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What Do You Do? (Scenario)

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Frances Farmer

15:46 / 23.07.01

It's 2005, and globalisation has advanced even further. The diachotomy between rich and poor is readily evident, and meetings continue where agreements are drafted that cut just about everybody but the US out of the scene. In the US, homelessness and unemployment are on the rise, while those still in the workforce are making 145% what they were in 2001. Slowly but surely, class is determined by native citizenship. Anti-globalisation protests - which are still occuring - have become increasingly violent. The police summarily execute anyone who resists with anything considered weaponry - shields, sticks, rocks. The busses previously used for mass arrests are now ferry's for cadavers. Anti-globalisation protestors have begun violent, organized resistance. Trained resistance squads show up at most major protests armed with both makeshift and military-issue weapons, and people are being slaughtered on both sides of the fence. The rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, no one is permitted to own a gun, and the IMF has united with the WTO to produce a universal currency. The UN's universal anti-terrorism paramilitary force oversees the moderation of protests, and is beholden to the laws of no country. Due to the sheer magnitude of fallout resulting from rampant globalisation, farmers, protestors, factory-workers, and even well-paid intelligentsia have all united to form an unofficial, unmanaged group of anti-globalisation warriors. It's officially a rebellion, recognised by the UN and considered criminally dangerous, and it's growing. Sympathetic countries not involved in WTO charters permit 'passage' through their major ports and serviceways. A rag-tag military force is fed, clothed, and armed - and these are the new protestors. Thousands of deaths are announced after each protest. The majority of the world is concerned and afraid.

You were reading Barbelith in 2001 - you were concerned, and involved. You made signs, you rallied, you chanted, you even tried to push the policelines back.

Where are you now?

17:58 / 23.07.01

Hmm. Probably one of the people making 145% more, assuaging my conscience by donating a bit to some sexy anti-globalist radical org (a la Sea Shepherd) and maybe, operating a safe house for protestors, if any come through Miami. Probably writing angry letters to senators. Maybe dabbling more in local politics.
Can I see myself in the front line?
Not unless something really bad happened environmentally, close enough for me to feel it - like selling off national parkland or draining Lake Okeechobee to irrigate sugar fields. Even then, I'm not much of one for carrying guns and shooting at folks. Subtle sabotage, maybe. Midnight monkeywrenching, yeah.

Honest truth, that.

Frances Farmer

18:00 / 23.07.01

Thank you, grant. Honest truth is what I'm looking for. Taking temperatures, if you will.

Ganesh

18:47 / 23.07.01

I've been a Consultant for a year. I'm still living in London, legally 'partnered' with my boyfriend. Gender politics having adjusted themselves more equitably, I'm pretty complacent about the bigger picture, making snide comments about the 'chimp-faced fuckwit' who rules the world - and (purposefully?) missing much of the detail. I probably focus on the more 'local' legal and social hassles of the mentally ill in Britain, but fantasise about moving, again, to Australia or India or Amsterdam. Or Greenland...

Like Grant, I salve my conscience with monetary donations; there's too much invested in my career, though, to risk direct action - unless something happens which affects me directly (complete privatisation of the NHS, say). Even then, I'd go for covert sabotage where at all possible.

Oh yeah, and I have both wheat-induced dementia and osteoporosis.

18:50 / 23.07.01

I'll probably be fresh out of grad school, trying to convince someone to let me teach/TA theater history at a university. If the financial conditions are as you describe, then universities will probably contain only the offspring of the wealthy. Assuming I did get a job, I guess I'd try to show the rich kids what's wrong with the way things are through what I taught, but knowing me, I'd get sick to the teeth of being subtle, start ranting every lecture, get myself fired, end up working retail again, until eventually someone takes me out back and shoots me, puts me in prison, whatever. I don't know if I'd ever get to the point of being on the front lines. My family mined coal for a living about two, three generations back, and if it weren't for their labor and a lot of luck, I wouldn't be where I am now, and I feel like I'd be dishonoring their years living in the dark if I didn't get into the fray. But I've always been intimidated by law enforcement, so I question my how long my bravery would hold. I like to think that in a desperate situation, I would overcome my fears, but that's never been put to the test.

