Veganarky

Description taken from http://veganarky.net/about

This is my space on the web - established mid-late 2005. I use it to post reflections on current events, experiences and also ideas. My intent in starting this was multifaceted. It provided a creative outlet (design wise), a means to flesh out ideas beyond the academic sphere and a way to share my ideas with others in an accessible environment. I appreciate and encourage people to share comments, responses, and feedback on what I post here.

veganarky?
Veganarky is a combination of the words vegan and anarky – I combined the two as I see a strong correlation between the ideological basis behind both ways of existing (i.e. it is very much more than a lifestyle choice). I will assume I do not need to define what a vegan is – there are many other resources out there that do.

As for anarky, I have specifically spelt it with a ‘k’ to imply difference. Much of what is labelled or claimed as anarchist in society today is very far from it. What I often see proclaimed or labelled anarchist – either by reactionary shock-jocks/corporate press or those labelling themselves as such – is a naïve libertarianism. What makes this more problematic, and smacks of irony, is that if it transcends at all hegemonic masculinity it often embodies variants of relational narcissism and American exceptionalism. This is in a similar sense to that discussed by Ella Shohat regarding US Imperialism – see KPFA’s Against the Grain February 21, 2007 for a recording). In distancing myself from self-described anarchists who are little more than naïve libertarians, my aim to expose and challenge it.

I find this indicative of the lack of real impacts beyond inward individualism that plagues activism today. It is something we need to address for effecting real and lasting change.