectors. It leads to the continuation of the
old chain of oppression: the shadow of sexism still lays over these sectors.
What I'm trying to say is that women are invading into high positions of the
"hierarchy" (I hate that word but I have to use it) but still they're being
disrespected as individuals. People usually don't recognize women's goals
in occupations appropriately and say shit like "Women can work but they were
born to be at home and take care of their children.". They just can't take
the idea that we're capable and strong as well. I don't know the frequency
of rape in Brazil compared to Europe but I know the number of rapes per year
here is 10% under that in the USA. This doesn't give us a basis for analysis
though because both populations are drastically different in terms of contingent.
I'd have to say the same when you ask me about abortion. We would have to
work with complex calculations and my interests are other ones so... Here
in Brazil, most abortions are undergone by working-class/poor women with no
information about contraceptives; but there are almost as many abortions in
other social classes. And between the different races? For abortion, the situation
for black and indian women in Brazil is in general more or less the same:
both suffer under poverty and lack of education. And everybody knows that
a lack of education leads to little knowledge concerning contraception. Nowadays,
there are many abortions amongst women of the middle- and higher classes;
in many cases that is because of a lack of responsibility. Dmx is pro safe/legal
abortion. Concerning rape I can say the following. There are more domestic
rapes in the lower classes. I have this theory that working-class men work
under a higher amount of pressure than those on higher social levels because
there is a strict hierarchy of 'intellect'/education and salaries. Working-class
men, who need to vent their anger, create their own little hierarchy at home
because they think it's their only way to have power over others. They need
power; and rape is about power, not about sex.
In some Western European countries,
domestic violence isn't even in the penal code. What about Brazil? Are Brazilians
religious? Are there a lot of marriages or is there more 'un-official' living-together?
Do most young girls there wanna get married and get kids? Or do a lot want
to stay independent and aim for a career? Are there any women in parliament
and in the government? Are there some positive role-models for women in Brazil?
Do you think the Spice Girls are? E: The Spice Girls? They could be a role-model
for dumbness!!! About domestic violence: yes, it's in the penal code but,
no, as we all know the law isn't enforced fairly in most cases. Most Brazilians
don't know but there are some horrible archaic things in our penal/civil code
that should be changed as soon as possible. I can't believe anyone hasn't
noticed them yet. For example: there's a paragraph on marriage in the civil
code which states that if a man finds out that his wife was not a virgin by
the time they got married, he can annul it. It's there but I never saw it
happening during my lifetime. A girl whose sister is a lawyer, told me a story
of a girl that was about to be raped and she asked the rapist if he at least
could use a condom. Do you know what the judge said? He considered what the
girl did - ask the rapist to please use a condom - as consent and because
of that it was "not considered as rape". And there's much more stories from
where this comes from, it's a never-ending list of absurdities. Brazilians
are pretty religious - there's too many beliefs to quote here. There's a lot
of marriages and living-together relationships. About girls wanting to get
married and have kids: it's pretty diverse. A lot of girls want to be independent
but they always talk about having a family as well. There are a few women
in the government but we never had a woman as president. Once the governor
of São Paulo was a woman. The role-models for most of the girls are
intellectually empty and visually deceptive. The 'Baywatch-style' role-models
are created according patriarchal values and morals that are buried deep in
our subconscience, and moulds us to standards. These standards tell us to
be dumb, beautiful and narcissist so we can buy beauty-products without even
realizing what effect these standards have on our health and mind. These stupid
role-models turn into a dream for each girl that lives by these values but
each day it becomes harder and harder to reach the standards. It's very difficult
to deprogram and purify your head from this crap. Capitalism knows that. You
have to respect yourself the way you are and set your own goals (that are
positive to your body and mind, and to other people) in life. The great, intelligent
women don't get any attention from the mass-media so that leads to a lack
of identity in terms of a good and significant source for examples and intellectual
background for Brazilian girls. That's why they're so dumb. There are some
good examples though. In the literature e.g. we have Clarice Lispector (she
was born in Ukraine but came to Brazil when she was a year old), Raquel de
Queiroz, Cecilia Meirelles, etc. In arts (painting, sculpture, etc.), we have
Tarcila do Amaral, Anita Malfatti, etc. We don't have too many women in politics
but from the few I know I a have some admiration for Marta Suplicy from the
Workers Party (PT; - in their own words - has a socialist base in terms of
strategy and and actions. They became too elitist and disorganised, they do
nothing for workers. It's kinda like the first communists in Brazil.). I like
some of her ideals but let it be clear that I don't like her party as a whole
'cause I think there are too much corporative middle-class interests that
blur ideal social change - but that's not what we're discussing here. Most
people don't care about these great women and what they have done because
we live in a patriarchal society that tends to devalue women's conquests (arts,
writing, politics). This devaluation leads to a lack of attention (from the
media, in schools, etc.) for women's achievements so most girls don't see
examples and don't realize of what they are capable; they end up limiting
themselves.
Do you believe prostitution and
pornography are intrinsically bad? Is there a huge sex-industry in Brazil?
Does one see a lot of nudity on TV and in advertisements? Is Brazilian society
in general prudish? What do you think of 'Feminists Against Censorship'? E:
Both issues deal with freedom. I think prostitution should be legalized. If
a woman wants to use her body to earn money, she can. She's exploiting herself,
her body is hers. Why do people who earn money by exploiting others don't
go to jail? 'Cause "whores are immoral"!?! Ha, ha, ha, redneck arseholes!!!
A six year old child working 14 hours a day is less immoral than prostitution?
I'm talking about the free will of a grown-up woman. The traffic-thing is
another chapter... My opinion on pornography is quite the same as with not
using children/animals and not forcing anyone to do anything against her/his
own will. The sex-industry is there, you cannot deny it. If you don't like
it (like me), then educate your children and teach them to be critical. I
totally support F.A.C. 'cause it's a goal for us feminists to fight against
censorship, it's basis of traditionalism and the muting of sexual/artistic
expression. There's a lot of nudity on Brazilian TV. Our culture is fundamentally
based on nudity; it's a shame. Brazilians encourage this emptiness.
Some people here see Brazilians
as exotic/'oversexed'; is that realistic? E: In some cases it is kinda realistic
but not totally of course. Foreign people tend to exaggerate. If you come
here at the time of the Carnival, you'll see people listening and dancing
all night long to 'sensual' sambas (about the female body and other sexist
shit), and girls dressed in bikinis. People think that there is naked dancing
all day long! Brazil has this 'sensual' image for foreigners mostly because
of the climate and the Carnival but it's not all about that. They also think
that when you come to Brazil someone will attack you the moment you get of
the plane...
Do you consider yourselves a multi-issue
political band? Or do you concentrate on women's rights? E: We talk a lot
about women's rights 'cause we're girls and it's a part of us. But we also
focus on other kinds of prejudices (as I said before). Dmx is made up out
of 3 very different people; we have different ideologies. My sister is a vegetarian,
I'm vegan and drug-free (not SxE). So, I cannot speak for the whole band all
the time.
Do you girls attach to a certain
ideology (anarchist, socialist, communist,...)? You use the circled A as a
symbol... E: I sympathise with the three but I can't say I'm part of any of
them. I can imagine a utopian society but even if we make an effort to adopt
it into our personal relationships and everyday-life, I think we're never
gonna know if it's going to work when applied to a whole country/the world.
It's impossible to know because we live in a world of constant changes, different
ways of raising children and spreading values. We would have to raise children
in a way they feel comfortable in this system. That's my main concern about
believing entirely in a certain theory/ideology. Of course, I don't want power
over anyone and I hate patriarchy and neoliberalism. I do love cooperation
and autonomy. I guess my various ideas are close to libertarian communism
but I'm not a part of a movement. It's hard to be part of something if you're
not sure what's it going to be like.
What do you say to boys/men who
claim that women who wanna have women-only spaces (parties, concerts, etc.)
are "sectarian or separatist" and who compare this with racism? Is that where
'My New Gun' is about? E: It's kind of funny 'cause boys have always been
in all-boy spaces. When Dmx first appeared, they told us we were separatists
'cause we're an all-girl band; it was so idiot and contradictory. I think
we must have some autonomy as a marginalized group. It's the same thing if
you say that the Black Panthers were separatist because they're made up out
of only black people. We girls need to gather to find our identity to reach
gender-equality. Boys won't accept us out of nowhere, we have to show our
strength. We're not gonna say "excuse me boy, can I be heard?". NO! We have
to shout, we have to gather and struggle. We don't believe in an all-girl
scene but neither in an all-boy scene. 'My New Gun' is about being accepted
as girls who fight for their rights in a scene that calls itself libertarian.
This song is about creating another scene to combat this hypocritical situation.
It's all about the real fight, not about which boy/girl has the most CDs.
Any good bands from over there
we should hear? Fanzines we should read? E: Good bands here are: Dance Of
Days, TPM, Again, Small Talk, Pudding Lane, Default, Auto, Sell Outs, Page
4, Left Anchor, Mukeka Di Rato, Execradores, Abuso Sonoro, Adjustment, Hitch
Lizard, Whodunit, Baby Scream, Same, etc. Zines I like: Anti-Mídia,
Punto de Vista Positivo, Gumption, Káostica [Brob: Elisa & Isabella's
own zine.] Violent Playground, Libertação Feminina, Libertárias,
Needle, The Crew, Sarcastic Smile, Riot Grrrl Eject, Friendship, Agua, Hypoglós,
Iconoclasta, etc. Our scene is not as big as some think; we don't have a million
zines and a zillion bands but we're getting bigger. What makes these special
to you? E: Gumption was the first political zine made by girls. I like it
a lot 'cause it confronts lots of contradictions in the HC/punk-scene like
homophobia and pro-life. It made me feel I'm not alone. One of the girls did
another great zine called Alethéia, which is just amazing. Her address
is: Bianca, rua Domingos de Morais 1372-apt.304, cep 04010-220 São
Paulo - SP, Brazil. Anti-Mídia is done by Nenê (ex-Personal Choice/-Dance
Of Days, Bastard in Love). It contains a text by Max Stirner, a part of the
Unabomber-manifesto and some reviews. You can reach him through Teenager in
a Box (C.P. 205, cep 01059-970 São Paulo - SP, Brazil). Sarcastic Smile
is done by some anarcho-punk girls here. I find it very bright and they're
good writers. Address: C.P. 12143, cep 02098-970 São Paulo - SP, Brazil.
Auto is a terrific band. They sound so different, it's hard to define. Some
people compare them with Minutemen but I don't know. Write them: C.P. 4885,
cep 01061-970 São Paulo - SP, Brazil. TPM is an all-girl band that
has a great singer that screams like hell. They sing in Portugese and they
draw a punrock crowd like no-one else. The address: rua Campevas 686-apt.11,
cep 05016-010 São Paulo - SP, Brazil. Abuso Sonoro is a well-known
band [Brob: They toured Europe in autumn 98.] that plays very good crust-core.
They have a girl singing too. Their address: C.P. 2098, cep 11060-970 Santos
- SP, Brazil.
Something Laura (Synthesis-zine)'s
curious about... Do you consider Bossa Nova to be native (South-) American
music or the product of (North-)American cultural influences? And why don't
you sing in Portuguese? E: I really can't see Bossa Nova as the "product"
of any influence nor as "native" South American music. I don't see music in
that way. Bossa Nova would exist anyway, with or without North American influences.
There's a bit of a jazz-beat in 60s Bossa Nova - like in the music of the
well known composer João Gilberto. B.N. has this 'jazzy' drumming because
various musicians listened to jazz at that time. But they used to listen to
other stuff from other countries too. So we really can't say that it's a product
of USA-influences. There are samba-sounds to be found in it as well. In the
very beginning, we preferred writing in English and ended up liking it a lot.
It's a matter of taste. I played in other bands, singing in Portuguese and
liked that too. But with Dmx, it's different. I don't know exactly why but
I prefer our sound with English lyrics. We have all our songs translated into
Portugese in the cd-booklets for anyone who doesn't understand English, so
they can get our message.
There is a plethora of hardcore
festivals out there these days. We can choose from good bands, good locales,
accessibility and so on. However, in Europe year after year the VortNVis festival
in Ieper, Belgium has tended to be the focus of straightedgers in particular.
The transport connections are not ideal, until this year the venue has been
a gawdawful rust-infested nightmare, the distros tend to be greedy and the
bands are rarely the cream of European hardcore. But itÁøs the one festival
where we are most likely to see the most people we know from several countries
all in one place. Basically, everybody goes there because everybody goes there.
I donÁøt much like making these
sorts of comparisons, but in my mind I could not avoid the completely different
experience at the annual More Than Music festival in Columbus, Ohio, USA.
I first heard about MTM from Spectacle zine. It sounded a bit like a hippie
emoboy experience but certainly far different from other hc festivals I knew
of. What really intrigued me though was the way people who had been talked/
wrote about their experience. It just didnÁøt compare at all with other festivals.
Accommodation MTM Not good; tents
in the car park, dozens of people crashing in the gardens of the local hc
kids or over-priced, faraway American hotels VNV Good camping fairly close
to the town centre
Childcare MTM I was a bit worried
about the creche based on the badly-run ones I've seen at some anarchist events,
but here was a good creche run by the collective, varied activities for the
children and a general welcoming atmosphere for the children by the adults
and the children were obviously happy and comfortable at the festival. VNV
As if! Maybe that's why the festival-goers tend to be so young?
Transport MTM Awful American lack
of public transport VNV Centrally located in small town so everything is walkable
but Ieper is far from being Belgium's most accessible city.
Organisers MTM Cool hardcore collective
(mostly Á‰) who had worked out the philosophy and approach of the festival
before hand and they were wearing tags to indicate who to go to for questions,
etc. VNV Supposedly a collective although it comes across as a product of
the big commercial '¨hardcore' record label Genet Records supported by shitworkers.
Venue MTM Changes every year because
the collective is always told never to come back by venue owners. This year
it was at this big, rambling club place with lots of different-sized rooms.
Unfortunately the only thing outside was the carpark. VNV Usually every year
same decrepit warehouse behind a pub, but in 1999 it was a specially constructed
outdoor venue which gave the unmistakable feeling of the festival being no
different from any boring mainstream music festival.
People MTM Wow, I wish I had time
to meet and talk to every single person here! They are almost all straightedge
but all different! Everyone is having so much fun in the gigs! Wow, cool dancing!
That band is awesome! And that one! Look at that 4-year-old walking on the
stage looking so confident! Everyone is so nice and the distro people are
wonderful and the organisers are so responsible and the workshop facilitators
are so together and helpful and incisive and supportive and funny and clever
and unintimidating. There is so much excitement and energy here! A girl/boy
ratio of 1:2 !! Quite a few out queer kids as well and far more punks of colour
than I've seen at any other hc event. VNV Oh my god, I don't want to be straightedge
anymore. There are 500 straightedgers here! And they are all arseholes! What
is that violent dancing going on? Christ, people are stagediving feet first!
What a nasty atmosphere. Don't continental Europeans have a sense of humour?
They all take themselves so seriously. The young ones just look really suspiciously
at everybody and the older ones are just cold. What are there, like 50 girls
here? The bands have such an attitude. Those Americans think they are rockstars.
What a lot of macho, competitive posturing. Yuk.
Workshops MTM This year's festival
was women-centred which meant money would be raised for a local abortion access
fund, bands tended to have at least one female member and workshops included:
(girls only) GIRL ARMY -self defence course and WOMEN IN BANDS -a chance for
womyn musicians and any interested others (girls only) to discuss the sexism
which exists within the male-focused male-dominated band aspect of the scene'
etc. (boys only) MEN TALKING TO MEN ABOUT RAPE -a discussion including topics
of male privilege, rape culture, dealing with rapists, redefining consent,
redefining rape, and learning to make it so that we are never perpetrators'
and MALE BODY IMAGE (mixed) THE RADICAL POLITICS OF MAKE UP - a woman-positive
discussion of revolutionary/radical make up wearing', WELFARE REFORM - the
impact of reform on recipients, focusing on womyn and children
I went to the women only discussion
on SEX WORK. Some people had direct or indirect involvement in the sex industry,
some people were interested in how we can support women who do sex work, some
people discussed the politics of sex work etc. There was concern about how
womyn doing sex work might perpetuate negative male attitudes and behaviour
towards womyn. Many testified to the fact that some of the strongest, most
awesome womyn they knew had been sex workers and one talked about the experience
of having power over these pathetic men who contact her for phone sex. Another
woman in the industry said that every day she hated men more, and it wasn't
just her phone sex job but even being at the festival made her hate men more.
This seemed to be a familiar and paradoxical feeling for many. What many of
us wanted to know was just how sick and disgusting these men were who used
this particular aspect of the sex industry, but the facilitators always seemed
to steer the discussion away from that area. We talked about how prostitutes
are stigmatised, misrepresented, and divested of basic rights in our society
and how there is a particular need to find ways of supporting them for instance
by designating safe spaces for when they are under threat. The sex workers
there established that their working lives are a completely separate thing
from their personal sex lives. But I think a lot of us could identify with
the girl who said at the beginning that she found it really hard to comprehend
sex work when even without that aspect she found sex and relationships with
men a complicated and difficult matter to deal with. The workshop ended too
soon, but it was overall a really positive and supportive experience and not
as scary as I expected.
My chum Ryan and I also went to
the BARBIE LIBERATION workshop. You may have heard a couple of years ago about
the Barbie Liberation Army who switched the voice boxes of Barbie and G.I.
Joe dolls so that G.I. Joe said things like 'Let's go shopping!' and Barbie
came out with things like machine gun fire. We were shown the BLA's own info
video as well as several local news programmes on the resulting consumer crisis.
