Comments on: The Black Forest Inn: Anarchists 2; Scientists 1

By: Wazza

Wazza — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 15:50:12 +0000

Well, naught, anarchists might take issue with the research done by psychologists and social scientists which basically show that the anarchist philosophy is untenable in large-scale society. Mostly ‘cos people are douchebags in the main.

That said, science runs on a system quite close to what anarchists envisage, but only because it gets lots of grant money and you only get into the field because you’re passionate about it. It wouldn’t work if people were drafted.

By: naught101

naught101 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:44:57 +0000

Wierd. Why do these people seem to think that anarchy and science are mutually exclusive? They complement each other beautifully.

By: DuWayne

DuWayne — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:06:36 +0000

You make me feel much better about the random folk here and there, who decided they should drop out of school because they though I was such a interesting and nifty person – and a dropout. After all, they looked at me and saw a guy who got high a lot, got laid a lot, fronted in a band and aside from that was also a right musical whore (if playing with random musicians could cause VDs, I’d so have all of them now). Yours were students.

I was definitely amused by the notion that you were basically led into an ambush of this sort. Having spent quite a bit of time around anarchists and other deviant social dregs (of which I was/am certainly one), I can totally picture it and the picture makes me chuckle out loud.

I do find it interesting when folks from that period wander across my radar – especially the ones who managed to reconcile reasonable economic success with their very heartfelt beliefs and didn’t lose the latter or compromise their values much in the process. Unfortunately some of them are in rather dark places, but for the most part the ones I’ve seen are doing reasonably well…

By: Stephanie Zvan

Stephanie Zvan — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 21:33:03 +0000

I’m guessing there were approximately seventeen reactions all happening at once, all suppressed, which is what would have made it fun to see.

And yes, “kids” should be in quotes. It had everything to do with being in a stage of life where they were figuring this stuff out and nothing to do with ages. You’ll have to tell me who the brother is sometime. I have a terrible memory for people I’ve met once unless I spend significant time with them at the first meeting.

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 13:30:48 +0000

I still don’t know what to think about it all, but over time I’ve learned more about these “kids” … e.g. one is the sister of someone who took classes form me and is a best buddy of a good friend of mine (this brother … you met him once, Stephanie), and so on. And they are all doing good things as far as I know. I guess in the end, I’m very happy, and we are all lucky, that these “kids” (now in their late 20s, getting married having kids and buying property in the city, or at least some of them) are doing what they are doing. I’m happy to have been part of their history.

But I honestly don’t remember my exact reaction at the time.

By: Stephanie Zvan

Stephanie Zvan — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 03:45:23 +0000

I still find myself wishing I could have seen the expression on your face in the Hard Times, as it all sunk in and you tried very hard not to startle the dropout kids by reacting. All the various, almost completely suppressed expressions….

Good thing I didn’t. They’d have been offended when I laughed.