Archiv für Juli 2009

Laugh or Cry Reloaded: „Benz Statt Boykott“ and „Crimethinc Eviction“

In this case, it would clearly be tears of laughter, because this is probably the most idiotic text Ive ever read, and clearly a joke. The only factor limiting my enjoyment of such comedy is that, Germany being as it is, some further genius might take this seriously. Anyways, because of its truly unusual satire quality, here it is in full. I believe comments arent necessary in this case…

„Für den 12.08. planen selbsternannte Antifaschisten einen Aktionstag gegen Siemens-Nokia, Mercedes-Benz & Dräger. Ihre Aufrufe zu Konsumverzicht und die Dämonisierung international agierender Konzerne stehen dabei in NS-Tradition und knüpfen an antisemitische Stereotype an. Das einseitige boykottieren einer Marke stellt nicht das ganze kapitalistische System in Frage, sondern greift sich symbolisch einen Vertreter als Sündenbock heraus, der für das Ganze bestraft werden soll. Dieses Sündenbock-Prinzip ist aus der deutschen Geschichte bekannt und fand im Dritten Reich seinen Höhepunkt mit der Ermordung von Millionen Juden, Sinti und Roma, Homosexuellen, Kommunisten und anderen Kritikern, die von dem Regime und dem deutschen Volk als Volksfeinde eingestuft hatten. Mit dieser Einstufung als „Volksschädlinge“ wurde der Eindruck erzeugt, dass Juden etc. für die „Volksgemeinschaft“ das Problem darstellten, dass es zu vernichten galt. Mit einem Boykott gegen einen Vertreter der kapitalistischen Produktion wird der gleichen Logik gefolgt, indem ein „Sündenbock“ für die Misere Kapitalismus hergehalten muss. Dabei werden die Produktionsbedingungen in der kapitalistischen Logik als Ganzes ausgeklammert. Es ist kein Zufall, dass die an den Boykotten jüdischer Geschäfte während des Nationalsozialismus angelehnte Kampagne ausgerechnet Hersteller von Luxuskarossen und Handys ins Visier nimmt – steht doch beides im Weltbild der rot-braunen Verzichtsethiker für volksschädliche Dekadenz angeblich unproduktiver „Bonzen“. Dass dahinter nur der Neid professioneller Versager auf all jene steckt, die ihr Leben jenseits volksgemeinschaftlicher Zwangskollektive genießen wollen, ist mehr als offensichtlich.
Deshalb kann eine antifaschistische Antwort auf den linksdeutschen Aktionstag nur lauten:
Benz statt Boykott! Siemens statt Sozialismus! Nokia statt Neda!“

After reading something like this, I have a tendency to revert to „früher war alles besser“ mentality. And when I say „früher,“ I of course mean „somewhere else.“ Time tends to gloss over the more negative memories, but today I found a perfect reminder that elsewhere „not all is well,“ in this case in the good old US of A. Again refraining from comment, this is incredible.

„Smack a White Boy Part 2: Crimethinc Eviction.“ Basically summarized…8 people of color (7 of which not from the city in question) manage to end a convergence of hundreds. Has parallels to how the „Fuck for Forrest“ lunatics managed to end the Anarchist Congress in Berlin a few months ago, although that was certainly in the „cry“ category.
(Before anybody chooses to misinterpret: raising concerns about white activists gentrifying low income neighborhoods is definitely valid….the form of this action however, and that it was carried out by people *not even from the city in question* makes it rather absurd).

Scandal in the Rote Strasse…

Tonight, the besoffene wasted halbproll but vollasso weltgeist (together with his „gefolge“), clearly in a drug and alcohol induced stupor, attacked me on the steps of the Rote Strasse. My complaint was answered with „stell dich nicht so an du opfer.“ This unprovoked angriff against an innocent soul of gold (injured and on crutches) demands solidarity and *konsequenzen*….

Strasbourg: Another Comrade is Free!

Comrade Jan, who had spent the last four months in a French prison on charges stemming from the demonstrations and actions during the Strasbourg NATO summit has been released yesterday. We would like to take this opportunity to welcome him back to the „free“ world. Although the charges against him were indeed based on more than shaky „evidence,“ our solidarity applies completely independently of the states concepts of „guilt“ and „innocence.“

They say a society can be judged by how it treats its prisoners, and I say the same applies to a movement. In this case, the Strasbourg legal team has been doing excellent work, and we all owe them a debt of gratitude.

Speaking of Strasbourg, a nice piece of artwork…

And why what happened there, well, apparently had to happen. Here it is in english , and here it is in German

Assorted Nr. 10: Nazis and Drugs (again), Force Attack, bla….

*And again, the people who do this…

Really need to pay better attention to this…

*The glorious hero who headed off in the Fire and Flames mobile *alone* to the Czech Rep. for 10 days and two festivals returned safely. He reports good times, good music, socializing with lots of Czech Antifas, and lots of rain. Yet the show must go on, and today the bus left again (this time with three people inside) to….FORCE ATTACK! Lets get this straight: its important to be there, if nothing else because a lot of younger kids are there and through the presence of the infoladen, our stand, the antifa infomaterial, Alerta Antifascista, Schwarze Socke, Concrete Jungle, and a few others which I forgot they are exposed to something other than the drunken waste that otherwise reigns.

Yet I have to be honest and say that for the first time since injury, I am soooooo happy to have an excuse to stay home. Some brief anecdotes after 5 years uninterrupted Force Attack presence of why this is so:

-Thievery: The first few years we caught and ejected at least 10 people trying to steal from us. The last couple of years, because of the thievery and „antifafeindlichkeit“ our stand looked somewhat „militarized“ and hence we were less often forced to act. You know, „peace through superior firepower.“ :-)

-Antifafeindlichkeit: Examples abound, but Ill limit myself to one. Some idiot kid comes up to us wearing a shirt of some Nazi band or another (cant remember which anymore). Promptly, he is ejected from the premises, loses his pass, his shirt, and possibly his balance as well. Not much later, drunken sister of this idiot tries to *urinate* on our table, while screaming something or other about „red fascists.“ Needless to say, her festival also came to an abrupt end at this point.

-Last year, some jackass wants to buy something. I kindly assist him. He then mumbles something I cant really understand. He repeats himself, and I think I hear „can we play Jew with the price?“ But obviously, I cant have heard this, because he cant really be saying this to me. So, before some innocent child is seriously injured becaus I misunderstood something, I ask *again* for him to repeat himself. He says the same thing *again.* Still not believing my ears, I call the other comrade and ask the youth to say the sentence again, this time to my comrade of German speaking origin. The look on his face quickly reveals that I had indeed understood correctly. Fortunately for this kid, he quickly noticed the change in our faces from „huh?“ to „you have about 2 seconds left to live“ and made a very quick departure from the scene…never to be seen again.

Plus the horror stories which are public knowledge and dont need to be repeated here. Dont misunderstand, Im not singling out Force Attack…Im sure most mass festivals with over 10.000 punks are similar…I just speak of the one I work at and know.
Anyways, lets hope the comrades return phyisically (and mentally) intact. :-)

*Third division Argentine futbol will not be returning this weekend, because the clubs owe the players too much money. Postponed for at least another two weeks. Nightmare.

Overwhelmed…

Continuing work on the fall collection, way too many options here.

Ummmm….suggestions? Preferences?




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