think in leyers

[zana poliakov]

THINK IN LEYERS
piracy dilemma in Serbia




there is no a single document of culture which at the same time would not 
be a document of barbarianism
walter benjamin


Of course, there is a political element in antipiracy treats and wars and 
anti-copyright and copyleft/freeware/shareware ideology, regardless of how 
we define politics. Personally, and judging by some experience, I perceive 
it in widest terms possible. Are you rough and macho or effeminate and 
gentle? Do you believe human nature is fundamentally good or evil? Should 
we be open or mysterious? How do we treat the ones who think differently? 
Do we consider moral values fixed and invariable or negotiable? Is art 
merely cultural masturbation? Is sex always dirty or only when it is done 
properly?


The thing considered Evil in one part of the world, seems pretty obvious 
that in the other parts is working in the name of Good. Inteligentsia, 
open-minded people, technology lovers &they were the first to go into the 
technological age, although our Minister of Finance disappointed us 
announcing that only 2 % of Serbia population is using computers. The tool 
that we define as basic literacy nowadays?! It is more then obvious that 
only the Chosen ones had the will power enough or the savings enough ruined 
by inflation of pyramidal banks, to get into the WWW and explore pleasures 
of the Net. Crucial point is why - as an escapist therapy of flammable 
political and social situation or to communicate with Others. By Being 
Online, whatever you do or whatever you think, you soon realize that -you 
are not Alone.



In art Serbia and Belgrade of the year 2000 was marked by radical pressure 
exerted on all possible types of artistic forms to engage in politics. This 
would have been perhaps a customary way in which art would warn life or how 
art would emulate life (or vice versa) had it not grown into an interesting 
and increasingly posh concept called activism. The end justifies the means. 
We will subscribe to this in the situation 'save Serbia and kill yourself 
Sloboooo'. Nothing is true, everything is allowed.

'currently the best political activists are children' -says Critical Art 
Ensemble - teenager hackers working on penetrating corporate and government 
security systems from their parents' homes and student campuses. Their 
intentions are unclear. Some appear as if they are aware of their actions 
being essentially political. 'regardless of your being aware of it or not, 
if you are a hacker -you are a revolutionary, but the question is - to what 
end? Not a single objective is mentioned except for the first step: free 
access to information. It is never discussed how to use the information. 
The problem with letting the children act as an avant-garde of activism is 
that they still have not developed critical sensibility that would guide 
them beyond their first political encounter. Irony lies in the fact that 
they are intelligent enough to realize where political action must 
originate in order to have an impact... Somehow it is quite logical then 
why OTPOR (RESISTANCE).

The state in its character is an antipode to Internet technology which is 
hailed as decentralized, multidirectional communication, non-hierarchical, 
tolerant, transnational, cosmopolitan, transcultural, and therefore grants 
an equal position in using the media to both alternative and minority 
identities ( paraphrasing [mama] net.culture club in Croatia proclamation 
). Similarly structured was opposition, current 'opposition', present-day 
'authorities' and multiplying-by-mere-replication independent organizations 
- obsession with political struggle, the same balance of power and rule 
from above, culture is used only to the extent needed to achieve temporary 
aims.

Profile of an EU/US activist promoting electronic civil disobedience 
-vegetarian refusing to go to McDonald's restaurants, eat Nestlé 
chocolates, drink Coke, buy Shell Oil petrol...
Profile of a cultural activist in Serbia -belongs to some NGO, speaks only 
about politics, Milosevic is his pretext, fixation and leitmotif in each 
sentence.
Revolution is sweet only while it lasts.



...seek and you shall find...

So, we found our version of False Democracy, deeply wanted and waited, but 
it comes with high prices we have to pay. Not only for the food supplies, 
electricity or oil, that raises making poor country even more miserable but 
our basic source of Knowledge and Information has mutated into Evil. 
Anti-piracy wars started, and in love and wars everything is allowed.


reminder: just a few months ago, every foreigner that has come to our 
country, left with the collection of fresh or favorite music, some divx 
movies and games for the children...and yes, software for their legally 
bought computers. How come if it's allowed even the Law Enforcers and 
Obeyers are not petrified, frizzed, killed by the flashlight. Oh, it's for 
their personal use?! Then, it's ok.


What is happening now, we have pirate market wiped out from the streets, 
but not from our hearts (!) not because we adore that much pirate copies, 
but, honestly, we still cannot afford to buy regular music or updated 
versions of new software. Face it, economically and financially we are not 
strong enough to enter the Legalized World of Goods.  Then, on the other 
hand, copies are as good as the original, the discrepancies between 
original and copy has been blurred. Can you explain to me the difference in 
Quality between music from the original CD and the copied one, or the one 
downloaded from the Napsteroids ( Napsters's followers)?

