De-Evolutionary Devo

by Richard Oxman

“Oscar Kiss Maerth is the author of The Beginning Was the End (1973), a pseudo-scientific book that claimed modern man devolved from a species of brain-eating apes. According to Maerth, this diet increased the apes’ brain size, sex drive, aggression, psychic ability and eventually caused insanity. Maerth offered no evidence for his theories, claiming only divine inspiration. Maerth’s book was an influence on the new wave band Devo, who referred to him in early interviews as ‘Author Kiss-My-Ass’.” — from *Wikipedia*, the free online encyclopedia

DV,D = Don’t Vote, Devolve.

There’s no getting around it. No progressive movement is going anywhere without citizens increasing their vocabulary. Stretch mucho. So…no apologies for using the word devolve.

Look it up. Then, look in the mirror.

By then, I should be over the sarcastic heavy episode I’m having on the page here.

This will be funny and serious as hell simultaneously, if I may say so.

Everyone’s familiar with the old “Don’t Vote, Don’t Encourage Them” bumper stickers. At one point, I remember seeing the injunction plastered on Dean & Deluca grocery bags in NYC. That was quite awhile ago.

I’m going to use that sentiment as a point of departure… for something much more powerful than what was ever conceived… back in those early days. A Gourmet’s Protest, if you will. Stick with me, so we can stick it to The Powers. Blend their brains to death.

Chris Floyd, in his “Deadly Hypocricy is Business as Usual” says (in lamenting that the Bush administration is now *officially* in bed with the Darfur genocidists):

“But what can you do? Each week–each day–brings fresh confirmation of this damning truth. And until the American people redeem their lost national honor by rising up in their millions–taking to the streets with the patriotic cry, “These murderous jackals no longer represent us!”–the Bush crimes will go on, and must be documented. So grab the bell-rope: here we go again.”

The editors at Counterpunch, I believe, plugged in a “Ring Them Bells” clarion call above Chris’ title. It echos what Floyd says, but… we can do much better. We do NOT have to keep playing in the Gong Show.

If the truth be told, Chris lost me with the “lost national honor” reverberations.

Here’s how to give The Powers the hook, as they used to say in vaudeville:

You start by reminding yourself of how useless, how counterproductive the status quo of The Left is, has been. That means you’re gearing up to go it alone in many instances… since your initial efforts at anything meaningful are unlikely to solicit a positive response… from those who are invested in Protest As Usual. Once you’re resolved to do something different –and forgo/reject Popularity Contest Syndrome– it’s going to be a breeze.

But it will build. More than a Third Party.

You stop voting. Stay with me. Not in the predictable way.

You stop voting. It’s worth repeating ’cause you have to get ready to repeat that mantra incessantly. You stop voting, and you stop talking about voting. You stop engaging in all that traditional reformist talk (and related phenomena) respecting The Booth. You become the John Wilkes Booth of the DV,D Movement.

Suddenly, your Day Runner loves you. You have lots more time. For whatever you want. And you can use some of that energy to recruit people.

I loved enough about what Ralph Nader was about to have voted for him the last two times out. Ditto for some local dudes and dudesses. But not a finger on the button for any of them, even the sweeties…in the near future.

I’ve got bigger ambitions than what putting Ralph in the political arena achieves, what fighting to get him in on the National Debates accomplishes. And with all due respect to Steven Hill’s work and the strides made by others from The Center for Voting and Democracy, I’m urging people to NOT invest any more hope in correcting “The Failure of America’s Winner Take All Politics.” [1]

Bigger Fish to Fry. Fish that are actually in the polluted waters…in which we’re slouching.

I’m always trying to come up with forms of protest which are easy on the levels that obviously tax people. F’r'n’stance, something that doesn’t cost any money. No time required, little distance to travel. Sans head bashing. Unlikelihood of being taken out of the hood ‘n into the hoosegow. And so on.

Readers who know my work, know that this is so. What they may not know is how low the response has been to my suggestions* for national solidarity moves to date.

*Available upon request.

That might be discouraging to some, but not for me. ‘Cause I know that the alternatives I’ve put on the table have held some significant promise. That the problem is with the people, not the plans/proposals. And part of the proof is that they choose to churn their wheels in the old ruts…in which their vehicles are rotting. Settling for saving one Iraqi. Or one raise. Maybe.

