Burners4kerry.com and creating an activist camp/experience

[spank]

I'd like to join with others who want to do some activism on the playa this summer.

For starters, this would be a place where people could pick up a Kerry/Edwards bumper sticker, but I'm also thinking it could be a place where those who are concerned with the fate of the Black Rock Desert and nearby environs could get an update on what's going on there and actions that could be taken to improve/protect/restore the earth.

I'm not sure where I'm camping yet, am considering camp flattery, if they'll have me. But i SPEND an awful lot of time at the BRCPO - The Post Office of Soup. Which also might make a great place to gather and activate - ie, there are postcards, stamps, tape, and art materials a plenty for sending our words of wisdom to the world - the President, local officials, and people we know on playa. It's a great place to have a laugh, as well.

So, if this sounds like an interesting way to spend some time, or if you are aware of similar stuff that I'm not aware of , please let me know.

Before I was Nutmeg Alfredo
Now I'm spank!

[nocturnal_steve]

Ok for political activism ONLY IF we hold our own Black Rock convention, pick our own candidate and GET HIM ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT !!!

I am asking for your input for what the qualifications should....heres my list, please add your own and suggest nominee's.....

1. Must be trisexual, able to comfortably have carnal relations with men, women and lamp-post....truly a tri-partisian candidate,

2. Must be able to give and recive good face.

3. Will be willing to endorse the creation of a 52nd State, namely the Great State of Confusion, formally was the Black Rock Desert now succeded from Nevada, we will liberate Jiffy Lube and have our own set of obsenity and drug laws.

4.

5.

6.

Please help complete the list !!!!

[diane o'thirst]

Nothing personal, but I'm <b>not</b> gonna be visiting that camp.

And yes, I'm voting for Kerry.

It's just that speaking for myself, I like to forget about Babylon and its politics while I'm out there. Ferchrissakes, I have to listen to and live with it and the upshot of it the other 355 days of the year!

[Zephryus]

Seconded.

[willx001]

I building a carrousel. But instead of horses, I'm going to use the heads of the great socialists. Stalin, Mao, HItler, Mussolini, Kerry, Hillary, Lenin and Pelosi! Who doesn't want to ride on the head of a great socialist?

Join The Revolution. Go Round and Round with the "Great Minds."

Maybe you could pass out your bias political view there.

Or maybe you could have the good sense to leave your politics at the gate, so the rest of us can have a good time.

Please, I'm asking nicely!

(I'm not pro Dubba, I'm just anti - anti Gorge Bush)

[Tancorix]

I live in a battleground state. So...I'm going to drive 1800 miles and spend all that money just to see the same stuff I see at home?
Count me among those who will steer clear of that camp. One good thing about being on the playa is I'll get to skip the bombardment of TV ads.

[DVD Burner]

I see no diffrence between this and camp Lizwiz, If someone wants to create these kind of camps then go for it. What's to stop them. I say See how many people come to them and what kind of energy they will recieve.

[zorro sings]

I think Spank is getting a pretty clear answer on whether or not a camp like this is worth the energy of setting up.It is not that anyone is against it but all share the belief that the real beauty the man offers is the escape.Spank, do yourself a favor,you'll be preaching to the choir anyway,but sweep politics under the rug for a week.Enjoy the surroundings.

[Badger]

Leave the fucking politics at home please.

You'll only get heckled - by EVERYONE (Dems and Repubs and...)

[waltsnipe]

The danger with using terms like "everyone" is that it's never accurate. If "badger" doesn't want to think about political issues on the playa, then badger doesn't need to go by that camp. But don't try to bolster your own position by adding the weight of the other 30,000 burners you don't speak for. If you really think your opinion is valuable, then let it stand alone. If you're too insecure in your opinion to let it stand alone, then keep it to yourself. Life is too short for E-Playa bullies......

As for politics on the playa, it's a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the points are certainly valid that it's nice to get a week away from the media barrage. On the other hand, I've found an alarming number of Burners who are so disengaged from the political process (likely out of disillusionment) that they hurt the issues they care about through their non-involvement in the process. I've seen a few thought-provoking political art installations on the playa, and wish there were a lot more.....it is certainly a fertile ground for artistic expression (now more than ever). At its core, politics is really a study in psychology: how people who want your vote spend huge cash to hire experts to figure out which of your buttons to push to get it. This brings the pathology of anyone who would want to be a politician under the microscope, as well as the conscious and subconscious mind of the voter (ie. person viewing the art piece). Fear, greed, envy, striving, hope......all the stuff that great art reflects.

