Ripped from the headlines

[gordonzola]

I know it's not funny, but I can't stop laughing at this. I also heard Bob Geldof is up for UN President and Sting was nominated to the World Court but I can't find documentation to support it.

Which washed up rock star should be the next Pope? Oh duh... Sinead O'Connor! Of course!

Comments

[jendle.livejournal.com]

Um, as a former policy wonk, I have to say Bono has actually done a hell of a lot more than most gov/nonprofit types to focus international attention on AIDS and poverty. He also knows a ton about nuclear disarmament and has testified in Congress. He's one of those rare folks who has an actual serious interest in the topics and uses his wealth and fame to do good.

And as long as we're mocking former rock stars who go into real social activism, how 'bout Krist Novoselic and his voting initiatiaves?

Krist

[amillionandone.livejournal.com]

Man, his book is terrible. Did anyone else read that? The part where he's all upset and whiny about the anarchists in the WTO protests in Seattle slayed me...

Re: Krist

[jendle.livejournal.com]

I didn't read the book. I mostly just know about these guys from the political angle.

Punks need to get involved in politics.

Half the anarchists I used to know now work for the government.

Re: Krist

[amillionandone.livejournal.com]

"Half the anarchists I used to know now work for the government."

Is that necessarily a good thing? There are far more ways to get involved in politics than this.

Re: Krist

[jendle.livejournal.com]

That's true. But often the biggest change comes from having people inside who can tweak the system in ways that make outside activists more likely to be effective, or can take opportunities for change that outsiders wouldn't even be aware of. And let's not even get into the possibilities for preventing bad things before they happen -- believe me, a BIG part of any progressive/radical government worker's job.

My favorite part of my former federal job was secretly leaking stuff to the advocacy groups and then sitting back with a smile when the email/phone protest barrages started. The key is that you have to be senior enough to have access to the important stuff, and smart enough to do this effectively without getting caught or compromising your position.

Anarchy is really about the people taking government into their/our own hands. Working in the government is a pragmatic application on the individual level. If you can sustain your principles while working on the inside, it can be great. Personally, I burned out after six years, including a year of watching Bush appointees roll back most, but not all, of what I'd worked on.

Re: Krist

[jendle.livejournal.com]

Oh, I guess I should also confess that along the way, before I became a fed, my political views changed a bit, closer to progressive liberal. Maturity and pragmatism again -- after we smash the state, then what? Mutual aid and libertarian municipalism essentially duplicate many of the structures and goals of progressive liberal democracy. Plus I've seen first-hand how vicious the politics can be, and how certain civil rights issues, like disability access, consistently get left behind in so-called "radical" organizations. That alone made me a believer in rule of law.