Category Archives: Politics
Captain Philip (The First Fleet)
We might look upon on colonists and early settlers as rogues; political vagabonds if you will. And we‘re familiar with Western infilitration and Euro-centric exploits that have ravished our centuries. With that in mind, I‘m drawn to the stewardship of Captain Philip. However, I‘m more concerned with his global re-positioning than with his conquering and self-important impositions. I mean; as with a vast number of these colonists: when they‘d move house they did not fuck around. You might have visited Cook‘s Cottage in the Fitzroy Gardens of inner-city East Melbourne. That cottage was originally the childhood home of Captain James Cook, European explorer of the Australian East coast. The cottage was de-constructed brick-by-brick in 1933 and moved from Yorkshire to Melbourne in celebration of the European settlement of Australia. But that, of course, was in the 20th Century. Captain Philip wasn‘t the type to wait over a hundred and fifty years for his estate to arrive post-humously. Philip led the First Fleet on its‘ mission to colonise and subjugate the Australian continent. The mission was one of utmost importance: the British were utterly compelled to be the first foreigners to settle the continent. This haste was borne out of the fear that the Dutch and the French would beat them to it. So Philip led the 11 ships of the fleet: 1030 people (of which 767 were convicts), 7 horses, 7 cattle, 74 pigs, 29 sheep, and 6 rabbits. And then we get to Arthur Philip and all his shit: This crusading Captain was able to halt the embarkation of the fleet until the Crown had roused all of his ‘effects‘ -that which made up over half of the cargo. It was composed of windows fom his house, his cast-iron stoves, tons of his furniture & crockery, and wood cut from his estate. He had a house constructed in England prior to embarking; in sections that were assembled in Australia. I re-iterate: Philips and a surprising number of his contemporaries didn‘t fuck about with their relocations; although contrarily (as with Philip), more often than not their estates did not stand the test of time in foreign climes, and were obliterated. Curiously, Philips himself ended up back in England living in a whorehouse, anyway.
Australia Day (William Cooper)
William Cooper (1861-1941) was a Koorie man of the Yorta Yorta people. He was self-educated and modestly self-effacing in his pursuit of aboriginal representation in the new Federal Parliament; endlessly petitioning King George V for such a motion. Cooper moved to Footscray during his late adult life, where he joined the Australian Workers Union and became further entrenched in indigenous politics. He represented rural Victorian aborigines in fighting for assistance (which was hitherto denied them), during the drought and depression of the 1920s. His most poignant legacy, though, was his repugnance to an event planned in Sydney, 1938 to re-enact the January 26, 1788 arrival of The First Fleet, and raising of the Union Jack at Sydney Cove. All aboriginal associations protested the event and Cooper decried January 26 as a “day of mourning“. This declaration was the foundation for a tradition of aboriginal protest against what is now popular as Australia Day. Cooper currently lays deceased in an unmarked grave near the Barmah Forest; a tragic sarcasm to the cause that he championed.
Parecon
Participatory Economics (Parecon) is a contemporary school of socio-economic thought that seeks to change the way capitalism functions in Western liberal democracies. The movement seeks to reform the current state of the capitalist functionary system and alludes to re-distribution of wealth systems. This notion of reform perhaps addresses what a vast number of people reflect upon nowadays; i.e. Why do the CEOs of large companies earn such ridiculous salries? Why do politicians constitute the failed ambitions of lawyers, business ‘leaders‘, and political hacks? And why do our public institutions suffer for lack of funding and educational resources (eg. underpaid teachers)? And, Is the state of the environment subject to the whim of GDP and profit-margins in private enterprise? Parecon seeks to address these apparent failings of the present state of capitalism. The movement has recently been afforded a boost in the wake of the GFC and current Eurozone crises. Its‘ stated values are:
- Solidarity: people caring about one another and being social in their inclinations
- Diversity: having varied options and outcomes
- Equity: having fair distribution of wealth, income, and also circumstances
- Self-management: people having a say over the decisions that affect them in proportion to the extent they are affected
In all, the Parecon movement seeks to create a more regulatory approach to economic advantage; while enhancing the notion of social inclusion. This matter of ‘social inclusion‘ is currently causing confusion in Canberra but I would assert that it harks back to democratic-socialist policies that have their roots in scandanavian socio-political thought: that is, to foster community development (which may well translate to increased funding). However, it is important to note that Parecon has yet to define itself politically; contrarily, though, that is cause for joy as it invites input and discussion from all walks of life. Perhaps one to look at if you‘re interested in econmonics, society and political thought?
