After the fall of the Berlin Wall, soon followed by the Soviet regime itself, Russians were clearly sick and tired of Communism. Under perestroika, Western influence was allowed into Russia. This influence came in the form of pop culture - fashion, music, cinema, and food, among others. This was all fine and dandy in and of itself, but the commodities did not bring with them the Western concepts and values that allowed aviator glasses, Converse sneakers, Levi jeans, and Paramount films to be created the way that they are in the West.
The national mindset of Russia may forever be locked in a binary. Iu Lotman and Boris Uspenskii wrote an excellent article explaining the origins of the Russian binary model. It is largely based in the heaven/hell dichotomy of the Eastern Orthodox church, which has no concept of purgatory that the Catholic church adopted. The opposite of heaven is hell, and vice versa, so when Russian society seems to be in "hell", its opposite - "heaven" - will be implemented by force. The October revolution was a "revolution from above" - party elites implemented the mechanisms of communism and kept them in place. The same was done for "capitalism". It was shoddily implemented by people who are still caught in a binary, elite as they are.
In the West, the rise of capitalism and industrialism did not come from government mandates and elites governing the situation. It was a direct result of the endeavors of common people, engaging the in the free flow of goods and services. A lack of state ownership preceding the concretization of the concept of free market principles was the framework (or lack thereof) that allowed capitalism to flourish and benefit Western societies. Like democracy in the majority of the Middle East, capitalism cannot expect itself to change anything in Russia unless the mentality of the Russian people changes. Only binaries exist: leading and following, complaining and making jokes (which is manifested in the differences between women and men in Nancy Ries' Russian Talk), among others. There is no concept of the 'individual' undivorced from some sort of collective, and thus Russian individuals are more subject to a herd mentality. That mentality is absolutely incompatible with real capitalism, which requires individual effort and sacrifice, the decision to take risks and accept the consequences, and to go out on a limb and make something different and unique.
Alien concepts, no matter how much they have benefitted others, cannot be forced upon a population by mandate. Give democracy to the Palestinians, and they'll elect Hamas again. Give copies of An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations to Russia, and they will commission all sorts of committees and ask party officials to implement the ideas that sound good, defeating the whole purpose. The 'invisible hand' becomes visible, and continues to manifest itself in incompatible ways as long as the state and the fundamentals of a free market are intertwined.
Now playing: Duobetic Homunkulus - 'Části a mechanismy strojů'
13.5.08
Jew-Jitsu
I attended a 4-hour Krav Maga seminar taught by a student at the university who's been studying Krav for a few years.
We started with the basics - punching, groin kicks, and a few defensive moves. Then we moved along to knee attacks, knife attack/defense, elbows, and then bat defense and long gun defense.
My knees and elbows are fairly skinned up, but I feel great. It's nice to know that I could seriously kick someone's ass if I have no other recourse. It's a lot easier than trying to get a concealed-carry permit in this state of hoplophobes.
We started with the basics - punching, groin kicks, and a few defensive moves. Then we moved along to knee attacks, knife attack/defense, elbows, and then bat defense and long gun defense.
My knees and elbows are fairly skinned up, but I feel great. It's nice to know that I could seriously kick someone's ass if I have no other recourse. It's a lot easier than trying to get a concealed-carry permit in this state of hoplophobes.
10.5.08
Inaugural Post - Masculinity and Viking Heavy Metal
Well, I had a wonderful time last night.
Why, you ask? PaganFest 2008, of course! I got to see two of my favourite bands play right in front of me over the course of an hour or so. My voice is still hoarse from shouting along to TÝR's and Turisas' sets. I was a bit miffed that TÝR's set was so short ('Sinklars Vísa' from their upcoming album, 'Wings of Time', 'Hail to the Hammer' and 'Ramund Hin Unge'), but I chatted a bit with Terji at the bar over a $3 bottle of water. Turisas had an impressive set as well - 'As Torches Rise', 'Holmgard and Beyond', 'A Portage to the Unknown', 'In the Court of Jarisleif' (of course featuring some mad accordion-shred by a very attractive Finnish female), 'Rasputin', some awesome ballad that didn't have people jumping and smashing into each other as much, and then 'Battle Metal' to finish (Finnish?) off the set.
Some of the folks there were pretty cool. I sang 'The Wild Rover' along with another guy, and I was surprised that he knew all the lyrics to it. Truly, it is an amazing time when young people know Irish folk songs, and sing them at concerts where bands from the Færoe Islands are playing.
I think it's absolutely shite that so many venues don't allow cameras, as people like me won't be using the photos to sell and distribute, no matter how good my work is. [One thing to note is that I'm not going to be modest about things I am good at, like photography.] However, Warlord Nygård of Turisas had his first on-stage drink on the US tour. I guess indoor clubs don't allow alcohol on stage. Obviously, these men are Vikings, so they can certainly hold their liquor and it's also just something they do - Vikings are going to drink as much mead or ale as they please, unless you'd like an axe to the skull or something equally painful.
