Jello Biafra discussion

[McGiver]

I took this from a wiki article about Jello Biafra; original frontman for the Dead Kennedys.
these are his political beliefs.? i am wondering what others think (if they do).? some of them are quite radical,

here is the link to the entire article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jello_Biafra#Political_beliefs

here is a copy and paste of his views:

Biafra claims to be an anarchist in his personal dealings with people, though he does not advocate replacing current governments with an anarchic system. He claims that mankind is not yet ready for anarchy, and still needs government to control the order of human life for the safety and progression of human events.[1] In speeches, he has advised people to partake in civil disobedience, political pranks, and hacktivism. Some such acts that he has advocated include hacking corporate owned websites and planting marijuana seeds in public areas.[21]

Biafra was a swift critic of the Parents Music Resource Center during the 1980s, and has constantly criticized co-founder Tipper Gore, as well as the Tipper Sticker, a warning placed on records indicating explicit content. Biafra confronted her twice on episodes of The Oprah Winfrey Show. Many of the songs he wrote for the Dead Kennedys during the 80s showed opposition to the religious right and Ronald Reagan. In the 1990s, Biafra's opposition to the right continued with his opposition to George H. W. Bush and the Gulf War, though he also was opposed to some practices of Democratic president Bill Clinton. Most notable among these are Biafra's opposition to the United States' involvement with NAFTA, GATT, and the World Trade Organization.

Biafra advocates a variant of the maximum wage: increasing taxes for the wealthy and eliminating taxes for those in the lower and middle class (income taxes would only be paid by those who earned more than $100,000 per year). On top of this, the maximum wage would close tax loopholes for both large corporations and religious organizations. He has advocated using these taxes to provide the public with several free services, including free health care, free education (including amnesty on student loans), and free transportation. Other uses for these taxes would also include subsidies for the arts, organic farms, hemp and kanaf farms, urban squatters, and renewable energy sources.

Biafra has advocated ending the death penalty in the United States. In his address to the Green Party, he chose Death Row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal (whom anti-death penalty activists believe was wrongly accused of murder) as his vice presidential candidate to help point out his stance on the issue as well as attract attention to Abu-Jamal's situation.[1] Because of his support of Abu-Jamal, which includes releasing spoken word albums by him on Alternative Tentacles, Biafra is now on a Fraternal Order Of Police boycott list.[30] He has also proposed ending police brutality by making officers stand for public election every four years.

Biafra believes in ending the war on drugs by legalizing marijuana and other narcotics. He believes drug addicts should be treated instead of jailed and should be given legal outlets to get drugs from, thus eliminating illegal drug sales. He also advocates ending jail sentences for minor, non-violent, drug related offenses. In drug education for public schools, Biafra advocates educating students on drugs by using demonstrations of drug use in classes and allowing experimentation in controlled environments to help reduce the possibility of addiction. These, he believes, would provide an alternative to anti-drug advertising, which he believes does not work. He also advocates ending drug testing of employees and students.

Other subjects that Biafra advocates include anti-gentrification, election reform, increasing the amount of low-income housing, gay rights, eliminating sport utility vehicles from urban areas, labeling of genetically modified food, and withdrawal from NAFTA and the World Trade Organization. He also claims to be a supporter of the Green Party's Ten Key Values.[1]

Because of Biafra's use of sarcasm and humor, the public does not always take his positions seriously. His use of joke propositions, such as forcing polluters to swim in the pollution they caused until they clean it, provide humor in his speeches, but turn off some people from his ideas. This was most notable during his run for mayor of San Francisco. Still, supporters of Biafra see his comedic approach as a useful way of getting the public to hear about issues that are not always addressed by other politicians.



here is a link to a short music video and brief interview.  to give a better picture:

[duncvis]

What can I say. The man is a fucking legend. 

[McGiver]

In drug education for public schools, Biafra advocates educating students on drugs by using demonstrations of drug use in classes and allowing experimentation in controlled environments to help reduce the possibility of addiction.

i am not sure if i could support this POV.