At the back of Communism by M T Walker.
Iepe Rubingh
Iepe Rubingh is a Dutch installation and performance artist. He currently lives and works in Berlin and has been a practicing artist for just over a decade. He‘s renowned for his The Joker Performances whereby he has shut down and disrupted traffic at busy intersections around the world. One such production caused traffic gridlock in Tokyo; for which he receieved a jail sentence of 10 days (which he had no choice but to serve). Below is a video from his 2010 Painting Reality series. In this video some 500 Litres of water-based (non-Solvent) paint is splashed over the Rosenthaler Platz in central Berlin. The resulting artwork serves as both a nod to Action Painters such as Jackson Pollock; but also invokes questions about the environment. However, despite its‘ overt political overtones; this artwork is splendid to view:
http://www.iepe.net/
The Road to Gundagai
Gundagai (population 2,000) is located on the M31 Hume Motorway and the Murrumbidgee River, almost half-way between Sydney and Melbourne. Despite its modest size this town continues to recieve notoriety; both as a focal point for Aboriginal political thought, and as inspiration for Australian artists -being the epitome of rural Australiana. The area is home to the Wiradjuri people and has long been a significant place of Aboriginal custom, and throughout the 20th Century as home to indigenous political movements. Of these, the late ‘King Billy‘ and his quest for Aboriginal self-determination is significant. As an Aboriginal Elder, he joined John Noble under his anglicised named Jimmy Clements in the entourage of the Duke and Duchess of York (subsequently King George VI and Queen Elizabeth respectively) to open the new Federal Parliament House, Canberra in 1927.
Below are some images captured of two of the historic bridges that span the Murrumbidgee and its flood plains. They picture the 1867 Prince Alfred Bridge that is sadly falling into a state of dire disrepair, and the Gundagai Rail Bridge over Murrumbidgee River which is a railway bridge dating from 1902.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Photographs by D. Royce Walker & M T Walker.
Writers Bench
Oriel Guthrie directs this documentary film tracing the development of the graffiti scene in Melbourne. Following on from her 2004 short Skip Hop, this film explores the stories and perspectives of those who grew up with the movement, and also those that are engrossed in its contemporary incarnation. It traces the Street Art scene in Melbourne from 1980 until the present day. The film explores its roots in political slogans, through to the development of styles that are uniquely Australian.
The film screens at ACMI weekly, on Saturdays 12th, 19th, 26th of November at 4pm.
The Long March
Below I have included a video display that documents an A2-sized glossy poster I published a couple of weeks back.
The poster itself is a depiction of the historical circumstances surrounding Mao Zedong‘s The Long March -an event that consolidated the strength of the Chinese Communist Party in the face of its‘ complete annihilation. After the march, Mao consolidated and strengthened the party. He then went on to stage a successful revolution that defined the socio-political structures of modern China.
Communist: Chinese
Nationalist: Chinese (now Taiwan)
Imperialist: Japanese
Fundraiser For Familia
For Familia is a music gig coming up at the end of the month. It is in aid of the Familia Moja Children‘s Home in Kenya. The benefit features music from the Tantrums, Lowtide, Baptism of Uzi, and Sydney‘s Melodie Nelson. DJs are also on the scene, with Shags (Lost Animal) and Chris (New War) dropping tunes on the night. The gig starts at 8pm on Friday, 28th October. It will be held at The Worker‘s Club in Fitzroy. For a mere $15 you will be happy in the knowledge that all funds will go directly to the Familia Home in Kenya; where Westerners have volunteered to help the locals build a permanent structure & facilities. The project is aimed at helping children that are affected & displaced by diseases including AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The project provides a nutrituous diet, shelter, and clothing to suffering poor of the country; with a view to educate and improve the overall well-being of the local community. The home itself is also being built with sustainable technologies and the Familia certainly needs all the help they can get!___________________________________Event On Facebook
Intolerance (Austen Tayshus)
Born in New York as Alexander Jacob Gutman, Austen Tayshus is a comedian from New South Wales. Well known for his dry, black humour riddled with local colloquialisms; he achieved success in 1983 with his Australiana video/music single/sketch piece. Although an advocate for the Jewish religion (his family are Hasidic Jews), and the state of Israel throughout his youth, his comedic career satirises this culture and often includes bizarre, anti-semitic tirades. He ran for the House of Representatives in Sydney during the 2010 Federal Election as a candidate for The Sex Party, and also in the 2011 NSW State Election with the Outdoor Recreation Party.
