Topic: Poetic Terrorism

[Nick]

"WEIRD DANCING IN ALL-NIGHT computer-banking lobbies. Unauthorized pyrotechnic displays. Land-art, earth-works as bizarre alien artifacts strewn in State Parks. Burglarize houses but instead of stealing, leave Poetic-Terrorist objects. Kidnap someone & make them happy. Pick someone at random & convince them they're the heir to an enormous, useless & amazing fortune--say 5000 square miles of Antarctica, or an aging circus elephant, or an orphanage in Bombay, or a collection of alchemical mss. ...
Bolt up brass commemorative plaques in places (public or private) where you have experienced a revelation or had a particularly fulfilling sexual experience, etc.
Go naked for a sign.
Organize a strike in your school or workplace on the grounds that it does not satisfy your need for indolence & spiritual beauty.
Graffiti-art loaned some grace to ugly subways & rigid public monuments--PT-art can also be created for public places: poems scrawled in courthouse lavatories, small fetishes abandoned in parks & restaurants, Xerox-art under windshield-wipers of parked cars, Big Character Slogans pasted on playground walls, anonymous letters mailed to random or chosen recipients (mail fraud), pirate radio transmissions, wet cement...
The audience reaction or aesthetic-shock produced by PT ought to be at least as strong as the emotion of terror-- powerful disgust, sexual arousal, superstitious awe, sudden intuitive breakthrough, dada-esque angst--no matter whether the PT is aimed at one person or many, no matter whether it is "signed" or anonymous, if it does not change someone's life (aside from the artist) it fails.
PT is an act in a Theater of Cruelty which has no stage, no rows of seats, no tickets & no walls. In order to work at all, PT must categorically be divorced from all conventional structures for art consumption (galleries, publications, media). Even the guerilla Situationist tactics of street theater are perhaps too well known & expected now.
An exquisite seduction carried out not only in the cause of mutual satisfaction but also as a conscious act in a deliberately beautiful life--may be the ultimate PT. The PTerrorist behaves like a confidence-trickster whose aim is not money but CHANGE.
Don't do PT for other artists, do it for people who will not realize (at least for a few moments) that what you have done is art. Avoid recognizable art-categories, avoid politics, don't stick around to argue, don't be sentimental; be ruthless, take risks, vandalize only what must be defaced, do something children will remember all their lives--but don't be spontaneous unless the PT Muse has possessed you.
Dress up. Leave a false name. Be legendary. The best PT is against the law, but don't get caught. Art as crime; crime as art.”
― Hakim Bey, TAZ: The Temporary Autonomous Zone

[Michael]

I was inspired until 'sexual arousal'. That's the most mainstream, commonplace, socially condoned, familiar backstop for the uncreative. The final thrill for those who have lost their inspiration. If all else fails in life, at least we can have sex - what a sad world we have become.

A poetic tefforist should firstly seek to become erased, not famed. Secondly, she should seek to scale the dark side - the hardest side possible. I should know because I've been one all my life. Silent sedition.

[erik]

What's the difference between a "poetic tefforist" and any given missionary of any given religion? All they say is: "Please, change and there is a reward waiting." Some of them add: "If you don't change, there is hell waiting."

Many like to preach change ... to others

A few change - because they cannot but have to.

[Michael]

May be similar to religions, but I did like the style - you don't often get religions preaching creative acts of not-doing.

[Nick]

What's the difference between a "poetic tefforist" and any given missionary of any given religion? All they say is: "Please, change and there is a reward waiting." Some of them add: "If you don't change, there is hell waiting."

Many like to preach change ... to others

A few change - because they cannot but have to.

Take different ways of doing and ask how can I turn this into a not-doing. How can I take this outside of its box. How can I find common ground with the underlying intention of this person's message or actions.

""not so much making arguments for anarchism as "brushing information against information," giving the very words new combinations that de-familiarize and re-energize them. ""
http://www.upne.com/0819564664.html

Much of what we do affects small changes to the world we assemble. Eventually small changes become bigger...perhaps some chain reactions occur, terrorism is a chain reactions strategy. You could say we are tefforists in our own lives, what the Dadaists did with materials you could say we do with our inner universe.

