"I'm talking about unity, brothers and sisters,
because we have to get it together."
- john sinclair, 1968.
"3. Free exchange of energy and materials
- we demand the end of money!"
- #3 of a 10-point mission statement,
John Sinclair,
Minister of Information: White Panther Party, November 1st, 1968.
▼ MC5: KICK OUT THE JAMS from "Kick Out The Jams" LP (Elektra) 1969 (US) [r]
7 comments:
As your fellow Scotsman, Iain M. Banks, likes to point out money is an indicator of poverty and it's continued importance in society illustrates the centrality of poverty to our current system.
I might live long enough to see the end of money. You never know. I know I've lived long enough that fucking in the streets would only be a traffic problem.
You're bang "on the money" regards fucking in the streets, that's for sure.
I was very fond of Iain Banks' first book. "The Wasp Factory". Nice read. Oddly enough, too, I have also lived right off the Crowe Road, and in Paisley, just off Espedair Street.
Wholly coincidental, but vaguely eerie.
It's a blazing hot day here in Glasgow - in the mid twenties - and the positive vibe has rubbed off. I wanted badly to post something very much the opposite of introspective.
It was almost "Black to Comm" but, in the end, I held myself in check...
By the way, Jon; I don't know if you're already familiar with this one, but if you like Iain Banks I definitely suggest checking out Alisdair Grey's "Lanark".
If I say one sensible thing today as the sun beats down upon the grey edifice of Victory Mansions then it is...Kick Out The Jams remains pure dynamite!
Nice one ib
I haven't read that much of Banks' mainstream fiction. I've mostly
read his science fiction. I've been meaning to read Espedair Street
for years. That seems to be his most popular piece of mainstream
writing.
The other red Scotsman is Ken MacLeod. He wrote a series of novels
that began with faction fights in tiny Trotskyist grouplets and ended
with intergalactic post singularity post humans. He's no where near as
smart as Banks, but neither am I.
Probably my favorite UK science fiction writer is China Mieville.
Alas, no Scottish connection but he, along with Banks and MacLeod, is
a member of the Socialist Worker's Party. Possibly because they have
some small, but real connection to reality they make socialism seem so
much more exciting than the dreary cult factionalizers of my youth.
Here in America there is nothing resembling a meaningful left wing
party so I have had no choice but to revive my teenage allegiance to
the White Panther Party.
By the way, I have been randomly removing iMeem links and replacing
them with links to MP3 files. I'm sorry that this file is in Apple's
M4A format, but iTunes users can DL the '5's 'Future Now' at:
http://www.box.net/shared/g4u1542962
Thanks for the tip on Alisdair Grey.
Exes 'n' Ohs
High kickin'!
Sounds better than the version I have. The BoxNet thing is definitely a BIG improvement on iMeem.
I've never read Ken MacLeod.
The SWP in Scotland is a very hit and miss affair. I have a natural aversion to politics with both a small and capital 'P' much of the time. Too much committee bullshit and internecine conflict.
Having said that, they have effected positive change on a small scale in recent years. In particular, with regard to Summary warrant Notices and the manner in which they are enforced.
On balance, you are better sticking with the White Panthers, I feel.
At this point, my involvement starts and ends with my union. US unions are set up very differently from UK unions. My union is not especially corrupt but it is very bureaucratic with minimal input from the members (except for our money, we put plenty of that in.)
The WPP never bothers me for money, never circulates position papers for the national convention, never has conventions or meetings and never does much of anything. Suits me just fine.
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