At the same time, we got to work on our own barbie dolls provided in the workshop
along with cloth, glitter glue, clay for making fat etc. Ryan made Pocahontas
into some goth glam nightmare and I made 'bitchy butch xbarbiex' complete
with chain wallet, skateboard and a tattoo saying 'toy terrorist'. We told
childhood stories about playing barbies. The most memorable of these was one
girl's childhood friend who always had the Ken doll molesting the doll that
was supposed to be his daughter. At the time of course she didnÁøt think anything
of her friendÁøs particular obsession. Eventually some of the little girls
from the creche came in from playing outside and joined in the workshop. Some
boys wandered in but didn't stay. My little brother seemed distinctly uneasy
(but then he's not even a punk). So the only boy taking part was Ryan (and
he's gay). An awesome workshop and even though my barbie didn't turn out very
well (I spent too much time trying to pierce her eyebrow); I have her proudly
displayed on my windowsill. VNV Don't be daft. More rock, less talk is the
order of the day in Ieper. There are showings of documentary videos, but that
is still somewhat passive, and this took place in a different venue and with
very poor notice being given about these events. Did they actually expect
anybody to turn up?
Other Discourse etc. Music Stalls Controversy If these things seem petty to
you, you need to understand the importance of having a safe, positive, supportive
atmosphere and to explore the ways we can achieve it in the hardcore scene
and beyond. The mainstream world is about domination, discrimination and the
majority trampling on the minority without caring. Challenging these things
is a big contribution to the festival as a dynamic and inspiring experience.
I don't think anybody expected the safe space policy to alleviate all problems
from the festival, and in fact the exclusions are likely to draw a lot of
criticism to the festival organisers. If there is more controversy at MTM
than at other festivals (such as the VNV), it is pretty obvious that this
is not because there is more to criticise about MTM, rather it indicates that
MTM has succeeded in encouraging critical thinking and challenge. VNV Last
year a band got away for the whole festival with being misogynistic, homophobic
bastards but the big boss of their record label did ultimately kick them off
¤¢ because they borrowed a guitarist from a band on a competing record label!
That's priorities for you. There was direct action against violent dancing
(rife in the Belgian scene) as well as some verbal confrontation and the more
responsible bands did criticise violent dancing during their sets. In previous
years there has also been unchallenged homophobia from the stage. ItÁøs the
sort of stuff that makes you think there is no hope for the European scene
as a challenge to mainstream values.
And soÁÐ I would expect people
to go away from VNV feeling completely disenchanted with and alienated by
hardcore. I certainly would not expect anyone to be inspired or energised
by their experience in the festival. I do think that 1999 was somewhat better
than the year before ¤¢ a better and more interesting range of bands musically.
Perhaps the fact that it was a big open venue cut down on the violence a bit
too. Personally, when I have gone to Ieper IÁøve had an awesome time seeing
friends from all over the world and meeting new people. Actually, this year
I got thoroughly manic and exhausted from it all. But then again I had as
awesome a time in Columbus where I knew far fewer people to begin with. It
would be awesome to be able to have all this socialising in Europe at a festival
with a more positive atmosphere. I would like to propose the Monte Paradiso
festival in Croatia as the new Á¨biggest hardcore festival in EuropeÁø. Come
on folks, letÁøs all go there next year! Contact: Monte Paradiso (Maske),
M. Oreskovica 68, 52100 Pula, Croatia, 00385 52 32671
What people have said about
More Than Music: 'Ðit was one of the best experiences of my life'Ð "THE COLLECTIVE HAS BEEN CRITICIZED
FOR BEING TOO POLITICAL, SERIOUS, PC YADA YADA YADA. UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S A
LOT EASIER TO CONDEMN AND DISMISS THAN TO FOCUS ON WHY THIS ENDEAVOR MAKES
THEM UNCOMFORTABLE." -from the MTMF zine
(What people have said about Ieper:
'We arrived at the Vort'n Vis while the third band was still playing. We didn't
see them though, 'cause I was outside buying some more stuff (man, I spent
a small fortune). The first band I saw was Pray Silent. I was looking forward
to seeing them, since I really liked their MCD (on Genet). Live they are also
quite impressive and already some people started to dance. Cool. After this
it was time for yet another highlight: Clouded. This was simply great. If
you don't know this band you should get their MCD/7"...'Ð [more in the same
vein])
We must demand more of our
festivals! BACKGROUND This is a story of
police corruption, Government antipathy, and the farce of the British legal
system. The baddies are typical then, but the ones who pulled together for
justice, liberty and eventual triumph over adversity were the eco-animal rights-anarchist-punk-direct
action movement in the UK and its world-wide networks, the international human
rights community, and just a few individuals who transcended victimisation.
The GAndALF (Green Anarchist and Animal Liberation Front) trial has been one
of the most important tests for civil liberties, free speech, freedom of the
press and the underground movement that we have seen in Britain over the past
several years.
In recent years the British police
had been increasingly cracking down on the Green Anarchist newspaper including
office raids in which computers etc. were stolen and never returned. Finally
in 1994 five people with GA/ALF connections were arrested by police in Southern
England. This case was intended to send a message to the whole eco/@/underground
publishing/activist movement in the UK. After a farce of a trial, three defendants
were given outrageous three-year prison terms; sparking an international outcry
from human rights and freedom of speech/press advocates. Five months into
the sentence however, the defendants were given an unconditional and unexplained
release from prison. One of these defendants was a vegan straight edge punk
named Saxon Wood.
After various attempts to get
ahold of him (I wrote to him in prison not knowing he had just been let out!),
I finally met Saxon in person at the 1998 Anarchist Bookfair in London. I
didnÁ‚t really know what to expect, but I certainly didnÁ‚t expect this sweet,
rather charming and positive guy who didnÁ‚t seem at all hardened or disheartened
by his prison experience. It is a rare and wonderful thing to meet a straight
edger who is sincere, committed to real action and ultimately a tremendously
inspiring person. Saxon isnÁ‚t preaching to the converted in a hardcore ghetto,
he has been an activist, a prisoner of conscience and an all-round good bloke.
They say the best bits of an interview
are what is said after the recording has stopped, and this was true when I
met Saxon. Both before and after the interview when we were walking from and
to Waterloo Station in the rain we talked about various aspects of our political
views and we have so much in common. We both see straight edge as a personal
choice that helps you put the other things into perspective and get on with
addressing them. And we agreed that the real test of a movement is not whether
Government policies are changed, but how real people interact with the movement
and its ideas. Saxon is just one person, but he really gave me more faith
in straightedge, punk/hardcore and the underground political movement than
I have probably ever had before.
The setting: The foyer of the
Royal Festival Hall, South Bank, London. A bossa nova act is playing a free
show in the background. Out the window is a huge bust of Nelson Mandela. We
are both wet from the bad rain that day. Saxon is pale and skinny with dark
hair with a light, friendly voice and a bit of a southern counties accent.
INTERVIEW YouÁ‚d be forgiven for
thinking his parents were some radical pagan hippie types. To begin with,
Saxon Wood is his real name. Saxon explains, Á®The thing is my mum named my
brother, and he got called Scott. And my dad named me, so he just had a particular
sense of humour I think. I was at school with someone for several years and
she just thought Saxon was my nickname that everyone called me.Á‚ Did he have
trouble with his parents when he went punk? Á®Not really, they were quite
concerned though, when they wanted to throw me out of school. I think my parents
were incredibly proud of me that I made my stand. Neither of them are anarchists,
but they know what I was doing was what I believed was right and honourable
and it was for a better world.Á‚
GREEN ANARCHIST And the story
of SaxonÁ‚s arrest and eventual imprisonment begins withÁ€ Á‚You know, it
was one of those things, you get into punk musicÁ€ I blame the Sex Pistols,
itÁ‚s all their fault. If they hadnÁ‚t written Anarchy in the UK I would never
have gotten into this sort of troublemaking. I was this 12-year-old punk rocker
sort of thing describing himself like, ÁéOh, IÁ‚m an anarchistÁƒ. And then
after a couple of years the moniker tended to stick. And there was a magazine
called Crisis, I had already read Green Anarchist before and Crisis was this
comic by the people who did 2000 AD. Chumbawamba produced pictures of starving
children talking about ÁéWhatÁ‚s going to happen when the Third World take
their land back?Áƒ. Yeh, I started to think, basically we have been living
off the backs of the Third World since the days of colonialism. When the revolution
comes, whatÁ‚s gonna happen? Á®Green Anarchist (GA) was going along these
sorts of points. GA was originally set up with the help of the Poison Girls,
so itÁ‚s that punk influence as well. The Poison Girls did the benefit gig
for the first GA to come outÁ€This was about 1984, the days of Stop the City
[a mass demonstration in the financial district of London –ed] and London
Greenpeace really setting the ball rolling. And I was always interested in
London Greenpeace, so I would have described myself as a Á®green anarchistÁ‚,
so of course a magazine of that name would be of interest to me. So I got
a copy and started selling them at punk gigs from about the age of 15. As
things progressed I sold the magazine and bumped into various people at demos
who also sold the magazine. I was distributing anarchist books where I lived
so I went up to the London Anarchist Bookfair and got a load of books and
someone mentioned that theyÁ‚d quite like a review of a particular book I
had for the magazine and from there it grew on. I started writing for the
mag. Á®Richard Hunt who was the main Editor for GA back in Á‚91 sort of left.
We were going on peace marches and stuff and he was pointing out that Á®You
should support the Gulf War and support our boys in the GulfÁ‚, so that was
not only not green but he was also not anarchist. He was kind of biffed out
of the paper at that stage and there was a reshuffle and I got involved through
that.Á‚
GREEN FASCIST? Á€Which leads us
to the dodgy reputation of GA and some of its editorials. Is GA really a fascist-sympathising
publication? Á®Unfortunately GA would generally print anything; which is a
bit of a problem. GA to me was always a broad church of ideas: you had the
greens, you had the animal right people, you had the Quakers, you had the
pagans. GA was sort of a melting pot for it all. Unfortunately of late, I
think certainly since the arrests and everything itÁ‚s unbalanced a lot of
people to say the least and any cranky comment or weirdness that they can
turn into the magazineÁ€ I think they do either because they donÁ‚t think
these things through orÁ€ I think itÁ‚s the shock value more than anything.
Á®Particularly Steve Booth has certainly dragged the name GA through the mud
which is a bit of a problem. Actually a bloke I know was saying Á®DonÁ‚t support
the GAndALF 3 because theyÁ‚re dodgy fascistsÁ‚. He had to admit that he actually
knew me and that he knew I wasnÁ‚t a fascist, and he spoke to another one
of the defendants, Noel Molland on the phone and he realised that he wasnÁ‚t
a fascist either. Steven Booth unfortunately is a bit of a wordy philosopher
type, and unfortunately he doesnÁ‚t think terribly deeply about what he says
and I have particular problems with what Steve Booth says most of the time.
Read the next GA for my response to what he says.Á‚
FREE PRESS Direct action publications
in the UK usually print disclaimers as a defence mechanism against the sort
of thing GA has gone through. But GA apparently has not been intimidated into
caution by the recent persecution, and according to Saxon the magazine has
Á®tried to prove the police absolutely right that we were this evil conspiracy
of mad bombers.Á‚ But the magazine has gone through some changes recently.
Á®GA was a broad church, unfortunately the pacifists and the good guys have
generally been alienated a hell of a lot. Certainly what Steven Booth has
written, and IÁ‚ve discovered that Paul Rogers is a very hard bloke to work
with. I donÁ‚t want to be horrible about him, but perhaps he could have handled
things slightly different. This tour is very important because hopefully we
can get some new contributors and stuff and dilute some of the madder elements
at GA. Unfortunately Steven Booth is always going to write for GA. Personally
I donÁ‚t consider him a green anarchist, heÁ‚s more of a nihilist. I think
Steve should find out what anarchism is all about before he starts spouting
off about it. Á®The good bits are still there, but unfortunately with the
case itÁ‚s polarised everyone so that a lot of people want to embrace the
case. TheyÁ‚re proud that weÁ‚ve cost the police four million pounds and we
really did do everything they said which is untrue, but again we all consider
it a feather in our caps that theyÁ‚d go through all this madness just to
shut us up.Á‚ GA avoids being ideological and establishing strict rules about
who believes what. Á®That was the choice of GA and I think itÁ‚s a lot of
what people missed about it. We can have two opposing articles, I remember
years ago we had a censorship debate. We had the Cambridge Anarchists saying,
Á®Pornography terrible, ban itÁ‚, and then you had the Gay and Lesbian Freedom
Movement saying, Á®Pornography is great and beautifulÁ‚. We had a picture
of a naked man on it and the magazine sold really well that issue I donÁ‚t
know, perhaps that says a lot for GA readers, they actually want to see pictures
of naked men in it.Á‚
ARREST: Was it true that the three
defendants only met when they were arrested? Á®Well, IÁ‚d actually met Steve
twice before in the Áéfive year conspiracyÁƒ period, but the really weird
thing is that we were all taken to a police station in the south of England.
Actually it was the second time we were arrested and we finally met up because
the three of us were taken to Lyndhurst police station and the other three
were at Lymington police station. We were actually charged at about 11.00
in the evening after being picked up in our homes at 8.00 in the morning.
So we were all kicked out into the foyer. I knew who Robin Webb was, IÁ‚d
seen him speak once, and there was another bloke sitting there. So I got chatting
to Robin and this other bloke piped up and he was actually a member of the
editorial group as well. So, you know, ÁéHello, co-conspirator, I donÁ‚t know
you from Adam and it was good enough to get us charged unfortunatelyÁƒ.Á®
Á®When I came out of the police station I had my leather bikerÁ‚s jacket and
a big pair of Doc Martens. Not exactly what he was expecting to see from somebody
involved in GA. I love my bikerÁ‚s jacket, IÁ‚ve been vegan for 10 years now
but itÁ‚s really warm and BritainÁ‚s such a cold horrible country, you need
that comfort. So unfortunately I still wear leather these days.Á‚
STRAIGHT EDGE: When asked how
straight edge feeds into all the other things he is involved in, it is clear
from the start that he is very aware of the relevance of straight edge to
his activities and general perspective. Á®IÁ‚d always considered anarchism
was personal and you look at the anarchist groups and perhaps if theyÁ‚d spend
less time drinking and doing other stuff that they would perhaps do more.
I have no problem with people drinking, but it tends to come to a means to
an end sort of thing. I went through that as well, I used to drink quite a
bit of Special Brew in my time and I really had to knock it on the head. I
think thatÁ‚s how I got into straightedge. Á®IÁ‚m the sort of person who is
into all or nothing, so I stopped drinking and my record collection just doubled
as well, it was great. It really freaked me out, I was 15 years old and I
was spending so much on alcoholÁ€ So thatÁ‚s how I got into straightedge.
It wasnÁ‚t really a musical thing, of course being a punker I knew about straightedge
and Minor Threat and that sort of thing, but I was more into Crass and Conflict
and that sort of thing and at that time there was bands like RDF and the more
dub-y thing and heavy into their drugs. But it just didnÁ‚t appeal to me and
I just thought straightedge was the way to be.Á‚
SPIRITUALITY: Maybe itÁ‚s that
awesome name again, or maybe itÁ‚s the way Saxon seems so at peace with himself
and with life in general even after all he has been through, but I find myself
wondering if he is spiritual at all. Á®I guess I am. IÁ‚m a great believer
in the human soul and spirit, to rise above it all, and other things like
drugs tend to dull that as well. Perhaps IÁ‚m religious with a small 'R' rather
than a big 'R'. ItÁ‚s a personal thing more than anything. I have great respect
for Quakers, well not only that, but because they also stopped me being thrown
out of school. Between the ages of 13 to 18 when I finally left school I used
to have a rather large mohican which the Powers that Be and the Headmaster
of the school didn't like. The Quakers and the Marxists made sure that I didnÁ‚t
get thrown out of school, so I have a deep-seated respect for them for sticking
their neck out for me. They saw that I was an individual and a rather nice
person. I like to feel that I was one of the good guys in this world. Perhaps
thatÁ‚s how IÁ‚d like to be remembered.Á‚
PRISON: In the UK, there is an
excellent, and considering all the hunt sabbing & ALFing that goes on; essential,
small charity organisation that looks after vegans who are sent to prison.
Did the GAndALF defendants have any contact with them? Á®Oh, the Vegan Prisoners
Support Group were great, my hatÁ‚s off to them. They really came through
for me. When we first went to Winchester there was no problem getting vegan
food, theyÁ‚ve always catered for vegans, quite a few animal rights people
had been there. GuyÁ‚s Marsh [Prison -ed] was good as well, there was me and
Noel who were both vegans. The chef there was pretty good, though he did occasionally
slip us the dodgy meal with eggs in that I found out later. But once we reached
Lancaster, thatÁ‚s when the Vegan people really came through for usÁ€e-mailed
and faxed the prison saying ÁéYou have two vegans comingÁƒ.Á‚ What about prison,
was it just all the evil and hierarchy in society all concentrated in one
institution the way we see it portrayed in the media? Á®I think a lot of people
viewed it that we were all in the same boat. There was a Áéthem and usÁƒ between
us and the prison guards. It was pretty relaxed, but horrible things do happen
in prison unfortunately that is all there. I expect prison to be really racist.
That elementÁ‚s there, but very quiet and in the background.Á‚ They didnÁ‚t
have Warders murdering people in their cells then? Á®No, not when I was there.