Intolerance is an engrossing, witty, and ultimately brilliant comedy short film. It was the winner of Tropfest in 1998 and I‘d still classify it as Austen Tayshus‘ best work (even compared with Australiana). The short was directed by Paul Fenech (creator of Fat Pizza) under the pseudonym Laura Fienstein, and was edited by David Rudd. Austen Tayshus also appears in the films Holy Smoke and Strange Planet.
Leni Riefenstahl
INFX presents an anti-semitic feast of the highest regard! Herein we feature the entire full-length film of the Adolf Hitler-sanctioned Triumph des Willens.
Leni Riefenstahl began life as a dancer prior to the formation of Nazi Germany. Whilst performing in Prague, she suffered a broken knee, and thence moved into the film world. After gaining notoriety as an actress, she switched to making films. Riefenstahl is well regarded as a cinematic pioneer: she brought new innovations into the development of film propaganda. Her technical and aesthetic achievements in film production culminated in Triumph des Willens. Following a spate of propaganda films for the Third Reich, she completed her Olympia film in 2 parts; travelling to the home of the Olympics in Greece before documenting the 1936 games in Berlin. Olympia is widely regarded as the 20th-century benchmark for documentary. Her use of slow-motion capture and dolly shots tracking athletes was indeed ground-breaking. However, after the fall of Nazi Germany her own career disintergrated. Although not charged before the Nuremburg trials, she remained artistically void until re-emerging as a photographer in Sudan during the 70s; where she documented the Nuba tribe. For this she achieved international recognition, and continued on to realise her dream as an under-water photographer. Following her death aged 101, in 2003, her achievements in film were re-visited and posthumously endowed with the acclaim they deserved (in spite of her employ by the genocidal maniacs of the Nazi party).
Project Coast
Well, we haven‘t really had a chance to discuss politics lately, now have we? No.
This leads me to address the South African Nuclear Programme and it‘s sinister cousin, Project Coast. South Africa is the only country in the world to have abandoned a Nuclear Weapons programme that they had developed independently. The programme was begun with the aid of Israeli Nuclear physicists during the late 60s, and established proper in the mid-70s. The motivation for nuclear weapons procurement was because the South Africans were, at the time, engaged in a proxy war with Cuba; in Angola. The South African government feared that the communists would win in Angola (which they did), and continue domino-effect styles through Namibia and into the Apartheid apparatus itself. And thus the government developed, and tested, their weapons throughout the 70s and 80s. France was a notable critic; warning that diplomatic relations would be compromised. Upon the advent of the anti-apartheid political strength of the ANC (African National Congress), championed by the notorious Nelson Mandela, the South Africans signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and began to dismantle their programme. It was stated at the time that this was to provide South Africa with better international relations. However, it transpires that the South Africans (and their allies) were afraid that an ANC-controlled South Africa would continue to ally themselves with the likes of Gaddafi and other nominally socialist regimes that were a perceived threat to Western interests (i.e. “can‘t trust those blacks with nukes“).
During the development of the nuclear weapons programme, though, South Africa also routinely developed a chemical and biological weapons programme too. This was believed to be, in addition to the nuclear warheads, as a means of defence against foreign threats (again, namely the Cuban-sponsored communist and socialist revolutions in the region). This programme was named Project Coast. On the surface, nothing about this endeavour seemed to differ from other chemical weaponry developments around the world. However, upon the end of apartheid and the installation of the aforementioned ANC-controlled government; it was revealed that the programme was in fact unique and differed significantly, and bizarrely, from anything in the world up until that point. That is, the South African government had also developed a chemical weapons arsenal to use against its own people. It could easily be assumed that these domestic threats were the non-white population and their sympathisers. The story gets interesting, though, when you look at the types of chemicals used in these tear-gas type weapons: They included MDMA, cocaine, ketamine, methamphetamines, diazepam (as in valium) and a host of others that we commonly know as hardcore (or recreational) drugs. Utter insanity. I mean, they must have resolved that if the blacks started to revolt, that the revolution was going to turn out like some kind of drug-addled festival of sorts and everyone would have been off their face. Imagine that, eh? The whole country tripping balls whilst staging a coup? I know these types of drugs (as weapons and such) have been around for decades prior, but it is certainly unique for a country to develop this kind of shit for their own people. Crazy raw.
Kuala Lumpur (Super Sunday SSCG)
I rocked into town on the back of a tour-of-duty through cities in Japan, China, the vexatious and insidious DPRK, South Korea and, finally Malaysia‘s Kuala Lumpur. However, all was eerily quiet and I found myself wandering the streets alone. A large Police presence began to present itself and I was suddenly asking myself whether the revolution was in my midst.
