Black Rock City: No Politics Zone

[Sham]

In 2015, someone attempted to gift me a political pin. Pro/con, my views or not, it just seemed so out of place at Burning Man. It would be great to see the entire pentagon inside the orange trash fence be completely off limits to any political blather, banter, talk or chatter.

As we have done for decades, heading to the dusty Black Rock Desert has been an escape from the confines of conventional thinking and stereotypes that bind us up in our open society. Let's not let political views spoil what are good friendships with longtime friends.

At least two very good friends of mine have expressed reservations about going to Burning Man this year due to hostile feelings on their political leanings. For this we can squarely blame outside social media. I'm as guilty as anyone for this, but posts I make on major news outlet stories are put front and center for my FB friends to see. It's almost like I'm taunting them.

Once we leave the paved road and enter the dusty abyss, let's leave any blue and red thoughts elsewhere and just make everything playa dust gray.

[lucky420]

Don’t tell me how to burn

You’re so goddamn bossy

Seriously though I do all my foot stomping here or on FB, not at a party or an event (ask Doc).

But that
Make
America
Great Britain
Again
banner was pretty damn funny

And the deserts pretty big so you can walk away if the convo turns to what you don’t like.

[some seeing eye]

BRC is a temporary city that tries to create between individuals temporary community in each instant meeting.

If you run into someone, it's unlikely you can find them again in the week. So we have all kinds of behaviors and appearances to see if we can connect with strangers in seconds to a minute or two. The entire design of the event is this principle.

It's also a replacement family phenomenon, with the BM family providing support and guidance. So it strives to be a temporary family and city utopia.

Politics is a weird thing made polarizing by news commodification, political party commodification, law-making commodification, commodification of the Internet, commodifying religion and more. Each has mastered triggering the flight-fright-etc. brain systems, and we have all become skilled in using the same dark side tools on social media.

Here on ePlaya, I enjoy people of different politics and happy they are participating, though I make poke them playfully. But have to agree BRC can lose the politics and the activists can take a week break and get back to basic human values.

Hahaha, all IMO.

No comment on commodifying temporary community...
No comment on why "festivals" are a growing business...
Sure the pink hair guy is going to pontificate on this anytime...

[Dr. Pyro]

Barbie Death Camp has always had a no-politics rule. We don't care about your politics, sexual orientation, or idiosyncrasies. We just don't want a bunch of asshats ruining our vacation. We've been called the most Republican camp at Burning Man as well as "...the closest thing that Black Rock City has to royalty..." (quote credit Chuck Revell AKA DynaLite) so go figure. I don't believe the former and the latter is a bit tough to prove, though probably accurate.

[Joeln]

Barbie Death Camp has always had a no-politics rule.

Is that why we were talking Trump at the M&G?

I'd rate BDC as libertarian anyways . . .

[Simon of the Playa]

070A7700-5AC4-4B97-B131-21D3E6DB4B99.jpeg

some of the best art is political.

so,


fuck that.

[Simon of the Playa]

just so we are clear, this is a “fuck THAT” and not a “fuck you.”

there is a big big difference.

i love sham, he’s my friend, but i do not have to agree with him.

i do not think the notion of kumbaya for a week for the sake of kumbaya is a good thing.

if you or anyone else does not want to mention politics during the week, thats great, you be you, but i will be me, and i’m going to continue to do what i do.

being a “burner” does not you give a free pass to stick your head in the sand, or to hide from your other 51 weeks a year.

just my opinion, but i’ll be damned if i keep it to myself.

and seriously, if you arent coming to burning man because yer afraid of what the “snowflakes” are gonna say, what the fuck does that make you?

[Dr. Pyro]

Barbie Death Camp has always had a no-politics rule.

Is that why we were talking Trump at the M&G?

I'd rate BDC as libertarian anyways . . .

Joel, not exactly what I meant. At the M&G we follow up on what we have said and posted here (and try and follow through with whom we've flirted with, usually unsuccessfully as I have witnessed) but if you want to be a member of BDC&WB, we ask that you keep your idiotic liberal or conservative rants to yourself. Or at least until I've had my fair share of absinthe.

[Simon of the Playa]

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[Token]

I’m in the “I couldn’t give a fuck” camp.

Great thing about the Playa, you can pick up your ass and leave a conversation anytime you please.

If you want your camp to be apolitical, your rules so make it so.

