[microsound] gaza drone

[Charles Turner]

On Mon, 19 Jan 2009 07:56:56 +0000, greg g wrote:
> any advance in society must be sold to the public as a disgusting 
> commodity and business strategy the way the "green" movement has 
> been--even if it's for the good, it's just too ineffectual in the 
> long run, only people taking it to heart for its own good, i would 
> argue, will be able to create true change, something commodification 
> doesn't do, and there doesn't seem to be any alternative platform for 
> fostering change en masse besides this approach.

I think you answer your question a little later in your message, but 
yes, the systems that bring us together "en masse" (or as Debord would 
say, "together in our isolation") are big, costly monuments. It will 
take a lot to build up something equivalent, but representing an 
alternative. And that building process will be contested at every step.

Certainly a very local approach is possible: a small "audience" or 
collective where a musical culture can actually reflect and support 
positive social goals. At this point in time, however, that seems like 
self-condemnation into obscurity, an abandonment of class-comfort and 
the very real seduction consumer goods.

On Sun, 18 Jan 2009 13:44:54 -0800, Kim Cascone wrote:
> this is why there is so little political statement in experimental music
> there have been some interesting attempts of political expression...

> but none have really taken hold of the publics imagination in any way 
> that deconstructs 'false consciousness' 

(I missed this statement on first read, thanks to Stephen for pointing 
it out.)

I'd venture that the Gang of Four certainly took hold of a public's 
imagination. Your other examaples, probably much smaller "publics." I'd 
argue that quite a large segment of the public deconstructs false 
consciouness. Aren't the humanities departments of the global 
university system one big deconstruction network? And how about all 
those Wal-mart, Starbucks, etc. workers that have to be available 
full-time, but can't seem to get more than half-time schedules out of 
the corporation?

I think the issue is that false consciousness hasn't translated itself 
into concerted strategic action. The world is like a jigsaw puzzle 
that's only a third or a quarter finished. And under these 
circumstances, I'm reminded of the Brechtian hero who simply persists. 
For Brecht, it's the drop of water that eventually wears down the stone.

Nothing to be ashamed of there...

Best, Charles