"Why has the oppressed proletariat not come to its senses and joined you in your fight for world liberation? ... [Because] they know that your antiquated styles of protest – your marches, hand held signs, and gatherings – are now powerless to effect real change because they have become such a predictable part of the status quo. They know that your post-Marxist jargon is off-putting because it really is a language of mere academic dispute, not a weapon capable of undermining systems of control…"

—Nadia C., "Your Politics Are Boring as flower"

"There is a certain litany of oppressions which most radical theories are obliged to pay homage to. Why is it when someone is asked to talk about radical politics today one inevitably refers to this same tired, old list of struggles and identities? Why are we so unimaginative politically that we cannot think outside of this 'shopping list' of oppressions?
—Saul Newman, From Bakunin to Lacan, p. 171"

Hakim bey is typically associated with post left anarchism. Anarchism has a constant drive to eradicate the status quo. Anarchism also lacks a strict ideological structure so it can, though rarely does, remain fluid, and that drive is one way it is different from typical religion. They seek a world were we govern ourselves, I also seek an inner world free from the authoritarian inner slavery imposed by the many conflicting and contradictory false "I's".

Also just because we are here on this forum does not mean don't also have to be constantly vigilant for the status quo ingrained in us.

[erik]

Statistical success rate of tefforist organisations falls between 3 and 7% - in changing states'/organisations' policies/behaviour. It is because they try to change others.

As to the direction of changes in this world - the jury is still out on this one. While we (in the West) seem to have become less violent, we have driven this civilisation much closer to the brink by other means.

[Nick]

Statistical success rate of tefforist organisations falls between 3 and 7% - in changing states'/organisations' policies/behaviour. It is because they try to change others.

As to the direction of changes in this world - the jury is still out on this one. While we (in the West) seem to have become less violent, we have driven this civilisation much closer to the brink by other means.

Sigh...this is frustrating... you are bring literal and I'm being lateral.. re-read please.

Envision your inner world as the external world. Take different ways of doing and thinking from external sources and ask yourself how can I turn this into a not-doing to change myself.
Some ways of doing this; How can I take this outside of its box? How can I find common ground with the underlying intention of this person's message or actions?

""not so much making arguments for anarchism as "brushing information against information," giving the very words new combinations that de-familiarize and re-energize them. ""
http://www.upne.com/0819564664.html

Brushing their ideas up against your own concepts and thinking in unconventional ways.

Much of what we do affects small changes to the inner-world we assemble. Eventually small changes become bigger...perhaps some chain reactions occur, terrorism is a chain reactions strategy. You could say we are tefforists in our own inner-lives, what the Dadaists did with materials you could say we do with our inner universe.

"Why has the oppressed proletariat not come to its senses and joined you in your fight for world liberation? ... [Because] they know that your antiquated styles of protest – your marches, hand held signs, and gatherings – are now powerless to effect real change because they have become such a predictable part of the status quo. They know that your post-Marxist jargon is off-putting because it really is a language of mere academic dispute, not a weapon capable of undermining systems of control…"

—Nadia C., "Your Politics Are Boring as flower"

"There is a certain litany of oppressions which most radical theories are obliged to pay homage to. Why is it when someone is asked to talk about radical politics today one inevitably refers to this same tired, old list of struggles and identities? Why are we so unimaginative politically that we cannot think outside of this 'shopping list' of oppressions?
—Saul Newman, From Bakunin to Lacan, p. 171"

Hakim bey is typically associated with post left anarchism. Anarchism has a constant drive to eradicate the status quo. Anarchism also lacks a strict ideological structure so it can, though rarely does, remain fluid, and that drive is one way it is different from typical religion. 

Conclusion: The conceptualization of Anarchism (perhaps Panarchism) is a useful tool for implementing in inner terrorism. In which the emotions, feelings, experiences may not be terror, but should be at least as strong as the emotion of terror.
They seek a world were we govern ourselves, I also seek an inner world free from the authoritarian inner slavery imposed by the many conflicting and contradictory false "I's".
Therefor reverse engineering their way of thinking,
taking the result of that reverse engineering, and applying it to a creative process to produce tools to utilize in your own personal life.

