Together We Can Defeat Capitalism responds to the Google Glass controversy in Francisco with Glass War!
CIO HEROES!!
Edward Snowden!
Edward Snowden is an American hero who has significantly raised public awareness about the United States' government's threat to global freedom by using extreme and illegal measures of surveillance.
it is perplexing that protesters of technology use technology to protest the workers who create the technology. that said, those who benefit most by the creation of technology should be giving back a great deal to those who make them rich by purchasing and accessing the technology rather than displacing them, meaning to society. where do we place the limits of this technology? and should we be protesting the workers? how is this different than past issues of the working class, from farm labor to workers in silicon valley (excluding the obvious salary differences)? should we all have glass? should nobody have glass? should we all turn off our computers and not use email, facebook, google, iphones? if we are all big brothers, who is Big Brother? the world is too goofy to understand in this way……
Maybe this poster’s creators could explain it to me like I’m a box of rocks. Buuuut…
— Glass War = Class War [get it, that one’s easy]
— Google Glass = symbol of ubiquitous state surveillance; symbol of extermination of humanistic culture by tech culture [check, also an easy one]
— People wearing Google Glass = “Glassholes” [yay, super-easy!]
— Che Guevara = Argentine Marxist and guerrilla leader, beloved symbol to generations of revolutionaries and t-shirt wearers [tx, Wikipedia!]
— Che wearing Google Glass = WTF WHY IS CHE WEARING GLASS???
Please read “Guerrilla Warfare” by Che Guevara. There are many references to the use of the enemy’s weapons against him. For example:
“The arms of the enemy, his ammunition, his habits must be considered; because the principal source of provision for the guerrilla force is precisely in enemy armaments. If there is a possibility of choice, we should prefer the same type as that used by the enemy, since the greatest problem of the guerrilla band is the lack of ammunition, which the opponent must provide.”
That is why Che wears the Glass. The danger remains of course of the oppressed using the oppressors weapons and then becoming himself the oppressor. The image of Che wearing the Glass in this sense is ambiguous.
Thank you andycox. I see that your explanation is perhaps an idea that may eventually come out of this particular struggle, but right now there is mostly incoherent rage and misguided anger being spewed at tech workers. Personally I see the vilification of individuals wearing Glass as counter productive. The war to be waged is not against the workers: it is against capital, wealth, and privilege; it is against the corrupt government of San Francisco and the rich capitalists that own the city.
That the workers wear the tools of their oppressors should elicit feelings of solidarity with the tech workers, not rejection.
up your glass!