16:40 / 24.07.01

Dead????

17:05 / 24.07.01

Working as a covert operative for the UN who has managed to weasel his way into the resistance movement, with a liscence to kill and excessive funding which is being embezzled into my own private account, plotting to take over Kangaroo Island...

OR

...sitting on a ranch in Texas, cleaning a shotgun and preaching about the coming Apocalypse to a couple dozen fanatics.

SecretlyClarkKent

02:22 / 25.07.01

In that 2005, I'm working as a documentary filmmaker, part of the UN "creative journalism"/propoganda machine. I film the extremely violent retaliation on the protestors. I work for the UN's universal anti-terrorism paramilitary units, and edit my films to show how precise and efficient a strike force they are, cutting away any and all signs that they may not be as good as they seem. These films are then shown to the public on the only UN-sanctioned network in order to strike fear into the heart of the many possible insurrections that are threatening to arise. I'm awarded the highest honors on the creative journalism front by the very head of the UN itself.

All the while, I'm sending the edited bits of my film to the unofficial, unmanaged group of anti-globalisation warriors, giving them the very assurance they need that the paramilitary forces aren't as efficient as they appear to be.

Jared

01

05:52 / 25.07.01

Kicking ass as an anti pop conter culture icon.

The Mr E suprise

07:13 / 25.07.01

Editing a national magazine, or senior reporter on a national website.

At least one addiciton/health problem, hopefully a bit slimmer, going grey haired.

Pointing underlings in the direction of the dodgier crap thats going on in the world, trying to the make the best of a bad thing.

Writing and researching for various people in my spare time, probably under a pseudeonym so I don't lose my job. (depends on the publisher...).

That said, all it would take is one good push and I'd be out there with the protesters, writing reports for the liberal press until I got shot dead.

Blank Faced Avatar

08:25 / 25.07.01

:Planting shaped charges on the M25, M4, M5 and E/W, N/S rail links from London, to paralyze the British transport system. Every Monday morning until they give up.
:Manufacturing hallucinogens - recreational doses for us, apocalyptic spikes for military food & water supplies.
:Making pesky pirate TV & radio transmitters for "wake-up" broadcasts.
:Paint-bombing CCTV cameras, hacking, and forging official documents.
:Subversive grafitti, flyposting & leafleting.
:Throwing illegal free parties.

Apart from the explosives and spiking, then, business as usual.

19:43 / 25.07.01

Having spent my youth as a slogan-shouting black-clad protestor, I've realized that violence only begets more violent reprisals, and have thus abandoned my university dreams and hitchhiked out to Wyoming, where increasing numbers of those disillusioned with capitalism have started forming anarchco-collectivist farms. We model ourselves on the Amerindian tribes that are experiencing resurgant populations now that many Midwestern small towns have been abandoned and allowed to return to a natural state. We represent an attempt to provide quality for life at the expense of any kind of technological advancement or "civilization". We're pretty much a bunch of anemic pale skinny vegans, but we still listen to lots of loud music whenever we can.

Basically, G-- D--- Dirty Hippies.

Ganesh

19:52 / 25.07.01

Until Lord Humungus and his tribe of sexually-ambiguous bikers arrives and starts throwing razor-edged boomerangs at y'all...

Frances Farmer

09:07 / 26.07.01

Reading the responses to this thread, it strikes me just how critically important it is to prevent ourselves from reaching this state of affairs in the first place. I'd like to put forth the theory that globlisation is not inherently evil - rather the factors contributing to it's manifestation are producing negative results for many, extremely positive results for few. I believe - and many protest groups have already followed this line - that we must seek more accountability from the progress of globalisation. Rather than seeking to stop it, we must fight the image of protestors as rabid luddites and do our best to contribute to a responsible proceeding. It can't be stopped - but we can demand accountability, we can demand representation, and we can demand fair treatment for those who aren't able to demand for themselves. We can hold the Italian authorities responsible for Carlo's death, e can hold Bush responsible for being an ignorant and unsympathetic shit in his statements to the press - we can exult leaders who are going in the right direction. Someone should buy Jacques Chirac a beer. Rather than just negative reactions, we need to send positive feedback to media outlets presenting an honest and balanced viewpoint. I'll write the editor of the Guardian complementing the piece on the assault on GSF headquarters. Anyone want to write this George guy mentioned by Flyboy?

