Category: Inspiration/provocation

Who still gets surprised?

The news (Sydnytt, Sydsvenskan, Aftonbladet, DN, VG, SvD) have been interesting today. It’s about a recently released video made by the police themselves during an event last December, where the cops turn out to be violent racists.

Big surprise.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7URXWvvslY]

They talk just like I imagined they would in a situation like that. I can understand that they need to let out some steam. But when you picture yourself being on the receiving end, being the ones confronting the police, it’s not really the kind of people you want to have to meet. Even if it’s just talk (which, of course, it isn’t, as we’ve seen over and over), it’s downright scary (and scared people make their job easier, of course, but do we want to make their job easier?). Anyway. That’s not the point I wanted to make. The situation is so obvious this time that you only need to see the clip to know what it’s about. The thing I want to talk about is the media.

Swedish media, swedish politicians and swedish police representatives talk almost exclusively about how damaging this is for people’s confidence in the police. As if “we” (ethnic swedes watching the news) all have an interest in keeping “them” (immigrants, ie criminals = not ethnic swedes) friendly and respectful towards the swedish police force. Because it’s important that people trust the police. I think I’m supposed to feel at home in this “we” and share this concern about “their” respect for the forces of Order, but that won’t happen. I’m one of “them” any day.

There’s also been a lot of talk about whether what can be seen on the video is legal or not. Frankly, I don’t give a fuck about that either (although it is a concern that if there was a video of someone talking that way about cops I’m sure it coule be turned against them in court).

Very few, if any, express some kind of worry that this kind of people is the only group in society who are allowed to use violence. That these are people who get away with almost anything, simply because that’s how we organise society. There needs to be a group of people who we all agree are a little better than everyone else, a little bit more trustworthy and noble. Infallible, almost, no matter the evidence to the contrary.

If we were to appoint someone today to a position like that, would we chose these persons, who talk about violently sterilizing people, calling them monkeys because they come from somewhere else or live in a certain area or whatever? I don’t think so. I don’t hope so, at least.

I think I wouldn’t even like to put someone in that position in the first place. It seems kind of dangerous.

Maybe that’s what the discussion should be about?

Feel-Bad comics…

Edwige – Anna, the pleasure the torment (from the album The inconsolable widow thanks all those who consoled her).

Here’s a sample from a comic that will be published (with some variations, like added color) in an anthology from Komika Förlag on the theme of fire. It will be out sometime next year, I think. This is the remade version that will hopefully make it into C’est Bon Anthology vol. 7 (also next year)… 

eld-cba-2-3_7

Because I’m not interested in making feel-good comics. I recently re-read an old text of mine, about an exhibition we made with C’est Bon Kultur back in the days (ACETON (CH3COCH3, maybe someone remembers it). It made me want to do something reflecting this world we live in and it’s not always a pretty place.

My subtle Fuck You is not always that subtle (a friend/collaborator once said about my comics: “There’s a subtle ‘Fuck you’ to everything you do”, and it’s one of the remarks I ever got that I like the most).

Contagious Orgasm & Government Alpha – From the Outside.

Small Christmas Victories.

Hunting Lodge – Banishing Dirge.

Spent Christmas alone this year. Just me, Haibane Renmei and Bright Future (which was amazingly good by the way).

Haus Arafna – Paranoia.

It struck me yesterday at some point that for some reason you assume that you’re the only one being alone on Christmas. Which probably isn’t true, but it’s probably also the reason that it’s so hard on those who actually are alone (involuntarily so). It seems like everyone else in the world has got someone. Like the old Future Sound Of London song: Everyone in the world is doing something without me.

Karl Runau – Hope for your understanding.

Not for me though. I simply enjoy avoiding (as much as is possible) any kind of empty tradition for tradition’s sake. Sitting alone watching movies on Christmas eve feels like a small victory.

Hypnoskull – No Chance Left.

It’s a voctory (very small, but still) against tradition, against commercialism/capitalism and it’s prophet, Coca Cola’s own Santa Clause.

Alec Empire – Overdose.

Ok, that’s it. Time for breakfast (which, taking place after 18.00, is also a small voctory in itself)…

Current 93 – Crowleymass.

 

Sweden disgusts me.

We (the nation commonly known as Sweden) just sent another immigrant away. A guy who’s lived here for 7 years. A guy who has a wife here and who feared for his life if he was to be sent back. A guy who was already sent back once but had to return to Sweden since they didn’t let hom into Iraq if he was forced to go there against his own will.

A guy who hasn’t been heard from since he arrived in Iraq five days ago.

This is nothing new, but this time there was media coverage. Media coverage that reports that none of the authorities involved in the affair is willing to take responsibility for his disappearence. Not the police, who took him out of the country. Not the department of foreign affairs (or whatever it’s called in english) since he isn’t a Swedish citizen. And not the Immigrations authorities who decided not to let him stay here. Fucking bastards.

What I would like is for policies to actually change according to reality. If someone who claimed to be in mortal danger is sent back and disappears right after he/she sets foot in their country of origin, then don’t fucking send people there anymore.

What I also would like is for people here to physically prevent the police from taking people who are to be deported against their will to the airport. It has been done and it has worked and it should be done more often. Until policies have changed.

If someone comes to your door who is running for their life, you let them in and give them something to eat. Simple regular humanity, if there is such a thing…

The Rage

Autechre – Further

I read some editorial texts in Sydsvenskan, the local newspaper, today (for some reason, we got one in the mail). I hardly ever read papers. It seems like a waste of paper when news are just as available digitally. Seems even more a waste after reading this crap.

One of the texts were about the G8 summit in Tokyo. More specifically it was about the agreement on the climate which even the US agreed on, but critics are disappointed because it could have been a better deal and may already be tool little, too late. The text ends by some kind of attempt to ridicule the protesters because they seem less interested in the environment and more anti-G8 and anti-war.

Of course, the environment is important and we may all be fucked if it isn’t fixed fast, but it also seems to work as a diversion. It’s very convenient for some people to talk about the environment and ignore war, poverty, oppression and all that.

Here’s some inspiration:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV-SpX2gEkA]