The Violent Divide

Anarchists are divided between using violence and non-violence to achieve their goals. Try to guess from the faces I’ll show you who advocated assassinations, bombings, and “propaganda of the deed” - and who opposed this for either moral or strategic reasons, or both. And if you know their names, yell it out. I’ll provide hints.

ANSWERS: Alexander Berkman, Dorothy Day, Bert de Ligt, Fanny Kaplan, Gaetano Bresci, Fumiko Kaneko, Mohandas Gandhi, Henry David Thoreau, Helen Keller, Leo Tolstoy, Sophia Perovskaya, Luigi Lucheni, Sylvia Pankhurst, Paul Goodman, Vera Zasulich, Sante Geronimo Caserio

My Utopia - Call-and-Response

I want to flap my wings and fly high in the sky We want to feel free, we want to escape from gravity I want to be lighter than air, I want to be helium gas, laughing like a hyena We want our hearts to sing and our toes to spring. I want my eyes dancing and my lungs full of happiness. We need freedom from poverty, war, and fear Do you feel afraid? Right now? None of us are free until every one of us is free What is your dream of utopia? What do you want? Utopia is delusional. It is a fantasy. I’ll never happen. I think we should all be utopian because our dreams give us a precise idea of the society we want to create     The world has Abundance but it is hoarded by the wealthy elite We need wealth redistribution What if wealth was capped at a billion? Or much less? We are Limitarians! If USA wealth was capped at $10 million the common pot of $29 trillion could provide housing, health, transportation and education free to everyone Would that create your vision of Utopia? It would help, but I need much much more Do you want free massage and psychedelics for everyone? Plus alien communication? Yes but I need much much more in my Utopia Tell us what you want. Don’t expect us to agree. I want no borders, no visas or passports just anyone going anywhere Freedom of movement! Like birds and butterflies I want to abolish all the military units, of course. Turn navies into cruise ships? Give the air force planes to teacher unions and baking collectives? Snicker snicker Yes. Please keep ridiculing me with snide suggestions because those ideas are what I want. Should all the nuclear bombs be dismantled? No, we need to keep a few of them around so we can blow up meteorites that want to hit us, we don’t want to die like dinosaurs. What about Artificial Intelligence? I think everyone deserves a personal robot. Luxury Techno-Distributism appeals to me. What about food? Who controls agriculture? Gardening, for me, is slow and dirty and boring. If only robots do it, that’s fine with me. What about government? Would you abolish the Electoral College? I’d shrink all nations into tiny neighborhoods, small enough so everyone fits into a town hall assembly How long should we live? Will we end up geriatric, like Japan? I am opposed to aging and dying. Should there be a common currency? The gold standard? I want a Gift Economy. Moneyless Society. Everyone gives what they can and takes what they need. In your Utopia, what is the hierarchy? Everyone has equal value. Everyone desperately needs to believe that. Will bio-engineering improve our personalities? Psychopathy is no longer genetically useful, and masculinity needs to drastically tweaked. What technology do you want in the future? Look at the video. That’s what we want More butterflies? We deserve to fly with detachable wings. We’re a long way from everything you want. I believe what Albert Einstein said about this.. What did he say? Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge…I believe in intuition and inspiration… ” Day-dreaming seems like a stoner thing. Do we all want to fly, really? Isn’t that childish? Realistically and metaphorically, yes, we all want to fly. We don’t agree with your entire vision but there is a significant degree of overlap Let’s get control the socio-economic-political system and make a plan. Yes let’s make a plan.

“We Don’t Want To Be Plastic” - Barbie and Ken’s Existential Struggle

Barbie’s lines are Bold / Ken’s are Normal

Barbie Barbie Kenny Kenny

Will you talk to me? What you mean, is really “will you listen to me?” Are you complaining about my “man-splaining?”

Kenny - I am having a bad day If you were normal, it would just be hormonal

Kenny - I don’t want to be artificial anymore I agree, it’s a boring chore I am sick of being just a doll that little girls steal at the mall I am weary of being a toy constantly tortured by boys

I went to a doctor, Kenny, he said I don’t have a brain Oh no - You’re having an existential crises again! I have world fame, but… You don’t have a brain ! Boo Hoo Hoo

Don’t be sarcastic! I’m sympathetic - you don’t want to be plastic What can I do - I’m a blonde bombshell But you’re owned by Mattel

I got an operation to cure my agitation What was it? Did you get udders like a cow? That would make me sad and mad

I got a brain today, white and gray the doctor squirted it into my empty skull until it was full But I haven’t healed - it hasn’t congealed

Is your head full, to the brim? Are you no longer dull and dim?