I went to some really relaxed prisons. A lot of us were old people who had
been in prison before and they couldnÁ‚t handle it because they werenÁ‚t used
to such a relaxed regime. I spent one night in Wandsworth, which was probably
the worst nick I ever went to, I mean they are seriously hierarchical. I came
out of my cell in the morning and I was tucking my shirt in and they were
saying, ÁéYou have to tuck your shirt in before you get outÁƒ. London prisons
are probably far worse than the ones out in the shires.Á‚ Prison threw up
its share of fun though, as Saxon explains after I notice a bit of tattoo
peeking out from under his shirt. Á®Oh, that was the joys of prison. People
werenÁ‚t terribly interested in politics in prison, people were very interested
in my tattoo. [He takes off his shirt to reveal a back covered in a huge and
very nice design with an A in the middle] Á®It was very strange, youÁ‚re getting
ready for showers, you take your stuff off and, ÁéWow, thatÁ‚s a really large
tattooÁƒ, even the prison guards mentioned it. I am straight edge and I actually
said, donÁ‚t worry, youÁ‚ll have no problem with me taking any drugs, look
I donÁ‚t even drink tea. They always strip-searched me coming back from my
visits. I think they realised it was a pretty safe bet that I wouldnÁ‚t have
any drugs on me because I donÁ‚t touch drugs. ItÁ‚s good for their routine
to say ÁéOh, we strip-searched so many prisoners and we found no drugs because
weÁ‚re running such a tight regime they canÁ‚t smuggle any inÁƒ. Which is
complete rubbish, you can get any thing into prison, you really can, apart
from alcohol because thatÁ‚s too big. Any soft or hard drugs you can get into
prison no trouble. But they strip-searched me and when you take off the shirtÁ€
even one of the prison guards asked me if I did it in prison. ItÁ‚s like,
oh yeh, I had a mirror or something, yeh, I can put a tattoo on my back.Á‚
GANDALF 2 Although the GAndALF
3Á‚s convictions were quashed, he is still technically a Á®co-conspiratorÁ‚
with two other GA colleagues whose trial was about to begin. Á®Our case was
the GAndALF mark two which was the conspiracy to incite criminal damage, so
we believe thereÁ‚s probably going to be a GAndALF mark three because they
generally want to shut GA up and shut Robyn Webb up. So IÁ‚m leaving the country
for awhile so my door isnÁ‚t knocked down early in the morning. But the next
one we believe is going to be something to do with the ÁéJustice DepartmentÁƒ[a
direct action group]; a Áéconspiracy to incite GBH [grievous bodily harm]Áƒ.
Basically the Justice Department were sending postal bombs to huntsmen and
vivisectors, so we thought this trial was going to be about that. But they
thought it would be an easier conviction to get us for Áéconspiracy to commit
criminal damageÁƒ because of the lists in GA. That was actually in the ProsecutionÁ‚s
closing arguments, ÁéOf course these people want to incite criminal damage,
itÁ‚s all listed in their magazine.Áƒ! And unfortunately the jury bought it.Á‚
Considering the fact that newspapers report crimes and wars every dayÁ€ Á®Absolutely.
Just before our trial started there was a columnist in the Observer [leftish
Sunday newspaper –ed] who actually wrote some of the stuff that was
down in the GA list of actions and he said, ÁéHow does it make you feel? Does
it actually make you want to go out and commit criminal damage?Áƒ. But we
had a seriously biased judge, and some of the juryÁ€ we wanted to make sure
that no one was a huntsman or knew anyone that could have been attacked by
the ALF, or generally anyone threatened by anarchism. Unfortunately we had
at least five members who had connections to the armed forces, so these people
had pledged allegiance to the Queen. One of the things in the case was the
ALF attacked a dairy in Hampshire and one of the jurors actually knew one
of the milkmen who made a statement to the police! Á®Hopefully PaulÁ‚s trial
will be quashed in the first couple of weeks, but I canÁ‚t really see it happening
because the judge who thought we were terrorists is also taking RobynÁ‚s and
PaulÁ‚s trial. I believe that their trial is going to go all the way and the
judge is going to push it as far as he can. This judge has spent 33 years
in the military. HeÁ‚s been doing civilian courts for about 5 years, so of
course he wasnÁ‚t going to be overly happy with a bunch of evil anarchistsÁ€Á‚
I think it sounds like a stitch-up. Á®Yeh, subtle comments he made, I was
going to put certain things in evidence and heÁ‚d say, no he didnÁ‚t think
that would be a very good idea because I probably wouldnÁ‚t see it for a very
long time, i.e. he was gonna put me in prison for a very long time because
he believed I did it.Á®
ORGANISATIONS AND THE ESTABLISHMENT
The GAndALF case was too political for some organisations to get very deeply
involved in, since following a British law from the Thatcher years, registered
charities are prevented from any form of political activity. Á® Liberty [the
British civil liberties organisation -ed] did a press statement for us, but
they didnÁ‚t want to get involved with us because we were political, which
was also a problem with Amnesty International [AI], but they also came through
in the end. I think they helped secure us to get out on bail. AI were taking
a very close look at our case. The police put up this huge smokescreen that
we were terrorists, in spite of the fact that they couldnÁ‚t prove that I
wasnÁ‚t a pacifist, but the jury bought the idea. Á®Fortunately in the appeal
court they actually mentioned that I was a pacifist and that I did what I
did because I believed in free speech. So I was saying that I was doing 3
years for my first arrest, unfortunately it takes 3 years for these things
to come out, 4½ months in prison. But itÁ‚s all part of growing up.
It probably proves that I was doing something right. If the police want to
spend 3 years and 4 million pounds prosecuting a magazine with a circulation
of only a few thousand, it proves how much of a threat they considered us.
ItÁ‚s something to tell my grandchildren.Á‚ There was word in the underground
that the GAndALF 3 were released because Amnesty were going to list them as
Prisoners of Conscience; something not usually done in the UK. So far the
actual interest taken by AI is unclear. Á®There was a letter-writing campaign
run by London Greenpeace. The London GAndALF supporter people wrote to AI,
my parents wrote to them. AI is a very large and bureaucratic thing, the wheels
grind really rather slowly. So just after I was released my parents got a
letter from AI saying that, Á®WeÁ‚ll look into the case really closelyÁ‚.
There was rumours that the New York AI were actually going to list us, but
whether they did or not I canÁ‚t be sure. ItÁ‚s very flattering that they
thought that I was a Á®prisoner of conscienceÁ‚ for awhile.Á‚ As for MPs or
anyone in establishment politicsÁ€ Á®Noel MollandÁ‚s MP and Steve BoothÁ‚s
MP were very interested in their cases. My MP was going to raise it with the
Powers that Be, and he helped get me moved closer to home. I had met him once
before and he actually claimed that, oh, you know, ÁéDonÁ‚t worry son, we
donÁ‚t put people in prison for publishing stuff in this countryÁƒ. Bernard
Ingham, who was Press Secretary of the Conservative Party during Mrs. ThatcherÁ‚s
years actually went on Radio Four, and he was saying if he was judge he would
have given us six years cause we were these evil anarchists. ItÁ‚s another
a feather in our cap that we could so insult tories, basically weÁ‚re paperboys
doing our job and doing a magazine.Á‚ Does he think he will ever get burnt
out with all these political struggles? Á®Well I had quite a rest during prison.
I have retired from GA basically, but I am still a green anarchist.Á‚
FUTURE PLANS: Saxon has devoted
quite a large part of his life to the campaign, and now as a way of spreading
the word, helping the defendants and the magazine and getting out of danger
of arrest he is taking a tour of Canada, the United States, Australia and
maybe further. Á®GAÁ‚s been polarised and for the last 3-4 years now weÁ‚ve
been obsessed with just trying to get the magazine out. It would be nice to
turn out a decent magazine for a change. So hopefully we can get some contacts
on board and have some decent, worthwhile, interesting news in it. Hopefully
we can start rebuilding the paper now that this is all over, not that I think
it is over. Á®When I get to the Á®States, with the Earth First journal IÁ‚m
going to live with them for several months and produce the Spring issue of
the Earth First journal. Seeing how it goes I might stay in America for awhile.
Á®This is a particularly noble and interesting times in North America, what
with the Zapatistas and everything. It would be nice to go down there and
see whatÁ‚s happening, down in the south of Mexico. Perhaps sixty years ago
I would have liked to have thought that I would have gone and fought with
the CNT in Spain. These things donÁ‚t happen in Europe very often anymore
unfortunately. I believe there is potential for it all, but in Europe itÁ‚s
somewhat quieter. Á®Another thing that drew me to GA is, you look at revolutions
throughout the world and itÁ‚s not the huddled masses of the working class,
itÁ‚s basically peasants. Barcelona was huge with the anarchists, but the
people who actually continued the revolution was the peasants. Out in the
countryside they created a non-hierarchical society and actually got rid of
money. I have particular problems with anarcho-syndicalism basically because
unionism under another nameÁ€leftism through the back door. Perhaps it doesnÁ‚t
completely seek the abolition of the state.Á‚
As for words of wisdom for all
the kids out there reading this, Saxon says, Á®DonÁ‚t get caughtÁ‚.
REVOLUTION IN OUR LIFETIME? –
A CONVERSATION Á®I certainly hope so. Sooner or later. Whether itÁ‚s something
really weird like the Millennium Bug and everything going haywire, I mean
who knows. I mean, I grew up in the Á®80s during the Cold WarÁ€Á‚ Á€We thought
nothing would change ever Á®AbsolutelyÁ‚ And everything changed in two years
Á®Yeh, in my lifetime we saw Communism stripped away and the Americans the
last Superpower, I mean who knows whatÁ‚s going to happen?Á‚ Mandela Á®Absolutely.
One year in prison, the next heÁ‚s running the country. So weÁ‚ve seen colossal
change. Anything could happen, anythingÁ‚s possible. We will achieve a free
and just society in my lifetime. IsnÁ‚t that what IÁ‚ve been working for over
half my lifetime?Á‚ How old are you? Á®IÁ‚m only 25. I like to think IÁ‚ve
achieved a lot. A friend of mine once wrote that itÁ‚s better to make history
than to read about it. IÁ‚m an illiterate slob, so IÁ‚d much rather be making
history because reading books is not my thing. Fanzines cool, punk mags great,
but reading big long wordy booksÁ€Á‚
UPDATE !!! On November 25, 1998
the second GandALF trial was thrown out of court before it started, leaving
the defendants free and the cops embarrassed! The trial judge was also deemed
to have carried out a Á®substantial misdirection of the lawÁ‚ because he directed
the jury and withheld information from the jurors. Saxon is living in Oregon
and working on Earth First! projects.
CONTACTS: Green Anarchist (Address
for paper, Contact List and Urgent Action List) BCM 1715, London WC1N 3XX,
UK Animal Liberation Front Press Office, BM 4400, London WC1N 3XX, UK, Telephone:
01954 230542 Vegan Prisoners Supporters Group, PO Box 194, Enfield, Middlesex
EN1 3HD, UK, Telephone: 0181 292 8325 (Newsletter available from Synthesis
Distro.)
Introduction For over 20 years
Á®Project CensoredÁ‚; based at CaliforniaÁ‚s Sonoma State University; has
produced an annual list of the most important news stories that received the
least coverage in the US media. Project Censored also lists the yearÁ‚s Á®junk
food storiesÁ‚; the relatively unimportant stories that received saturation
coverage (such as Star Wars and the death of JFK Jr.). Project Censored can
be found at: http://www.sonoma.edu/projectcensored/ or Sonoma State University,
Rohnert Park, CA 94928, USA and the Top 25 is also listed in Nexus Magazine:
http://www.icom.net/%7Enexus/ or from the UK Office: 55 Queens Rd, East Grinstead,
West Sussex, RH19 1BG, UK. [Sample copy £3] Europe Office: PO Box 372,
Dronten, 8250 AJ, The Netherlands. [Sample copy NFL10]
The news stories are selected
by more than 125 academics, student researchers and volunteers, and community
experts. The final 25 censored stories are ranked in order of significance
by a panel of judges including members of the media, authors and educators.
Obviously the stories have a US-centric bias, but this list does largely have
general humanist and global relevance.
THE 10 MOST CENSORED NEWS STORIES
OF 1998
No. 1. CENSORED SECRET INTERNATIONAL
TRADE AGREEMENT UNDERMINES THE SOVEREIGNTY OF NATIONS: The Multilateral Agreement
on Investment (MAI) began with secret talks between the US and 28 other countries
in 1995. The goal of MAI is basically to safeguard multinational corporations
from democratic regulatory control by nation-states and local governments
and, ultimately, from civil society (thatÁ‚s all of us).
Some of the results of the MAI
can be broken down as follows: Corporations will have almost the
same rights as nation-states Human, environmental and labour protections
will be relaxed or nullified Food subsidies, control of land speculation,
agrarian reform and health and environmental standards (eg. community control
of forests, local bans on use of pesticides, clean air standards, limits on
mineral, gas and oil extraction, and bans on toxic dumping) will be challenged
as "illegal"
No. 2. CENSORED CHEMICAL CORPORATIONS
PROFIT OFF BREAST CANCER: The companies at the lead of cancer treatment and
information are also the makers of cancer-causing products.
With revenues of $14 billion,
Imperial Chemical Industries (aka Zeneca because it keeps changing itÁ‚s name)
is among the world's largest manufacturers of pesticides, plastics, and pharmaceuticals.
Zeneca pressured the US Food & Drug Administration to approve tamoxifen as
a Á®preventionÁ‚ measure against breast cancer. However, the World Health
Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer has found that
tamoxifen is a Á®probable human carcinogenÁ‚.
No. 3 CENSORED MONSANTO'S GENETICALLY
MODIFIED SEEDS THREATEN WORLD PRODUCTION:
Á®Over the 12,000 years that humans
have been farming, a rich tradition of seed saving has developed. Men and
women choose seeds from the plants that are best adapted to their own locale
and trade them within the community, enhancing crop diversity and success
rates. All this may change in the next four to five years.
Á®Monsanto Corporation has been
working to consolidate the world seed market, and is now poised to introduce
new genetically engineered seeds that will produce only infertile seeds at
the end of the farming cycle. Farmers will no longer be able to save seeds
from year to year, and will be forced to purchase new seeds from Monsanto
each year.Á‚
No. 4 CENSORED RECYCLED RADIOACTIVE
METALS MAY BE IN YOUR HOME: The US government is now permitting, "decontaminated"
radioactive metal to be sold to for manufacture into everything from knives
and forks and belt buckles to zippers, eyeglasses, dental fillings and IUD
contraceptive coils. The official Nuclear Regulatory Commission estimates
that the proposed change of license standards could cause 100,000 cancer fatalities
in the United States alone.
No. 5 CENSORED U. S. WEAPONS OF
MASS DESTRUCTION LINKED TO THE DEATHS OF A HALF A MILLION CHILDREN: The American
sanctions against Iraq since the 1991 Gulf War have killed more Iraqi citizens
than did the war itself.
Sanctions are being carried out
because Saddam Hussein has not complied to the demands of a UN resolution
requiring the search of Á®every structure in IraqÁ‚ for weapons of mass destructions.
Between 1985 and 1989, U.S. firms supplied the microorganisms needed for the
production of Iraq's chemical and biological weapons. Shipments included biological
agents for anthrax, botulism, and e-coli. Those US companies and politicians
who were responsible for providing Iraq with its arsenal have never been held
to account.
No. 6 CENSORED UNITED STATES NUCLEAR
PROGRAM SUBVERTS UN'S COMPREHENSIVE TEST BAN TREATY:
In March 1998, the US violated
the United Nations' Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty by carrying out an underground
detonation of a 227-pound nuclear bomb at the Department of Energy's Nevada
Test Site which is co-managed by corporate superpowers Bechtel, Lockheed Martin
and Johnson Controls.
Á®The European Parliament issued
an official warning to the U.S. declaring that further experiments might prompt
other nations to engage in full-scale testing. Some Chinese and Japanese officials
also criticized the United States, calling for America to stop "skirting its
responsibility for arms reduction".Á‚
No. 7 CENSORED GENE TRANSFERS
LINKED TO DANGEROUS NEW DISEASES: A health crisis may be emerging thanks to
biotechnology. At least 30 new diseases have emerged over the past
20 years Diseases such as tuberculosis, cholera, and malaria, are
again emerging vigorously in the West By 1990 nearly every common
bacterial species had developed some degree of resistance to drug treatment
As well as the overuse of antibiotics,
another factor may be the transference of genes between unrelated species
of animals and plants which takes place with genetic engineering. If antibiotic-resistant
genes result from engineered gene transfers, these genes may spread and recombine
to generate new pathogens that are resistant to drugs and antibiotics resistant
pathogens. Antibiotic resistant genes spread readily between human beings,
and since antibiotics can increase gene transfer by ten to 10,000-faster,
this can create the very conditions that facilitate the spread of antibiotic
resistance.
So far it is believed that genetic
engineering may have been responsible for: Bacterial strains which
caused a 1992 cholera outbreak in India The 1993 streptococcus epidemic
in Tayside, UK
No. 8 CENSORED NO MERCY FOR WOMEN
AS CATHOLIC HOSPITAL MERGERS THREATEN REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS: Due to recent mergers,
the Roman Catholic Church is now the largest private health care provider
in the nation. In 1996, over 600 hospitals merged with Catholic institutions
in 19 US states. The mergers are threatening women's access to abortions,
sterilization, birth control, in vitro fertilization, foetal tissue experimentation,
and assisted suicide. The Kingston Hospital in Rhinebeck, N.Y. for example,
once performed about I00 abortions a year, but if merged with Benedictine
Hospital, a Roman Catholic facility, it will provide the service for medical
reasons only. This would mean that no hospital in the community would provide
birth control counselling or family planning services.
No. 9 CENSORED U. S. TAX DOLLARS
SUPPORT DEATH SQUADS IN CHIAPAS: Á®On December 22, 1997, in the village of
Acteal, in the highlands of the Mexican state of Chiapas, 45 local men, women
and children were shot as they were praying. Their bodies were dumped into
a ravine. Elsewhere throughout the state of Chiapas, unarmed women face down
armies "with fists held high in rebellion and babies slung from their shoulder."
In Jalisco, more than a dozen young men were kidnapped and tortured. One of
them, Salvador Jimenez Lopez, drowned in his own blood when his tongue was
cut out. The group responsible for these and other atrocities are allegedly
members of the Mexican Army Airborne Special Forces Groups (GAFE)-a paramilitary
unit trained by US Army Special Forces.
Á®Mexican soldiers are being trained
with U.S. tax dollars to fight an alleged Á®War on DrugsÁ‚, but peasants activists
say the real motive driving the U.S.-supported war is the protection of foreign
investment rights in Mexico. Á®In Chiapas, U.S. tax money pays for weapons
and military ... to destroy a movement for social justice... . The United
States transfers aid to the Mexican military in cash, weapons and counterinsurgency
training. The 1998 Clinton administration budget earmarked more than $21 million
dollars for the Mexican Drug War, including $12 million for Pentagon training
in Á®procedures for fighting drug traffic.Á‚ Anti-drug effort seems to continue
to focus on the Chiapas region where 80 percent of the communities are in
conflict zones. According to the Zapatismo Papers, acts of inhumanity by GAFE
were led by Lt. Col. Julian Guerrero Barrios, a 1981 graduate of the U.S.-sponsored
School of Americas (SOA). Although it remains unknown how many of the 15 soldiers
charged in the Acteal incident were trained at U.S. bases, the Pentagon has
admitted that some of the soldiers arrested were US trained.Á‚
No. 10 CENSORED WHAT PRICE, CHEAP
OIL? ENVIRONMENTAL STUDENT ACTIVISTS GUNNED DOWN ON CHEVRON OIL FACILITY IN
NIGERIA: For decades, the people living in the Niger Delta have protested
the destruction of their wetlands by the multinational oil corporation Chevron.
The Delta is now one of the most heavily polluted regions in the world. Chevron
repeatedly cancelled several meetings scheduled by campaigners attempting
to voice their concerns, and so in May, 1997, 121 youths from 42 different
communities gathered around an oil platform. According to student leader,
Bola Oyinbo, approximately 20 of the 121 students surrounding the barge in
small boats went on board to meet with a Nigerian Naval officer who was working
for Chevron. Oyinbo stated that the students wanted to speak to a Mr. Kirkland,
Chevrons managing director. Although the director never came, other Chevron
officials did arrive the next day and promised to set up a meeting with the
students at the end of May. The students agreed to leave the barge on May
28 in order to attend the proposed meeting.
Á®More soldiers came and more
shooting followed. Some of my colleagues jumped over board into the Atlantic;
others ran onto the platform. There was pandemonium. They shot tear gas. White
men flew all the helicopters. I was by this time on the platform with some
of my colleagues. We were defenceless, harmless.
Á®We entered the radio room and
I called Deji Haastrup. I complained that we were to meet today in the community
and instead he sent us soldiers. He replied: Áé I have warned you. If you
want a chance to live, you should leave the place.Áƒ
Á®Forty-five minutes later another
chopper came. There were four soldiers inside. They joined in the shooting
for another hour, this time shooting into the air and shouting like cowboys
attacking Indians that were caught unaware. The workers on the platform demanded
to be evacuated; they were all flown to Meren platform. The soldiers saw me
and wanted to shoot me. Lt. Commander Williams shouted at them not to shoot.
The army captain who led the operation ordered most of my colleagues locked
in a container.
Á®Larry was first taken for first
aid. He had been shot in the stomach, the legs and elbows. They also flew
the corpses of my colleagues away. As the hours dragged on painfully, Hasstrup
phoned the platform to say that five of our elders, the governor of Ondo State
and senior Chevron officials were waiting at the naval base in Warri. I told
Lt. Commander Williams that it was a lie. To show the lies in him (sic) I
told Deji in the presence of the commander: ÁéYou know that you killed a lot
of people.Áƒ
Á®Haastrup replied angrily, ÁéIf
it means blowing up the platform with you inside, I will not mind doing that.Áƒ
I reminded Haastrup that whatever he was saying on radio was being received
by the world. He hung up.
Á®Most of us who went for the
peaceful protest were injured; at least 30 received gunshot wounds. Several
of our engine boats and fishing equipment were destroyed. We got information
that Chevron had lodged a complaint against us that we are pirates and that
the mobile police would take us for prosecution. My colleagues and I were
in a cruel cell until June 2, when we were let go. Our struggle continues.Á‚
*From Car Busters number 3 (44
rue Burdeau, 69001 Lyon, France, carbusters@wanadoo.fr, www.antenna.nl/eyfa/cb)
In issue four I made predictions
of developments in the scene in 1999 and I have to say these proved remarkably
prescient. I think IÁ‚ve really grasped the cyclical nature of hardcore. So
this time IÁ‚m risking my sociological credentials by forecasting Á€
January The deaths of several
aged ex-Maximum RockNRoll columnists prompt zine tributes along the lines
of, Á®Mykel Board was my best friend, we met way back in 1997Á€Á‚.
February Attorneys representing
Geffen Records, who eight years previously purchased the entire back catalogue
of Braid and all their acolytes, attempt to sue a Croatian emocore band who
include a Braid cover on their first 7Áƒ. The Chair of Geffen, Mr. Thurston
Moore, resigns in humiliation following his corporationÁ‚s loss of the case
which has cost Geffen hundreds of millions of dollars.
March Quaker-core has been sweeping
the punk scene for the past two years. Silent gigs have become all the rage
with middle aged hc kids who are now almost all in an advanced stage of deafness.
Swedish band the Friends Society for World Peace takes Northern Europe by
storm in February on the Á®YouÁ‚ll Have Had Your OatsÁ‚ tour. The huge influx
of Swedish teenagers into Quakerism ends in September when FSWP splits up
and twelve Quaker-organised peace projects in Africa collapse due to the removal
of support.
April The Youth of Today re-reunion
world tour ends in chaos. After just the first three gigs of the 80-date tour,
the re-reformed Nations on Fire, supporting the European leg of the tour,
stormed off due to a disagreement about profit share and the fact that NoFÁ‚s
name was printed much smaller than YOTÁ‚s on adverts and tickets. After fishing
around for another support act, Ray & Porcell had another crisis of faith
and join a cult of hermits in Iceland who feed exclusively on fish. Official
sponsors of the tour Vans-Thorn-Revelation, recall their funding but find
that Ray & Porcell have donated the lot to the fund for providing fishhooks
to Icelandic hermits.
May Hatecore has a brief supply-side
revival as every former metal hc kid (and present bank manager) in Belgium
and Germany sells their cd collections to second hand shops upon the births
of their first children.
June Print zines are killed off
by the huge rise of postage rates following the establishment of the Single
European Postal Service (based in Bonn) and the regulation of photocopying
following the Multilateral Agreement on Information; which makes copyright-free
publications a Á®barrier to corporate profitÁ‚. An internet zineage boom follows
as hc kids give each other tips on how to hack into the corporate-regulated
medium.
July The Autonomous Astronauts
organise the first Reclaim the Solar System Party on the moon and CopenhagenÁ‚s
riot police raid the biggest punk festival in Europe when representatives
of a supermarket chain were excluded from the festival after paying for the
privilege of being official sponsors, suckers.
August Following the catastrophic
UK recession, several new squatted autonomous zones emerge in London: Canary
Wharf Squat is set up by the Icelandic hermits, News International HQ by crusties
and the Intelligence HQ in Vauxhall by a group of situationist quaker-edge
feminists. A former wine bar in Brixton is squatted by Italian and Spanish
punks who then put on regular punk gigs that begin an average of 3 hours late.
September Maximum RockNRoll devotes
an issue to discussing why males have become a minority in the punk scene.
October Now that abstinence from
alcohol is no longer an integral part of straight edge, and has been replaced
by bodybuilding and tribal tattoos (representing strength of character and
indigenous-peopleÁ‚s rights), the sxe scene has experienced some disarray
and muscle-vs-ink factionalism. The fourth wave of straight edge began to
die out late in 2008.
November After the singer of an
American poppunk band goes on a drunken rampage and accidentally kills a granny
when his Chucks fall off and hit her in the head, parents are warned to watch
out for Á®Poppunk gangsÁ‚ and Converse are sued for inciting violence.
December The Moog is the newest
incarnation of Á®Old SchoolÁ‚
Stella was born in Soweto township
in the old South Africa in 1965. She takes over as God on January 1st, 2001.
First of all, I have to say I
am and no doubt many of our readers will be surprised by all this because
I thought you didnÁ‚t exist. S: That is not unusual. There is usually a crisis/loss
of faith in an administration that precipitates a major overthrow or transformation.
People know when a system of power is illegitimate, and the more people who
know; the less able the system is to survive.
So what does God do? S: Well up
to now the job has generally involved the imposition and dissemination of
a particular way of thinking among people on Earth. This has been called Á®faithÁ‚,
Á®The ChurchÁ‚, Á®ideologyÁ‚, Á®zeitgeistÁ‚ and all sorts of things. However
I am taking a completely different direction from my predecessors. Many people
on Earth are really resisting all this intervention from hierarchical power
and I intend to make the same sort of fundamental challenges in my role as
an invisible but significant presence in the world. I intend to be guided
by the positive work being done on Earth rather than try to influence its
direction.
Why are you taking over now? S:
Well, my predecessor had basically run his course. He completed the expansion
that had been the CouncilÁ‚s goal for 2,000 years and the project wasnÁ‚t
sustainable anymore so a complete change of direction was called for both
in Heaven and on Earth.
How were you chosen? S: What used
to happen is that the Heavenly Council would decide. The Council isnÁ‚t as
impressive as it sounds. Basically it consists of all people whose spirits
are not on Earth and whoever bothers to turn up. So itÁ‚s like a Trade Union
meeting on Earth; anyone who is bored in Heaven and interested in what is
happening on Earth comes to a meeting and discusses how things on Earth might
be changed. Votes pass with a simple majority on most things. Early in the
20th Century a discussion started on the projects of the current God and the
conclusion about 10 years ago was that there should be a new God. By then
the discussions spread throughout Heaven and there was a consensus among the
various groups that the Council had pretty well screwed things up for the
previous 4,000 or so years and a whole new direction was needed. The womenÁ‚s,
environmental, Majority World (aka Á®Third WorldÁ‚), young people and other
groups in Heaven basically had far more relevant interests than all the old
guys in the Council, so the Council pretty much melted away and this pluralistic
new order emerged in Heaven.
There had already been Gods from
the East, North and West of the Mediterranean, so this time they went South
and found me. I had affinities with the various interest groups in Heaven
and had recently been murdered at a demonstration, because this was during
the days of Apartheid, so I became available for the office.
What will be your official title?
S: The other Gods tended to have really grandiose titles like Á®The AlmightyÁ‚
and Á®The Great BeingÁ‚ and other self-aggrandising nonsense. That sort of
thing really isnÁ‚t for me. In Heaven everyone calls me Stella, and IÁ‚m comfortable
just sticking with my name. The office is called Á®GodÁ‚, but I am thinking
of changing that as well. That word carries too much baggage with it if you
know what I mean.
Everybody wants to know; is 2000
really the beginning of the new Millennium? S: You may have heard that Jesus
came to Earth in what we call the year 8 instead of the year 0, and that is
perfectly true. The discrepancy is basically down to Pater Domino who wanted
people to believe that he had been around longer than he actually was. But
it is too late to change the perceptions now so we are sticking to the common
perceptions. Except of course that the third millennium, AD actually begins
in 2001 and not 2000.
So are the Jews really the Chosen
People? S: Well certainly they were chosen by Jhvh who was Jewish himself
and saw great potential in his people to maintain faith in him through tradition
and strengthen it through study and reflection. And that went pretty well
for a couple of thousand years, but the Council was concerned that the Jews
kept the faith too much to themselves and that it was time to spread it about
more. So the idea of a jobshare was created with Jhvh staying in the background
for a bit and the mortal envoy, Jesus, was sent to Earth to try a practical
missionary approach. Jhvh didnÁ‚t really agree with a Rabbi being so outspoken
and he retired before long. By the time John came along to be God in the late
17th Century, Gentiles were firmly established as the new Chosen. Of course
JohnÁ‚s big project was Reason and he always resented that the Jews tended
to be so much better at it than his people, so anti-semitism became very big
during his time in office.
Why is John retiring? S. It was
obvious that something had to be done about John because even he no longer
had any control over his project which had brought a great deal of unhappiness
to people on Earth and had endangered the whole ecology.
How will the job handover take
place? S. I am of course being advised by my predecessors, although I have
to say I have not found their advice very helpful. Also I do find they patronise
me terribly; calling me Á®young missÁ‚ and so on. They are tremendously displeased
that I have no interest in either religion or riches.
Does Hell exist? S: Well yes it
does, but the propaganda by my predecessors is completely misleading about
that realm. Remember one of their purposes was to coerce people to choose
Heaven as their destination after death. Most people go to Hell because it
is the realm of irresponsibility and selfishness. If I were to describe Hell
in Earthbound terms, it would be a holiday in Tenerife. Everyone there is
in pursuit of pleasure and do not want to engage in lifeÁ‚s complications
and seek solutions. Heaven is somewhat more diverse right now because, as
I say, there is a tremendous amount of activism and interest in Earth issues.
But people get tired of both realms and there is a great deal of movement
between the two. No one has to commit for eternity to either Heaven or Hell.
What is the first thing you will
do on Earth? S: There are many people engaged in desperate struggles on Earth
right now who are up against tremendous power. They need encouragement and
faith in themselves, and I will help them in this. I might also make occasional
divine interventionÁ€
Anything you want to say to people
on Earth? S: I donÁ‚t believe in having an official Á®chosenÁ‚ people, and
my time in office will be the first with no preference or discrimination based
on religious or other beliefs, ethnicity, geography, sex, sexuality, age etc.
Anyone anywhere can be among the blessed if they practice social justice.
The way they were: God through the ages The Word The original project of the
Heavenly Council; a club set up by and for those with nothing better to do
and an interest in manipulating life on Earth. Club members eventually got
bored with each other and devised ways of recruiting new members by interacting
more with people on Earth and making them want to come to Heaven. So the aim
of the Council became expansionism. JHVH Born in the Fertile Crescent, this
grandfatherly figure organised a mass religion centred on his own tribe. Like
many grandfathers, he varied between bad tempers and kindliness, was tradition-
and rule-bound, and took much too long to die and pass on his inheritance.
Pater Domino Originally from Rome. He lavished his inheritance on himself
and flew into a rage whenever he didnÁ‚t get his way. Among his conceits was
deciding to split his personality into three parts; each to be worshipped
separately. He oversaw the setting up of an international religion with centralised
organisation, unparalleled wealth and a zeal for expansion through force and
violence. His pet hate was women and his followers worked to undermine the
spiritual and social stake of women by cracking down on all forms of earthbound
Á®Pagan WitchcraftÁ‚. As any does empire that lasts too long (1,200 years),
his sank into decadence and irreparable factions and so had to be replaced.
John As people on Earth were becoming too sophisticated to be taken in by
pretty stained glass and incense and began choosing alternatives, a God was
hired who could harness these tendencies. The third entity God was the original
middle-class Englishman. His reign has been the shortest but also the most
effective, violent and wide-ranging; incorporating the Enlightenment and Global
Capitalism. John oversaw the development of a religion without a church; Liberty,
and a new theology; Reason. This time the religion spread worldwide and became
established in new organisational forms like nation-states and markets. Stella
She may become known as Á®The PeopleÁ‚s GodÁ‚, or perhaps the Á®post-godÁ‚.
The expansionist project of the previous 2000 years had succeeded in affecting
every person on Earth, but the result was the imminent destruction of the
world and Heaven (as well as Earth) becoming full of dreary, loud Americans.
Stella hopes to see the world be turned upside down by its own people and
for diversity and unity to coexist throughout the world. In the last issue of Synthesis
I predicted the decline and fall of emo, but I did not forsee the swiftness
with which I would myself turn against everything that the I went to a gig one night with
a US band from a 100% commercial US 'emo' label (all major credit cards accepted
for their mailorder) and two UK bands. The music was good, but I had such
a feeling of alienation. The whole experience was empty. I used to think boys
were cute with the emo look, but this night I couldn't stand them. Songs about
luv and sadness do get pretty boring after all. Even when the songs are nice
I really don't like the whole idea of this stuff coming from punk bands. I
seem to be becoming more of a purist.
Promise Ring with their eMpTV
videos, Braid with their $800 guarantees and all the rest of them with their
FM-friendly, highly marketable indie rock are using the hardcore scene, plain
and simple, to get laid, fame and wealth. They are hardcore's boy bands. All
these bands take after the Smiths, but the Smiths actually had originality
and Morrissey has an unparalleled ability to write words that express truths
about relationships. This particular brand of 'emo' is doing nothing other
than following a successful formula. Fair enough, that is what most bands
do, but when the whole point of emo is to be deeply personal, sincere and
heartfelt it just makes one sick to think they are turning that into just
another musical product. It is no wonder that so many of these bands have
such rockstar attitudes and end up as undeniable sell-outs; because that was
the whole point of these bands in the first place!
What does 'post-punk' mean? Bring back real emo is what I
say. Remember Moss Icon, Iconoclast, Embrace, Policy of Three, Rites of Spring,
Bob Tilton...?
For decades Brixton has been a bustling, predominantly afrocaribbean, diverse,
multicultural, sometimes dangerous, somewhat smelly, always changing part
of town. Even now as the forces of embourgeoisment are swiftly taking over,
the new wine bars are interspersed with grubby shopfronts that look far more
at home than the new buildings with their gleaming brickwork. But the main
shopping area is only the most visible side of gentrification. In the backstreets,
rents for long-term residents are being impossibly hiked up, old people's
homes are being evicted and squatters are being moved on. As properties are
taken over by developers with dodgy connections to Lambeth Council, they are
put onto the yuppie housing market with new fashionable prices. South London Southeast London has been something
of a secret up until very recently. Fifteen years ago it was abandoned warehouses,
disused quays and squats. Yuppie flats were built throughout the 90Á‚s, but
the new population trickled in rather slowly due to the rather poor transport
connections. Tourists sometimes came to the Greenwich Observatory and to look
at the Cutty Sark, but not in overwhelming numbers. Now the changing fortunes
of a couple of small bits of this part of town are expanding to cover even
the most tatty and unremarkable areas. Soon we will be better hooked up with
transportation than almost any other area of London. It is becoming obvious
that before long there will be no affordable housing left within the first
4 of London's 6 transport zones.
British cities, to an extent like
American cities, have experienced a dramatic turnaround. By the early 90s,
many inner cities were on a severe economic decline. White middle-class people
had sought the good life in the countryside/suburbs. Now a turnaround has
occurred whereby white middle class people have found urban bohemia rather
appealing and are moving back to inner cities in droves. Notice the similarity
between the words Á®gentrificationÁ‚ and Á®genocideÁ‚? The genuineness of
old buildings, old businesses, old communities that makes cities so attractive
to new residents is precisely what is destroyed. Commercial money follows
middle class money into these areas. So with rents and living amenities becoming
more expensive, the native communities in gentrified areas are pushed ever
further to the edge of cities. Communities are destroyed, people have to pay
more to travel further for work and entertainment, and the culture of the
place disappears. The people hit the hardest I think are the elderly people
who are most deeply attached to their locality and whose life and community
ties can never be rebuilt in another place.
