LIVE FREE - Libertarian Party Theme Camp?!?

[Tengerguy]

This will be my third consecutive year at Burning Man. Bringing my 17 year old son this year.

I'm also working as a full time volunteer for the www.garyjohnson2012.com presidential campaign.

So I'm wondering -- is there any interest in a Theme Camp for Libertarian Burners/Gary Johnson fans?

In the world of radical self expression, is there room for Gary Johnson for President/Live FREE yard signs marking the boundary of a theme camp?

Is Political Expression banned/frowned upon/OK?

Is there room for a Gary Johnson logo wrapped van (not an art car/mutant vehicle but something to be parked at the camp?

Can gifting include giving away said campaign yard signs, T-shirts, bumper stickers, etc?

Are there boundaries around Political Expression that I'm ignorant of in the Burning Man community?

Or, hey, am I being overly cautious here?

Looking for feedback, criticism, connection with other Libertarian Burners and . . . yep . . . honestly -- sure -- voters for Libertarians in November!

LIVE FREE (yep, that's our campaign slogan),

Joe

[trilobyte]

Speaking personally, unless the dude's coming out and building crazy art, it feels inappropriate. And even if he is, it seems shamelessly promotional and the lack of creaetivity seems disappointing. Wouldn't you better serve the almighty campaign by handing out bumper stickers at a mall?

[trilobyte]

For what it's worth, that's not a response to him or you, just my feeling on political campaign camps in general.

[Tengerguy]

Yeah. I get it. Not looking to pass anything out, but have enough of a visibility to connect Burner Libertarians with each other (and personally, make a bunch of new friends) and enjoy conversations about the connection between Libertarian and Burning Man values (bringing that sense of Liberty out into the world).

But am also aware I could be about to fuck up real bad here!



Joe

[Tengerguy]

Should have said -- not looking to pass anything out, but also want to have stuff to give to those who would want it. . . .

[ZaphodBurner]

Personally, I go to Burning Man to get away from the real world. How long before the major candidates all send guys to the playa to pander for votes?

[BBadger]

NO.

It is already bad enough that political organizations have exceptions in the National Do Not Call registry.

Keep your political advertisement shit off the playa.

If you want to connect to burners who share your political views, do it in the default world where it belongs.

[trilobyte]

@ZaphodBurner, that's pretty much what @Tengerguy is doing. He's not saying "hey fuck let's get a bunch of libertarians together and build some cool shit that embodies the spirit of living free!" he's saying "hey fuck I'd like to politicize this event and spend the week promoting this candidate, and maybe hand out a bunch of literature to anyone who will take it!"

[Simon of the Playa]

i will personally make sure this does not happen.


LEAVE THAT SHIT AT HOME YOU DOUCHE NOZZLE.


NO LOGOS, BANNERS, OR ADS...

Jesus H Fucking DUH!

be prepared to have ALL of your shit pertaining to this bullshit political masturbation CONFISCATED at the gate...

Just sayin'...

[Roberto Dobbisano]

i promise you this....if i see Political Ads or banners or stickers being shilled at burning man, dont be surprised if this camp gets ADDIS-ed...

[H.G.Crosby]

in all seriousness, freedom of speech is fine and dandy....

talk to anyone who will listen.

DO NOT break our community standards by ADVERTISING or PROMOTING whoever or whatever...

perhaps you would like to hand out Free Samples of Krug as well?

after all it is Free....however, the moment you SHOW THE BRAND NAME OR LOGO you have become a SHILL

its bullshit, dont do it, you should fucking know better if you've been there for 3 years, so stop being fucking coy and cute, because it's neither.

[Simon of the Playa]

this goes for C*c*n*t Bliss ice cream too, Mr. Halcyon...

NO LOGOS!


i dont care how cool and metaphysically proper the fucking company is.

it's still advertising.

[Joshua!]

FUCK NO!

Keep that shit home. Otherwise you *Will* be a target for some well meaning community service.