Then again, maybe artists stay away from this subject matter because of the knee-jerk negativity they receive on the playa for bringing out these kind of pieces. I've heard this sort of talk while standing around such pieces on the playa. In '00, I erected an interactive art piece that featured a large smirking Shrub inviting people to list their favorite political diversion (smokescreens like a flag burning amendment, gay marriage, "family values", sex education, etc.). With few exceptions, the comments that were left on the installation showed people either couldn't or didn't want to think seriously about that particular issue. Since then, I've moved my art into other areas (though, who knows, I may come back to politics later on).

That being said, I don't think handing out Kerry stickers is the most creative way to participate on the playa or to engage other burners. Now a thought-provoking art piece or performance piece, that would be a different matter..... Just my opinion, though.

waltsnipe

[Badger]

Life is too short for E-Playa bullies......

Thanks for sharing Walt - I feel your pain.

[Lark]

I say ixnay on the burners4kerry camp, and the whole idea of Burners for Kerry, too.

BRC should be a place where reality is suspended to as great an extent as possible. The whole Jiffy Lube incident was a bad enough infringement on the event by harsh reality. I'm fine with the idea of discussing politics on the ePlaya, but my blood pressure rises whenever I see a political booth, and that's not what I'm looking for in BRC. This camp would probably spend most of its time either preaching to the choir or fielding heated rants from people to the right or even the left of Kerry supporters. I doubt you'll change anyone's mind during the week.

Voter registration drives, however, are a different story. That combats apathy and encourages people to put their ideals into action, which is what BM should be all about. Keep the political activity on the Playa non-partisan.

And no offense to the Burner population, but given the average American's opinion of BM attendees (if they are even aware of them), any publicity of the Burners for Kerry concept is more likely to be used by the Republicans against Kerry rather than garnering more support for him. Kerry himself would probably refuse to ship you stickers. He won't even vote on whether to vote on the gay marriage ban, much less address thee issue directly. He would probably be happy to be left off the Playa.

PS - Don't get me wrong - I wholeheartedly support Kerry for President.

[drowned_saved]

activism on the playa makes perfect sense to me. BRC has been for me a place to examine and deepen my commitments, political and otherwise. although the environment and culture there are, to a degree, exotic, i am always saddened when i hear others describe the event as an escape.

on the other hand, you might want to bear in mind the golden rule, which obviously includes respect for those who do not wish to engage the issues that interest you. i hope you'll find a way to make your activism effective, but also unintrusive.

[Gojira]

This just sounds a lot like an art fair booth. You know - on that one block that's reserved for political/social activism. Handing out bumper stickers and flyers is pretty weak for a participation-oriented event.

[Rian Jackson]

Last year there were some pretty great political art installations that didn't have the same polarizing effect as a discussion or passing out stickers. I never heard a negative comment. I think there is certainly a place for that sort of thing there.

Also, look at Weapons of Mass DistrACTION. Their art is quite burner-ethos-friendly, if you will, and also political. It's engaging and provacative and creative. There is certainly a place for this in our community.

If you want have an activist camp, go for it. I probably would continue to take the week off from direct activism, as I'm pretty embroiled in it the rest of the year.

I have to say that i'm a little disturbed by the tendency lately on these threads. Maybe it's my bias, but it seems like there is a lot of name calling, ranting, general winging from those who don't want to see politics anywhere. It didn't seem like BM folks used to be so apathetic, so selfish about how we're going to spend all year creating this little utopia - and then keeping it to ourselves. Before you get your panties in a twist, i do realise that some of you just don't want to see it at the burn, and that's fine... But there is a lot of anger being used to silence certain factions while encouraging others under the guise of leaving them along. Interesting.

BTW Lark, even voting drives aren't that non-partisan. because those that don't believe that change is possible through the system in place aren't part of it. *grin* just thought i'd mention it.

[madmatt]

...this would be a place where people could pick up a Kerry/Edwards bumper sticker

MOOP. And...I'm all for your cause, but the last thing I want to see at BM is frigging campaigning. Also, preaching to the choir. Power to you, but I find it very much the opposite of what I want to escape at the playa.