I am intensely saddened by what occured on Friday in Genoa - I think we all are. The behaviour of the Italian authorities makes me blind with rage - but, I think if we can pull our shit together, we can tap on allies in the right places. Not everyone in power is a crapper - many are afraid of stepping out of line or jeapordising their positions. Regardless of the ridiculousness of their stance, they may very well by sympathetic and aware. If we can only keep media going in the right direction - and there has been a shocking turnaround in some of the perspectives stated in major, mainstream outlets- we can alleviate pressure from the politicos who would, if it weren't so risky, vocalise more opposition towards the breakneck pace of globalisation. Does this sound feasible to anybody?

No more people getting shot?

Disco is My Class War

09:07 / 26.07.01

Realistically, in 2006, I'll probably be reporting on whatever I can, depending on where I am, and if I'm on the front line, then that's where I'm reporting. I don't think I'll take up weapons. Maybe I'll be in the desert, adding the finishing touches to The Big Writing Project' (which I am studiously neglecting to call a 'novel', so people can't ask me how my novel is doing) and learning Yankuntjatjara language.

Accountability is the key, sure. But part of me fears that arguing nicely won't really do much. The most positive thing I can see coming out of protest movements is the eruption of local decentralised 'aommunity autonomous zones'. I mean, we all know what happened in Genoa, but who knows about the fact that a whole lot of anarchist Social Centres are going in Italy, and that some are so successful that autonomists are now on town councils and the like?

Blank Faced Avatar

09:07 / 26.07.01

Yankuntjatjara!

( & ...do you have a source/link for these Italian collectives? )

deletia

10:55 / 26.07.01

Well, hopefully, if the ones who are weaving secret agent futures as black-clad freedom fighters manage to realise the dream, I wll be sitting pretty after having sold you all out to the Man.

I've got his home and mobile numbers, you know.

The Mr E suprise

11:26 / 26.07.01

<thread rot> Oh Mr O'Brien, your ten-o-clock, Mr Smith is here to see you, shall I send him in? Will you be needing the rat cages? </thread rot>

Regrettable Juvenilia

15:21 / 26.07.01

Yes, thread-rot, let's have some more of that, there's far too much serious discussion of these issues on Barbelith...

quote:Originally posted by Frances:
If we can only keep media going in the right direction - and there has been a shocking turnaround in some of the perspectives stated in major, mainstream outlets- we can alleviate pressure from the politicos who would, if it weren't so risky, vocalise more opposition towards the breakneck pace of globalisation. Does this sound feasible to anybody?

I think it does sound feasible, Frances, and thanks for that post. I found your initial question an incredibly difficult one to answer, and to be honest quite a depressing one. But one that needs considering, and I think your conclusion is the right one: we need to make sure that the scenario you describe doesn't happen, and influencing the media is one potentially effective way to do that...

Argh, must come back to this thread when I've had the chance to think some more...

Disco is My Class War

06:54 / 27.07.01

Sorry, Humble Crab... have only heard about them from verbal sources. But I will do some research in the next couple of days, and post whatever I find... look up squat.net, maybe.

07:41 / 27.07.01

in 2005 i will be one of Lord Humungus's sexually ambiguous bikers.

On the italian centri sociali movement, try Steve Wright's essay; the essay's kind of so-so, maybe Rosa can find something better. A few of Wright's essays that are much better are archived at the AUT-OP-SY site, covering Italian autonomism and related topics.

Regrettable Juvenilia

10:52 / 21.09.01

quote:Originally posted by Frances:
The UN's universal anti-terrorism paramilitary force oversees the moderation of protests, and is beholden to the laws of no country.

I think that one just became fairly inevitable. Oh dear.

Frances Farmer

19:26 / 21.09.01

It's 2001, and we're fucked.