[HandJamMasterC]

Can we also leave the Occupy BS in the default world too !! Thank you.

[ZaphodBurner]

Awesome... So, here's a question:

What about all those "Republican voting booth" signs somebody put on the shitters in 2004, or the group that had dummy grenades you could throw at a cardboard cutout of George Bush?

I guess if it's "art"' but... I still don't want to think about fucking POLITICS at Burning Man.

[Bob]

The Trojan horse is already out of the barn with the OWS (hah!) funded (hah!) art (hah!) installation.

Bring it.

[Simon of the Playa]

FREE THE SPARKLE!

[Roberto Dobbisano]

libertarian not Libertine, you idiot...

[CornMan]

Just campaign for a fictitious Libertarian candidate. That is doing what you want to do in pure burner fashion.

[thisisthatwhichis]

Everyone has a political opinon........ They are like assholes.....


Do you really want assholes in your camp all day?

[Bob]

Hope your camp gets placed next to Roseanne Barr's.

[Savannah]

The idea of any political party shilling on the playa makes my skin crawl.

[Lonesomebri]

Actually, this is a terrific idea, and what a way to give your kid an early political education. The thing is, BRC is over-run with taxes (entry fee), regulations and oversight. They even have some kind of whack low-income ticket welfare system in place. There’s the DMV, Public Works, art grants from the Borg which we did not all agree to, porta-johns that everyone is forced to pay for in ticket cost, even though RVs and the like don’t use them, totally unfair. And while your gifts of advertising and your advertising on your vehicles might smack of advertising, as everyone knows, Libertarians are different. I too am tired of candidates running on a platform calling for open Enslavement, this idea to tell the rubes you are for Freedom is so unique and daring. The thing is, there is a utopia playa near BRC, without the whole fee imposed refinements and financial obligations, no governing org., no community standards against advertising…..it’s out there. Live the ideal. Live Free.

[Tengerguy]

Hey guys,

1) If I was out to shill, I doubt I'd be asking for community feedback here and now; but I get the anger, desire to leave Politics out in the default world. I respect that. I stand corrected and apologize for whatever degree that was part of my developing agenda. That was wrong.

2) The threats are very off putting. FUCK YOU. Come mess with my shit and If I catch you I'll do what I can to grap a cop and try to throw your ass in jail and/or make you pay for the damage. Yep. I'm that Libertarian.

3) I'd still like to connect with Gary Johnson/Libertarian fans who are also Burners. Seem like my tribe to me.

4) So, any ideas on how to do that without risking some asshat throws a rock at my car, or picks a fight with my son, or somehow ruins an otherwise great experience, are welcome.

>>Just campaign for a fictitious Libertarian candidate. That is doing what you want to do in pure burner fashion.<<

I like that idea. Looking for more. (and could give a shit if asking a question here sets some people off -- non-violence is the key, education and persuasion are the path -- not threats of violence (or violence itself) THAT is what I've had enough of in the default world!)

Joe

[wh..sh]

Is there room for a Gary Johnson logo wrapped van (not an art car/mutant vehicle but something to be parked at the camp?

Can gifting include giving away said campaign yard signs, T-shirts, bumper stickers, etc?

And here I was, worried about red clown nose.

[Tengerguy]

So in the world of making good come out of this (especially for those I pissed off here by being stupid (I've been to TWO -- 2010 alone, 2011 with my wife -- this was my first attempt to even think about a theme camp . . . call me slow and stupid too if you want).

Here's the policy that I looked at BEFORE posting here

>>>>>The display of commercial logos and banners, or distribution of commercial promotional items or materials is prohibited. <<<<<<

So I'm thinking -- hey, this is not commercial. It's political. Gary is the only candidate advocating legalizing drugs (not just pot), the only one for a federal civil right for gay marriage, . . . etc (I won't risk seeming to shill here by going through the other issues) == fits right in with Burning Man (hey, I ALREADY said I was stupid above, okay?)