Kenny, I am dreaming and I’m scheming I’m more than plastic now My thinking is elastic I am capable of drastic Independent action

Wow! Barbie I am envious! But I worry - This might be the end of us! If you get an actual mind You will leave your silly Ken behind! and so, I have an evil plan! I’m putting pepper in my hand I’ll throw it in your face You’ll sneeze out your brains all over the place

No No Yes Yes

The Patriarchy is oppressing me!

Sneeze, sneeze, Barbie, please sneeze

Aaah-choo! Aahh-Choo

(Barbie sneezes brain material out of either her nose or the top of her head)

I want this gooey brain so I’ll sniff it deep inside me I will inhale neurons that were given to my Barbie Eve stoled a rib from Adam - So I’m just getting even…

(Ken keeps sniffing)

Kenny, I’m still thinking, I’ve still got half a brain! Barbie I’ve got the other half now - let’s be pals again!? Yes, Yes, Yes, let’s think together, we’re not plastic anymore Let’s put two and two together Because we know the answer’s four!

We are happy we are happy We are happy just like you You people in the audience Have brains like us, it’s true

Let us think together! Let’s make a mind-hive Let’s dream of ways to feel Authentic and alive! Let’s dream of ways to feel Authentic and alive!

 ——————-

What Kind Of Anarchist Are You?

Now we play another game, I will explain: there’s at least 40 types of anarchy… which one is your identity? I’ll show you flags and you tell me. Just shout out if you know the flag I show and then tell me if you agree with that ideology it’s okay to say you are two or three or even five or seven or eleven

Barbie’s Escape

Barbie: Kenny, dearest, I have a question, please? Ken: Lemme have it, Barbs, what’s on your little mind? Barbie: Ken, are we better than other people? Are we exceptional? Ken: Of course, Barbie. We’re superior. We’re celebrities! Famous! We might be the Best! Barbie: Is it good to believe that? To see ourselves as special? Ken: What’s wrong with you, Barbie? Are you eating too much? Barbie: I just don’t know, really, I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know. Ken: I’m hearing you say ‘I don’t know.” Am I paraphrasing correctly? Barbie: Yes, Ken, you’re sensitive. Ken: OK Barbie: I just think sometimes, I want to be, I want to be… egalitarian. Ken: Whoa! That’s a big word for a tiny waist and skinny neck. Barbie: What if everyone was the same, I’m imagining, what if everyone was the same. Ken: But they’re not, Blondie. People like us are chosen, we’re destined to be sexy and cool. We’re icons, epic, gods and goddesses. Barbie: But Ken, I’n not comfortable with hierarchical thinking anymore. Ken: What the Frick have you been watching? Did you fall into some Commie YouTube rabbit hole? Barbie: I’m reading, Ken. Books. Ken: Books? WHY? Barbie: I’m going to drop out, Ken. I’m going to get fat, wear ugly clothes and live in a slum. Ken: Barbie, you can’t do that!!!! Barbie: Why not? And, there’s, something, else… Ken: What? What? Barbie: I Want to Help Other People. Ken: Barbie! You’re ridiculous! You already do that! Every girl wants to be you. You’re the model of perfection. Barbie: That’s the problem. If someone wants to be someone else, they can’t find out who they really are. Ken: What the fudge? What the fidge! What the freak? Barbie: I’ve been reading Existentialism. Simone de Beauvoir. And Simone Weil. Ken: Oh no! Not the Simones! Don’t go there! Barbie: I’m going to cut my hair, get tattoos, and sleep with women of color. Ken: We’re married! Barbie: I no longer recognize that institution. Ken: I will ask the President and the Pope to talk to you. Barbie: I do not acknowledge the nation-state and I abhor all religion. Ken: The Simones have brainwashed you! What did those French be-atches say? Barbie: Simone B. said, “a meaningful life requires risk. Change your life today.” Simone W. said, “Freedom comes from letting go of self-importance.” Ken: I’m going to kill myself. You’re so selfish. Look what you’ve done to me. I’m banging my head. (bangs head on the floor) Barbie: You just need a blowjob but it won’t be from me. Ken: I’m going to hari-kari myself. I mean it. Barbie: You can use my silver envelope-opener. I don’t need it anymore. I despise my fan mail I renounce my fan base. Ken: Thanks. Goodbye. (Ken commits bloody hari-kari) Barbie: I’m free at last. (to audience) I’m abdicating the Barbie throne, I’m exiling myself from the Kingdom of Mattel. And my parting words are FUCK THE PATRIARCHY!