[Seattle-editorial] FEATURE: Community and fear

[Susan]

Hi Lance,

I share Jonathan's thoughts on the feature. If you could post the whole 
thing as an article and then condense/summarize/focus it for the feature, 
I'd be all for it.

- Susan

At 12:18 AM 11/5/02, jonathan lawson wrote:
>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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