Anyone? Booklet is nicer, printed well and thicker& I show no respect to 
the artists -since when Respect has been measured by Money? And yet, people 
do buy original copies of the artists they undoubtedly Love and Respect.

Interesting data number 1 is that the only artists/singer whose CDs have 
not been pirated in the previous Era were CDs of one of the most respected 
woman in Serbia, folk diva Ceca Raznatovic (now in jail after Zoran 
Djindjic murder under suspicion of non legal money transactions). She was 
the wife of Arkan, assassinate Hague Tribunal most wanted, paramilitary 
murderer and criminal/politician highly respected in previous regime. 
Nobody would dare to piratize Ceca CDs; it was the question of Life and 
Death or Love and Respect ?!



Interesting data number 2 is that Microsoft came to be the first one, and 
started to push the anti piracy squads. Now we have Windows XP in Cyrillic 
and in Serbian, but we have no money to pay for it. How sweet is that?  Not 
to mention where to install it? But Microsoft has a plan, it has come to 
stay to become the Chosen One, the Leader, once market starts to grow, 
well, apparently even in the criminal piracy goons Microsoft is winning the 
battle, it has been mostly used and widely known, so, of course when you 
have to buy and pay for something - you will pay for something that you are 
acquainted mostly.



Transition process is painful, especially for the country ruined by 
inflation, several wars and flooded by refugees, where politics is highly 
connected with criminal, unfortunately misinterpreted very often with 
tolerance, human rights...there has been some freeCeca movements, not very 
successful thou but talking about human right connected with someone whose 
husband slaughtered thousands, how ironic is that?  Big Serbia Idols or 
Myth have failed down and Serbia people liked them only when they were 
untouchable, Serbian people don't like fallen Heroes and have a tendency to 
totally erase Broken Myths and forget previous Beliefs - common people will 
just follow the Leader.

...where do you want to  go today?...


But, whatever we do, we are not Alone. It seems that whatever Law you want 
to enforce to someone, Law is falling under the pressure on New Age that 
has come. Silently, yet efficiently,  the everything is a copy of a copy 
reined the world. Napster Bad -said the Law. Napster Good - said the thanks 
for sharing Believers.  The history is teaching us that technological 
revolutions are changing the way people live, produce and think. Our living 
conditions have been changed, the way we produce good or deeds has changed, 
and then why is it so difficult to change the way we think?!


We seek for answers from television. They usually present public opinion 
according to their own. Politicians mostly dont think and unfortunately 
they Rule along with the Media Watchdogs under our thinking process. We Obey.


Is then activism in art/culture - politically committed art/culture?

Is it not a situation similar to the c-o-m-m-u-n-i-s-t era? Shh! I have 
said this quietly and you should say it to yourself... they say 'the last 
remaining brick of the Berlin Wall' has fallen in these parts as well as 
the last remaining communist leader (Boris Buden, lecture at CSUB, November 
2000).

If everyone was well aware of the potential of activism given that 
spontaneously organized rebellions never came from above... in this respect 
it was only just - to instrumentalize it.

Why then intellectuals feel as it they were 'internal émigrés' (according 
to Karl Jaspers from one of the editions about truth, guilt, responsibility 
or something like that). Whose are then accomplices and culprits?... and 
whose is the guilt? We will perhaps be given truth as part of a 
humanitarian aid packages spearheaded by 15-minutes-of-fame corps of 
intelligentsia? Or as a skeptical consumption of discourse? Or... something 
third or fourth. Triumph of digital paradigm entails non-existence of 
centers of power, and consequently non-existence of One Truth.

Finally, here is what this parallel-paranormal-x-files cultural policy has 
given birth to somewhere directly, somewhere indirectly, and in some places 
metaphorically. In this wild frenzy one gains an impression about 
forgetfulness of 'the institutions of interpretations and

understanding', as if we knew how to decode not only 'zero messages',
even though Photoshop (pirates, of course) teaches us to think in 'layers'.



Once called strategy of resistance now became strategy of surviving transition.
But this is not the End... saga continues...

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... and no I am not angry and frustrated feminist/activist/anarchist, then 
more-or-less stiletto feminist and net.phenomenologist with quite 
satisfying sex life, and I am reporting you just a fact. That's just the 
way it has been going on and that's just the way it is now.

  your Legally Blonde,
Zana Poliakov
www.zanapoliakov.com

    
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