Undermining the foundations of the Establishment by supporting local singer-songwriters and avoiding genetically engineered foodstuffs

(Proud member of the Nodeshell Refution Team)

Pukesick, you've got a point, but I'm going to disagree with how you apply it.

Given that we are surrounded by a corrupt economic system that encourages people to participate in shallow materialistic consumer tool lifestyles, simply supporting local song singers and avoiding genetically modified foods will do exactly squat. This will do nothing to reverse the overwhelming trend in our society to give in to this kind of meaningless banality, which in turn acts to give the consumer economy more time to infect our culture. It is too late to simply opt out; we're going to need more dramatic measures. The situation has gotten to the point where standing still can be likened to standing still while someone kills your next door neighboor; making a decision to not join in killing your neighbor doesn't help matters in the least.

What this means in terms of action depends on what you think the world should be like. Personally, I'm closest to an anarcho-collectivist in mindset, so the rational thing for me to do is to join cooperatives dedicated to making it easier to satisfy subsistance needs outside of the capitalist system, and to persuade as many people as possible using whatever means I have that laws have no bearing on ethical decisions.

The most important thing is to actively counteract the further encroachment of whatever you don't like about society. Acting on your own part to just "opt-out" is futile, you need to get your message out and you need to make sure that people that share your ideas after you have something to build on.

Thus, I agree with village idiot that methods ala the node title are ineffective and at worst cowardly measures people use to convince themselves they aren't part of the problem.

I agree with pukesick that this attitude is lamentable and must be discouraged. However, I do think that it needs to be said that not all change is necessarily slow and painful.

The very reason that, as pukesick rightly points out, change can be very slow and involves serious compromise is due to the number of people and the area being affected. However, action in your neighbourhood will often produce quick, satisfying and significant change.

I would argue that those who believe that voting once every four years (or five, or six depending on your nationality) and writing a cheque around tax time to greenpeace (or whatever) not only makes them a part of the system but also means they are significantly directing their society are deluding themselves in the extreme. If you want to effect change, get involved locally! Shop at your local hardware store, giving the finger to Wal-Mart on the way. Buy a cheap demo tape from the kid down the block instead of the vapid crap being peddled by the pimps of Britney Spears (read: her parents). Volunteer to plant flowers in a public garden. Pick up the garbage on your street. Shovel the walk of your elderly neighbour when the snow falls. Join your PTA. Go to the farmer's market. Call your municipal politician to say when he or she is doing a good or a bad job.

Get Involved!

• Rebellious anarchist types, refusing to participate in the death corporation-dominated music scene, resolve to give money only to local singers and songwriters.
• Singer/songwriter, eager to get her music to a wider audience, uses the money to record a demo tape.
• Not being a corporate rock whore, she sends the tape only to enlightened indie labels with strong political convictions.
• Singer/songwriter gets a recording contract with indie label. The rebellious anarchists rejoice.
• As time passes, the singer/songwriter grows tired of preaching to the converted, that is, the same small crowd of rebellious anarchists who buy music from the indie label. She also longs for a day when she doesn't have to worry about whether she can pay the rent next month. Eventually she bids farewell to the indie label and goes to a major label.
• Millions of people delight to the singer/songwriter's music. Her albums are displayed on the shelves at the Wherehouse. She gets a spot at Lilith Fair.
• The rebellious anarchists abandon singer/songwriter en masse, bitterly complaining about how she sold out. Soon, flyers appear on phone poles advertising a coffee house gig by a local singer/songwriter nobody has ever heard of.
• Repeat, ad infinitum.