Pushing an agenda for the Playa experience is like complaining about seeing too much dick at the event.

[Elliot]

I agree wholeheartedly with Sham on this.
And I have updated my sig accordingly.

[Perpetual Burn]

Politics is Defaultian bullshit... a waste of time in the glorious Black Rock City.

[lucky420]

I’m in the “I couldn’t give a fuck” camp.

Great thing about the Playa, you can pick up your ass and leave a conversation anytime you please.

If you want your camp to be apolitical, your rules so make it so.

Pushing an agenda for the Playa experience is like complaining about seeing too much dick at the event.

Yes

[DoctorIknow]

The most fun participatory political art I ever saw was at my first burn in '98.
The only reference I googlefound was this one:

Bill Clinton's effigy was made into a 'presidential lotion dispenser', with an erect model penis the vessel of delivery.
Ah, well, he brought all that on himself.

http://www.donaldedavis.com/PARTS/BM98.html

The above is a great memory of '98.
Yeah, BM was the same but way way different.

[Simon of the Playa]

you see, for many people, satire is only ok if it involves a clinton or an obama.


because, you know, hypocrisy.

10CE36E0-E7C4-4674-AAA3-3685485024AA.jpeg

[Lonesomebri]

Last year we had some young small wild sprite of a lesbian wander into camp, climb on our Judgement Platform with our "Castration" megaphone and she then said all kinds of stuff I didn't stop, including claims that Trump was getting Mexicans to pay for a Daft Punk show AND the trash fence. She also made fun of several peoples outfits, complimented others, questioned passerbyers about destinations and experiences. Someone came over and complained about this woman having a platform to say something remotely political here (while in the default world for a her it's a constant bitter battle to be heard and respected while powerful political and religious forces work to punish her). I laughed. So, as a old white guy trying to serve the Black Rock community, what was my responsibility in this situation? Shut her down? Like I said, I laughed, but what is the right "non-political" way for me to respond?

[Elliot]

Methinks an impromptu performance like you describe... is a quite different matter than a bicycle technician discussing politics with his customers.

[Elliot]

you see, for many people, satire is only ok if it involves a clinton or an obama.


because, you know, hypocrisy.


10CE36E0-E7C4-4674-AAA3-3685485024AA.jpeg

[AfricanFire]

Politics touches everything - even Burning Man. And what of those participants whose actual real lives involve politics on various levels? I'm an elected official (which is a part-time job), and my day job is funded by the Federal Government and is at the whim of those so-called Representatives in DC. If I were forbidden to talk politics because of some arbitrary rule, I'd be even quieter than I normally am. You don't like political discussion? Feel free to move along, there's plenty of other things to do. You don't want politics in your camp? Go right ahead - your space, your rules. But to demand that everyone behave in a certain manner is quite contrary to the entire ethos of the event.

[GroundScore1]

The playa is big enough. If you don't like something walk away. Radical Inclusion means we do whatever we want as long as we aren't violating. If she were to hold the dude down and press on his balls with a pair of stilettos to make him listen, THAT would be a problem. Since the miserable bastard wasn't so lucky to have received this service, one of you can tell him to go fuck his burn, or just ignore his dumb buttinsky ass.

- Forever From The Trenches - GroundScore

[gaminwench]

Someone meaner and crustier than I should respond to this (strange) post.

[Sham]

Someone meaner and crustier than I should respond to this (strange) post.

Meaner and crustier than you?
That would be nearly everyone.

[ygmir]

Someone meaner and crustier than I should respond to this (strange) post.

Meaner and crustier than you?
That would be nearly everyone.

well I'm one mean mutha.

[Dr. Pyro]

Someone meaner and crustier than I should respond to this (strange) post.

Meaner and crustier than you?
That would be nearly everyone.

well I'm one mean mutha.

Ugly too.

[lucky420]

I’m super mean. I stomp my foot but don’t wear stilettos much

[ACfromSAC]

I agree in general. However last year there was a guy in a suit & Trump mask standing in a cage. People were taking turns banging on the cage with a stick while "Trump" recoiled & cowered. I thought it was funny.

[Token]

If she were to hold the dude down and press on his balls with a pair of stilettos to make him listen...

Where do we sign up for that?!!!

[ygmir]

Meaner and crustier than you?
That would be nearly everyone.

well I'm one mean mutha.

Ugly too.

thanks Kettle....