Also just because we are here on this forum does not mean we don't also have to be constantly vigilant for the status quo ingrained in us.

[Nick]

"Why has the oppressed proletariat not come to its senses and joined you in your fight for world liberation? ... [Because] they know that your antiquated styles of protest – your marches, hand held signs, and gatherings – are now powerless to effect real change because they have become such a predictable part of the status quo. They know that your post-Marxist jargon is off-putting because it really is a language of mere academic dispute, not a weapon capable of undermining systems of control…"

—Nadia C., "Your Politics Are Boring as flower"

"Why has the oppressed subconscious not come to its senses and joined you in the fight for Total Freedom?...
[Because] it knows that the antiquated covenant you've made with it - your rituals, superficial objects of power and alters, and your discussions on that Soma forum - are now powerless to effect real change because they have become such a predictable part of the status quo. It knows that your neo-Gnostic jargon is off-putting because it has become a language of mere academic dispute not a weapon capable of undermining ingrained systems of control..."

Nai I., "Your Conflict Thinking is Boring as flower"
 

[erik]

Terrorism as a concept, as a thought that is associated with certain energy is a concept of violent failure. Do you want to use such energy in changing self? See the energy of "terrorism".

I am literal indeed, as most of the intellectual mind games have lost meaning for me. It's the energy that counts.

[Nick]

Then you're literalism has caused you to totally miss the actual point. Your words ring of stale critical-conflict based thinking that has tied your mind and I would presume energy into a knot. If your too tunnel visioned to even read and think outside the box I find it highly unlikely that you can accurately feel the energy behind my words.

Terrorism is a word, associated with whatever energy I put into, and if you don't tune into the energy I have put into then you will associated with whatever you believe.
Paranoia, a kind of fear. "The aspect of paranoia that Dalí was interested in and which helped inspire the method was the ability of the brain to perceive links between things which rationally are not linked(remember my use of the term chain reaction, chain=links) Dalí described the paranoiac-critical method as a "spontaneous method of irrational knowledge based on the critical and systematic objectivity of the associations and interpretations of delirious phenomena." What that doesn't say is that almost any intense experience will help achieve this. In this is a way that links this attention and others...


These are not intellectual mind games. But in this particular environment, Toltec nagual-isms, there are certain mental models, mind sets, and programs that have become the status quo of this world. When people can not shift their assemblage point fluidly at will, they parrot back cultural programs as excuses. Your use of "intellectual mind games" in this context is atypical of this brand of laziness. You can do better than that. In this context it is nothing more than an excuse for poor communication.

You are asserting your interpretation of what is being conveyed instead of reading what is actually there and feeling the energy behind the words. You are also using a very western form of thinking that historically derives from the classic intellectual game players the philosophers. Ironically this type of thinking was developed by philosophers to defend church dogma. You are discussing instead of dialoging. Meaning is not flowing, you are trying to give a concussion with discussion.

It is not just the energy that counts.

[Michael]

That is surprisingly articulate Nai.

Then you're literalism has caused you to totally miss the actual point. Your words ring of stale critical-conflict based thinking that has tied your mind and I would presume energy into a knot. If your too tunnel visioned to even read and think outside the box I find it highly unlikely that you can accurately feel the energy behind my words.

tefforism is a word, associated with whatever energy I put into, and if you don't tune into the energy I have put into then you will associated with whatever you believe.
Paranoia, a kind of fear. "The aspect of paranoia that Dalí was interested in and which helped inspire the method was the ability of the brain to perceive links between things which rationally are not linked(remember my use of the term chain reaction, chain=links) Dalí described the paranoiac-critical method as a "spontaneous method of irrational knowledge based on the critical and systematic objectivity of the associations and interpretations of delirious phenomena." What that doesn't say is that almost any intense experience will help achieve this. In this is a way that links this attention and others...


These are not intellectual mind games. But in this particular environment, Toltec nagual-isms, there are certain mental models, mind sets, and programs that have become the status quo of this world. When people can not shift their assemblage point fluidly at will, they parrot back cultural programs as excuses. Your use of "intellectual mind games" in this context is atypical of this brand of laziness. You can do better than that. In this context it is nothing more than an excuse for poor communication.