Rounding a corner, I was faced with a blockade of riot gear-clad Policeman and Military brandishing sophisticated weapons such as clubs, batons, and the obligatory tear gas. I could not see the protesters for the governmental ensemble; except for the few that broke police lines and bolted through the streets, before being cut down by said weaponary. Beatings ensued.
Next, the cops started to warn any on-lookers (the 2 dozen or so of us), to “go back to your hotel rooms, go! go! go!” -and that we did, as the tear gas was let loose. I found myself wondering what fate had led me into the situation; following on from a nightmarish week under 24/7 sureveillance, scrutiny, and fatalistic intimidation back in the DPRK.
By midday the crowds had dispersed in my area (next to Opposition Party headquarters). Next day, I went sight-seeing amongst the graffiti exploits of my Malaysian friends, and topped it off with some discussion about the Secret Wars movement and the graff functions organised by the real heads at Super Sunday. It was my second trip to the store, and if you are ever down at Bukit Bintang, wander around the monorail station and check out the styles on show there!
Also, check some documentation of my time spent about town:
http://thesupersunday.com
The Pearl
This is a novella of the first order, by acclaimed 20th Century author John Steinbeck.
Although quite concise; this piece of literature manages to engage in a parable of political observation that belies the modern social gestation in the United States (it was published in 1947). However, you are not at once drawn to its extra-narrative influence. The story takes precedence in the way in which The Pearl is recieved.
Set on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, in a sleepy fishing town the story depicts local American Indians living in relative squalour to their European expatriate masters. Henceforth, the moral tale is wound from our protagonist‘s discovery of a mighty pearl of such amazing beauty that it “rose to an aching chord that caught the throat, saying this is safety, this is warmth, this is the Whole” and the events that unfold around him and the power of wealth over man -to empower him or perhaps to destroy him? And herein lies the political framework for your consideration. This literature is certainly as profound as it is ambiguous; an inspiring novel to comfort those of any political persuasion or, indeed anyone with an eye for a good read.
Public Enemy
Just over a week ago, some friends and I witnessed Public Enemy live (again). Although this concert was a long way from the grand expanse of The Forum in Kentish Town, North London, the gig was rabble-rousingly intimate at The Corner hotel in Richmond.
This time round the militia were pumping their tour of 1990‘s Fear Of A Black Planet. Although they gave the show a lot of effort and their skills were there to thrill -it was all too clear in my mind that these guys had long since fallen asleep at the wheel. Or, to be sympathetic: are now well past their prime.
However, they fronted up for over 2 hours and gave us all a thrilling set. Apart from catching Flava Flav lip-syncing every now and then; everything else was overwhelmingly enjoyable -the fresh set list complete with crowd participation, political spiels, guests (including members of 2 Live Crew) and a tight freestyle battle between Chuck D and Flav that pretty much clinched the value of the $90 ticket, or therebouts. All-in-all, it was a brilliant show for the die-hard fans and certainly no staggering disappointment for the rest of us. And then there were the ageing Aussie homeboys: but that’s another story entirely.
-TW
Music Nerdism Part 3
“EXPLICIT LYRICS VERSUS EXPLICIT REALITY“
Showing one‘s differences has never been so scrutinized as it has today. In a world of political correctness, it seems that people have lost sight of common sense versus the bureaucratic decrees of governments to tell us what it good for us, as the well known moral entrepreneurs known as the Parents Music Resource Center aka the PMRC advocated for parental advisories for “bad“ music: meet the “filthy 15“
| 1 | Prince | Darling Nikki | sex, masturbation |
| 2 | Sheena Easton | Sugar Walls | sex |
| 3 | Judas Priest | Eat Me Alive | sex |
| 4 | Vanity | Strap on Robbie Baby | sex |
| 5 | Mötley Crüe | Bastard | violence |
| 6 | AC/DC | Let Me Put My Love Into You | sex |
| 7 | Twisted Sister | We’re Not Gonna Take It | violence |
| 8 | Madonna | Dress You Up | sex |
| 9 | W.A.S.P. | Animal (Fuck Like A Beast) | sex |
| 10 | Def Leppard | High ‘n Dry | drug and alcohol use |
| 11 | Mercyful Fate | Into The Coven | occult |
| 12 | Black Sabbath | Trashed | drug and alcohol use |
| 13 | Mary Jane Girls | In My House | sex |
| 14 | Venom | Possessed | occult |
| 15 | Cyndi Lauper | She-Bop | sex, masturbation |
Ahhhh most of you kids don’t even know who these artists are anymore.
