Posters & Stickers Campaign!
Jul 11 2005 07:58
I think John was very right when he said we need to put up posters - I’m not talking about flyposting or anything illegal (of course…).
I propose this message:
THE WARS ARE YOURS - THE DEATHS ARE OURS/WE DIE!
OVER A 100 000 IN IRAQ...
ALREADY 50 IN LONDON...
FIGHT THE RULERS NOT THEIR WARS!
I'm quite convinced the only effective answer in this situation can be a daring ideological counterattack. It seems arse-licking to avoid putting it in the right context -mentioning Iraq and its victims.
Also, instead of the overly ideological and bloodthirsty ''NO WAR BUT CLASS WAR'' (not exactly the content of many people's wet dreams), the slogan ''FIGHT THE RULERS NOT THEIR WARS'' sounds more immediate & is more accessible/universal but possess that ''mind-bending'' quality of putting things into a new perspective just as well – more than ''fight the bosses'' which doesn't differentiate between various kinds of ''bosses'', and therefore definitely seems overly aggressive to most people.
Someone should contact Clifford Harper (or Julian Gibson or...) to help with (ideologically non-sectarian) design (which shouldn't distract from the words) – Sash told me Freedom Press should be able to contact Clifford Harper, and Julian Gibson has got a website.
Could libcom open a transfer account for raising money to pay for posters? I can initially give £50. I'll also help advertise the appeal to hundreds of groups (both in and outside London). Of course, the bombings affected more than just London, so our response should also try to be on the national level if possible (especially after the false alarm in Birmingham and the games they'll be playing in the future).
“Charles Mowbray” told me that it’s possible to produce an A5 (?-like half an A4 paper) sticker which would be fantastic (and much harder to peel off than a poster)!
Could someone get a quote from calverts.coop and activedistribution.org for copies (colourless I guess), or would it be best to let Freedom Press print them? We could then plan how much money we need. WE NEED THOUSANDS OF POSTERS & STICKERS!
I’ll also help with finding people to put the posters (and/or stickers) up. I already have some comrades in mind. Besides, there are a few hundred people on the Haringey Solidarity Group mailing list (for example), so that shouldn’t be a big problem.
I think everything should more or less be prepared by the end of this week. Please get involved.
Who’s up for it??
Comradely,
Dan 
Jul 11 2005 08:22
#2
oisleep wrote:
i can stick £20-30 in and help with putting the things upalthough i suspect the rest of this thread will centre around "who made you in charge" yadda yadda type affair
I operate on the principles of self-management 8)
Besides, this was John's idea first, and everyone can hop in.
Jul 11 2005 08:24
#3
thanks for being the first to chip in oisleep
no worries gr
Jul 11 2005 08:37
#4
Oh, and thanks for being the first to chip in oisleep 
Great help with the dough.
Jul 11 2005 08:38
#5
Yeah, we're pretty skint but Organise! should be able to put some money into this.
How 'bout "Fight Our Rulers - Not Their Wars", dunno maybe its better the other way?
Jul 11 2005 08:39
#6
yeah i think that sounds good
Jul 11 2005 09:24
#7
Boulcolonialboy wrote:
How 'bout "Fight Our Rulers - Not Their Wars", dunno maybe its better the other way?
/quote]
Well, my bro says the first one is better and less ambiguous (I hate to agree:)
HIS ARGUMENTS:
Firstly, it kinda complicates the fact that they're simply not ''our'' (although a part of the political elite was elected...).
It also makes it sound less universal, almost like it's produced for the terrorists...they rule over ''us'', while this ''us'' isn't clearly defined, so it loses on the ''impersonality of class rule'' that we want to depict.
...I don't know.
Jul 11 2005 09:37
#8
Yeah thats grand it's just that people may wonder how we go about fighting rulers in others parts of the world - I mean its hard enough for people during low levels of struggle to imagine how they might actually fight the rulers at home never mind overseas or at the head of Al Q. Yeah the struggle should be international but shouldn't we start at home?