[This blog revolves around the theme of masculinity, so I'm going to try to work that theme into just about every single one of my entries.]
Metal and its various sub-genres (except for nu-metal, because that stuff is for losers) bring something unique to the realm of contemporary music in the West. It is harsh, aggressive, often offensive (both aurally and subject-wise), and a lot of it, especially that from Europe, is trying to revive the warrior spirit that man has traditionally been known for. That's why many of the bands that played last night and others in that genre have had such an effect on me. They speak of preserving one's culture, not allowing outsiders to dictate without question that what you hold dear is wrong and evil, or that fighting for what you believe in and standing out from others is something to be proud of. A lot of these bands are quite nationalistic in their subjects, choosing to sing in their native language or to arrange traditional melodies instead of just writing music in English that will land them on the 'Top 40' charts across the globe. They're a slap in the face to the multiculturalist/anti-Western movement that seeks to emasculate, oversocialize, water down Western culture and recast it as shameful and despicable. The message that TÝR, and others like them, send is that it's good to hold onto your roots and respect your native ways. There's nothing shameful about rejecting alien cultural impulses. In fact, it may be the only thing saving you from assimilation and eventual destruction.
The warrior mindset is prominently displayed in this music. Songs of triumph, great battles, exile, and survival are common. There's no talk of "peace and tolerance", like the notoriously-horrid early 90's alternative movement. One of my favourite quotes is as follows: "It doesn't matter how loud you play. If all you do is sing about racism and saving the whales, you're just a hippie in a leather jacket." - Joey Ramone
Well, that's it. I'm off to bed. I may have a photoshoot tomorrow, and after that I'm going to a 4-hour Krav Maga seminar. Wish me luck!
Why, you ask? PaganFest 2008, of course! I got to see two of my favourite bands play right in front of me over the course of an hour or so. My voice is still hoarse from shouting along to TÝR's and Turisas' sets. I was a bit miffed that TÝR's set was so short ('Sinklars Vísa' from their upcoming album, 'Wings of Time', 'Hail to the Hammer' and 'Ramund Hin Unge'), but I chatted a bit with Terji at the bar over a $3 bottle of water. Turisas had an impressive set as well - 'As Torches Rise', 'Holmgard and Beyond', 'A Portage to the Unknown', 'In the Court of Jarisleif' (of course featuring some mad accordion-shred by a very attractive Finnish female), 'Rasputin', some awesome ballad that didn't have people jumping and smashing into each other as much, and then 'Battle Metal' to finish (Finnish?) off the set.
Some of the folks there were pretty cool. I sang 'The Wild Rover' along with another guy, and I was surprised that he knew all the lyrics to it. Truly, it is an amazing time when young people know Irish folk songs, and sing them at concerts where bands from the Færoe Islands are playing.
I think it's absolutely shite that so many venues don't allow cameras, as people like me won't be using the photos to sell and distribute, no matter how good my work is. [One thing to note is that I'm not going to be modest about things I am good at, like photography.] However, Warlord Nygård of Turisas had his first on-stage drink on the US tour. I guess indoor clubs don't allow alcohol on stage. Obviously, these men are Vikings, so they can certainly hold their liquor and it's also just something they do - Vikings are going to drink as much mead or ale as they please, unless you'd like an axe to the skull or something equally painful.
[This blog revolves around the theme of masculinity, so I'm going to try to work that theme into just about every single one of my entries.]
Metal and its various sub-genres (except for nu-metal, because that stuff is for losers) bring something unique to the realm of contemporary music in the West. It is harsh, aggressive, often offensive (both aurally and subject-wise), and a lot of it, especially that from Europe, is trying to revive the warrior spirit that man has traditionally been known for. That's why many of the bands that played last night and others in that genre have had such an effect on me. They speak of preserving one's culture, not allowing outsiders to dictate without question that what you hold dear is wrong and evil, or that fighting for what you believe in and standing out from others is something to be proud of. A lot of these bands are quite nationalistic in their subjects, choosing to sing in their native language or to arrange traditional melodies instead of just writing music in English that will land them on the 'Top 40' charts across the globe. They're a slap in the face to the multiculturalist/anti-Western movement that seeks to emasculate, oversocialize, water down Western culture and recast it as shameful and despicable. The message that TÝR, and others like them, send is that it's good to hold onto your roots and respect your native ways. There's nothing shameful about rejecting alien cultural impulses. In fact, it may be the only thing saving you from assimilation and eventual destruction.
The warrior mindset is prominently displayed in this music. Songs of triumph, great battles, exile, and survival are common. There's no talk of "peace and tolerance", like the notoriously-horrid early 90's alternative movement. One of my favourite quotes is as follows: "It doesn't matter how loud you play. If all you do is sing about racism and saving the whales, you're just a hippie in a leather jacket." - Joey Ramone
Well, that's it. I'm off to bed. I may have a photoshoot tomorrow, and after that I'm going to a 4-hour Krav Maga seminar. Wish me luck!
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