EiS Short: Temporary Autonomous Zone

0:00The late and mostly unlemented anarchist philosopher Peter Lamborn Wilson under the pseudonym Hakim Bay wrote extensively about the pirate utopias of the 18th century and from them derived the concept that he labeled temporary autonomous zones. If you were at the Socialist party at my place a few summers back, you were in a rather excellent temporary autonomous zone or T.A.Z. The party was temporary in that it had a beginning and an end. If you stood up on the wrong night, you weren't in a T.A.Z. You were S.O.L. It was a zone taking place entirely within the boundaries of my particular parcel. And most importantly, it was autonomous. Within the

1:02temporal and spatial boundaries of the party, you hopefully experienced a suspension of certain laws, a relaxing of legal, cultural, and even physical restraints. Perhaps you felt free to drink or smoke more than you usually do, or to give free rein to a flirtatious alter ego, or to talk and sing in an unusually loud voice. Perhaps, like me, you became convinced that you could dance despite past experience to the contrary. Other examples of T.A.Z.s include the Rainbow Family Gathering, Americans Most Truly American Annual Event, Star Trek Conventions, because where else can the middle-aged converse and cling on? The meetings of some charismatic Christian churches where believers routinely speak in strange tongues and handle poisonous snakes, and maybe, some nights, your own bedroom. T.A.Z.s are, I believe, profoundly important. They are an

2:04opportunity to actually experience a little true freedom. For let's face it, we Americans live in a rigid lockdown society. We are routinely spied on, we are physically and legally prevented from altering our brain chemistry as desired, our children are educated in government schools, and much of our speeches monitored and censored. To escape these invisible, but severe constraints, albeit within certain other constraints of time and space, is to exercise and keep alive a fundamental human right. The right to live free, without bowing down to the governments, churches and corporations who control us and abuse us for their own dark and inscrutable ends. I apologize, my raving is unseemly. It's just that the solstice party remains fresh and memory, and perhaps I am feeling a little too free and temporarily unable to ignore the oppression

3:06and inhumanity to which we humans are delivered at birth. I must admit, I rather like this perspective and find it exhilarating. Why not get together with some friends and loved ones, or with a few complete strangers, in some particular place at some particular time and experience it for yourself? This short episode of Everything is Somewhere was written and produced by me, Angus Dawking. I also produce episodes lasting about one hour wherein I interview smart and or interesting people about the hidden geospatial patterns that shaped civilization.