20:46 / 21.09.01

2003 Achieve enlitenment.
2004 Release a record breaking best seller based on said enlitenment.
2005 Sell Movie rites for a few million, cast a CGI in the leading role & found an ashram.
2006 Use funds to purchase a sizable pacific island where I'll host $1,000,000.oo a head, seminars on life in a fictional world while discretely funding a private space program for the faithful.
2007 Become spiritual advisor to both the WITMOF c.e.o. & Un seceratary general.
2008 All high ranking officials must be annointed members of the Universial Church of Tricks
2009 All out war breaks out between WITMOF & UN verses the Rebel alliance.
2010 First launch of the manned Tricky space cruiser.
2011 The Universial Church of Tricky begins it's mass excodus towards space. The Rich are sent to pre-fab Moon Colonies... members of The Rebellion are kept in orbit for one year.
2012 The Last of the "rich" arrive on their moon base. The Rebellion Cruiser lands and begins the long slow repairing of the ecosystem... everyone gets what they want.

09:28 / 22.09.01

probably 2001-2003: spending the time in an increasingly doomed attempt to maintain my 145% while constantly beating myself up for not doing something about it, bit like now really but worse.

i'd say, mid-2003, mental breakdown, just avoiding hospitalisation by means of disappearing somewhere and gibbering to myself for a while. Gradually get out of state of affairs and become more active, starting on the net, using computer knowledge gained in employment. A few minor protests, a criminal record (so now practically unemployable in former capacity), probably some serious bruises - I'd be too chickenshit to get anywhere close to the front line.

By 2005? Doing the same sort of thing. Either I'd have become something in whatever protest movement was around, or I'd have retreated into a little ball, compulsively watching the news in an unlit bedsit on a cocktail of vodka and antidepressants.

either way I think I'll still be smoking

09:28 / 22.09.01

...well, since I lack some of the resources initially...do the 145% thing, while continuing to broaden my computer, electronic, lingual, and design skills. Collectively offer these experiences to bring up others to speed. Save enough money and use the stock market as a catalyst for it's growth. Brush up on weapons and martial arts knowledge. Buy or rent a well-stocked home in two to three places. Step out as a pioneer in internet media usage, therefore having a word that may be heard...

Optimistic but I'm trying to go this path anyway...hence netbanshee...just hope I have till 2006...

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

09:28 / 22.09.01

Resisting by any means necessary and feasible...
Course, it all depends on us still being here & having a planet to save by then... right now, I wouldn't bet too much on it...

04:51 / 23.09.01

quote:Originally posted by Frances:
Where are you now?
in the white house, idly wondering why all these people take things so seriously.
life seems pretty good from here.

06:54 / 23.09.01

Somewhere hot and humid, working hard to save my life and the lives of those close to me.
I'm not the front-line sort of guy, but I like to think I'd try to help sharing my knowledge and teaching people so that each one, in its own small space, can start and try saving himself and his family.

09:23 / 24.09.01

EITHER

Making the 145% (if not more) while secretly creating non-violent agitprop, which is eventually discovered, leading to my imprisonment and execution

OR

Creating really insightful non-violent cyberagitprop as part of the underground resistance, for example sneaking counterculture memetic trojan horses into the Establishment Brain-in-jar-plex(tm) to keep it off-balance and functioning at less than optimum efficiency, thus keeping hope alive.

Or both. Who can say?

Clavis

09:23 / 24.09.01

After being the head of a major military organisation (kicked out for not having sex with my 'superior' as we see the exploitation of women is still occuring). I now work as a bus driver during the day, and at McDonalds at night. And as there are no longer cow/sheep/pig/rabbit/etc existing, Maccas has exploited yet another source of meat, this one is relatively common... and as long as humans are in existence there will be fast food...

tom-karika nukes it from orbit

06:57 / 26.09.01

I would self-consume, remove self from social contact and take concern only with self-surival. Sounds bad.

Fiction Suit Five

19:04 / 26.09.01

Gee, you guys are so negative. Why can't we just think nice thoughts? In 2005 we'll be downloading our consciousnesses into heavenly dimensions of super-possibility, no doubt.

02:45 / 27.09.01

Cripes, I hope not. I intend to die in this wretched body, like the old timer, reactionary freakshow I will be viewed as.

"Look at him! He's got... wrinkles!"

Molly Shortcake

03:11 / 27.09.01

Logan's Run?

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