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Copyright
© 2001 - 2008 CONTEMPL8 T-SHIRTS |
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Why
I made the t-shirt
This shirt addresses the bleak feeling that many of us get sometimes--that there is no point in resisting the tyrannies that confront and repress us--and turns it on its head. The statement "resistance is futile" is, I believe, from Star Trek. But, it is a well known idea that really gets its force from Orwellian images of a totalitarian state that cannot be fought against effectively or defeated (i.e. the permanent repression of the people of Oceania). While there may indeed be a point at which technology is so advanced and pervasive and government is so intrusive that the people are without hope of succeeding in revolutionary* terms, I don't think we're there yet. Although, the PATRIOT Act and the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001 (as well as the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 and the Drug War generally) have done much to move us in that direction. Such legislation seems to me to be less focused on preventing foreign terrorists from attacking the US than it is focused on preventing internal revolution.* But, the point of this shirt is that building a system to prevent revolution* is like building the tower of Babel. It cannot be done in the end, and it is a foolish exercise. For revolution will always come and cannot be stopped. It is like weeds growing up through concrete. Entropy guarantees disorder and the eventual death of all that now thrives. There is no exemption for repressive governments. However, this does not mean we can sit back and count on Entropy to save us from Big Brother. Entropy will put an end to Big Brother, but it may not come in the form we prefer. We would like to see repressive government cease, but have humanity continue to exist, and in the most fair and just way possible. So we must fight against repression and for democracy. Democracy requires eternal vigilence. The founders of the US talked a lot about this. Jefferson thought there would need to be a revolution every ten years to keep democracy vigorous and vital. Over time, governments always become corrupt and fail to act in the interest of the people. This usually happens sooner than later, but it always happens. No matter what system of government, those in power always find ways to manipulate the intent of laws designed to preserve democracy. Laws won't do the trick. It takes an informed and activated public to create, defend, maintain and sometimes restore democracy. This requires a free and accessible press (media), free and accessible education, and direct action (as in action taken directly by people outside of the official institutions erected by government, since those official institutions always become coopted and corrupted). [Democracy is a subject addressed on the back of the "Liberate the Media" shirt that I made too.] *When I speak of revolution, I do so broadly. I am using the term in a wide sense [one of Webster's many definitions for revolution is "a complete or radical change of any kind;" this is how I use the word] to refer to whatever it will take to change things thoroughly for the better (without compromising essential, self evident values) whether that be solely changing ideas and minds or governments, etc. To limit the scope of the diverse possibilities for the manifestation of revolution would be to defeat the idea of revolution itself, I believe. The power of revolution comes from it's wideness. All paths of revolution simply cannot be sealed off by those who might wish to do so, for they multiply faster than and grossly outnumber strategies to seal them off. Revolution is the perpetual state of things, in nature and in humanity.
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