[Lucifer]

i'm dubious about it too, having extensive experience of working in schools.

other than that, i'm with dunc.

[duncvis]

yeh, I'm undecided on that one, but the current 'oo no, dont touch drugs' approach doesnt fucking work. there needs to be a more realistic, harm reduction based approach IMO.

[McGiver]

yes, but what would the best solution be for the drug problem?

i keep reading about syringes and neds.  i thought the problem was bad here, but it seems like its an epidemic in europe.



another issue which i do not quite agree with but can see his logic is:

though he does not advocate replacing current governments with an anarchic system. He claims that mankind is not yet ready for anarchy, and still needs government to control the order of human life for the safety and progression of human events.

i personally think that government and business has run amok, and is way out of control promoting only their hold on power.  when in fact i believe that they do very little to actually earn their entitlement.  The working class keeps the invisible hand of the economy in working order.

all that being stated i also believe that oft times it is important to sidestep impediments to forward progress, taking one step back is necessary at times to take two steps forward.  i believe that because of the ruthless nature by which the governments and the greedy business conduct themselves, that outright anarchy is the only solution.  tear down the social structure and start anew.

afterall,  we are informed and have examples of what just government should be (ask RobertN).  a socialist democracy is not an oxymoron but a real, workable idea.  i have called it constructive egoism.  where the leaders believe that what is best for the for the working class is also what is best for the entire nation (government).

i think because of the internet and the ability to instantly access information and research and communicate that there is no better time than the present.  before it is all completely down to a science and the brainwashing media has full control as the worker bees of special interests and government.
thanks to the internet, i believe that we can teach ourselves and

to control the order of human life for the safety and progression of human events.

  with the help of some constructive egoist leaders.


rant complete!

[Praetor]

If and of you are In london around october time he's usually hanging around the Anarchist book fair we have every year in london

[McGiver]

i know, dunc told me that he met him once at the faire.

have you ever been?

[Lucifer]

to answer mcj's points about government...

i agree with biafra.  as far as i can see, people aren't capable of working within absolute systems of anarchic "governance" (that made me laugh - bit of an oxymoron...?).  i've seen social and "political" structures (on a small scale), where anarchy (in the true sense) was attempted, but failed misreably, and rules and regulations (structures and boundaries, as i call them) had to be set up, and a body of people convened to facilitate those rules and regs.

i'm a fan of structures and boundaries, myself - certainly makes life easier for someone with AS, i believe, as you know where you are at all times.  i'm also quite happy with hierarchies, as long as i know my place within them - i.e., who or what i'm responsible for and to - although i'm loath to be anywhere too near the top - i don't like the responsibility which comes with that sort of power (been there, done that).

many, many people (i hesitate to say "most", although i have the urge to do so) don't want to take that responsibility, whether personal or collective, and so someone has to, hence the common hierarchical systems in use in all forms of governance (shoot me down in flames if there's one which doesn't have any form of hierarchy, as i can't think of any, but might have missed one).

democratic systems are a totally different kettle of fish, of course: the most pertinent issues being responsibility (a hobby horse of mine), justice (ditto) and accountability.

[McGiver]

have you been keeping up to date on the debate about rules and intensity??

i have been fighting tooth and nail justifying the lack of real boundries.

yes their is a heirarchy, which is unavoidable in social structures.? but i submit that with time, the rules will become clearer , but they will be a struggle to form and likely form without notice.? its just the basic social structure and the mores of the members who ultimately decide between right and wrong.

but i feel, with all my heart, that the right to speak, gather, and demonstrate should be absolute, and without boundries.

edit portion:
i musn't let it pass.  i wish to compliment you on a real solid post.  provided a great deal for me to consider/reconsider, and the reasoning was spot on.

[duncvis]

i know, dunc told me that he met him once at the faire.

have you ever been?

eh? I don't think it was me... 

[McGiver]

then it must've been laz.

someone told me that at intensity one.

[Calandale]

Jello made of humans is not a good thing.