politics

You Can’t Win Myth

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Some of the political writing of these days (2025 AD), has dare I say it a mythic quality. Well an attempted mythic quality. Yes, we’ve often seen attempts to make politicians mythical (the reference to “Camelot” for JFK, for instance), it feels like it’s worse in 2025. A fusion of easy publishing, Influencer Brain, and media-oriented culture seems to involve both more mythmaking, and worse mythmaking.

(Yes, to date this, this was inspired by Olivia Nuzzi’s American Canto, which led me to contemplate other issues.)

I daresay most of my readers know myths and legends. I’ve got a head stuffed full of all sorts of things I picked up from reading, an interest in theology, getting a psych degree (and being into Jung), plus my own spiritual practice. I’[m sure all of you have your own path to and your own myths that you treasure. Myths are funny things, we know they may not be literally true, but they speak to us in a way that is true. You don’t have to believe Hermes stealing Apollo’s livestock is literally true to stand before, say, the crackling aliveness of the good parts of the internet and say, like the ancients, “Hermes is here.”

The thing is myths also are things of many edges. I recall the tales of Taoist Immortal Lu Dong-Bin, who went from failed bureaucrat to immortal but also as an immortal got up to shenanigans, including those of a sexual nature. The aforementioned Hermes was lovable but also a troublemaker – which seemed to make him even more fun to be around (don’t we all know someone like that). Kingdoms rise but also fall. Heroes triumph before being laid low or aging to dust.

Some myths may promise paradise, but many remind us of our ever-changing world. Besides promises are just that, and truth is often where we are now.

But a lot of modern American political myths seem to be more self-argrandizing. We might say they’re myths as some chamelonic politician is hailed as an eternal savior or some reporter invokes how they’re like famed reporters of the path. Such actions may have mythic qualities but they’re really arguing “I am the best, I am awesome.” They’re hagiographic.

Doubtlessly our Christian heritage is part of this. We in America are steeped in stories of the apocalypse, of prophets, of a clock ticking down to the victory. Everyone wants to be on the right side when Armageddon happens so they can declare themselves victor. Everyone wants to be on the side of God, but apparently decided just making it up is fine – they certainly don’t seem afraid of any lighting bolts.

But that’s not mythical. You don’t win myth. Hagiography runs in one direction.

In myths and legends too often things fall, people die, and there’s some ambiguity. Many of them are – intentionally or not – funny or amusing because of the foibles of gods, heroes, and regular people. Just like life.

This is probably why such attempts at “mythologizing” come off as so ridiculous. They’re not relatable because they’re about how awesome someone is and only about that. Because they’re not relatable, they’re hard to make sense of or learn from or feel. They’re disconnected from our realities, just attempts to puff someone or someones up. Emperors and Empresses who have no clothes.

So when I see all these “mythical” innovations, there’s nothing there. No balance, no caution, no depth. It’s sales pitches and pretentious. It’s a great warning when someone is blowing smoke – and a warning to be very careful of said mythmakers.

–Xenofact

Art Is Unstoppable

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We’re all used to hearing about how oppressive governments crack down on art. They don’t like free expression. They want to control information. They also like to destroy joy because they are controlling assholes.

But I’d add something else to these control freaks – art is terrifying to them. Art is something that is a threat to dictators and they must control it.

Think about what Art is – not even good art, but sincere art. Art is personal expression, thoughts and feelings turned into another form. It often combines different media forms, like sound and visuals together, or penmanship and words. Art is a bundle of ideas, of feelings, that works it’s way into your head – that’s what art is, and even intentionally obscure art can intrigue people to actively engage.

Art spreads. Art infiltrates. Art infects. Art can be symbiotic with the people who encounter it. This is the kind of thing that unsettled a would-be tyrant.

A play, a stunt, a book, a song can soar across the radio waves and the internet and change people. Art is communication, and communication will go as fast as it can (and sometimes as slow as needed). A piece of art can change people fast and dictators don’t like change and they aren’t happy with fast either.

And you might not know they’ve changed. Someone may have become changed by a book or by a TV show or a bootleg tape and you won’t know! People become different people but you can’ tell. Well, can’t tell until too late, and dictators fear people not being what they seem.

People infected with art might even make more art. They get inspired to do things. Art combines with the appreciator’s own ideas to make something new. That fast-spreading art can produce even more art that risks the control a dictator wants. Von Neuman’s catastrophie with bright brushes and a poison pen.

Finally, dictators are not creative people. They’re not imaginative. Art is creative. Art is imaginative. Dictators can’t understand it, can’t deal with it, so the have to destroy it or control it.