There is nothing new about gentrification,
but this current trend is having perhaps the greatest effect on urban life
for decades. Gentrification is rarely challenged, and I can only hope that
when we get back a central London authority next year someone will address
this problem. I know I'm a nostalgic fool about this city, but I hate to see
anything about London cheapened by short-term developments and shallow yuppification.
So it is very encouraging to hear about people standing up to these forces.
The 'Yuppie Eradication Project'
is the brainchild of some radicals living in the Mission District of San Francisco
and was inspired by anti-government movements in Berlin, Barcelona and Johannesburg.
As yuppies have encroached on the Mission in recent years; bringing with them
coffee bars and high rents, joke demos have been held in which YEP activists
held placards reading things such as 'Just Say Me' and 'Give Greed A Chance'.
Drawing attention to the nature and character of gentrification; as well as
to it's non-inevitability are important steps in uniting communities in defence.
I know of one case in which gentrification
was successfully held off and that took place in London in the past year.
This occurred in the evil Square Mile of the City of London; the financial
capital of the world where the June 18th Reclaim the Streets took place. In
the shadow of mammon is the beautiful old covered market Spitalfields; an
oasis in that part of town with vegetarian shops and cafes and LondonÁ‚s best
organic market as well as being a craft market, indoor tennis court and football
pitch and generally a great place to hang out on a Sunday afternoon and a
great environment for children. The building is also home to several radical
housing cooperatives and family flats. This is prime property and many people
would love to get their hands on Spitalfields in order to turn it into expensive
flats. A campaign was mounted by residents, locals and visitors, meetings
were held, property law investigated and ultimately the greedy City types
were held off; at least for the moment.
I guess for a recognisable community
like Spitalfields this sort of campaign is more likely to succeed than in
fractured areas like where I live. I would like to think that when London's
new central authority is elected in May, 2000 that there is something the
new Mayor can do to resist the trend toward gentrification. Localisation is
another trend in contemporary society and maybe as people become more aware
of their immediate communities we won't fall so easily to market forces. If
people know of gentrification happening near them and maybe any resistance
to it; do write and let me know what's happening where you are.
The respondents are: Laurent Chopard,
4 rue Julien Dubois, 90 300 Cravanche, France Carissa, 4434 Ludlow St., Philadelphia,
PA 19104, USA, hopscotcharmy@juno.com USA Yann Boisleve, BP 7523, 35075 Rennes
Cedex 3, France Brob, Tennisbaanstraat 34, 9000 Gent, Belgium Joseph, 13 Abbeygate
Street, Colchester, Essex, C02 7HB, UK Tom, 55 Marmora Rd, London SE22 0RY,
UK Teo, Poljska 29 40315 Mursko Središće, Croatia Jon, Active Distribution,
BM ACTIVE, WC1N 3XX, London, England.
The questions are:
1. what is your view on human
nature and how is this reflected in your political/social outlooks?
2. do you think human nature is
fixed and permanent or that is has evolved along with everything else in human
society? can it be changed?
3. people have tried to establish
what constitutes human nature by observing for instance young children, the
mentally disabled, pre-modern (ªgprimitiveªh) societies, animals etc. do you
think it is possible to discover human nature in such a way?
4. does everyone have the same
basic nature, or for instance do women and men have different fundamental
characteristics?
Laurent 1. I don't give any special
value to human nature, first because I think that to define it can be dangerous
in a way and secondly because I think that giving importance to it prevents
things to evolve. I mean, in a political discussion for instance, you'll always
find someone to say ªeyou can't change it, this is human nature !ªf. This
argument is used to maintain the present situation, it is strongly against
political or social changes. It's like when people define "nature" as a kind
of God that would never change and which would establish a ªenatural orderªf
(defined by man !) These arguments are reactionary and conservative. In my
political/social outlooks, I try to fight this determinism. 2. I think that
ªehuman natureªf would not be fixed because I don't think that one standard
human nature exists and because nothing is permanent in this world. If "human
nature" exists as such, then I think that it can be changed by the individuals
themselves (their experiences...) Nothing is ªenaturalªf or ªeunnaturalªf
because everything evolves in our society (including people) and in our environment.
Even if one day, a scientist discovers that human nature really exists and
that it is fundamentally bad, then why couldn't it be changed? Education could
be a tool to help this change. 3. I don't think it is possible to discover
human nature in such a way because the fact that a young child acts the way
he does is not a proof that these characteristics are parts of his own ªenatureªf.
This may just be a behaviour that he learnt unconsciously through his/her
relationships with others (his parents, etc.) Moreover, why should a non-human
animal be representative of human nature? These are useless studies, or maybe
useful on a psychologic level only. 4. I think that every individual has his/her
own characteristics (which are mainly the result of his/her past experiences)
and that there is not a basic ªenatureªf for men, another for women, etc.
This kind of arguments only serves to protect the interests of one group of
individuals (often human, white, male, heterosexual and wealthy) and to discriminate
the rest by establishing social roles.
Carissa 1. I believe that there
is inherent good in all human beings. That is why I am an anarchist. I believe
in human beingªfs ability to rule over himself/herself and that there are
no ªegood peopleªf and ªebad peopleªf. 2. Human beings adapt to whatever exists
in culture. If the culture is that of capitalism, human beings become greedy,
selfish, and over-competitive (which in the end creates greater hierarchy).
A system like anarcho-communism highlights the sharing element in the personality.
In other words, in order to survive you must share. 3. I think these are the
best ways to study the true human without the effects of culture and environment.
Science has pretty well covered the effects of different environments but
it hasnªft touched on an individualªfs base character and how it affects environment.
4. Men and womyn are definitely different, which is obvious because womyn
give birth. Giving birth and providing for a child gives one a completely
different perspective and ways of doing things.
Yann 1. What is your view on human
nature and how is this reflected in your political/social outlooks? I used
to think human nature did not exist, and that everything we do was linked
to our education, society's and peer pressure, etc. After 10 years of socio-political
involvement, my views have changed a bit. I am now almost 28 and have met
a lot of people and seen a lot of things, and since a few months I have been
questioning my beliefs. Of course education plays a huge part. For instance,
if someone is raised in a very rich family, they will act like a rich person
(whatever this may imply), but if the SAME person is raised in a middle class
family, their values will probably be different. However, sometimes children
(who should be more or less "innocent" at that early age) can act really silly
and be totally cruel towards their fellow beings, animals, objects or maybe
even themselves. I remember seeing two young kids aged 5 standing in awe in
front of an ant hill, and who suddenly started crushing everything that moved.
We are all different, have different desires and react differently in front
of situations, therefore education cannot explain everything. Lastly, if there
were no human nature, and if this nature was not so crooked, then we would
have been living in a "better world" for ages! I have tried to do all I could
to help out people, and I am always amazed at how dumb they are. Many of them
rip you off or try to hurt you when you give them a hand. I can't see how
we'll ever be able to make things go better. I still consider myself a libertarian,
but I find it harder and harder to put my ideas into practice for fear of
being ripped off and abused again. 2. It is the same. Nothing in history has
changed. We now have access to electricity and television and McDonalds, but
our attitudes are the same. We are still selfish, greedy, self centered, prejudiced,
coward, hypocritical, etc etc. This is why there are wars, conflicts, fights,
racism, exploitation, backstabbings, rip-offs,... People were already like
that 2000 years ago (read the bible!) and probably were too 2,000,000 years
ago. I don't want to sound too negative, but if we haven't been able to change
anything during all this time, I doubt we ever will... 3. You can't explain
everything this way, but it certainly can help. You gotta find ªepureªf people
and see how they react when put in various situations, especially with other
human beings. As I already said, those ªepureªf people turn out to be as ªeevilªf
as we are, that's why human nature probably sucks. 4. I believe we all share
the same major features, but everyone is different. The more I learn about
people, and the more I believe men and women are different, have different
feelings, desires, needs,... (note that I don't see this as a problem). These
differences have different origins: education, hormones, but I'm sure our
nature is different as well, which is why I don't necessarily think it is
a good thing when women try and do everything men do (and vice-versa) in the
name of antisexism. There's nothing wrong in being and staying different,
as long as it doesn't imply discrimination or abuse.
Brob 1. My view on human nature
changes from day to day, depending on my mood and influenced by what is happening
to me. I suppose that is the case with a lot of people. If you have difficulties
in life, if youªfre frustrated in any way or isolated, stressed or whatever,
youªfre gonna have a view that differs a lot from someone who has things going
for him/her. I guess you can see that oneªfs view on human nature is determined
socially, economically and perhaps also culturally. To give a simple example:
if youªfre born into a ªe4th worldªf- family and have to struggle to get by,
you wonªft have such a positive outlook on human nature. Personally, being
an offspring of the 60ªfs generation that was told that ªgeverythingªfs possible
if you just believe in itªh, most of the time my idealist streaks have the
upperhand. Learning about anarchism/anarchist history and witnessing what
is possible in certain communities/collectives based on anarchist ideology,
I still want to believe in the possibility of a future non-authoritarian,
non-exploitative society based on solidarity; and thatªfs what I try to work
for. If I wasnªft believing in these ideals, I guess I wouldnªft bother trying
to convince people by corresponding or distributing radical literature. This
idealism is also strengthened by what I see in some parts of the D.I.Y. HC/punk-scene
so I try to keep involved. In these instances, I have a positive/optimist
outlook on human nature. Iªfm not a misanthrope and people who are give me
an itch. But Iªfm also an exponent of the post-industrial, western, capitalist,
me-first society in which we live today; and Iªfm fully aware of and regularly
confronted by itªfs individualism, exploitation, oppression, etc. That makes
me pessimistic. Getting older and still bumping my head into these walls drains
my energy and enthusiasm. Because of my chronic illness (leading to physical
restrictions, misunderstandings, bureaucracy and other problems), Iªfve had
lots of bad experiences, felt discouragement, etc. Iªfve shown streaks of
a hypochondriac and have, in moments of despair, given up on all of humanity
but in the end Iªfm still alive and hoping. I havenªft committed suicide (yet?).
I try to take up my responsibility. We all have one and misanthropes deny
that. I can understand individualism (not to say egocentrism) wins over altruism
sometimes (we all need a healthy dose of it to survive) but when it leads
to a-social behaviour (i.e. acts that donªft serve your community), youªfre
going too far. Some friends have called me a (sometimes naïve) optimist,
others say that Iªfm too negative/pessimistic. Maybe the balance that keeps
me alive and acting?ªc 2. I do not at all believe that human nature is fixed
or permanent. Just read the above. It all depends on the circumstances. And
no matter how much we control our environment (the scientist in me says ªea
lotªf, the radical activist in me says ªenot a bitªf), our situations will
always require adaptation. Weªfre always at least one step behind. Human nature
changes all the time ªecause it adapts to changing (environmental, economical,
social, cultural, political) circumstances. So it can change alright. The
question is ªeCan human nature evolve so that it doesnªft just run behind
the facts but actually offers positive chances for everyone?ªf. We have to
take up our responsibility and try to overcome/conquer our primitive urges.
If we canªft do that, weªfd better give it up altogether now. 3. Observing
young children, mentally disabled, pre-modern (ªeprimitiveªf) societies or
animals, etc. to try to establish what constitutes human nature can indeed
help to discover it. Research like that can give indications about why a certain
behaviour occurs under specific circumstances ªecause ªeexceptions confirm
the ruleªf (events away from the average can help reveal the ªenormalªf situation)
but itªfs not smart to extrapolate anything seen in a ªesub-populationªf )
sorry for the scientific term – I definitely donªft consider the above
as sub-human) directly to the whole of humanity. I donªft think it will ever
be possible to discover or describe all of human nature in such a way. Sociology,
psychology, politics are not ªepositive sciencesªf but ªehuman sciencesªf
and ªeErrare Humanum Estªf, no? 4. There is no such thing as ªebasic natureªf.
All humans are different since they have a different genome. The different
genotype is only but one thing: since all humans grow up in different environments
(even identical twins), their fenotype will set them apart even more. Luckily
I would sayªc There are trends but these alter with the environment. That
doesnªft mean that there arenªft some common properties (again: things that
are common for a culture, geographic population, ethnicity, etc.) but I donªft
thing thereªfs such a thing as one basic human natureªc A pygmy in the south
of Africa has the same primary needs as an eskimo in Alaska but they have
different but equivalent means to obtain them. All this doesnªft imply that
Iªfm a fatalist, I donªft think that we have no means of steering our destiny
but thereªfs limits to that. Of course women and men have different fundamental
characteristics. Just look at them: e.g. a penis doesnªft look anything like
a vagina does it!? The hormonal differences also lead to other physical, psychological,
social properties. But like I said before: a human is not the sum of itªfs
separate parts. The physical aspects alone do not determine what/how a human
is. The experience we have, the way we grow up, parents, school, friends also
influence us and make us what we are. But I certainly do NOT believe in the
gender-stereotypes. ªeWomen are caring, communicative, mothers, etc.; men
ªgbring home the baconªh, are physically strong, fight wars, etc.ªf: Bullshit!
Look around you: there is diversity, there is crossing-over, there are transsexuals,
there are men who are wonderful with children, there are smart/strong women
capable of organizing things, etc. etc. And thatªfs the way it should be.
I donªft want to be abstracted to a war-monger with a penis, would you? I
certainly see women as more than just submissive, child-bearing house slaves.
I hope you do too. Women and men are not equal but they sure are equivalent.
I hope Iªfm making some sense
for the readers. My virus-infested brain sometimes plays tricks on me. These
are also subjects that you can philosophize about for ages. The more I re-read
this, the more I want to add but Iªfm getting exhausted. If you wanna discuss
any of what I wrote, feel free to write.
Joseph 1. Up until recently I
would have sworn that human nature was evil. As a disillusioned and angry
young man, no aspect of humanity was spared from my eternal condemnation of
humanity. All in retaliation to the simple fact that the world is a bad place
to be right now. I was convinced that mankind was in dire need of an Armageddon
or holocaust and that I was the man to inflict it upon humanity. This was
all very easy to do when I was stuck at home and could only watch the evil
in this world go on. Little did I know that not all of humanity was evil.
When I was able to actually contribute to doing something about such injustice
(however small – from changing my diet, to demonstrating, educating
myself and others or just being aware) I came into contact with people who
were dedicating and sacrificing so much in order to combat such evil. These
people are not evil, I realised. People out demonstrating alongside myself
rekindled my faith in the potential goodness in humanity. What we are fighting
against is undeniably evil. We often here of the ubiquiteous ªetheyªf –
ªeBig Businessªf, the ªeSystemªf, the ªePowers That Beªf or whatever you want
to call it – and whether or not humanity is evil, it is nothing compared
to the concentrated evil behind the shiny buildings. How can the vivisectors
and men in suits be human when compared to the humans fighting and demonstrating
against them? I can understand why ªetheyªf are seen as demons. Again, whether
or not ªetheyªf are evil because they are essentially human beings(although
I sincerely doubt it sometimes) but are so as they have more money and power
than those with only a protest banner has led me to abandon my nihilistic
conceptions of humanity because I have met such compassionate people and have
realised that there is a far greater evil. Perhaps ªetheyªf are defining what
is human nature for us, to a detrimental effect, to justify their actions.
Because of this, I feel too humble and thus unable to say if human nature
is good or bad. I can only attempt to explore what human nature means to most
and discuss how it is manipulated and defined to us.
Problems initially arise over
the actual definition of ªehuman natureªf and what it means to be human, as
well as the word ªenatureªf. Even the idea of ªenatureªf and what is ªenaturalªf
is constantly being defined and argued (ever spoken to a ªeHardlinerªf?).
In this context, human nature entails connotations of a genetically inherited
carnal or feral reaction among human beings and what drives human beings both
physically and emotionally. Often human nature is used as an ultimate excuse
for apathy amongst people. For example, when some people are confronted by
the hard truth of human and animal abuse, rather than react by saying ªgI
canªft sit idly by and let these atrocities happen! Something must be done!
I myself will do something about it!ªh (A reaction I strongly advise to take
when you next read your paper or animal rights literature) people will simply
shrug and sigh ªeOh well, I guess itªfs just human nature.ªf Human nature
is thus seen as a negative uncontrollable and dictacting force and that it
is useless to try and change it. How often have you heard the consumption
of meat been justified as being part of human nature? It is seemingly viewed
as an unshakeable hangover from primeval man. It certainly is scary when the
populous is led to think that their apathy is derived from DNA because their
chest beating ancestors had clubbed another to death. This leads on to the
second questionªc 2. We are almost led to believe that human nature is permanent,
as it is seemingly inherent. Human nature and ªeinstinctªf are often compared
or confused as one and the same. Instincts that are said to be derived from
our feral nature usually mean our instant synaptic responses to situations,
such as the ªefight or flightªf instinct we experience when confronted by
danger. These are relatively easy to pinpoint as they are often biological
responses. But human nature is something far more mysterious and seems to
lurk deep within the psyche. Therefore we can assume that instincts are perhaps
fixed but what makes us ªehumanªf is that our human nature is capable of evolving.
It is naïve and anthropocentric to think that human society has evolved
beyond beast. If atrocities against life are shrugged off as ªehuman natureªf,
then is compassion towards innocent life not human? Adoration of babies and
animals (sadly, the cuter the better) is often also seen as part of our human
nature. Or is there a maternal or even paternal instinct to care for the young
and helpless? Such conflicting reactions seem to highlight the fact that what
we are told to be a part of our human nature is often dictated to us to be
in tune with society. Capital cheerfully persuades us to become soppy and
protective over your new born baby or your pet kitten, under the guise of
instinct, but dismiss the infanticide of the impoverished world and horrors
of laboratory cats as human nature. ªeResistance is futile because you canªft
change what you are.ªf 3. The debate over human nature has raged for centuries.