One huge difference between this “no voting” approach and ones from the past is that DV,D is going to make a DEMAND. In fact, I almost decided to have the final “D” in the acronym stand for that word instead of devolve. Both are positive, however, in contrast with the first two words. A convenient balance –in either case– that will keep The Powers from growing stronger. At least… that’s the idea.

Which they are slated to do, if unimpeded by something stronger than reformers.

When my dad and I went to the racetrack, you’d always hear people say, “Just look at the record.” Well, look at the track records of the people in question here. Not just the politicians, but those of the so-called progressive reformers. And the nominative radicals.

We must divorce ourselves from their mutual scam. The vested interest of the politicians is clear, as are the limitations of the best of them. Problems related to reformers and radicals in good standing are…not so clear.

What’s near and what’s dear is the growing opportunity to make a DEMAND.

Let me be presumptuous for the moment, and give you a demand that I think will serve our purposes. DV,D is certainly open to substituting… or adding to/changing what follows. However, I do think that our initial thrust should be as simple as possible… with as much ‘cross the board appeal that we can fit into a single declarative sentence.

WE WILL CONSIDER VOTING AGAIN WHEN THE POWERS PROVIDE BASIC HEALTH INSURANCE FOR EVERY RESIDENT IN THE U.S.A. –ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT THE IRAQIS HAD BEFORE WE OCCUPIED THEIR COUNTRY– FREE OF CHARGE.

To be paid for by…you know who. Or should. Bone up, once you put the dictionary down. Impacting on you know what wars. Something that can appeal to the vast majority of the country…potentially. Once the same obstacles which stand in the way of reformers are overcome. A proposal that could be implemented virtually overnight.

Without uttering the word Socialism. A totally counterproductive word at this juncture, the use of which borders on betraying political/clinical masochism.

This is not just another proposal that’s come down the pike. It’s your only shot. The only one I see on the horizon. Zero else remains. If we’re speaking of unified nationwide efforts carrying a utilitarian veins… for this lifetime… or any other.

The pains of the pitiful… in this Horn of Plenty… have you pegged. Are you going to do something? Don’t forget to let me know… if you decide to leave my blood in the dust here.

And don’t forget that you’re being asked to have faith in someone other than gangsters. Faith that might be fueled by offering something that resonates with enlightened self-interest. Risking something to be as inclusive as possible from the start, in the spirit of what’s right. Believing that that will hold us together down the road. A something that doesn’t require much more to get off the ground than a new attitude. Not even a walk to the nearby booth. To be done… in a walk.

Of course, you must not let the Usual Suspects derail you with pointing out that voting numbers are ridiculously low already… and that zero’s to be gained by lowering those figures further. Nonsense. Railroading.

Use your imagination vis-a-vis possible international scenarios. You can’t be that dead.

Let the world see virtually no one voting here… with reasons made public… from positive angles… coupled with a doable demand… and see what happens.

Devo (The De-Evolution Band) was comprised of members who were Kent State students at the time so-called National Guards killed protesting friends in ‘72. Plus. Co-founder Gerry Casale tells me that that was a pivotal moment for the band.

The Powers still reserve the right to get rid of troublemakers. Let’s band together… force devolution through the backdoor… and ask for much more.

This is a pivotal moment.

But whatever you do or don’t do, please don’t ring any bells for me and my gal or anyone else. You’ll just succeed in making my American Migraine much worse.

Fruitynote:

[1] Steven Hill’s Fixing Elections (New York: Routledge, 2002) is an excellent work for reformers. And his former colleague, Caleb Kleppner (from the Center for Voting and Democracy) made an invaluable contribution to our OneDance: The People’s Summit. However, the reason I gave this section the title I did is that I firmly believe that one has to be the fruitiest of nutcakes to remain in that reformer’s realm… with all that’s on the table now, including Dahr Jamail’s latest photos\*. Suffering from Civics Class Syndrome? Is that it?

*Scroll down to the last images at Falluja Fish Fabula with a Frank Footnote, heartbeats permitting.