And yet… nothing exists to censor the media and their constant stream of coverage of fear-mongering government leaders.
The censorship of what artists (contemporary philosophers, if-you-will) fucks with my head when I consider George W. Bush telling people “You’re either with us or them.”
Why bother to use your brain when someone‘s done all the thinking for you; as my good friend Rene drawled to me in his drunken pop stupor one night:
“Kesha doesn’t say anything, and this is why people love her! I hate her, but I can‘t stop listening to her because she‘s everywhere!”
Yes. The world has gone crazy, and liking music that doesn‘t reflect a mainstream brand or lifestyle is “the workings of hipster faggots.“ Really, the wrong people are getting targeted here. The most popular music is the music that has nothing to say. We are steadily becoming a society of idiots that prefer some “hired geek“ to work out all the details of our lives. We want to look like Paris Hilton because she is commercially “sellable“ but things were never like that before…
(Just wanted to give the big girls some love.)
It’s a shame and it’s life. All I can say is that piracy is awesome, enjoy it while you can, because one day the internet will not be so free (unless you act now), and your lives will be touched by the winged-goat monstrosity of corporate culture and the police state. If you actually think that we will have the freedoms to have information at the tip of our fingers forever, think again.
-DJ Moshi Moshi
Music Nerdism Part 2
“Kill the Emos“
Today you can argue that one can still get this music per subscription to extra channels of cable or get that satellite radio crap, but really, what has happened is that music itself has been commodified and packaged where the music industry, not the artists themselves, say who you get to hear and what you should like. If you have money, you can afford to hear subcultural resonance, if you don‘t– HELLO KESHA! Commercialism and tin foil hats aside, we are getting gypped. (Don’t even get me started on small-town DJs).
Today‘s vacuous and post-apocalyptic landscape of reality television and the public‘s fascination with media whores of all calibres has eroded the fabric of entertainment as we used to know it. Now if you display any sort of “insider” knowledge on the next cool thing, you are a hipster. The negative connotations of such need not be emphasised in this piece of writing. Why bother? I have already heard what the mainstream has to say about it. The fact of the matter is this: we are an ignorant species despite our “civilised” demeanor. The more knowledge the average person does not know about something, the more one rejects it. It‘s better to throw rocks and scream like a monkey at the fire that burns rather than learn what it can do for you.
If you follow my metaphor you will see that what I really mean is that music and art are the provocateurs of critical insight. Our lives, our governments, our society as a whole; depend on the willingness to question what others tell us. To demonise something like one‘s taste for music that is “cooler than the shit you listen to“ is to play into the mob mentality mindset.
This can go awry in terrible ways. Emo kids in Mexico still get the crap beaten out of them for being douchey little emo kids. It‘s a problem that any Telenovela (Spanish Soap Opera) is not afraid to have a “serious dialogue” about. I kid you of course, but I did see an episode where a tearful mother asked her daughter if it was really true, “Eres..Emo?” (Are you Emo?)
-DJ Moshi Moshi
Music Nerdism Part 1
The quest to be taken seriously.
When I was a kid, my best friend and I would get together and listen to records, tapes and cds at her tiny Houston, TX suburban home after school. Yes, we did listen to that Iron Butterfly drum solo for “Inagaddadavida.” Yes, we did play Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven“ backwards. We experimented. Music was so important to the shaping of our lives from that point onward. We weren‘t just listening to her dad‘s vintage collection of classic rock vinyls either. Those, my friends, were the fundamentals to music. We were staying up all night to watch MTV back when music was still a basic cable commodity and the internet was the wild west… essentially a burgeoning frontier… But we’ll get to that later.
“Empty-Vee” now differs so much to what used to exist back then. For one, it had plenty of real music programming. Late nights were filled with music of all persuasions ranging from riot grrl, punk, hardcore, avant garde, trip hop and much, much more. King Missile, Green Jello, Sonic Youth, Faith No More, Portishead, Sex Pistols, Built to Spill, Etc. The world of music was rich with opportunity. Now you couldn’t find a music video if your life depended on it. The Buggles wisely warned us of these problems. “Video Killed the Radio Star“, ironically, is covered by one of the shittiest country music singers I’ve ever heard. I won‘t bother to name names in this case, but FUCK! Way to anally rape our revolution and pour sugar down the creative gas tank. The fact that I can‘t escape that music because I’m shopping in the grocery store makes me want to claw the stock boy’s eyes out, screaming obscenities like a crazy cat lady.
Clean Clean by The Buggles.
-DJ Moshi Moshi