The early thinkers of the so-called Enlightenment perhaps presented the early
arguments over what constitutes human nature. Tomes were written (and still
are) discussing human nature and natural manªfs condition. (However, I shall
attempt to condense it into a few sentences.) Thomas Hobbes claimed that the
life of natural man was ªgsolitary, brutish, nasty, and shortªh. He believed
that man was naturally bad and that the natural state of man was a war of
all against all - the ªeLaw of the Jungleªf, as it were. He professed that
because natural man and his environment was so undesirable, mankind should
surrender his rights to an all powerful leader in exchange for protection
from ªenatureªf. Human nature was then seen as being violent and aggressive,
with life under a dictatorship far more desirable, so as to protect man from
other men. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, on the other hand, called natural man the
ªenoble savageªf and found modern man repugnant, calling for man to abandon
civilisation in exchange for nature. (Perhaps Rousseau was an early Hardliner?)
All this was based on the discovery of people living in harmony and peace
on the Pacific Islands. Hobbes wrote his text during the English Civil War,
so therefore saw violence within man as a primeval force and perhaps part
of human nature. These ideas of human nature form the backdrop of contemporary
arguments, which seem to follow a similar vein. Primitive is seen as unpleasant
compared to the comforts of ªecivilisationªf to some whereas the excesses
of civilisation force others to retreat back to the symbiosis of nature. 4.
Once again, whether or not society dictates that men and women have different
characterisitics within their human nature is arguable. Gender conflicts arise
when men think that women want to have children because itªfs a ªefemale maternal
instinct.ªf Although it is called an instinct, some may claim that its part
of the female ªehuman natureªf. To what extent this may be biological or the
product of a patriarchial social mindset is open for debate. Male ªemachonessªf
or ªemisogynyªf is also seen to be a product of an equally derogatory male
human nature. Men are supposed to go out hunting for a mate, pounce on her
and she is supposed to mother a litter, as that is the dictated human nature.
An antiquated justification and impetus for males working nine hours a day
as bread winner with the wife at home. The gender based ªedifferencesªf in
human nature are therefore seen as socially engineered whereas human instincts
are perhaps the same for both male and female.
Human nature seems difficult to
focus upon because, believe it or not, human nature is capable of goodness.
Although history and, moreover, everyday worldwide events highlight mankind
at his worst, it seems that even in times when extreme evil seems overwhelming,
some glimpse of humananityªfs goodness shines through, however tiny. I refuse
to denounce human nature as being only capable of evil. Granted, those with
true goodness in their ªehuman natureªf are far and few between. If you are
one of these people, be sure to write to me.
Tom 1. If I was brought up to
be a strict Christian, which I was not, then I would be expected to believe
that each individual animal species was created by God, and that since the
days of Adam and Eve there has been no form of genetic evolution. I do not
believe this, I think the idea that we evolved from other primates, like most
of the human population of the ªedeveloped worldªf, is millions of times more
likely and probably correct. Yet understandably we hang onto the concept that
we are the grandchildren of god, rather than the grandchildren of monkeys.
We see our heightened intelligence and means of communication as the final
product of nature, where anything created with the force of a human hand,
rather than the force of an earthquake or gust of wind, is ªeartificialªf.
I donªft believe it is possible for us to conceive ourselves as humans without
taking into account the reset of the world that surrounds us, there is no
human nature, only nature. Emotion, communication, social systems, the use
of tools, are things we pride ourselves on as humans, even though none of
these are exclusive to human beings. I evolutionªfs continuing battle to better
itself the human race was created, now we are seeing robotic factories and
computer databases which could soon make both the human body and mind redundant,
leaving us behind in history only as a close relative of Neanderthal man.
All of these science fiction scenarios
are probably a bit far fetched, and probably make me sound like a nazi who
is into eugenics, Iªfm not, I just want to get the point acrossªcAs a human
being I have communicated with other beings in many ways, talking, crying,
screaming, winking, smiling, whistling, punching, slapping, kicking, fucking,
kissing, touching, love making, pissing, spitting, silence, making eye contact,
not making eye contact, writing, drawing, painting, farting, licking, sucking,
blah blah blah, though at present I am yet to have used electronic mail. This
has not always been with just humans, in my house there are two dogs and a
cat, as well as three humans. If I catch Spot eating one of my guitar leads,
he puts on a puppy dog face, and avoids eye contact as he heads for another
part of the house, half the time it works and I donªft shout at him. At other
times he and his brother decide they really like me and will jump onto my
bed and lick my face. I have this level of closeness to ªebeastsªf yet with
the majority of humans I pass every day the most common gesture is just a
passing glance, if anything. Our lives are constantly under the influence
of chemical and physical reactions within and outside of our bodies, which
like everything else in the universe is time and energy manifesting itself
in one way or another.
I think you should build your
views on the foundations of what you have personally experienced, not someone
elseªfs ideology of whatªfs good for humanity. I have made eye contact with
cows destined to be eaten by humans and found it upsetting and no longer eat
meat. Through being with people of different race/sex/sexuality I have found
no logical reason to concisely oppress or insult that person. I have witnessed
people, including myself, deny themselves their own dignity for the sake of
money, drugs, and other people they believe they are in love with. Rather
than deciding what is good or bad for humanity and acting on that, I would
rather minimise suffering through my own lifestyle and actions, and hope that
others make similar decisions. 2. In the last question I answered that I didnªft
believe in human nature as such which makes it kinda hard for me to answer
this one directly so Iªfll just splurt out more nonsense:
For however many years we have
existed as humans, we have continually tried to adapt to and influence our
environment to meet our needs and improve our lot, not unlike most other living
organisms, from microscopic viruses to monkeys. Throughout the world there
are many types of human beings with different physical appearances and social
customs, caused by different societies having come up with their own solutions
to the problems of existence, only to create more problems in the process
as it all goes round in circles. I do not think that the immense social and
physical structures that can be found all around us today are the sole product
of humanity, of any fixed human nature, I think they are complex energetic
explosions that we choose to simplify and label in one way or another so as
we can bring order to chaos and make our lives easier.
I think that as a race our social
systems and customs are constantly changing as we evolve which consequently
has a knock-on effect on our physical environment. However, how much control
do we have over the evolutionary path that we will tread? Is it possible for
us to rid ourselves of capitalism? or charismatic ªesociopathsªf who take
on the role of politician/businessman, violent ªepsychopathsªf the soldier/hardman,
as those with less ªeself-esteemªf quietly go about the job of administering
their governments/movements and producing their food and weaponry as others
waste away in the ªethird worldªf? where people lead others will follow (itªfs
human nature ha ha), even a non-violent non-hierarchical anarchist revolution
would have to be started by someone ªeleading the wayªf. Whether people are
born to be shepherds or to choose to follow seems to be totally down to coincidence.
You can attempt to make a change, whether people will followªcthank you Le
Roy. 3. I think drawing photofits of imaginary faces would be just as constructive
as observing any living being to establish what constitutes human nature.
Anything that exists at this exact point in time, including the human race,
has infinite possible futures (for instance humans could develop a third arm
on their back, toenails on their eyelids, thanks to Monsanto perhapsªc), some
of which will totally make redundant any preconceptions we had of ourselves.
It is possible that through certain observation that we find out things that
will aid us in our lives in some way or another, such as the effects of our
childhood on our adult psyche. Some humans (myself, and possibly some animals
for all we know, included) seem to have a preoccupation (a word a psychiatrist
used when describing my state of mind!) with the way the world is, ªethe meaning
of lifeªf blahdey blah. Stop this madness (am I arenªft I?) teeth grinders
of the world unite! Stop this philosophy crap, we have nothing to lose but
are chains! 4. When we turn from children to ªeadultsªf, I think it is necessary
for us to take on certain personas, as a primary form of communication with
people. If I talk to someone who lives in my area, I will not let them see
as much of me, and try my hardest to be a regular but quiet south London geezer
(which is pretty hard!), the more excepting of me people seem the more they
get, till you get to my close friends and family who have witnessed me dancing
while singing about spaceships and the like. In every way I act I have inherited
verbal and body language, and taken on a role almost like in a play. Race,
gender, sexuality and intelligence all play a part in the roles that are on
offer for us to take up, which are the product of continual social interaction
over thousands of years including that of our primate ancestors.
If you look at men and women you
can see that they are physically different, men have dicks, women have breasts;
all of different shapes and sizes. Height and build of men and women in ratio
to each other varies from area to area, but men on the whole are bigger, men
originally being the expendable hunters/warriors and women not ªecatching
upªf because of male oppression. I once read that if a child is bullied at
school they will have stunted growth, perhaps this is true of young girls
being told they are not as physically strong as boys. Everybody has different
amounts of hormones/brain activity in the body regardless of sex and its probably
all a load of crap anywayªcMy point is that there are no two beings that are
exactly alike, like there are no set rules man, just the sound of the universal
drum kit pow ka ka pow sss ss ka sss boom, you digªc
Teo [editorªfs note: Teo chose
to approach the final question by considering the question, ªeWhere is the
beginning of the female and male differences in fundamental characteristics?ªf
I have to say that I tend to disagree with developmental psychologists who
write about gender socialisation as if they know what is going through the
minds of babies. I also disagree with all the conclusions in this section.
I certainly never felt mutilated or disadvantaged! Anyway, why is it that
girls are the ones who are supposed to feel different? Maybe little boys have
a complex about not having girlsªf bits. The way I see it, tracing any form
of gender inequality primarily to biology is almost always some sort of justification
for inequality. But many thanks to Teo for giving us these issues to think
about.]
From the biological standpoint,
female and male new-borns don't show differences, which should be pointed
out. Michelet claims: ªeOne of the curses which burden the fate of woman is
that she is from her childhood in the hands of women.ªf It seems that the
fate of little girl is determined by her parents who don't know how to raise
her because they don't care about her gender. They are trying gradually to
form her main characteristics, which tend to end in passivity. The boy lead
to his resolute affirmation of his personality, which enjoys full freedom
in the world which surrounds him. Many psychoanalysts have the opinion that
"child's trauma resulted when the mother pushed him/her away from the breast.
Meanwhile, they're trying to discipline
the boy based on the knowledge that he is ªea manªf and for that the man child
is not allowed to be sweet: he must not be liked, he must not show that he
is interested in compliments, he must not cry easily, in few words he must
ªelearn how to be a manªf. On the other hand parents treat girls much more
loosely: her grimaces fascinate the adults. Because of that from the earliest
ages the little girl is more woman than a boy is a man. Woman child, much
more easily than man child, gets to avoid conflict with her parents because
of her disobedience, because of healthy balance and precisely calculated cunning
which is dictated by her instinct - which psychoanalysts consider of the reason
of castration complex (feeling of smaller value).
A little girl can accidentally
notice that she is anatomically ªebuiltªf differently than a boy: she notices
that she hasn't got penis or testicles. That seems unfair to her and her gender's
poor creates questions which she can't answer, and she suffers and feels some
sort of jealousy because of that, in her opinion, undeserved mutilation, which
again, leads to castration complex. Deutsch has the opinion that ªesimple
fact that a little girl has found some anatomic differences between herself
and the boys can not be considered as the only reason of castration complexªf.
For showing of that complex it is necessary that little girl becomes aware
of it, and that will happen only after she feels that she is victim of many
unfair things which she has lived by direct guilt of some boy, and after she
is clearly shown the difference between the both genders. Only after she finds
out that she hasn't got any male genital characteristics, she can connect
the partial, which affects her with that claim. That's the only way for a
girl to conclude that differences in treating her and boys when older are
connected with the fact that she hasn't got the penis or testicles, and she
envies what the boy possesses: that's how she becomes that jealous that she
can't finds peace any moreªf. A psycho-erotic difference between woman and
man originates in the early childhood too. The boy, proud to have a penis,
overvalues his knowledge of his gender, while little girl's castration complex
was enough to pour in some sort of pulling in herself, and that leads her
to consider herself an ªeobjectªf which must be liked. The girl so grows inside
of her borders of ªemutilationªf which was obtrusive to her by nature, and
soon all of her activities stop being spontaneous, because in herself she
carries the feeling that she is not perfect and that she is not capable of
being independent. All this later leads to sexism, hatred and intolerance
between people; human nature, though ªebornªf innocent, under influences of
society becomes twisted.
Jon 1. I'm an ideological schizo
on this have been since I was 15! Most of the time I believe its worth having
faith in humans and then I think fuck em all! "They've fucked this world up
and they don't deserve nothing than a nihilist terrorist bomb blast." But
I know that that ain't the answer, itªfs just a defeatist get out clause thatªfs
a little more interesting than joining the zombies with a can in front of
the telly! So I live in hope that those few hope do inspire me and the flickers
of life from the rest may one day bring about a worthy change. Is that the
right answer? 2. The answers are no and then yes! 3. If they've done it, then
it must be! 4. There are common links between all humans, but there are also
a myriad of differences, some subtle some blatant. Thatªfs what makes life
in a big mixed community (sic) like London interesting. "You get all types
round here", like podgy vegan spanish record collectors with dodgy haircuts!
And then rake like americans who don't have any vices except sending bizarre
questionnaires via email! Oh well takes all sorts dun't it? Men and women?
Transsexuals, cross-dressers, tops and bottoms, dykes and queers I'm not sure
if your definitions are valid for an answer to be complete. Letªfs say, yes,
on the whole women are less stupid than men but not by much. Second Nature ªeGoodªf and ªeevilªf
really seem pretty simplistic and socially constructed to me in themselves
and the idea that humans are born with particular moral propensities just
doesnªft hold up for me. I certainly canªft accept that all humans had an
essential nature thousands of years ago and that this has to a large extent
remained unchanged over all this time. Recently I have been reading ªeThe
Ecology of Freedomªf by the anarchist social ecologist Murray Bookchin. He
reckons that early humans did not see any distinction between themselves and
their environment; they had purely biological functions like other animals
and lived holistically with other living and non-living things in nature.
Then at some point, writes Bookchin, this ªefirst natureªf phase was succeeded
by the ªesecond natureªf phase in which humans saw themselves as separate
from nature, and often above nature. I think phases like that have been a
continuous experience for the human race. We are going through another one
now consisting of things like global consciousness and awareness of the interrelatedness
of all things, including humans, at a global scale. I would not attach value
or moral judgements on any of these phases; they are not results or symptoms
of people choosing to do good or evil but the effects of the natural evolution
of social beings which is what humans are.
Iªfd like to teach the world to
singªc If I had to put labels on human nature, I would agree with Aristotle
that we are ªepolitical animalsªf because we have always been and will always
be interested in the public lives of other individuals and our societies as
a whole. This interest comes from our basic social nature. Humans cannot survive
in isolation, and we certainly cannot be fulfilled in isolation. The cliché
is true that when we work together, we are far greater than the sum of our
parts, and the greatest potentials of humanity can only be realised by many
working together, and to bring in my own value judgement, particularly when
we are working cooperatively. So I believe that humans are basically cooperative.
ANOK4U One has to have a fairly
positive view of humanity if one is an anarchist. I have faith in humanityªfs
potentials to strive to eradicate coercion, power and all those other nasty
things. I also believe that humanity has the capacity to destroy itself; after
all there is no denying that we have come pretty close in the last couple
of decades. Perhaps in this century we have seen the human race reach the
extremes of ªeevilnessªf, inhumanity, anti-social tendencies, etc. But it
would be ridiculous to trace this result backwards to an early stage in human
development or to biology or to any other one fundamental factor. If only
two people begin their journeys from the same point, there is every chance
they will arrive at completely different destinations, and whatever formed
the basis of human consciousness or behaviour several millennia ago would
have to be pretty unrecognisable by now. The one abiding factor is that humanity
has survived, and that has not been through a basic propensity for us all
to harm each other or to only look after number one. We are not concerned
only about ourselves, but about our relatives, neighbours, friends, pets,
and even strangers and strange animals being tortured in laboratories. Sympathy
and concern are deep and widespread human traits.
Why did the human cross the road?
Even our supposed will to survival is often overwhelmed by even greater compulsions.
We know that for at least as long as written records can account for that
people have chosen or been driven to take their own lives. And each of us
must know at least one case of someone risking their own lives by spontaneously
moving to rescue another person who is in danger. The way the philosopher
Arthur Schopenhauer saw it, in these instances the rescued and the rescuer
are united and in a metaphysical sense the death of one becomes the death
of the other. Again, interrelatedness is the key.
Why do pictures of starving children
sell records? Developments in standards of living and communication technologies
have shown us the potential of human concern. As our basic needs are met and
we have a good measure of security, we look ever further outwards to see whose
needs are not being met. Being aware of suffering, even if we see it broadcast
via satellite from the other side of the world, touches our humanity. Cooperation,
charity, helping people out, etc. tend to seem like wholly selfless acts,
but actually they are both wholly selfless and wholly selfish. Because we
are basically social and cooperative, naturally it pleases us to help/please
others. When looked at this way, the line between the selfish and selfless
becomes invisible or even non-existent.
This is not to deny that a lot
of human behaviour can be said to be wholly selfish, disregarding of the common
humanity of other people, hateful, antipathetic etc. It is however possible
to see this behaviour as the exception rather than the rule. In various societies
at various times in history the idea that humans are intrinsically evil guides
social norms. This idea has been handed down by monarchs, the church, philosophers
etc. and usually it has been used to justify power and hierarchy. But we shouldnªft
let our potential be held back through fear of what some people are capable
of any more than we should wait to see if things improve by themselves. We
should fight what we see as wrong and work towards our positive potentials
just as humans have ever since we first gained consciousness.
ªÉªÅ An Irish friend of mine once
tried to convince me that the British were responsible for all the evil in
the world. He had some good arguments, but I pointed out that British imperialism
etc. should more rightly be traced back to the Normans or the Romans. Furthermore,
I said, it was pretty unfair to blame the Brits as a whole when really was
just British men who had oppressed his people. One can say pretty easily and
with a lot of conviction that all the evil in the world has been caused by
men. It is interesting how when I say that, even though Iªfm being rhetorical
and joking that the men I say it to always change the subject or at least
avoid answering my point at all. I think men should face up to the negative
legacies and present aspects of masculinity, but they should keep in mind
that masculinity and femininity are both social constructs. Being a man or
a woman does not say everything or even anything about who a person is and
what their motivations or behaviour will be. The meanings of male and female
change from culture to culture and even year to year. Anthropologists (and
biologists) have found every possible variation of gender roles in existence
in societies (and animal societies) all over the world, and this is proof
enough that gender is not fixed and innate. The most we can say is that most
societies differentiate between the sexes. Saying this, we should keep in
mind that each society also creates different roles for people of different
ages and abilities, for people who are considered members or outsiders etc.