Please do something sarcastic, funny, entertaining, lampooning or whatever to make it different than what we are bombarded with 24/7 at home. How bout a role playing debate between bush and kerry, but really vulgar, and members of the audience get to spank them when they lie?

...fate of the Black Rock Desert and nearby environs could get an update on what's going on there and actions that could be taken to improve/protect/restore the earth.

That sounds cool.

[madmatt]

I see no diffrence between this and camp Lizwiz, If someone wants to create these kind of camps then go for it. What's to stop them. I say See how many people come to them and what kind of energy they will recieve.

Nice to see you accept their right to build their camp. But...no difference? One is celebrating and teaching about a thousands year old culture, the other is out trying to convince people to vote for a presidential candidate.

[madmatt]

...pretty great political art installations that didn't have the same polarizing effect as a discussion or passing out stickers.

I totally agree. I saw lots of political art. To me, political bumper stickers are advertising. Political art is artistic expression of the highest order. For me, so much of what's great about BM is the huge, beautiful artistic expression. Do a dance, recite pol. poetry, make a sculpture, do something.

[willx001]

The thing I find most disappointing about Burning Man is the inability of most people to distinguish between Propaganda and Art.

ART: Objects created by humans that have aesthetic value or express symbolic meaning, including drawings, paintings, and sculpture.

There are many definitions for art. All apply to some degree. But my definition of art: An expression that is greater than the sum of it's parts. Great art surpasses the ability to define it. It is precisely the inability to fully describe Art that makes it valuable to the human mind. And why Burning Man is so great. The inability to precisely define it.

PROPAGANDA: A way of presenting a belief that seeks to generate acceptance without regard to facts or the right of others to be heard. Propaganda often presents the same argument repeatedly, in the simplest terms and ignores all rebuttal or counter-argument. It is essentially self- interested and often associated with authoritarian regimes. Propaganda is often used to convey official descriptions of reality, when it may be allied with bureaucratic control of media, censorship of opposing opinions and deliberate misinformation.


Know the difference. I want no part of your propaganda. I am intelligent enough to make my political decisions based on research and reasoning.

I work in advertising and marketing as a designer so no need to lecture me on the value of propaganda. I am aware.

And I really do want to build a carousel where you get to ride in the heads of the great socialists, Mao, Stalin, Hitler, Lenin, Marks, Mussolini. Join the Revolution. Round and Round with the Reveloution! If were gona do propaganda, I got allot more.


And I really do want to build a carasoul

[Bob A]

I have to agree with the majority on this. Political art is fine. Make Bush and Kerry Piñatas. Make a jiffy lube type sign with one fucking the other. You decide who is in front. Have your candidate whipping the other one in an S&M skit. This is all fine. But do not campaign on the playa after all campaigning is nothing but advertising which is not supposed to happen out there.

Bob A

[willx001]

"Political Art" = Propaganda Which is not art. All I request is that you call it what it is and not by a politically correct euphemism. You wanna make Propaganda, make it. But call it what it is. It demeans and besmirches the very joy and pleasure in ART.

[Bob A]

Ok, how about art with political overtones. To say someone’s work is not art because the theme is political is wrong also.

imho propaganda is meant to sway you, change your view, or hide certain facts from you. A sculpture of someone kicking Bush in the ass is not going to change my opinion. I may get a chuckle, I may be offended or I may not be moved at all by it.

It has political overtones and depending on who is kicking him it may have some propaganda value, but the original piece was someone’s art.

Bob A

[diane o'thirst]

I'm actually going to do some political art for my camp (or not...you decide). It's a sign that says, "Thank you for keeping Wolf Camp a politics-free zone!" And underneath a cartoon of a wolf chasing a donkey and an elephant away with rattlesnakes (the original totem of the United States of America) wrapped around her arms

Doing a sculpture or sign of one of our presidential candidates cornholing the other? Little lacking in creativity. There's an entire multiverse worth of allegory, symbolism and satire to explore.

Why not keep the "political art statement" meme in mind and come up with something for next year?

[Badger]

BRC should be a place where reality is suspended to as great an extent as possible. The whole Jiffy Lube incident was a bad enough infringement on the event by harsh reality. I'm fine with the idea of discussing politics on the e-Playa, but my blood pressure rises whenever I see a political booth, and that's not what I'm looking for in BRC. This camp would probably spend most of its time either preaching to the choir or fielding heated rants from people to the right or even the left of Kerry supporters. I doubt you'll change anyone's mind during the week.

