Wednesday, June 06, 2007

wtc down now

I was reading a story about einsturzende neubauten at aquarius records (who are amazing...visit their website and find out) and came across this query (which was unanswered in the story)

"thoughts on the destruction of the World Trade Center. It may be impossible to set the tragedy and horror of the 9/11 events aside to posit the question to leftist artists, commentators, and organizations: "Isn't the destruction of a symbol as weighty as the World Trade Center what you wanted all along?""

I believe I can answer this, as one of the artists in question, who has been involved in symbolic destruction for decades.

The answer is- No. The destruction of symbols is not enough. We ourselves are capable of doing this in much more interesting and enjoyable ways. What we are after, and have been after all along, is the destruction of the thing the symbols represent.

If terrorists had been able to destroy our wage-slavery and terribly unbalanced economical situation; if they had bombed prejudice, privilege, and unnecessary warfare; If they could have flown a plane into the utter disregard for humanity that great wealth actually causes...well, then, yes. THAT is what we have wanted all along.

But the destruction of the world trade center did not accomplsih these aims, and therefore it fails as an act of revolution. The destruction at the pentagon was perhaps a bit closer to the mark; the symbolism in this case of a 5 pointed star in which matters of mass death-bringing are decided is a bit closer to the point.

But destroying a building, even a highly symbolic one, is not the point. destroying architecture itself is the point.

No comments: