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Thursday 12 January 2012

No Forbidding Allowed





Mentioning the Situationists earlier reminded me of them- not that I know a great deal about them- and how they've been a part of 'music' since the 60s, with those riots in Paris in 1968 and the whole 60s subculture, Malcolm McLaren, Sex Pistols, punk's sloganeering generally, The Stone Roses and elsewhere. Greil Marcus does this sort of thing better than me and at far greater length. The slogans and graffiti have been evident over the last few years with the various protests, not least the Occupy Movement and also with silly old Banksy. Still, Situationist slogans can be pretty good even if they read more like something you'd buy on a T-shirt in Top Shop now than an actual call for change.

Be realistic- demand the impossible
Underneath the paving stones, the beach
No freedom for the enemies of freedom
Only the truth is revolutionary
Speechmaking is counter-revolutionary
Millionaires of the world unite- the wind is turning
The golden age was when gold didn't reign
Are you a consumer or a participant?
Going through the motions kills emotions
We demand games with great seriousness
When examined, answer with questions
Unbutton your mind as often as you unbutton your fly
Those who lack imagination cannot imagine what is lacking
Abolish copyright; sound structures belong to everyone
This concerns everyone
When the last sociologist is hung with the guts of the last bureaucrat, will we still have 'problems'?
You may only be 25 but your Trade Union dates from the last century
The boss needs you, you don't need the boss
Let's not change bosses, let's change life
Run, the old world is behind you
No replastering, the structure is rotten
Boredom is counter-revolutionary


Yeah, well, like, whatevs.

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