Whatever we say about males and females, we have to keep in mind that we are
not talking about fixed, concrete realities but only the created roles that
serve a particular social order. And because of this, we can change these
roles to serve a different social order. I sent this survey to punks in
Eastern European and Southern hemisphere countries to see what differences
there are in the experience of being punk and to find out about cultural imperialism
in these societies. Many thanks to the folks who sent their awesome replies.
The questions were:
1. In what ways are you active
in hardcore? +Janis 2. What is the American cultural
imperialism like where you are? +Janis 3. Is your experience of the hardcore
scene very Western/Northern-centric and do you feel like being a punk is a
culture shock? +Janis 4. Are there some parts of the
scene that are more influenced by the US scene than other sections? +Janis 5. Is it hard to be a vegetarian/vegan
where you are? +Janis 6. If I were to come and visit
you in your town, what punk and non-punk stuff would you show me/do with me?
+Janis When I was fourteen I first heard
Jello Biafraâs spoken word piece ÎLove, American Death Squad Style' It first
interested me I think because of the sheer passion and conviction in his voice.
I had seen politicians on television, been present for a speech given by a
US presidential candidate, and listened to lots of polemic from my grandfather,
but I had never heard politics expressed quite like this before. It was not
about something detachable from the individual and out there somewhere, but
about something that anyone with any sense of justice had to be emotionally
engaged by. It took several listens before I got the gist of what he was saying
and that he was criticising the same sort of government, right-wing, militaristic,
and unaccountable authoritarianism that I had always hated. And I had spent
fourteen years thinking I was alone in this outlook. About this same time
I heard the Sex Pistols and Dead Kennedys on an alternative radio station.
All I knew is that they were somewhat controversial bands from the distant
past. When I found out that that same Jello Biafra was the singer of Dead
Kennedys and that this was punk rock, it all fell together. Again I thought
I was the only person in the world with an active interest in punk rock, but
before long I found out there was this whole dynamic, politically charged
world out there complete with music I could actually engage with (I had stopped
listening to chart music a couple of years before). By my fifteenth birthday,
I was ready to take my life, lifestyle, politics and everything basically
in a new direction.
The one vital contribution to
my punk life in the beginning was Maximum RockNRoll. It took awhile before
I found other punk kids in my town, and by that time the zines reviewed by
MRR had become central to my experience in and lifeline to the scene. I ordered
Soy Not Oi when it first came out and soon after went veggie after years of
thinking I could never do such a thing. I remember reading Slug & Lettuce
when it was a sorta crap 2-sided newsletter. After getting my address in Punk
Pals zine, I suddenly had all sorts of penpals from all over and for the rest
of my school career I spent all my classes answering letters (never got caught).
Keeping in contact with all these people gave me the sense for the first time
of being somehow more ÎactiveªEin the scene than the other punks in my town
who didnât do anything but complain and try to find beer and drugs. Beer and
drugs didnât seem very punk, rebellious, cool or desirable to me. Eventually
someone told me that there were loads of punks who believed in the same sort
of abstinence I do.
The columns in MRR really challenged
me. Here were all these ideas I had never come across before including uncompromising
ideals regarding the scene itself. Reading these completely other-worldly
opinions from people like Mykel Board, Lawrence Livermore, Mike Bullshit etc.
developed my critical faculties far more in a single month than I ever got
in my years of schooling. The writing style tended to be very self-righteous
and American pedantic, but then that sort of thing can be quite appealing
for a teenage rebel.
Punk is so varied! There wasnât
much variation in my hometown (or in MRR in the old days), but itâs all out
there somewhere; garagepunk, skatepunk, riot grrrl, ªE7, old school, youth
crew, emo, grind, powerviolence, new school, crust, skapunk, melodic punk
(more on a postcard please)...and Wat Tyler. A lot of kids seem to move from
one to the other (and then eventually out of the scene!), but I like to hold
onto the good stuff forever.
I was punk for six years before
I thought I could try to make my own zine, seven years before I thought I
could run a distro, nine years before I thought I could organise my own gigs,
and I still think I could not be in a band. Punk has been great for me. I
never would have stuck with it if it was nothing but loud music or pissing
off my parents. To be something worth putting so much energy towards punk
had to be always new, always challenging, always fun, always at odds, always
unique, always full of diversity and always foremost about people.
I take punk for granted now. Itâs
like vegetarianism/veganism; it just becomes second nature. But I realised
recently that this sort of anniversary thing was coming up and that I had
been punk for a decade. So here is the necessary sloppy tribute to the scene
that has probably been the biggest influence in my life. And here's to ten
more years.
Go Back to Synthesis Zine
Home Page
Introduction - New Cross, London,
Summer 1999
In the past year I have moved back
to London, started my doctoral research, heard lots of great new music from
Austrian, French, and South American bands, attained a certificate of German
proficiency, got a nice sunburn a cool henna tattoo and a nasty case of poison
ivy, read thousands of zines and made thousands of tapes for friends (so it
seems), put on my first gig, contributed to more zines than I kept count of,
distro'd 500 copies of Synthesis 4, missed seeing Jello Biafra's speaking tour
(twice) and seeing him at my local pub (once) but I did see bell hooks speak
at my college, learned how to ollie after more than 8 years trying (thanks Alex!!),
went to too many gigs, distroed scores of zines to dozens of kids, protested
against capitalism, the arms trade and animal exploitation, watched a solar
eclipse (97% in London), climbed a tree, played with a baby donkey, started
a vegan society at college with lots of nice art students... London has had
a 3-month heat wave and been bombed by a neo-nazi, the Metropolitan police got
away with bungling the Stephen Lawrence case, Iraq is still being bombed, Britain
and the US have bombed the buggery out of Serbia, and as usual whoever may be
said to have won it is women who have lost, Prime Minister Tony Blair is trying
to enforce more curfews on children, Hillgrove (cat vivisection) Farm has been
closed by UK direct activists, and East Timor is gaining independence. The second
millennium is coming to an end and who really gives a dome? Pinochet is being
extradited...
I get fed up with hardcore sometimes. but Like Andreas wrote in I Hate the
World That I Think Hates Me 2, 'this is my home and I'm not a quitter'. Actually
I found some invaluable insight about that in Retrogression zine. The editor
pointed out that anywhere you go, whatever type of people you meet whether
it's in the hardcore scene or outside, 95% of those people will be crap and
only interested in consuming and being entertained. But we don't have to do
anything for their benefit. It's that 5% of sincere folks that make our involvement
worthwhile. I see a lot of things in the scene and in the world in general
that need improving. I am not defensive about it and I hope nobody gets defensive
about my perspectives and that everyone can take it in the spirit in which
it is meant. If anything is worth doing, it is worth doing well and with the
highest possible ideals, the best possible intentions and with the most benefit
for everybody.
Recently I've been learning how small London really is. Everywhere I go I
run into people I know. Then there is this rather cosy way the various corners
of my world have closed in on each other. I used to think I moved in all these
different social circles, but now I see them all converging. Even all the
new people I meet, in whatever situation we happen to meet, end up knowing
or even being related to everyone else I know. It has become inevitable that
people I come across will have strong connections to my college, my part of
town, punk, veganism/animal rights, cycling, the quakers. anarchism... Not
just one of these, but almost all of them at once! I've spent all my life
moving about and I got used to the process of settling into a new place, getting
to know people and making new friends few of whom I would have much in common
with and few of whom I would manage to keep in touch with as we move on to
new towns, Universities, countries... This may be a surging metropolis, but
I'm now on friendly terms with the folks at the local shops and have gotten
used to greeting strangers as just friends I haven't met yet. After five years
in London, I guess this is what it is like to really be settled in a place.
And I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.
Julie Burchill's Guardian columns
Radio 4
Powell & Pressburger films
Oscar Wilde's De Profundis
Charity shops
Hackney
Soyacchinos (xdecafx of course)
Cycling to Blackheath and Shooters Hill
My new cookbook from the national vegan festival
Repeats of The Good Life on BBC1
Getting my new hand-made touring bicycle
Bicycle repairs
Getting fined for cycling through a t-junction
Ferries
(Home Secretary)Jack Straw
The man who hangs around outside our flat harassing the female residents
Girls! Love Your Bodies!
(it doesn't matter if anyone else
does)
The *F* word
One correspondent (a feminist) recently pointed out to me that the word ªefeminismªf
can put men off being able to engage with the movement because it does have
the same sort of exclusivity as those decrepit old terms like ªeMankindªf
or ªeChairmanªf. Other movements have thought through the pros and cons of
using a new vocabulary. For instance, in some places campaigns by black people
against racism have become campaigns for ªeracial equalityªf, and the result
of course is a different type of movement with a very different focus and
with different possible effects. I have to say though, that any time I have
seen a move to start a ªepro-gender-equalityªf campaign, it has always been
initiated by very sexist men (and sometimes even women) as an attempt to destroy
a strong campaign by feminist women. I have yet to be convinced that equality
can come before women actually work towards their own empowerment while encouraging
positive attitudes in men along the way.
Girl Zine Explosion!
A year ago I predicted a new wave
of punk feminism/riot grrrl and I think I may have really precipitated something
there. These things tend to move in waves and it was about time for a rise again;
especially to counteract the surge of male machismo in the scene over the past
few years. Every day now Iªfm finding more active girls in England and there
are feminist hc kids appearing in other countries too. It can take a lot of
bravery to stand up to patriarchy and to challenge gender roles whether you
are a girl or a boy and whether you are doing it within a counterculture or
not. Nobody succeeds completely of course, but it is a fight we have to keep
up every minute of every day.
Come Out Wherever You Are...
If you are QUEER you should come OUT.
It may seem SCARY but your queer SISTERS and BROTHERS are doing it every day.
Even as you read this a QUEER is leaving the CLOSET.
If you are QUEER you should FLAUNT it, SHOVE your SEXUALITY down someone's throat.
STRAIGHT people do it ALL of the TIME. Promoting your own PERSONAL sexual AGENDA
is every HUMAN being's right.
If you are QUEER you should come OUT and show the WORLD how NUMEROUS queer folks
are. Then HOMOPHOBES will be too SCARED to BASH people. POLITICIANS will not
be able to pass LAWS that HURT queersªf lives, and maybe people will stop assuming
that everyone they meet is STRAIGHT. If you are QUEER you should come OUT. THIS
is your LIFE. CLAIM IT.
Frankenfood!
In July and August 1999, nearly all of the farm-scale as well as several smaller
plots of GM experiments in the UK had been disrupted/destroyed by protestors.
One of these was a Greenpeace action involving hundreds of people from the
local farming community who attacked a field of GM maize. The ªede-contaminationªf
of genetic crop sites was dramatic as a spectacle as well as a new type of
activism, and of course the almost daily actions kept the issues in the public
mind.
*The statistics vary, but they consistently show that the majority of people
in Britain do not want GM crops or commercial foods in Britain.
*In the three years up to Spring 1999, the proportion of supermarket products
in the UK containing GM soya had gone from 0 to 60%, but throughout this summer,
one by one, all the major supermarkets announced that they were phasing out
all GMOs in their own-brand products. It was at this point that the campaign
became international.
*The consumer boycott spread throughout Europe.
*American farmers began to boycott Monsanto's soyabeans since Europe was no
longer buying.
*Activists in Mexico City hung banners protesting against 'Genetic Imperialism'
after the USA sabotaged the Biosafety Protocol.
*In San Francisco, Activists from FABRAGE (Fabulous Resistance Against Genetic
Engineering) stripped off their clothes and disrupted a conference panel on
genetically engineered cotton featuring a speaker from Monsanto. 'We'd rather
go naked than wear genetically modified cotton' they declared!
*Food producers in the USA and Japan refused to continue using Monsanto's
GM soya.
*The British Government dropped out of the GM debate; leaving Monsanto to
go it alone.
*British farmers dropped out of hosting experimental crop sites due to the
potential dangers of the technology and the inevitability destruction by activists.
*The UN Food Safety Agency supported the EUªfs moratorium on Monsanto's GM
hormonal milk (yuk!).
*Monsanto, who had long since become synonymous with the evils of genetic
modification, realised the public resistance to GM technology would not go
away. The company announced a huge climbdown - they would not produce 'teterminator'
plant seed technology (see under 'Monsanto' below).
*The British Government adopted the 3-year freeze on commercial GM food production
while further research is carried out.
*GM food producers agreed to limit the number and scale of GM trials in the
UK.
The profits from GM go to the multinational companies who are developing these
organisms and/or manufacturing food from them.
Direct action - Consumer pressure - The media
Greenpeace True Food Campaign Canonbury Villas, London N1 2PN, UK, info@uk.greenpeace.org
www.greenpeace.org/truefood
Friends of the Earth www.foe.co.uk - a good contact for finding your local
GM cropsite Smash Genetic Engineering Defence Campaign c/o CRC 16 Sholebroke
Avenue, Leeds, LS7 3HB, UK -supporting direct actions against cropsites
Super Heroes Against Genetix (SHAG) – They dress up as superheroes and
pull up GM crops!
Physicians and scientists against genetically engineered food – www.psagef.org/indexgen.htm
Five Year Freeze, 94 White Lion Street, London N1 9PF, http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/gealliance/
-FYF is the most mainstream of the anti-GM campaigns and is supported by several
organisations and MPs. This campaign calls on the UK Government to stop growing
GM crops for any commercial purposes, importing GM foods and crops and patenting
genetic resources for five years until more research has been done and a decent
public debate can take place to let us decide whether genetic modification
is beneficial, ethical and what we want.
Find out where GM experimental crop sites are and dig ªeem up! Raise money
for the Smash Genetic Engineering campaign Boycott GM products and buy organic
Ask your local supermarkets what foods are GM free Asking local shops, restaurants
etc. to provide GMO free food Tell other people – propaganda available
from the above organisations and from Synthesis distro
Uruguay Scene Report
Interview - Dominatrix
By Brob Tilt!
I was very positively surprised when a correspondent sent me the 'Girl Gathering'
CD by Dominatrix. Not only because the music was really good (very enthusiastic
uptempo melodic shout-along HCpunk) but even more because it showed that in
a traditionally macho-society as the Brazilian one, there were women fighting
patriarchy. I thought letting them speak about what they think and do might
encourage girls/women here (I donªft mean to be patronising here) and teach
some sense to the machos in our scene. Elisa answered the questions (not everything
is necessarily the whole bandªfs opinion) and if you want to write here the
address is: Eliza (Dmx), rua arizona 198 casa 4, 04567-030 São Paulo-SP,
Brazil
PCemodykes
vs. MACHOGREEDCORE - HC festivals at war!
MTM When you first enter the venue, the table where you pay entrance has a
free zine with information on the theme of the festival, the collective, the
workshops and gigs, where to get good & veggie food in Columbus, directions
to nearby useful places, a message from the men in the festival collective
about 'What it means to be an ally to womyn' and other discussion on the festival
in general etc. Also on the table is a notice saying that anyone displaying
behaviour that makes other people feel uncomfortable will be removed from
the festival and not re-admitted. More about this under 'Controversy'. VNV
Come to Ieper, rock out, get punched in the pit, get ripped off at a music
& t-shirt distro stall, go home. Any political approach to the festival was
thrown out long ago and now itÁøs exclusively about music. This year there
was a decent booklet produced with all the info a festival-goer needs including
where to get vegan food. There were also adverts for the local businesses
that sponsor the festival. And these sponsors adorned the festival pass bracelets.
Inside there was even a huge banner advertising a local supermarket that had
a drinks stall. Advertising is what hc is all about right? I guess it was
necessary for that expensive-looking stage and equipment. Still the festival
and the food being sold inside were very expensive. There was a door policy
as well as a sign at the entrance says no weapons and no drugs allowed.
MTM I was only there for one day, but the bands were varied and good and some
were even extremely awesome. Many people had brought their children and on
the day I was there the bill included a band consisting of 4 of the little
girls who performed their own songs to the delight of the rest of us. At one
point there was also some acoustic performance taking place in the distro
stall area (I thought it was naff). The last band of the day was Anti/Product
who started out with the Latino Á‰ singer doing a monologue inspired by her
grandmother and about scalping a white man while the drummer sat beside her
doing some tribal beats. Then they went on to tear the place down with their
political (feminist, indigenous, etc), dual-vocalled, raging, storming, energetic,
fun and generally amazing hardcore. The sound and the performance were awesome.
Wow. VNV The monopoly of vegan mosh metal is ending and the bands now do vary
in style, substance and enjoyability. The tendency for days to be labelled
as 'emo day' or 'metal day' though is a bit discouraging. This year there
were a couple of bands whose singers did actually talk between songs, but
it was usually to say crap like 'buy our cd motherfuckers' and that so-and-so
are 'pussies'. There was some really bad macho and metal posturing on the
stage and a general encouragement from these bands of that violent dancing
crap that Belgian kids like to do just to proveÁÐwhat? Over the whole three
days there was only ONE band, just one that was brave enough to challenge
this violent shite that was going on throughout the weekend. That band was
Leiah from Sweden and although I wasnÁøt tremendously taken by their music
(it was ok standard emo) they certainly gained my respect for comments like
Á¨I thought straight edge was supposed to be about tolerance' and for criticising
all the violence. The thing was, that when they did talk about violent dancing,
everybody applauded! I'm told that even the windmilling idiots there were
clapping. So why wouldn't any other band speak out? It all reminded me of
when I went to conferences as a student unionist. These conferences were completely
stage-managed and stitched up by one faction who managed to create the illusion
that they had democratic credibility and were the standard-bearers of consensus
in the students' movement. Of course if one actually talked to the average
individual attendant at these conferences, they tended to see right through
the stage-management. But when you got 1000 delegates all together inside
the spectacle of the conference hall, they tended to go along with those in
the positions of authority. Why do hc kids check their critical faculties
at the venue door?
