On 10/12/2010 15:07, "marc garrett" <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Simon, > I agree, the problem is (unfortunately) so systemic that, many of us > (everyone) are caught up in frameworks which appropriate our contexts > from such an early age - we then become psychologically and financially > reliant on them. Of course, it does depend at what level in respect of > our own agency, that we can somehow become closer to who we believe or > feel we can be, individually or collectively. > Yet, again it brings us back to the horrible subject of Neoliberlaism, > which we have already discussed at length on here a few weeks ago. And > I'm sure many are already reaching for their guns as they hear and see > this troubling term once more. This insipid disease (which obviously > needs a catchier title) the students have, and are now, beginning to > understand about more deeply themselves; beyond the situation of > education cuts alone. It is one hell of a monster. This, post-capitalist > hyper dominating unregulated (free market) approach towards education. > Puts everything within the hermetically sealed trappings of economic > restraints, whilst throwing out ethical questioning and > responsibilities; creating a distance between genuine human and social > needs, replacing it with a clumsy and mechanistic form of top-down, > neo-colonial form of autism. > The key may not necessarily be how we can topple these monsters but how > we can find ways around them, actively finding our own shared > alternative economies which are not based around shallow, sungular and > monocultural functions and beliefs around monetary distinctions alone. > But, unless we really want it, it just wil not happen... ------ Well, once again I respond with a yes and a no.
I agree with all the problems you identify - laissez-faire capitalism, erasure of social commons (eg: free education), etc. I also agree they are systemic. However, I disagree with your solution. I tried the route of going around the problems over a period of many years. I found that 1. it had no effect on the problems and 2. the problems continued to have an effect on me. I tried living in a cave (well, a remote beach shack, on my own, making do with almost nothing), the collectivised environment (Nimbin - a bit like a warm version of Findhorn), the urban anarchist squat and others. The most pleasant was, without doubt, living in a cave - but you realise pretty soon (after a year or two) that it isn't going anywhere, especially for an artist who wants to be in a discursive relationship with others. Over the past 20 years I've tried to carve out a little corner within the system. The nature of UK higher education has allowed this approach to work quite well. Predicated on monastic traditions it has allowed people to squirrel themselves away, generally hidden from sight but with access to resources. Most of the time you can get on with your key aims and objectives, sharing them and the development of your methods with like-minded people. There are creeps that want to bury you because you do not fit their idea of what's needed to create a business facing corporatised institution. But I've found that whilst these people are usually smart and nasty they are rarely insightful and forward looking. You can usually work beyond their reach. They also know they need you more than you need them. But now the whole thing has shifted overnight, on two fronts. The privatisation of the Universities and the closing down of the internet (Wikileaks). It's been clear these things were going to happen for some years. Some of the changes have been gradually developing over the past decade or more. But this week has seen sudden tectonic shifts and the rate of change has now accelerated dramatically. It is (literally) a concerted attack. I do not see how you go round that. I think the students have it right. In this instance the best defence is offence. Best Simon Simon Biggs [email protected] [email protected] Skype: simonbiggsuk http://www.littlepig.org.uk/ Research Professor edinburgh college of art http://www.eca.ac.uk/ Creative Interdisciplinary Research in CoLlaborative Environments http://www.eca.ac.uk/circle/ Electronic Literature as a Model of Creativity and Innovation in Practice http://www.elmcip.net/ Centre for Film, Performance and Media Arts http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/film-performance-media-arts Edinburgh College of Art (eca) is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC009201 _______________________________________________ NetBehaviour mailing list [email protected] http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour
