"The Dromocratic Condition" Conference:

Contemporary Cultures of Acceleration

University of Newcastle upon Tyne, March 12–13, 2005

Theories of contemporary culture have foregrounded the significance of 'late
capitalism' or 'post-Fordism' (Jameson; Harvey); simulation and
'hyper-reality' (Baudrillard); information technology and the 'inhuman'
(Lyotard); the 'panopticon' (Foucault); 'communicative action' (Habermas);
'desiring-production' and schizophrenia (Deleuze and Guattari); risk (Ulrich
Beck); and the cyborg (Haraway).

An alternative theorisation — which intersects with these perspectives, but
diverges from them — views acceleration as the defining feature of the
contemporary era. The French cultural theorist Paul Virilio has coined the
term 'dromocracy' (from the Greek dromos: avenue or race course) to
characterise this position. Under Virilio's 'dromocratic' reading of
history, scientific, technological, societal, military, and cultural change
is propelled by the pursuit of ever-increasing speed. Our own era — with its
fibre-optic cables, satellite-linked communications networks, supersonic
aircraft, and cruise missiles — is, Virilio suggests, approaching the limits
of acceleration, and teeters on the edge of the 'integral accident' - the
true end of modernity.

Parallax View: The Political Economy of Images

Cinematexas, Austin TX, September 24, 25, 26, 2004


All events are free

Sundays Schedule now includes a marine recently returned from fighting in Iraq who is a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War

Venue: The Warehouse at American Youthworks, 216 E. 4th St (between Brazos St. and San Jacinto Blvd.).

Friday 24th

Up Shit Creek

6:30-7:00 Obstacle (excerpt).

Directed by Nida Sinnokrot.

English and Arabic. 30 minutes

Obstacle journeys along the Israeli wall currently being built inside the West Bank in Palestine. The wall has been carefully designed to annex much of the West Banks water and most of its good land.

7:00-8:30pm Bi Dam (With Blood)

English and Arabic. 50 minutes

Directed by Juliana Fredman & Dan O'Reilly-Rowe.
Bi Dam reveals the extent to which the Israeli occupation is sundering Palestinian health services. Densely populated areas are routinely ‘closed’ to patients traveling for treatment, ambulances have been attacked and water polluted, [ergo up shit creek]. Dan O’Reilly-Rowe will be available to answer questions after the screening.

Shut Down the School of Assassins!

Fort Benning, Georgia, Nov. 19–21, 2004

The School of the Americas (SOA), renamed the Western
Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation or
WHINSEC, is a combat training school for Latin American
security personnel located at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Initially established in Panama in 1946, the SOA was
kicked out of that country in 1984 under the terms of
the Panama Canal Treaty. Former Panamanian President
Jorge Illueca stated that the School of the Americas
was the "biggest base for destabilization in Latin
America." The SOA/WHINSEC, funded by US taxpayer money,
has trained over 60,000 Latin American soldiers in such
courses as counterinsurgency techniques, sniper
training, commando and psychological warfare, military
intelligence and interrogation tactics.

philly_ara@yahoo.com writes:

Pennsylvania Nazis Protest

September 25th, 2004

Valley Forge National Battlefield, Valley Forge, PA

With the Bush administration firmly entrenched in power, true fascists —
an assortment of neo-Nazi and other far-right groups — are no longer
afraid to organize publicly, far from their home base of support. The
National Socialist Movement (NSM) is planning a large public demonstration
on September 25th in Valley Forge, PA. The NSM, who refer to themselves as
America's Nazi Party, feel no need to hide in their homes in Minnesota,
and have instead chosen a location on the East Coast less than half an
hour from the very multi-racial and multi-cultural City of Philadelphia.
We in Anti-Racist Action are planning a counter-demonstration to oppose
these fascists, and are inviting all those who believe in freedom and
equality to join us in sending the NSM a strong message that fascist scum
are not welcome in Pennsylvania!

molizzard writes:

"On Political Hope and Persistence"

New York City, September 19–20, 2004

Peace Action of New York, the Nation, CUNY Granduate Center and All Souls Unitarian Church Peace Task Force are sponsoring 2 days of conversations on Political Hope and Persistence.

The conversations will be moderated by Paul Loeb, author of Soul of a Citizen and The Impossible Will Take a Little While, Hope in a Time of Fear.

Sunday, September 19, 1:00 - 3:30 pm

CUNY Graduate Center Auditorium, 365 5th Ave., NYC

Speakers: Mary Catherine Bateson, anthropologist and author of Composing a Life; Bill McKibben, author of Hope, Human and Wild; Martin Espada, poet and author of Imagine the Angels of Bread and Jack DuVall, producer of public broadcasting series A Force More Powerful.

Monday, September 20, 7:30 - 9:30 pm

All Souls Unitarian Church Sanctuary, 80th St. and Lexington Ave. NYC

Speakers: Joe Trippi, former Dean campaign manager and author of The Revolution Will Not Be Televised; Susan Griffin, feminist and author of Women and Nature; Walter Wink, religious scholar and author of Engaging the Powers and Kadiatou Diallo, mother of Amadou Diallo and author of My Heart Will Cross this Ocean.

Suggested Donation: $10 per event ($5 low income), $15 both events ($8 low income)

Reservations 212-817-8215

Anonymous Comrade writes:

Call for Autonomous Spaces During the European Social Forum
London, October 14–17, 2004

We are a loose network of individuals, groups, organisations and grass roots communities and who act, think and struggle for another world beyond capitalism. We write this call to those in the UK, the rest of Europe and those further afield to participate in building alternative autonomous spaces around the European Social Forum, which will be held in London during October (14–17th) 2004.

AFurtherBunny writes
Dissension Convention


A Transatlantic Collaborative Multimedia Protest Jam


29th August- 2nd September 2004

http://www.furtherfield.org/dissensionconvention/

Coinciding with the Republican Convention in New York, 10 pairs of net/digital artists, from the Americas and Europe, will create live, online multimedia performances with a focus on how Bush negatively influences every locality around the world with his bullshit.

"Life After Capitalism" Conference
New York City, August 20-22, 2004

The protests around the Republican National Convention taking place in New
York City later this summer are shaping up to be perhaps the largest this
country has ever seen. As folks from all over the United States have
started booking their flights, organizing their local communities into
busses and vans, and collecting that last bit of gas money from in between
the pillows of their couches — organizers are quietly discussing the
possibility of having over 1 million people converging in the streets of
New York City during the week of Aug 28th-September 2nd....

"Life After Capitalism" Conference

New York City, August 20-22, 2004

www.lifeaftercapitalism.org

The protests around the Republican National Convention taking place in New
York City later this summer are shaping up to be perhaps the largest this
country has ever seen.

As folks from all over the United States have
started booking their flights, organizing their local communities into
busses and vans, and collecting that last bit of gas money from in between
the pillows of their couches — organizers are quietly discussing the
possibility of having over 1 million people converging in the streets of
New York City during the week of Aug 28th-September 2nd....

North American Anarchist Convergence

August 12-15th, 2004, Athens, Ohio USA

www.naac2004.org

A weekend of community-focused discussions on freedom, prosperity,
and responsible society.