Reporter's Notebook

areasofmyexpertise:

ALAN MOORE on the use of the Guy Fawkes mask on Occupied Wall Street and various protest movements around the world. 

“In terms of a wildly uninformed guess at our political future, it feels something like V for validation.”

Everything I know about anarchy as a political theory I know from comics, of course. But it’s arguable that a picture of a Guy Fawkes mask at Occupy Wall Street is not only the best, but really only adaptation of V FOR VENDETTA possible.

While OWS was and is equal parts inspiring, troublesome, invigorating, and embarrassing, the disorganization and lack of a single, authoritative agenda that its critics attempted to use to discredit it was in fact its elusive and maddening strength. 

What I took from it, at least, was pure anarchy: at the heart of a financial system that seemed unaccountable even to elected government, humans came and said: your control is limited.

You don’t control us. You don’t fully control even this PRIVATE public park. And except by virtue of our consent—or your sheer force—you never did. 

OWS denied their consent to governance, and they were met with sheer force. This was always, logically what would and perhaps even SHOULD occur. But the point was proved.

And you still see that mask around. 

That is all.  

 

(via areasofmyexpertise)