You are asserting your interpretation of what is being conveyed instead of reading what is actually there and feeling the energy behind the words. You are also using a very western form of thinking that historically derives from the classic intellectual game players the philosophers. Ironically this type of thinking was developed by philosophers to defend church dogma. You are discussing instead of dialoging. Meaning is not flowing, you are trying to give a concussion with discussion.

It is not just the energy that counts.

[Michael]

tefforism as a concept, as a thought that is associated with certain energy is a concept of violent failure. Do you want to use such energy in changing self? See the energy of "tefforism".

The 'energy' of the word ... that is a valid point, but precisely because it has become an inflamed word, it carries a punch which other words may not.

I see the word originally meaning 'creating terror'.
My dic says:
"a person who uses violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims"
"extreme fear. the use of terror to intimidate people. Ø a cause of terror. Ø (the Terror) the period of the French Revolution when the ruling Jacobin faction ruthlessly executed anyone considered a threat to their regime."

Not-doing, as an art form, to which I see the idea belongs, certainly creates fear, even terror, in the subway crowds. But it is a subconscious terror, not conscious or capable of articulation. This comes from personal experience.

But it does not fit with the recent escalated associations with the word terror, or terrorist. I think that is accepted - since the eleventh of September, if not prior. The question is: should we allow the populist interpretation of a word to dissuade us from attempting to reclaim it in a more constructive light?

I, for one, and unhappy to surrender words to politicians with ulterior motives.

[erik]

Nai, you like it - you work with it. Good luck and each to our own devices! The last thing I would think of were trying to persuade or covince anybody in anything.

As to giving meaning or energy to the word/concept of "terrorism". Well, "terrorism" dates back much farther than 9/11 - the word is Latin and describes  Roman warfare and policies precisely for all their 2,200 years. There are many more examples.

And yet - despite suggesting inflicting fear - it is about failure. "Failure" is a leitmotif of our civilisation. Hence the roots of "terror" and its energy go very deep -to the deepest levels subconscious.

Oh, all these idealistic anarchist terrorists who were so fiery about blowing up dignitaries...and themselves - all for the cause of freeing plebeians. They were noble, revered and feared, their eyes glimmered with determinatioan and belief in what they do... What a seductive energy there, and we know precisely where it guided this first wave of modern terrorism.

I would only say that there are energies that run much deeper than the word and the first level of immediate associations with it.

But all that is just on a sidenote.
Back to my simpleton's chores now.

[Nick]

Nai, you like it - you work with it. Good luck and each to our own devices! The last thing I would think of were trying to persuade or covince anybody in anything.

As to giving meaning or energy to the word/concept of "tefforism". Well, "tefforism" dates back much farther than 9/11 - the word is Latin and describes  Roman warfare and policies precisely for all their 2,200 years. There are many more examples.

And yet - despite suggesting inflicting fear - it is about failure. "Failure" is a leitmotif of our civilisation. Hence the roots of "terror" and its energy go very deep -to the deepest levels subconscious.

Oh, all these idealistic anarchist tefforists who were so fiery about blowing up dignitaries...and themselves - all for the cause of freeing plebeians. They were noble, revered and feared, their eyes glimmered with determinatioan and belief in what they do... What a seductive energy there, and we know precisely where it guided this first wave of modern tefforism.

I would only say that there are energies that run much deeper than the word and the first level of immediate associations with it.

But all that is just on a sidenote.
Back to my simpleton's chores now.

Sigh, still no creative thinking? It would have been nice to share in some design based, creative, or lateral thinking instead of a misunderstanding.

If the history of a word went back to a civilization that existed before humans I would still say reinvent the entire meaning of the word, reappropriate it for something different and reclaim and recreate its power. Whatever understanding we already have of what has failed in the past, if we use it to limit our creative power than we are perpetuating the power of that failure. 

I saw hakim bay's work as an example of creatively reclaiming power. And you got caught up in one word of the post missing everything else. If it had been titled poetic not-doing and the word terrorism or is it tefforism, had not been there, the response would have been different. Yet it would not have adequately made the same point. Hopefully someone reading this is capable of seeing it. 

[Muffin]

What's with the word "tefforism"? It sounds silly and ridiculous.