And I meant 'our' rulers in the sense that they rule over not in the sense that I thought we'd put them their 'democratically' - surely use of the word rulers as opposed to for example delegates makes that clear? Maybe not.
But to be honest when I see 'the rulers' I think of those wooden, plastic or metal things used to draw straight lines. 
Either way is grand really don't let this minor quibble hold anything up. And I wouldn't want to be disagreeing with yer bro.
Jul 11 2005 09:38
#9
could the posters consist of pictures only to avoid the imminent drawn out discussion over every single word used 
but seriously, gr will the leaflets/stickers have just the text that you proposed in bold on it, can anyone knock up a draft of how it will look (i'm shite at that kinda thing), sooner you have something tangible that people can discuss/constructively criticise the better
who are all these clifford/julian types by the way?
Jul 11 2005 10:55
#10
i suspect everyone is stuck in a que trying to get on and post/pledge some support for this
Jul 11 2005 15:19
#11
Quote:
people may wonder how we go about fighting rulers in others parts of the world?(...)Either way is grand really don't let this minor quibble hold anything up. And I wouldn't want to be disagreeing with yer bro.
Quote:
Thanks for your support, mate. I didn’t mean people should fight the rulers in other countries, I actually just wanted to put a self-explanatory spin on it
But this is really a secondary issue…What do you think about the "deaths are ours/we die" dillema?
Quote:
gr will the leaflets/stickers have just the text that you proposed in bold on it, can anyone knock up a draft of how it will look (i'm shite at that kinda thing), sooner you have something tangible that people can discuss/constructively criticise the betterwho are all these clifford/julian types by the way?
I actually had posters and stickers in mind, I'm sure you also meant that.
If anyone's capable,FEEL FREE TO MAKE A DRAFT (I'm not of much use here, either). You won't get any medals for it but I promise I'll jump with joy
Clifford Harper is a famous anarchist artist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifford_Harper).
Julian Gibson, a great young guy, wrote some stuff for Freedom and illustrated the libcom organise section (his website: www.juliangibson.com).
Jul 11 2005 15:57
#12
any idea how much an initial batch would be? test the water so to speak
not exactly flooded with offers of support so far though
Jul 11 2005 16:32
#13
if we are talking of stickers in the style of class war and anarchist fed, then i'll get some for £20 to distribute. Though i would think Manchesters Basement folks would like to have a bunch anyway.
perhaps someone from classwar etc could give an idea of how much these cost?
Jul 11 2005 17:36
#14
gr the 'deaths are ours' is much better than 'we die'. 'We die' is a bit sensationalist, it sounds sorta like we 'all' die as a result of their wars, the 'deaths are ours' is better for expressing that its 'ordniary' people who are dying. Y'know, people like us as opposed to 'the rulers/our rulers'.
Stark, bold black and white posters and stickers would be cheapest and also have a good impact. White text on black might work, but I'm off on hols for a few days now - Malatested should be keeping an eye on this for Organise! though.
In solidarity;
Jul 11 2005 19:14
#15
Boulcolonialboy wrote:
gr the 'deaths are ours' is much better than 'we die'...Stark, bold black and white posters and stickers would be cheapest and also have a good impact. White text on black might work, but I'm off on hols for a few days now - Malatested should be keeping an eye on this for Organise! though.
I agree with you. Thanks.
Jul 12 2005 12:14
#16
gentle revolutionary wrote:
THE WARS ARE YOURS - THE DEATHS ARE OURS/WE DIE!OVER A 100 000 IN IRAQ...
ALREADY 50 IN LONDON...
FIGHT THE RULERS NOT THEIR WARS!
Blindin, though I'm not liquid atm, so I can't afford to chip in, sorry
I'd be all for distributing them though 
i can stick £20-30 in and help with putting the things up
although i suspect the rest of this thread will centre around "who made you in charge" yadda yadda type affair
maybe worth posting something up on urban75 as well, may get a wider airing (and wider seers of derision as well probably)