[Nettime-bold] Re: RHIZOME_RAW: Zoroastrian words

[Nmherman@aol.com]

In a message dated 8/25/2001 1:26:57 AM Central Daylight Time, 
minstrel_of_niems@HOTMAIL.COM writes:

> The problem with Genius is one of perspective. 

I agree.  But I think the problem is dealt with most aptly by the Genius 2000 
Video First Edition.  Also, the people in the video were not told what to 
say, they just talked about what the concept of genius meant.  I'm not being 
facetious; check the transcripts of the video at 
http://www.geocities.com/genius-2000/Transcripts.html

Here's an excerpt from Hybris (An Act of Violence):

Scene 17: Max, Pat, and Zeke in coffee shop.

Max: --And that kind of connects with the whole thing of genius. You know, 
like, why should we think we're such geniuses over here just because we're 
the strongest and have the most weapons or whatever or we're the richest. I 
mean, maybe if you gave like Bosnia, you know, those people over there, if 
you gave them a chance maybe after a while they'd be real good at stuff too. 

Zeke: I agree with you. Genius, I mean, the genius concept is a very 
dangerous concept--

Max: Yeah.

Zeke: --Which contributes to (inaudible), it contributes to fascism, Nazism, 
you know, it's a very very--if you're going to apply it on a social factors--

Max: I mean, ah, Hitler's--

Zeke: If you're gonna apply it on arts factors, you know, then you know, it's 
just like talk, it don't have no really meaning, of these; you can call Van 
Gogh a genius, but, you know, you can agree with it or cannot agree with it, 
it still doesn't have no harm to society. I mean, when you're gonna try to 
deliver genius to society factors, and try to govern, (points to Blake on 
table) that's exactly what he's saying, you try to give it a social value to 
that, and impose your principle of God because you are genius, you go and 
create monster, which is mostly what they do. So I think-- 
 (end of excerpt)


Should a genius decide that 
>  there are far to many people on the Earth then they might make Gilles seem 
>  trivial.

People are so afraid of individual genius that we end up with dictators to 
think for us.  When you say "a genius" you are suggest a person, one person, 
like Gilles.  What about the other meanings of genius, like the spirit of a 
time or place?  There already is such a distributed genius to which people 
are garbage:  call it global corporatization, the military-technological 
complex, TV, advertising, the Conquest of Cool, what have you.  There is 
always already a ruling genius that decides matters of life and death.  For 
example, George W. Bush is one piece of the spirit of the time and place of 
the USA in 2001.  

But I take this post overall as skeptical of me and my Genius 2000 Network.  
People are more comfortable with the genius they know than the genius they 
don't.  People willingly abdicate their individual power to influence the 
collective, amorphous genius daily, for example to the PowerBall lottery.  
You suggest that Gilles ought not to have been worshipped for his talent.  
Granted.  But today's world is choked by the worship of talent, which we 
puchase through money.  Or, more specifically, the images of talent.  The 
selection process is brutal, universal, merciless, and corrupt.  What Gilles 
is to blame for the children tortured and slaughtered every day, especially 
in poor violent urban areas?  Gilles is alive well and kicking ass every day 
in every way, minstrel.  Is it such evil for me to stand alone and pitiless 
against his legacy?  The fear of standing alone is the seed of mob action.  
You make individual power into an evil, into the very incarnation of evil?  
The real problem is the abdication of individual power.  If you accuse me of 
sin and evil, let's talk about hybris, the third stage of the Greek tragic 
cycle.

I should have mentioned, but didn't, to observe the consequences of not 
mentioning:  Albos means "golden good fortune" and corresponds to line one of 
Lesson Two, "Christianity is a battle in the discussion of media control"; 
Koros means "a false sense of security" and corresponds to line two of Lesson 
Two, "Crucifixion is an act of protest demanding access"; Hybris means "An 
act of violence" and corresponds to line three of Lesson Two, "The Second 
Coming is god's [sic] final messenger"; Ate means "retribution and 
destruction" and corresponds to line last of Lesson Two, "God is the 
ineffable union of history and individual cognition."  Lesson Two is an 
original ticket I wrote each word of, and gave people to react to on the 
video if they wanted.  You can see it at 
http://www.geocities.com/genius-2000/lessontwo.JPG

Also, albos=winter [sic], koros=spring, hybris=summer, ate=winter.  

>  Genius in this time is a frightening thought. Who would dare judge us? We 
>  are fools, but we are living ones.

The genius of this time is a frightening reality.  Everyone is judged, 
valuated, and disposed of in every moment.  "If a fool would persist in his 
folly, he would become wise"--William Blake, Proverbs of Hell.  nn would 
dispute the life of minds all over, whether they walk, talk, work, and think. 
 "Most mindforms are not designed by you.  Most mindforms are produced 
locally by you to suit outside needs." --Ian Allen, 
http://www.geocities.com/genius-2000/IApaper.html

>  I hope Genius lies dormant, at least for another century.

I think you shouldn't rely on hope.  The situation is almost mathematically 
hopeless already, depending on your mathematics.  You really hope that human 
genius remain in its present, consolidated, fascist form for one more 
century?  That's not dormant anyway.  

Thanks for your use of the word genius.  I regret you associate it with a 
torturer.  But I assure you I defy the temptation of fear, hate, and power 
every god damned day.  Like the fairy tale, cunning and high spirits, ubermut 
and untermut.

"Where is your beautiful, merciful faggot now?"  --the Mole, "South Park the 
Movie"


Max Herman
The Genius 2000 Network
Conference 2001 September 1-15
http://www.geocities.com/genius-2000/xmas2000.JPG


_______________________________________________
Nettime-bold mailing list
Nettime-bold@nettime.org
http://www.nettime.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/nettime-bold