Disclaimers are awesome. Here's one: Sorry guys, I'm a bit more surreal than some of you thought I was. Here's some thoughts on being patronised. Read the left hand column. Ignore the other one. Think for yourself. Learn from others. Yadda yadda blah blah blah. Here's a hero of mine:
Do you wanna see me angry? Then patronise me. What is being patronised? See the other column. If you read in the way I do, you may well have already read it. I like definitions. HEY ASSHOLE! Aren't you patronising ME right now? No. It's very hard to patronise someone by accident. I know that I'm in no position to pretend I am superior to any other person. So any intent for patronization would be in vain. If you think I'm patronizing, you might be confused. You can always walk away right? That's A Bold Claim!TM If you believe in freedom and equality, you know it's important to respect all the people on a fairly fundamental level. Sure if someone is coming at you with a machete, use Daoist Skills on them, disarm them. But if someone is doing harm, you have a license to kick their ass. That's A FACT*TM. So why is being patronising as sinful as a skipful of Cardinals? A feeling of superiority is the justification for more crimes than Busta Rhymes. (Oh Noetry, Bad Poetry*) It's also a profoundly wrongheaded way to convince anyone of anything. I'm going to go out on a limb here. Most people that read this are interested in changing the world, right? Well... Here's a BOLD CLAIMTM. Activists are some of the most messed up people I've ever known, and I'm considered to be pretty messed up by some people*. They lack core life skills. I'll leave it at that for now. I can say this without being patronizing anyone because I have lacked core skills. I never learnt how to wank until I was 22. How is this relevant? Ha ha. I've been patronized so many times in my life that I'm nearly used to it. If you look down on someone, they've (in my unhumble opinion) got the right to hit you back with an uppercut (metaphorical if you like). This is so relevant to anarchist philosophy that I'm surprised it is so widespread in our movement.* What is this all about then? It's a blog, it's meant to be shit. | This side is a bit like dictionary corner, for asides, footnote type bits and other things of interest. Feel free to ignore it, but it should help somehow or maybe I'm just doing it to piss you off with the tivy text. patronising present participle of pa·tron·ize (Verb)Verb:
THAT'S A BOLD CLAIM is hereby the exclusive property of Rice Serbic and all other fellow travellers. I'm the only person allowed to say that now. If it works for the corporations it can work for me right? *THAT'S A FACT is mine. You can't have it. Sometimes it will be abbreviated to simply FACT. Still mine sucka! Ain't trademarking grand? * I stole that, sorry. * I actually think I've been getting considerably saner as time goes on. Why? Because I'm getting better at appearing sane to people that like to patronise me. * It's a bit rich calling it a movement in this country, it appears to be more like a position, with mime artists as guardians of our liberties. I love tangents. Apparently they mean something I didn't. I still love them in both senses. * I actually think I've been getting considerably saner as time goes on. Why? Because I'm getting better at appearing sane to people that like to patronise me. |