In a better world than this, I shouldn't have to be writing a piece stating what should be the proverbial 'bleeding obvious'. Recent and not so recent events have somewhat forced my hand. Those of you who have been following me for a while will have noted that I'm doing my level best to think critically and avoid tribalism. You will also be aware of my exit from what passes for an anarchist movement here in the UK which I don't really want to reiterate here - the only reference I'll make to it is this:
Following leaders and other saviors only leads to more cultism. You lose your ability to think and act freely because you have to become part of the swarm. Each of us can become an individual revolutionary. There is more power in individualism because they go crazy trying to shut everyone down who is not part of the cult of drones.
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏🎩😉 you should probably cross post CJ Hopkins latest piece- right on point and will emphasise your piece perfectly.😉
He just got booted out of the cool kids "anti-whatever" club, that's posing as the latest to think they represent "the people". Like your stirring style sir😉
Perhaps one purpose served by the Russell Brand's of this world, is to help those of us who find ourselves isolated to feel less alone, and to get stimulus, input and support we are not getting from those around us geographically. They DO serve a very valuable purpose, even just in providing "company" for the rest of us while we get on with whatever we are doing. I doubt I would be alive now without Russell Brand, Neil Oliver, Clif High, Heather and Bret Weinstein, Max Igan and now my "family" on Substack. Don't hold the isolated in too much contempt.
At the start of the lockdowns in 2020, I felt really isolated and like a lot of people, I was looking for people with a media platform who were willing to speak out against what was being done to us. Some of the voices like Neil Oliver were pretty credible although I don't agree with him on everything. Oliver in taking the stance he is taking has arguably not done his career prospects any favours. As the the small time actor with political ambitions, one Laurence Fox, IMHO, he was cynically using the situation for his own ends. As for Brand, while he's certainly charismatic and has done a lot to raise issues, because of his past reputation, he was always going to be the low hanging fruit the legacy media were looking to take down. They took him down thinking they could also take the message down with him. That's the danger of putting too much faith in 'leaders', 'voices' and false idols IMHO.
I live in rural Australia. There have been a few attempts that I know of to form resistance groups locally, organised via Facebook, Messenger and Discord, with a range of practical purposes. They all get taken over by singular interests or cults, that then control the focus of the group. This sabotages them from within. I've yet to see a local group sustain itself and its stated purpose or focus for long.
That's right, We need to talk less about narcissistic idols, and pass to "direct-action", with no rankings, so no infiltrators. We can start with sabotage of their narrative, and do some "other" work on the side, things that I shouldn't say, but you know, direct hits, kind like pie on face.
Thanks for your comment, there are some very interesting thoughts here:)
Regarding the anarchist movement, up until about ten years ago, there were a decent number of people who could think for themselves and were willing to engage in genuine discussion and debate. Over the last decade, from my experience of when I was living back in Essex and active there and in London, it seems that any free thinkers have been purged to be replaced with people who seem more cult like and susceptible to conformist group think. Since moving down to Keynsham a year ago, I've not even bothered with the 'anarchist' scene in Bristol, such as it is. Instead, I've been getting stuck into practical, community based stuff such as working on a community veetable plot and litter picking.
Like you, if I tend towards anything that can be described as anarchism, it would be towards a form of green anarchism. Which is why I'm more interested in projects that make life better at the grassroots in our neighbourhoods. That's where change has to be built from. It's also where resistance to what's being done to us has to start from. Which is why I tend to be wary of following 'leaders' and 'voices' who claim to speak for us. Yes, a fair few of them do have interesting things to say that are definitely worth taking on board and developing in our own way. However, given that these 'leaders' and 'voices' have got such a high profile, it's inevitable that they're going to be taken down at some point.
While the elites can come for what they think are the 'leaders' and 'voices', they can't touch individuals and small groups working in loose, ad hoc networks. You're right in that is where hope for the future lies...
Following leaders and other saviors only leads to more cultism. You lose your ability to think and act freely because you have to become part of the swarm. Each of us can become an individual revolutionary. There is more power in individualism because they go crazy trying to shut everyone down who is not part of the cult of drones.
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏🎩😉 you should probably cross post CJ Hopkins latest piece- right on point and will emphasise your piece perfectly.😉
He just got booted out of the cool kids "anti-whatever" club, that's posing as the latest to think they represent "the people". Like your stirring style sir😉
#wearemany #wearememory #wewillnotforget #getnoisy
Perhaps one purpose served by the Russell Brand's of this world, is to help those of us who find ourselves isolated to feel less alone, and to get stimulus, input and support we are not getting from those around us geographically. They DO serve a very valuable purpose, even just in providing "company" for the rest of us while we get on with whatever we are doing. I doubt I would be alive now without Russell Brand, Neil Oliver, Clif High, Heather and Bret Weinstein, Max Igan and now my "family" on Substack. Don't hold the isolated in too much contempt.
At the start of the lockdowns in 2020, I felt really isolated and like a lot of people, I was looking for people with a media platform who were willing to speak out against what was being done to us. Some of the voices like Neil Oliver were pretty credible although I don't agree with him on everything. Oliver in taking the stance he is taking has arguably not done his career prospects any favours. As the the small time actor with political ambitions, one Laurence Fox, IMHO, he was cynically using the situation for his own ends. As for Brand, while he's certainly charismatic and has done a lot to raise issues, because of his past reputation, he was always going to be the low hanging fruit the legacy media were looking to take down. They took him down thinking they could also take the message down with him. That's the danger of putting too much faith in 'leaders', 'voices' and false idols IMHO.
FYI, this is a good take on the situation - The media is weaponising the Brand case against the alternative media - Ricky | Council Estate Media | 20.9.21 https://councilestatemedia.substack.com/p/the-media-is-weaponising-the-brand - probably better than mine TBH...
I live in rural Australia. There have been a few attempts that I know of to form resistance groups locally, organised via Facebook, Messenger and Discord, with a range of practical purposes. They all get taken over by singular interests or cults, that then control the focus of the group. This sabotages them from within. I've yet to see a local group sustain itself and its stated purpose or focus for long.
That's right, We need to talk less about narcissistic idols, and pass to "direct-action", with no rankings, so no infiltrators. We can start with sabotage of their narrative, and do some "other" work on the side, things that I shouldn't say, but you know, direct hits, kind like pie on face.
Thanks for your comment, there are some very interesting thoughts here:)
Regarding the anarchist movement, up until about ten years ago, there were a decent number of people who could think for themselves and were willing to engage in genuine discussion and debate. Over the last decade, from my experience of when I was living back in Essex and active there and in London, it seems that any free thinkers have been purged to be replaced with people who seem more cult like and susceptible to conformist group think. Since moving down to Keynsham a year ago, I've not even bothered with the 'anarchist' scene in Bristol, such as it is. Instead, I've been getting stuck into practical, community based stuff such as working on a community veetable plot and litter picking.
Like you, if I tend towards anything that can be described as anarchism, it would be towards a form of green anarchism. Which is why I'm more interested in projects that make life better at the grassroots in our neighbourhoods. That's where change has to be built from. It's also where resistance to what's being done to us has to start from. Which is why I tend to be wary of following 'leaders' and 'voices' who claim to speak for us. Yes, a fair few of them do have interesting things to say that are definitely worth taking on board and developing in our own way. However, given that these 'leaders' and 'voices' have got such a high profile, it's inevitable that they're going to be taken down at some point.
While the elites can come for what they think are the 'leaders' and 'voices', they can't touch individuals and small groups working in loose, ad hoc networks. You're right in that is where hope for the future lies...