For issue # 6 of the Journal of Aesthetics and Protest, I wanted to spend some time with anti-war art and activism. I conducted a study and created an "antiwar survey" that was disseminated through-out California. After the surveys came back- I tried to making sense of it all, hence Dissidents in Decentered States: Living Otherwise During The Time Of War.
Through the survey, and in particular in considering San Francisco based Direct Action To Stop the War, I was struck by the current of autonomous and individual action. These anti-war activities, though locally successful, didn't necessarily aim for linked global architectures of resistance.
This can be best characterized by DASW, who although they successfully facilitated the shut down of a city (San Francisco on March 20th, 2003), refused (some would say "forgot") to organize a structure that could represent the interest of the war-resistors and extra-governmentally challenge the war makers. What was produced were thousands of dissidents- who have spent moments (some more sustained than others) over the last 6 years performing identities and options other than the status quo.
This form of anarchist praxis is interesting for the "possibilities" it can represent. It is also interesting that these form of resistances can be thought of as highly anarchic- rather than largely strategic- let alone marxist or vangaurdist.
Any way here's a link to the piece. Read it and tell me what you think....
This can be best characterized by DASW, who although they successfully facilitated the shut down of a city (San Francisco on March 20th, 2003), refused (some would say "forgot") to organize a structure that could represent the interest of the war-resistors and extra-governmentally challenge the war makers. What was produced were thousands of dissidents- who have spent moments (some more sustained than others) over the last 6 years performing identities and options other than the status quo.
This form of anarchist praxis is interesting for the "possibilities" it can represent. It is also interesting that these form of resistances can be thought of as highly anarchic- rather than largely strategic- let alone marxist or vangaurdist.
Any way here's a link to the piece. Read it and tell me what you think....