MTM Stallholders were not allowed to set up until after the workshops had
finished. Lots of really excellent literature stalls including Tree of Knowledge
Press, AK Press, a benefit bookstall for the Abortion Access Fund, lots of
free literature and girl-run zine distros, also many t-shirt and patch stalls
and only a few with music. Some bands had set up little stalls with info about
themselves and the great California positive sxe band Former Members of Alfonsin
gave out their zine to people passing through to or from the venue space.
VNV A big hardcore shopping mall full of outrageously overpriced boring cds
and t-shirts of awful bands from the big hc businessmen. Also this year for
the first time there was a charge per metre of stall table. The sensible people
got around that though.
MTM The festival has become synonymous with controversy since a couple of
years ago when Felix of Code 13 was accused of rape while the band was onstage.
This started a discussion that is still growing in the scene and that has
certainly contributed to women-themed projects like this festival. This year
may be remembered for the big race discourse. Some kids were thrown out for
making some stupid possibly racist comments in front of some African-American
kids. There was then a big discussion (followed by a smaller one) on what
& how it was said, whether the kids should be let back in, whether the festival
was a comfortable atmosphere for the non-white kids there etc. At one point
the perpetrators were defended by a woman of colour, but most of the people
of colour there were completely uncomfortable with the idea of letting those
kids back in. I wasnÁøt able to find out what if any resolution came of this,
but the punks of colour had a long meeting in their safe space. I was glad
to see something stirred up to see some principles put into practice. I also
felt sorry for the collective because they obviously bear a heavy responsibility
when controversy comes up. It was obvious there was no easy solution to the
issues being brought up. At least some drunk punx there had the bright idea
to Á¨help break the tensionÁø by playing spin the bottle outside after the
last band. There was also a residual controversy from the previous year when
Scott Bloodlink was thrown out. He came this year only to be thrown out again
because of last year.
'it's a really great experience. it changed my life (and outlook on life)
both years i've gone. if you give it a chance, it can do the same for you.'
To find out about More than Music: http://members.tripod.com/~morethanmusic/
, e-mail: morethanmusic@hotmail.com, or girlmilitia@hotmail.com
Are there any festivals in Europe that are positive, and socially and politically-relevant?
The Newland Collective in Belgium (c/o Olensweg 151, 2260 Voortkapel, Westerlo,
Belgium) sometimes puts on one-day events.
Italy has the annual festival with girl punk bands (Veruska, c/o Fioritto
V.O. Da Gubbio 2370, 00146, Rome, Italy)
The 1 in 12 (PO Box 169, Bradford, BD1 2UJ, UK, 1in12@legend.co.uk) and Armed
With Anger (PO Box 487, Bradford, BD2 4YU, UK, awa@ndirect.co.uk) in the UK
are interested in putting on festivals with more diverse stuff happening.
Kate Princess (47 Glenbervie Dr. Herne Bay, Kent CT6 6QN, rebel.girll@virgin.net)
will hopefully be putting on a feminist punk/indie fest in SouthEast England
soon.
Saxon Wood - Fighting the Dragon
with GAndALF
Censored News
Censored News - blood for oil
In the words of Bola Oyinbo*, Á®On
May 28 we saw three helicopters. They came like eagles swooping on chickens.
We never expected what followed. As the choppers landed one after the other
discharging soldiers, we heard gunshots and fire. In fact they started shooting
commando-style at us even before they landed. They shot everywhere. Arulika
and Jola fell. They died instantly. Larry who was near him rushed to his aid,
wanting to pick him up; he was also shot.
Hardcore Predictions for 2010
Exclusive! interview with God
(or Stella as she likes to be known)
By Laura
Help! I'm turning into Felix von
Havoc!!
(punk/hardcore - politics, ethics, rebellion, musical legacy)
+ commercial musical legacy
= commercial indie rock bands exploiting the punk/hardcore scene
Coming soon to a neighbourhood
near you: Gentrification
r.i.p.121
You may have heard that the historic and well important 121 Railton Road squat
in Brixton, South London was being threatened with eviction. Lambeth Council
finally got their eviction notice through in January 1999 and the eviction took
place on Thursday, 13 August 1999. The 121 was the latest casualty in a campaign
of gentrification by the Council which was determined to make Brixton a profitable
upper-class neighbourhood.
Out on my bike, past the bakery which from today's smells seems to be making
fruit & nut flapjacks. Further on I see a new sign for the West Greenwich
Community Centre, a pub with a new sign and lick of paint outside, a new Japanese
noodle bar, an exclusive wine bar. Old Greenwich standbys are closing or dying;
an Italian restaurant here, the theatre there. Property prices all around
this area are booming. The name Á®the Millennium BoroughÁ‚ has been adopted
in honour of the latest folly, er, prestige project devised by the last two
British Governments – the Millennium Dome. I rode up to the Dome one
night too; an artificial, empty mass of unreal colours grafted onto a shabby,
forgotten edge of London. The rest of the peninsula seemed oblivious to the
New Labour project though. As I rode in the shadow of huge, scary riverside
factories spewing out air pollution I got sexually harassed by two teenage
boys. I should have told them it was past the Home Secretary's curfew.
Survey - Human Nature
Good, evil, competitive, cooperative,
social, political, violent are all characteristics that various people have
said are basic, natural characteristics that shape our behaviour. As I see it,
even if people do not think much about their outlook on human nature, it is
fundamental to their political views. For instance, anarchists tend to have
a fairly positive view of human nature whereas political conservatives might
think people are basically evil. So what do you think?
Laura
When I was an undergraduate I took
a course in Political Theory one term and inevitably the concept of human nature
came up. In the seminar one week we decided to just have a quick poll to see
what we all thought about it. The social breakdown of the seminar was about
10 students, 8 women and 2 men, 9 British and 1 American, 6 black and 4 white,
5 mature students and 5 under 21 years old. The average student then was a black
British female mature student. The seminar leader was a ½ Italian ½
English white man. I was raised in a [American] culture in which everyone obsessively
pretended that progress was good, that ªeprogressªf was indeed progressing,
that most people are generally happy and good and those who arenªft are just
bad people who choose to live that way. I guess I thought this was a fairly
common world view, so I was surprised that the idea that human nature is basically
evil won out in this hands-up poll we took in my seminar. I was the only one
who abstained and the tutor, one of my favourite and best lecturers ever, asked
me to explain my view.
Survey - It's a small world after
all
The respondents are:
Janis Reinsons, Pils 7-15, Smiltene, LV-4729, Latvia
Sidarta, Rua Manoel Torres 100, Bingem, Petrópolis -RJ- Brazil sidarta@compuland.com.br
Idris, 44,Jalan SS 21/24, Damansara Utama, 47400, Petaling Jaya, Selangor,
Malaysia
Goran Ivanoviè Vrhovci, c. XXI/25, 1125 Ljubijana, Slovenia apatridi@hotmail.com.
Maria Florencia, Marcos Sastre 6025, CP (1408) Capital Federal, Buenos Aires,
Argentina xmflorenciax@hotmail.com
First of all, I'm playing in a band called CITA ATTIEKSME. Recently, I have
started a HC tape label and distro here, because for kids from here to get
DIY HC bandsªf records and tapes is a real problem. Most of our kids know
only bands like AGNOSTIC FRONT, SICK OF IT ALL, MADBALL, because these bandsªf
CDs are available at our large stores. And also I'm starting with our friend
a HC ªezine. Hopefully it will be in 2 versions: Latvian and English. Sidarta
I have a band, I distribute stuff, I write a zine and I am engaged in a network
project to shorten bearings inside the South American hardcore scene, to approximate
and unite. Idris I'm active in hardcore by communicate and change ideas and
opinions with other scenesters, for example: writing letters, doing a discussion
and etc. I'm also active in hardcore by spreading hardcore message and ideas
through selling zines, newsletters and etc. Goran In many ways. I do fanzine
Warhead - are you fit to live? (since 1987) and run a punkhc radio show MiG
31 aka Subway aka Bandiera rossa (since 1988)+ contribute to anarcho radio
show called Black hole (since 1997). I give a vocal to punkanarchocore band
Apatridi (since 1989), too. I organise gigs for the bands and keep in touch
with many persons around the world. I try to be active as much as possible
and as long as possible, coz I started to listen to the punk in 1978 and I
talked about recent activities. I'm 34 now... Florencia Well, to begin with
I do a vegansxe zine called "revelacion punga" which is in Spanish , though
I must confess it's a bit stalled at the moment, besides, this year I started,
together with some friends a sort of vegan org. under the name of "ACCION
VEGANA" whose main purpose is to provide information about veg(etari)anism
and animal liberation and to carry out some actions on special dates (Anti
McDonalds day for instance) I've also been cooking vegan food for the gigs
in order to show those who are not involved in the topic that you can eat
delicious vegan stuff such as chocolate cake and veggie minipies without racking
one's brain or making a great mess in the kitchen, raising, in this way, money
to print flyers and bulletins. We have also receive the support of the US
PETA (more leaflets, stickers and posters).Then I'm helping out some girls
with a feminist project, but this is just beginning. Another very important
way of being active is, to me, attending gigs and talking to people on a basis
of mutual exchange and learning.
American cultural imperialism is a small problem among old and middle age
people, but among youth itªfs a really big problem. It looks like our kids
donªft know anything besides SPICE GIRLS, Hollywood movies, NBA, Coca-Cola
and McDonalds. Businessmen are providing American culture because thatªfs
a real thing (for example: American movies) that can make money for them.
Sidarta It is present in everyday life, in the role models of the middle class
and in the horizons of a large amount of the low classes. It shows in the
way people speak, the way people wear, the standards of physical beauty, many
traditions that have no significance at all get new and weird meanings...
Such as thanksgiving day. Thousands of people, usually donªft know how to
get downtown but are very familiar with the streets of Miami. Some wear American
Flags, wear American baseball merchandise (and people donªft have a clue about
how to play baseball). Some are very drawn into American values, that dictated
by American cinema industry, such as the two sided politics mentality, the
good/evil standards which are opposite to non-american art which tend to be
less directinªL. Inside hardcore it is all the same. People are more into
the hollywoodian scene than what goes below. The same old thought that the
small is worse. As if being small wasnªft an option. People here know more
about what goes on in New York, Los Angeles and Syracuse, and they vale it
much more, than what goes on in Buenos Aires, Lima or Santiago. And GREAT
things go on there. Idris Around here the American culture that imperialist
us is their dressing/fashion style, their branded stuff (LEVI'S, NIKE), and
their food. Goran It looks like everywhere in western european countries.
TV programmes are full of american movies and films, commercial radio stations
are full of american music, american politics and economy is everywhere, too.
But, it's so usual things, that people don't think about that so much. Some
right wing politicians are against american cultural influences, coz 'Slovenia
has longer cultural tradition', some younger leftist are against McDonalds
and similar things... Here were anti-usa demos in period of bombing campaign
in Iraq, you can listen some voices against nato bombing in Yugoslavia, but
that are minority voices... But, we can find some british, italian or german
cultural imperialism, too. The average slovenian people become a part of many
culture influences and american imperialism has been the most emphasised.
Florencia We are in some way or other an American colony. Most of the state
buildings have been privatized and we are ruled by many of its laws (socially
speaking). Our scene has been influenced sharply by the American culture especially
as regards the HC SXE scene which in my opinion leaves us with nothing but
a lack of a real identity. People get together in crews (which I respect as
a way of making up a group of friends and fight for the same ideals) though
at times this can bring about a blurring individualism for some of its "members"
and their lack of own thought and opinion. But I guess everybody is learning
from that. So do I. The point is that the political and social situation is
rather different from that up in the north and it would be fruitful to take
the positive things and adapt them to our own reality, leaving aside useless
and up-in-the-clouds positions. What's more, we are a Spanish speaking country
but there's some English words we use to refer to certain things e.g."flyer","pride",
"vegan".
When I became involved in the punk scene I was under large influence of Latvian
punk and alternative bands, but now I'm listening more to Western European
and American bands. Sidarta About the culture shock, I donªft know. I guess
I didn't understand the question. But about my experience inside hardcore...
I am very engaged in the exchange among Latin American countries and I am
always searching correspondence from all over the globe. Specially from those
parts where people have less notice, to improve then, the exchange and mutual
development. Fortunately I don't think my experience is very w/n-centric.
Idris Yes, my experience in hardcore scene is very western and Yes i feel
being a punk is a cultural shock coz punk/ hardcore culture is different with
my culture and punk/hardcore culture is come from west. Goran I'm not so sure
that hc scene is very western/northern centric. There are maybe much more
opportunities for development of punk hc scene, but punk scenes are strong
and very 'own', very interesting in many other urban places of the world.
Punk was culture shock in western/northern countries in the same time (1977-1979)
as in Croatia or Slovenia... In the early beginning of punk in Croatia (I'm
from Croatia, but I'm living in Slovenia), it was kind of culture shock, but
early punk movement aimed on it at first shot. To shock the public, to break
the ruts&rules! Later the punk movement became way of subculture and counterculture.
And I feel as active part of punk counterculture. Florencia I think that being
punk is and is not a culture shock. People go on dressing in ragged dirty
costumes without(?) caring for their personal appearance, and I find that
the shock has to do with the outfits and externals, rather than the real way
of living that punk (or any other personal-social position) can bring about.
There are very few committed people who really care to make a difference,
some of the punks I know are rather the negative-destroyed type and not many
of them are involved in political affairs. From the action viewpoint that
causes no shock at all, at least in myself and many others. Why? Because it's
the same thing over and over again, there's too much negative stuff that outnumbers
the good one. For example I've recently been to a gig in which I heard a punk
guy say "Oh you know there's been a punk meeting in Cordoba (an important
Argentinian city) that lasted three days in all and, you know it was great
they've been smoking pot all through it". What I mean is, in my humble opinion
the social shock is brought about more shallowly than in relation to positive
actions.
For sure I can say HC kids here have more US scene influence than punk kids
who have very big Russian and European punk scene influence. Sidarta There
sure are. Usually modern hardcore gets more influenced by the us than others.
Crust and traditional punks and skins get more related to European Japanese
or even national stuff. Idris Yes, some part of the scene around here are
more influenced by the US scene for example in my hometown a lot of kids still
and always listen to US bands and never tried to listen to UK, EUROPEAN and
JAPAN bands. Goran Of course. Few parts of the punk scene are influenced by
american punk/hc bands at all (Cali punk, NYHC, also washington DC sound,
portland sound etc). Usually it's just trendy music, but it's not the biggest
problem. Some people started to play melodical punk for example, just because
it's popular music now, even they have no any connection with the punk movement.
But, punk is openwide music and you can find much more original punk bands
worldwide, coz punk pretends to be more innovative music than just trend.
Because of that punk movement have living more than 20 years... Florencia
As I previously said the basic deficiency in the scene is its lacking in identity,
especially as regards HCSXE even the ap lovers are influenced by the chicano
hip-hop style.
Being vegetarian here is not much harder than in Western Europe in the last
years, because the number of vegetarians here increases a lot although in
the HC/punk scene vegetarians are a rather small part. Being vegan? I donªft
know. A little bit harder, but we can buy tofu, soya milk, soya cream at every
big shop now. Although I have to say I donªft know any vegan here. Does it
sound strange? Sidarta Not for me. But I was abroad several times... And so
I know there are places that being veg. is harder and other places and realities
which is much easier. Idris Yes, it's hard to be vegan around here coz it's
hard to find a vegan stuff/food here. Goran In my hometown in Croatia yes
(especially to be vegan is expensive, coz you havenªft buy such food in town),
but here in Ljubljana it isn't. Lot of people just don't eat meat or they
are vegan. But on the scene is sometimes much more trendy to be vegan, than
to be seriously in carefully of that way of living. Florencia t's quite hard
to be either vegetarian or vegan here. Firstly because of the social prejudice
it brings about, including that of one's own family, and secondly as there's
very little variety of vegetarian/vegan stuff, its price is pretty high and
most people are not able to afford it. There's little variety of biscuits,
most of which are rather expensive, tofu is also another delicacy, sausages
and veggie meat is virtually non-existent. In addition people's ignorance
and lack of info make them follow an unhealthy monotonous diet.
About punk stuff: Iªfd take you to a HC/punk show and Iªfd hope you wouldnªft
be disappointed about it and about non-punk: Iªfd take you to a lake in the
park or maybe we could go to see any Latvian or Russian movie. I really don't
know. Sidarta I'd probably take you to my rehearsals, to my friends rehearsals,
to concerts... To meet the feminist part of hardcore from here, as I know
youªLd like it, invite you to play football as we do to all foreigners here,
take you to the beach, show you the best vegan restaurant ever, in Rio downtown,
invite you to travel through some important cities in terms of hardcore here,
introduce you my friends and stuff. Idris If you were visit me in my hometown,
punk/hardcore stuff that i will show to you is gig venue, zines, tapes, bands
and a couple of punk/hardcore friends. Non punk/hardcore stuff that i will
show to you is my house, place that I always hang with my friends, history
place, town and other beautiful places. Goran He, he it's my favourite question
in interview I do... At first, you have to feel comfortable in our apartment
(I'm living with girlfriend and her dog). Than, it depends of your interests.
usually we take our guests for a walk downtown (Ljubljana is very nice town,
especially in spring/summer with 300 thousands of inhabitants and lot of green
areas) and get for some tea/coffee/beer... If we have enough time, we can
visit nice nature around Ljubljana... Punk stuff, hm... Usually every week
is some punk gig in Ljubljana, coz here are 3-4 smaller gigs room. Here is
ex-squat Metelkova City (ex-military barracks) and there's some places as
gay/lesbian house, anarchist info-book-point, gig rooms, alternative theatre,
skate-drom... It's not so much things, but usually we have lot of fun, coz
if you come to visit us, probably we have to talk about many different things
and try to spend a nice time together. Florencia There's a punk fair in front
of the National Congress held every Friday afternoon mainly for anarchopunks,
and a sXe one on Saturdays from 4 to 7/8 pm where you can get or exchange
material, as well as having discussions and chats about topics like veganism
or music. There is also a place for exchanging, buying or just gathering which
takes place in a park called Rivadavia every Sunday morning which is always
crowded , especially in springtime; and where you can get books, comics, videos,
cds and the like. There are also some feminist meetings in some public libraries
or centres every other week.
Ten Years Punk