This pretty much alludes to the heart of my objection re. political campaigning - and it IS campaigning - on the playa.

Black Rock City has for as long as I've been attending been about inclusiveness of individuals that come from different cultural quadrants for myriad reasons. Freaks, fringe folk, the dispossessed, tech geeks, rich, poor, angry, enlightened, queer, straight.

Political and non-political.

All contribute in varying ways and in various degrees to the event. Most came because the playa was this perfect canvas to re-invent themselves by allowing a level of freedom to express something that was difficult or impossible to express in the default world. An idea, a belief, an aspect of their personality. It was in fact a Temporary Autonomous Zone (TAZ) that many still speak of. One of the great aspects of having such a place was that many of the traditional distractions (politics, social conventions, religion, money/finance, class, etc) were, for the larger part, kept at bay. I believe that this was THE nexus that allowed the event to grow and flourish. Common and not so common objectives have a habit of springing for the when a community is devoid of polarizing influences and I can’t imagine anything more polarizing than the specter of politics hanging over the event – unless it’s religion.

Over the years there has been a gradual usurping of this idea. Some of it subtle some of it no so subtle. Multiple attempts each year to advertise and appropriate the image of the event for advertisers, sponsors and even surreptitious porn film bottom-feeders are continually having to be rebuffed so that the idea - the ethos - of the event is not co mmodified by those with an agenda. Politicizing the event represents an agenda and setting up a Bush in 2004 or Kerry in 2004 encampment is politicizing the event. It polarizes the event for a segment of the participants. At worst it divides at best it reaffirms divisions in our society and segregates people based on their beliefs and I don’t think there’s a more fucked up thing to do at BRC than that – well, other than drinking bad scotch. I might not like your politics but I can agree to embrace a good number of you by suspending my invested points-of-view and agree that it is possible to co-exist for a fucking week without picking the scabs of division that do nothing except cleave us from ourselves.

Voter registration drives, however, are a different story. That combats apathy and encourages people to put their ideals into action, which is what BM should be all about. Keep the political activity on the Playa non-partisan.

And I disagree. I’d argue that trying to register voters on the playa is politicizing the event just as much as any effigy burning (as has been suggested) or Bush/Kerry themed camp is. Couch the idea in the warm rhetoric of ‘being inclusive’ all you want but I believe it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that someone has identified a concentrated group of people that they see as representing a particular political demographic and are hell bent on exploiting it. I mean, who the hell is fooling who here? Perhaps I am being negative in assigning less than noble intent to those who want to drag the procedural aspect (registration) of American politics to the playa and maybe my perspective represents a small radical view of things, but I’m ready to bet the farm that it doesn’t. I think the idea it sucks. I think it diminishes the event. I think it drags us out of our very unique socially altering event and plops us back into the shit filled stink hole that politics has been reduced to out in the default world. So, yeah, I won’t be participating but I will make a valiant effort at creatively berating the politicos that I see trying to push there politics on me. Fuck that.

[unjonharley]

do as you will in your camp. just do'nt confront me as i pass by. this would include loud speakers too. I have sence 1958. i will not need some one ucking up my vacation from the real world. thank you very much.

[Bob]

Oh, shit.

I thought this was about Harry Caray.

[Captain Goddammit]

I'd like to join with others who want to do some activism on the playa this summer.

Before I was Nutmeg Alfredo
Now I'm spank!

Sounds like one of the worst ideas I've heard. BRC is an artificial city, where we really don't need that kind of polarizing crap.
I can't stop you, but sure as hell won't support you.
I think BRC is an inappropriate place to push your political agenda.

[madmatt]

...Thank you for keeping Wolf Camp a politics-free zone!...cartoon of a wolf chasing a donkey and an elephant away with rattlesnakes...our presidential candidates cornholing the other?

Thank you, and bravo.

[DVD Burner]

I see no diffrence between this and camp Lizwiz, If someone wants to create these kind of camps then go for it. What's to stop them. I say See how many people come to them and what kind of energy they will recieve.

Nice to see you accept their right to build their camp. But...no difference? One is celebrating and teaching about a thousands year old culture, the other is out trying to convince people to vote for a presidential candidate.

Religion & Politics........Both are well over several thousand years old and both are for suckers.

I still see no difference.

[DVD Burner]

And to add...both pit people against each other.....both create stupid wars.....shall I go on?