(Some Dictators even posture as artists, but you know, they never really are.)

So of course they feel threatened by art. They can’t control it, can’t stop it, can’t do it and it’s lurking right behind them.

Of course that means if we keep doing art we keep breaking dictators. And as I’ve noted art and spirituality are pretty much the same thing, who knows what you can do to would-be tyrants with just some innocent art with spiritual elements . . .

-Xenofact

Lives of The Orange Men: A Retrospective

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As of late, I’ve been experimenting with an idea: after watching a video, reading a book (or chapter), and so on asking “what did I learn.” So as part of this experiment, I’d like to talk about “Lives of the Orange Men” by Major Waldemar Fydrych.

The book is about the Orange Alternative, an anti-communist movement in the 1980s that used surrealism, “situations,” art, and mockery against the government. Though most famous for their guerilla paintings of orange dwarves and doing protests wearing orange “dwarf hats,” they did far more. From what I can tell, historians consider them to have played a notable role in Poland’s freedom (or being free-er). So you know that a book on art, culture, protest, and surrealism is going to get my attention.

The book is not a typical historical book – being made by surrealists it’s also a surrealist piece. Written in an overblown style reminiscent of State Communist propaganda, it follows the lives of certain members of the Orange Alternative and their actions. How much is true and how much is made up? Well, that’s part of the challenge the book presents to you, even if it has some handy appendices.

The Orange Alternative also had a kind of pseudomilitary organization, which leads to both grandiose statements and even more ways to mock things. I’m not sure if some of the members are making fun of themselves or not. Maybe that’s good.

So what did I get reading this work of both history AND art? What lessons can I share?

Some Things Have To Be Experienced: Whatever I summarize here this is over half for my benefit. The way to get the full benefit of this book is to read it – and I recommend you do. This book has to be experienced.

Style Can be Substance: The parodic nature of the writing, the overblown style, actually helped me “get” the Orange Alternative intuitively. They knew how to get people, how to make an impression (and how to annoy the authorities). Style matters.

It’s A Lifestyle: The Orange Alternative members lived this stuff. Yes they had lives (which they document) but the book and some of the acts recorded within speak to this protest and movements being a lifestyle. So dive in, people.

Know the Culture: Hijack cultural elements, historical events, pop culture, etc. Understand what you are hijacking, and how it works. Culturejacking also can lend cover to your action, further confusing authorities.

Not Everything Transfers: Reading about the protests and situations set up to confuse Polish authorities, some ideas do not transfer to other situations and contexts. It became clear that certain stunts wouldn’t fly elsewhere because of cultural, economic, racial, and other issues.

Everything Is Art: You can hijack anything to be art – including the people trying to stop you. The Orange Alternative saw the world as their canvas, and it helped them think bigger. It also meant they had a mindset on co-opting things and taking control.

Kindness Is Protest: The Orange Alternative sometimes did giveaways of useful things like toilet paper and sanitary pads. That got attention, got good will, and helped people. Toss in their surrealist attitudes and they did good and confused the government agents. How do you stop guys in costumes distributing toilet paper?

Spectacle Matters: The Orange Alternative did some pretty damn colorful stuff. Fake reenacted naval battles. Marches wearing all red. Protests and writings that tried to be “more patriotic than thou” to further confound authorities. The utter silliness clearly mattered.

Persistence Matters: The Orange Alternative’s constant painting of dwarves, handing out handbills, etc. paid off. Some events were done one after the other. Protest – and art protests – need persistent activity. It also wears the bad guys out. Speaking of . . .

Wear Them Down: It’s clear the Orange Alternative knew how to exhaust the authorities. How do you track down people wearing too much red when other people might be wearing red? Why is this cross-dresser being so nice to you? Where did the cardboard battleship come from and what do you do about it? What the hell is it with all those dwarf paintings? It’s clear the Alternative knew how to exhaust authorities because it’s hard to know what they’re doing.

Destroy Dignity: How do the police address folks wearing funny hats who are handing out toilet paper? Why are you even here? The Orange Alternative had the authorities dealing with stupid situations and trying to act like they were a threat. But there was no threat, no violence, not even cruel words. Agents both obvious and secret weren’t sure how to handle these people and felt a little stupid.

Have Fun: Pretty obvious. It was clear the Orange Alternative crew was enjoying this.

So that’s my summary. I recommend you still read the book, but perhaps this will give you ideas of using art politically and socially – and what art can do. In this case, it played a role in liberating a country.

-Xenofact