[Reader-list] Net activism and rules of the new actonomy

[Jeebesh Bagchi]

Joe Joe Harding writes

>  Resiantance always was, is, always will be. All thoughts of 
>resistance has an attempt towards
>  cohesion. And that is the basis of dialogue and conversations. An 
>attempt towards a more free world,  > say.

I would not quite agree that an attempt towards cohesion is the only 
basis of dialogue and conversations.  It may be for some (although i 
would not place them hierarchically above those who do not have such 
an urge) but for others a simple desire to share experience and to 
act-in-inspiration can provide for interesting beginnings, for 
reasons to start dialogues. Even the simple act of sharing of 
experience is premised on politics and poetics of recognition, trust, 
suspicion, memory/shared memories and so many other unknowable 
motivations. Whether these conversations or actions gravitate towards 
a focus or disperse to many (diverse and at times contradictory) 
directions is dependent on flows much beyond these conversations or 
actions.

>  The tentativeness of whys can give rise to a cohesive, or 
>collaboratice or concordant why.

I would think that it may be more productive to see this connection 
in reverse. Actions, practices and conversations cluster or colesce 
to pose many micro tentative 'whys'. Connections between these 'whys' 
may be drawn up by others and continued by still others. But to 
expect a `big decisive why` as a decisive moment will make us not see 
the movement within and between various small unsure 'whys'. (These 
days it is so easy for us all to agree the ubiquitous everdayness of 
resistance or insubordination etc, but let us not forget that two 
decades back the concept `silent majority` was taken as a transparent 
truth!)

I think the following quote (to in a sense return to where we started 
from - so that we can travel again!) evokes or describes the present 
in a way that allows for a productive engagement with the emerging 
constellation.

"We suspect: current forms of activism attempt a redefinition of 
sabotage as social practice, but not in the usual destructive sense, 
rather in a constructive, innovative and creative practice. Such a 
constructive approach results in a movement without organs or 
organisation. In a variety of perspectives - self-determined 
cybernetic thinking, that spurs on different approaches and 
connections; that refers to a social antagonism refers to the level 
of production; and that is constituting a collective process of 
appropriation of knowledge and power." - NEW RULES OF THE NEW 
ACTONOMY By Geert Lovink & Florian Schneider

In anticipation of the last international!

Cheers
Jeebesh
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