Manifesto

The faceless forces of corporate culture bulldoze on. The market-driven might of the majority steamrolls the artist, the mom and pop, the protester, the loner, the martyr. And most people, in their diatribes against RIAA, against MPAA, against HDCP, get it all wrong. It's not "greed" we fight against - that implies someone with intent running things. Rather, it's the sum total of pressure brought to bear by a free market, which has behind it the weight of millions and millions of comfortable consumers who are serving their own self-interest by keeping the status quo in business. Democracy, or "might makes right," necessarily sacrifices the endeavors of the minority, however beautiful or rare they might be, to the whims of the masses, however banal those might be. In the end you are snuffed beneath the pillow of the modern machine, not by an opponent with discrete ideals who will look you in the eye and snarl at you, but by an amorphous villain oozing over and soothing those who don't stand out in any way. It's the ultimate triumph of mathematical mediocrity.

So what do we in the minority do? By minority I mean ANY minority; any departure from the bland. This would include just about all musicians, artists, writers, or other creators of things. This would include anyone with a strong opinion or a sense of curiosity. It would include all scientists and philosophers. What do we do? We forget trying to predict the outcome, refuse to despair in the face of great odds, and carry on with our business. After all, independence of spirit has always been a struggle of the few versus the many. Like Nelson's dictate "England expects that every man will do his duty," we resolve to create and think and stand firm in our independence no matter what.

You don't need to move to a log cabin and become a hermit. You can stay in the world and make choices, even if at times you are limited to "lesser evil" choices. You can use your great power to harm to do good instead. You can shop locally, buy on principles, boycott egregious wrongs. You can make your own life count, to yourself as well as others, by wearing an honest smile and speaking the truth, by staying healthy and encouraging others to stay healthy, by giving back to whatever communities you take from. You can share files at a 1:1 ratio. You can take time to answer questions as well as ask them. You can donate to worthy causes. You can encourage children especially to imagine and to share.

In short, you can do what is in your power to do, and no more - but that is enough. To the independent soul, that is infinitely better than doing nothing at all.