[Seattle-editorial] FEATURE: Community and fear

[jonathan lawson]

Hey

interesting idea for a feature. I think it's way long for a feature 
though... and kind of diffuse. Starts out being about people's inarticulate 
fear-based critique of western civilization--big topic-- then asks what is 
community anyway? then talks about Burning Man, which feels like the real 
point.

I suggest posting this or most of this as an article, then exerpting a much 
shorter feature blurb linking to it. Short feature based more directly on 
burning man as a model society/ex. of gift economy. Maybe some links to 
/comparison to NW coast traditional gift economies? justa thought.

thanks for this
Jonathan

At 02:20 PM 11/5/2002 -0800, Lance Larkin wrote:
>Green bar: CLIMATES OF FEAR AND COMMUNITY
>Title: Burning Man: Mad ravers and drugged hippies or
>social test?
>
>In a growing climate of <a
>href="http://adbusters.org/magazine/21/fear.html">fear</a>,
>everyone is quick to blame the decline of Western
>civilization on various social ills. This finger
>pointing further marginalizes certain segments of
>society while causing others to retreat into <a
>href="http://www.nindy.com/chw/gated/FA_review_Nation_December_26_1997.html">"communities"</a>
>marketed for their safety. This downward spiral of
>fear results in the fracturing of collectivism, which
>has prompted some to take action by <a
>href="http://adbusters.org/campaigns/corporate/actlocally/initiatives.html">banning
>the divisiveness</a> (and hence the corporation) from
>their public spaces.
>
>But what is the nature of <a
>href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=19659&group=webcast">community</a>?
>Is it really that important and does its lack cause
>fragmentation of society? Some would say yes and have
>traveled far to prove it. Even to the Nevada desert
>where an experimental community sprouts in the desert
>for one week and then disappears.
>
>The mainstream media paints the Burning Man festival
>as a wild, drug-fueled party - once again perpetuating
>concepts of fear driven sensationalism to middle
>America. Descriptions to the <a
>href="http://www.burningcam.com/about/what-is.html">contrary</a>
>claim the event is very participatory. However, even
>these accounts don't address the root of this
>inclusiveness and how the ban of commercialism and
>creation of a <a
>href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=19657&group=webcast">gift
>economy</a> hold Black Rock City together.
>
>Ultimately, this gift economy, a harsh environment and
>the need for total self-sufficiency draw 30,000 people
>together into a populace of general rapport. Though
>the context for this social experiment is hard to
>reproduce in the world of the 9-to-5 job, the Seattle
>Burning Man community is offering a taste of the art,
>music, film, slides and performances of Black Rock
>City this coming <a
>href="http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/public/imc-seattle-community/2002-November/000381.html">Saturday</a>.
>
>
>photo of the Man to be attached
>
>
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