>Blame culture �
>Creating pictures of the enemy � relaying on simplification to (de)channel
>emotions leads to a blame culture which asks for revenge without having to
>question any further consequences.
>Where is the balance?
>No wonder if humans simplify sociopolitical processes when they fight in
>wars since they have been born � growing up without any education � without
>any possibility for a different perspective� guided by violence, empty
>promises and everyday survival. But what happens in the western world?
>Seemingly priorities in the western political system are set to solve
>problems adequate but it looks like that the consequences on real politics
>are behind any achievement.
>It is not understandable why millions of dollars are spend on bombing a
>specific territory in Afghanistan instead of putting more effort into
>supporting education.
Each cruise missile costs $1million - there have been 68 cruise missiles
fired in this current wave of bombing.
President Bush asks the children of America to each donate $1 for Afghan
children!
s
******************************************************
Simon Fildes & Katrina McPherson
Greystones
Main Street
Newtonmore
Highland Region
PH20 1DR
01540670002
01540673796
07779106593
07798563799
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.left-luggage.co.uk
**************************************************
> From: "franz gruber" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2001 23:27:12
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: <ambit> side burnings
>
>
> dear ambits,
>
> After reading lots of nice introductions ( i will continue this tradition:
> hi, i am gerald and i am interested in digital art in a sociopolitical
> context, my hobbies are supermarkets) i was wondering if people are already
> sick of the permanent media hype about the political situation or not really
> interested in this issue or if they just don`t want to use this mailinglist
> for �out of the category� subjects.
>
> The online forum is a wonderful thing and I think it could be good to expand
> the content. The following lines are some basic thoughts i wanted to put
> forward to open up a discussion about the complexity of the political
> problems at the moment - with or without digital art.
>
> Do we have to say anything ?
>
> Maybe we can start a beside digtlrt - a so called �side-burning� discussion
> on this mailing list.
>
> Best wishes
> gerald
>
>
> ++++START++++++++++++
>
> THINKING TWICE
>
> Some statements of the obvious and not so obvious
>
> To think about the bombing in Afghanistan is important for creating a
> political/ social consciousness which goes beyond catching simple answers
> to highly complex questions.
>
> Some basics about western predominance -
>
> The capitalistic system is a global system and took several hundred years to
> get established to its present structure. It is based on a western concept
> of thinking (e.g. individuality / religion � state division), it is profit
> driven and through its mechanisms it is highly successfully.
>
> Others than western cultures have been exploited, existing in parallel
> without being noticed and have been influenced and transformed by this
> system. Different cultures are living in one society within the same
> geographical borders (often left over from colonialism) with different
> values and identities. Cultures, which have been and are under pressure to
> take part in the western predominance, mostly and simply for better
> survival. Some of the societies, represented (or not) by a variety of
> elected (or otherwise declared) powers, are trying to do so only during the
> last fifty years � getting through militant regimes, well or not so well
> educated rulers, several queens and kings and through different or the same
> presidents over decades. In each period of change of leadership, leaders
> have been and are confronted with complex social structures which have a
> wide range of exclusive interests � trying to win the peoples voice for the
> one or the other reason, shifting the parameters which are set by a specific
> political elite to keep power or to change power.
>
> The different consequences of the unavoidable presence of the capitalistic
> system with its western predominance on nonwestern societies are not only
> based on the interest of western national leadership, but also on the
> possibility of the easy and permanent worldwide perception of western
> values. (one part of globalisation)
>
>
> Consequences of change -
>
> Every change in a specific society means a certain threat to well
> established values for a specific culture � identities are getting lost
> often without having a real option for anything else other than uprooted
> meanings. One of the consequences to avoid those meanings is the escapism
> into traditional, well known and over generation established structures.
> (e.g. religion/ war)
> Hence no change without a fundamental response � often the starting point of
> fundamentalism.
>
>
> For example:
> The U.S. are threatened because of an unexpected shift in their supposed
> invulnerability. The cold war strategies are representing the known as a
> safe harbour � manipulated for the purposes of political survival purposes.
> The results are the flag� the bomb - the war - symbols which are well
> known, carrying familiar values to rely on. People feel safer.
>
> The Taliban regime is the result of a big uncertainty, effected by the
> Russian and American short term politics and the western influence in
> general without a real socio-political interest. A threat alltogether. The
> religion is representing the well known as a safe harbour � manipulated for
> the purposes of social survival purposes. The results are the flag (burning)
> � the bomb (aeroplane) � the war (terror) � symbols which are well known
> �carrying familiar values to rely on. People feel safer.
>
>
> Some obvious reasons why it is as it is -
>
> Human beings in general tend to follow easy answers to complex questions
> because it makes life easier. The bitter (never ending) moment is, that most
> of the political elite (democratically elected or not) does not act socially
> responsible. Mixing faith with state power (Taliban) is as misleading as
> mixing economical interests with psychological based revenge (U.S.)
> Fundamentalism excludes tolerance. Words of criminal law being used for
> political purpose is narrow minded. (Bush wants Osama bin Laden �dead or
> alive�).
>
> But it is not the same. There is a (big) hen for this egg � U.S./ western
> policy missed out on leading a constructive dialog instead of continuing an
> extended version of colonial exploitation � putting national interests first
> without looking at the long term consequences. Bombing a disaster zone will
> not help to stop terrorism. Without the profound change of western political
> ideology violence is growing massively.
> The transnational unity (related to western actions) under Islamic based
> societies serves as a welcoming valve for building up a simple picture of
> projecting one big enemy - �the west� in general and �the U.S.� in
> particular � and on the other hand delivers a necessary platform for a
> polarisation which can be used for developing a cultural identity. An
> identity which is more defined on �the known other� (western world) than on
> �the unknown self� (culture in crises). A clash is almost unavoidable. Main
> religions have never been and will never be tolerant without a permanent
> rethinking of their inherited limits. Easy answers to complex questions are
> leading consequently into fundamentalism.
>
> Blame culture �
>
> Creating pictures of the enemy � relaying on simplification to (de)channel
> emotions leads to a blame culture which asks for revenge without having to
> question any further consequences.
> Where is the balance?
> No wonder if humans simplify sociopolitical processes when they fight in
> wars since they have been born � growing up without any education � without
> any possibility for a different perspective� guided by violence, empty
> promises and everyday survival. But what happens in the western world?
> Seemingly priorities in the western political system are set to solve
> problems adequate but it looks like that the consequences on real politics
> are behind any achievement.
> It is not understandable why millions of dollars are spend on bombing a
> specific territory in Afghanistan instead of putting more effort into
> supporting education.
>
>
> A lot of people feel as much paralysed as not represented by western
> governmental actions. To support the U.S. + supporters in their short term
> view politics is extremely irresponsible and only serves to stabilise
> fundamental tendencies on both sides.
>
> So what?
>
> +++++++END++++++++
>
>
> Following questions arising:
>
> Why is there a huge silent mass?
> What do we think about it?
> Will there be explicit political work in all the wonderful digital art
> centres?
>
> An idea:
>
> Printing 50 �There are no simple answers to complex questions� T-shirts:
>
> e.g.:
>
> Front:
> Think twice
> Back:
> i am neither target nor bomb
>
>
> best wishes
> Mr. Clay
>
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp
>
> -------------------------------------------------
> a m b i t : networking media arts in scotland
> post: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> info: send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> and write "info ambit" in the message body
> -------------------------------------------------
>
-------------------------------------------------
a m b i t : networking media arts in scotland
post: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
info: send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
and write "info ambit" in the message body
-------------------------------------------------
