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Culture
hydrarchist writes: "Naomi! We love your sweet eye for poetic perversity! Rock on!
The Herald (Glasgow, Scotland) October 4, 2001
By Naomi Klein
There are many contenders for biggest political opportunist since the September 11 atrocities. Politicians ramming through life-changing laws while telling voters they are still mourning; corporations diving for public cash; pundits accusing their opponents of treason.
Yet amid the chorus of draconian proposals and McCarthyite threats, one voice of opportunism still stands out. That voice belongs to Robyn Mazer, who is using September 11 to call for an international crackdown on counterfeit T-shirts.
Not surprisingly, Ms Mazer is a trade lawyer in Washington DC. Even less surprising, she specialises in trade laws that protect America's single largest export -- copyright.
That is music, movies, logos, seed patents, software and much more. Trade related intellectual property rights (Trips) are among the most controversial side-agreements in the run-up to next month's World Trade Organisation meeting in Qatar.
It is the battleground for disputes ranging from Brazil's right to disseminate free generic Aids drugs, to China's huge market in knock-off Britney Spears CDs.
American multinationals are desperate to gain access to these large markets for their products - but they want protection. Many poor countries, meanwhile, say Trips cost millions to police, while strangleholds on intellectual property drive up costs for local industries and consumers.
What does any of this trade wrangling have to do with terrorism? Nothing, absolutely nothing. Unless, of course, you ask Ms Mazer, who wrote an article last week in the Washington Post headlined -- From T-shirts to terrorism: That fake Nike swoosh may be helping fund bin Laden's network.
... read the rest of this account of normalised inanity at infoshop.org."
Louis Lingg writes: "The Times of India has posted an essay by Rashmee Z. Ahmed exploring the "war on terrorism," the "clash of civilizations," and the tensions, contradictions, and practical choices faced by Islamic diaspora communities in Europe and the U.S."
Anonymous Comrade writes:
911--THE SEPTEMBER 11 PROJECT:
CULTURAL INTERVENTION IN CIVIC SOCIETY
OPEN TOWN HALL MEETING, SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS,
MONDAY, OCTOBER 1 at 8:00PM
209
East
23rd Street
Artists/cultural workers are knowledge makers and engaged citizens.
They are
experts at creatively utilizing their hybrid skills to reach numerous
audiencesÐfrom school children and people on the street, to
gallery-goers
and far-flung electronic audiencesÐwith meaningful "messages" ranging
from
healing images and narratives to analyses of mass-media imagery and
manipulation. The traditional view of art1s potential in this crisis
was
expressed in the New York Times of September 17, in which the pleasures
of
art were described as "comfort, replenishment, beauty," the museum "as
a
calm haven from devastating events," and the future direction of public
art
as a return to the memorial, and a turning away from the "humorous or
ironic." All of these observations are apt, but reinforce the notion of
contemporary art is remove from daily life. In a time of crisis, they
are too
limited.
hydrarchist writes: "
So you're a writer, and you've got this really cool series that's set to ship from Com.X in November called Cla$$war. The series, which is getting loads of pre-publication buzz, is about superheroes in a world just like ours - one ruled by multinational corporations, where politicians are corrupt at best, the strings are pulled by big business, and America's foreign policy is a joke and a half. Believing itself to be the most powerful nation on the planet, the powerful in Cla$$war's America believe it's population is too complacent to rise up or even unite for a cause, and it's mere reputation, superheroes, and financial might is enough to keep attacks of its borders from occurring. Frankly, it was a view of America that, aside from the superheroes, many held.
Writer Rob Williams and artist Trevor Hairsine were set to enter the world of comics in a big way when Cla$$war #1 hit the stands.
But something else hit first on September 11th.
As a result of the terrorist attacks, Cla$$war’s November release has been pushed back to 2002, the publisher opting not to bring out a book that has what some might see as views of America that are less than favorable in light of the attack. Cla$$war will come out – just not for a few more months.
However, we still wanted to take a look at the series from Com.X as well as speak with its creators, so here we are. As a side note, these interviews were conducted a week prior to the attack, and any comments made by Williams in no way are meant to reflect on America after the terrorist acts of the 11th.
The more dour stuff over, on with the show…
Louis Lingg writes: "On August 20 CNN reported that on June 12 a Marc Chagall painting was stolen from the Jewish Museum in Manhattan.
The "International Committee for Art and Peace" claimed responsibility and is holding the painting (est. value: $1,000,000) for an unusual ransom: it will be returned when peace is achieved between Israel and Palestine."
Freespace writes: "last reminder... please spread the WORD!
FREE SPACE FEST: a two day gathering of art, activism, film, theater, and community building
August 31st to Sept. 1st
$25 for both days
At the ethical building, 38 old country rd. in garden city, 3 miles west of meadow brook pkwy. www.ehsli.org for directions
Artists Contact: Jenn@diyrevolution.com
Bands Contact: jay at fspunks@aol.com
cartome.org has reposted
"Maps that Charted the Distortions of History", a review by Simon Jenkins from the London Times on an exhibit at the British Library on the cartography of distortion: "The Lie of the Land."
An excerpt:
"Britain’s own war crime is charted in lethal detail. The bombing map of Dresden was intended to guide navigators to their target. Dark red indicates the building types and
population densities suitable for incendiary firestorms. The annotator directed the bombers to high-density, non-industrial targets. “Tenement buildings in the inner residential
zone may be burnt out under heavy incendiary bomb attack. The effect of high explosive is not hard to imagine.” Estimates of the resulting civilian death toll vary from 35,000
to 135,000. The map was no last minute response to a military crisis: it is dated December 1943, more than a year before the Dresden raid." Civilian massacre was RAF policy."
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