But what seems to be the community standard (based on limited feedback here) would be better expressed as:

>>>>>The display of commercial/political/non-profit organization logos and banners, or distribution of commercial/political/non-profit promotional items or materials is prohibited. <<<

If it had said that, my idea along these lines would have STOPPED right there.

So, maybe the community wants to make that suggestion for a change in the wording?

Joe

[Eric]

4) So, any ideas on how to do that without risking some asshat throws a rock at my car, or picks a fight with my son, or somehow ruins an otherwise great experience, are welcome.

Put a small sign up in your camp, see if it attracts interest. Honestly, unless it's being done as political theater it's really annoying to run into politics out there. Some of the people I love most both on the playa & here on ePlaya have vastly different political opinions than me, but I don't choose my friends based on whether-or-not they follow everything I believe in (okay, they can't be homophobic - one rule). If there were political signs at camps on the playa I wouldn't have some of these close friends, because I would just look at that "___ for President" sign & roll my eyes.

While it's great to see you strongly support a candidate, I agree with the other posters that BRC isn't the best place to do it (now, using social media to find Libertarian Burners outside the event is fine!). The outside world is already moving steadily in with excessive camp dues & plug-and-play camps with their gilded toilets, I really don't think we need politics in the mix.

[Simon of the Playa]

no one is taking away your free speech. You can talk til the cows come home about whatever to whomever will listen.

what you propose is PROMOTION, politics is a BUSINESS. THEY PAY FOR BILLBOARDS FOR THAT SHIT.



and quite frankly, it is shit, and should be left at home. Period. argue, cajole, joke, but to SHILL is what you want to do.

and the way you propose to do it is so utterly devoid of owning a clue, but you are oblivious to this as well.

essence of clueness-ness...

i dont say this often, but i know wrong, and you sir, if you proceed as planned, will be doing it wrong.

[Tengerguy]

>>>>Is there room for a Gary Johnson logo wrapped van (not an art car/mutant vehicle but something to be parked at the camp? Can gifting include giving away said campaign yard signs, T-shirts, bumper stickers, <<

Yeah, that's looking like a really stupid idea here 24 hours later. . .

>>And here I was, worried about red clown nose.<<

One more example of how I have no idea what is going on.

So, FYI, I went alone in 2010, 52 years old, never did drugs, Boy Scout type, married, 4 kids, from Utah but never Mormon, and not in any religion, working through all the distortions about what kind of place Burning Man would be, stunned by the art, and gifting, and general kindness and craziness. So spent that one mostly stunned.

Went last year with my wife who was also working through here fears of the worst images of BM that are out there. Had a great time.

So it's year three, just got tickets through STEP a week or so ago, didn't think that would even happen until about 3 weeks ago -- and, yeah, even with only that limited experience, I probably should have known better than to have asked some of the out-of-alignment with BM core values questions that I just did here.

And the one comment above that REALLY gets me is -- do ***** I **** REALLY want to spend the entire week having political conversations?

There's a question with an obvious answer --

So forget the LIVE FREE/GARY JOHNSON wrapped van (might be fun to have somewhere as people are leaving BM -- maybe an hour away or so on the way to Reno -- but I'm not going to that either!).

I'll keep my LIVE FREE poster in the back window of the van. It's subtle enough to be recognized by other Libertarians, and would not be recognized as political by anyone whose never seen it before.

But I'm still open to ideas here and feedback if even that is too much.

joe

[Simon of the Playa]

joe as a longtime poitical junkie and former democratic partisan, i understand your ferver.

i even used to watch c-span II

seriously.

anyway, it's not the politics, it's the Trappings and pre-printed garbage and the slogans and logos and all of the above is just not welcome at burning man, unless maybe it was, as stated a parody or a joke.

get creative.

Hell, if you HAND PAINT your signs i would be much more inclined to read them...honestly.

so, dont be afraid to be political, just dont bring anything but yourself and your ideas and let those loose upon the playa, you'll probably have a greater effect in the long run.