The Last Days of Los Angeles #3

t’s like the Spanish Civil War. Only it’s not happening in Spain and it’s not quite a civil war—yet.

During the fascist uprising led by the dictator General Francisco Franco against the antifascist Republicans (the good kind) that led to the Civil War in Spain, there was a surge in community organizing. Autonomous communes that existed parallel to the regime sprung up as a result. These all-volunteer sub-societies practiced a community-level form of democracy filled with meetings, assemblies and councils. It was called direct democracy.

They focused primarily on an equal redistribution of wealth, exercising the idea of an alternative society without social classes. Some called it socialism; Some called it anarchism; Some called it communism; Some just called it democracy—and they were all right.

The popularly dubbed “leaderless” occupation movement here in Los Angeles has turned into something of that sort, being handed the torch by the Occupy Wall Street movement that started it all on Sept. 17.

And, very much like 1930s Spain, there are obvious divisions in the proletarian (you know, the ones that have always been historically fucked) camp, the leading faction being the self-dubbed anti-authoritative anarchists. But this time the anarchists are unarmed, and most of them are unemployed students.

THE HIPPIE THREAT

The overwhelming majority at all the occupation movements have been young people and students, prompting many uncritical and overly-comfortable (we call them petit-bourgeoisie; you know, the well-off liberal coffee shop politicos) commentators to say that it’s just a bunch of pissed of liberal academic potheads.

They’re wrong. But another element, a far more dangerous one, has been setting up shops, or how the Los Angeles Times article called it, “pitching tents.” Vegan hippies.

And, yes, shoeless hippies have been slowly springing up with their tie dye t-shirts, patch-ridden bellbottoms, long hair and guitars. But the vast majority of the occupation movements are more militant; they eat meat, read Marx and Bakunin, dress in black, smoke cigarettes and cover their faces with bandanas or rags.

The hippies are left high and wondering, where has the love gone? And the rest answer back, love is on hold brother; this is a war.

During the first day of the official start of the occupation of City Hall on Saturday, Oct. 1, a food truck serving hot dogs announced that they would be selling hot dogs at just a fraction of the cost. No one was quite sure whether someone donated a lump of cash to pay for it or if the food truck donated their food and service in solidarity. Either way, their tip jar was overflowing at the end of the day, with everyone so grateful for this act of generosity that they over tipped.

As many of us were standing in the long Soviet-esque line for subsidized hot dogs, a scantily-clad second-wave flower child wrapped in a rainbow flag with a white peace emblem imprinted on it, in pink shorts so tight that you easily and unwillingly made out the contour of his penis’ head, started yelling at the people standing in line.

“ENRICHED FLOUR AND MEAT CLOGS YOUR THIRD EYE. THAT’S WHY THERE’S SO MUCH VIOLENCE IN THE WORLD.”

The crowd only snickered; and for the most part, they are polite and clap, some out of pity but most out of politeness.

Reports of hippies erecting tie-dyed teepees and walking around barefoot have been steadily increasing on a daily basis. One was reported carrying a bushel of daisies and assorted flowers. It wasn’t clear if he was handing them out or stuffing them down the barrel of police rifles.

In the distance, disturbing words are proudly uttered:

“’Sup dudes! I made love to mother earth last night.”

REVOLUTION OR REFORM

Several of the members of the occupation movement have called for a popular revolution not only against the banks and corporations that have polluted the political process in the U.S., but against the actual system itself.

They see little to no difference in the guilty participants versus the playground that these rich men play in with the country’s economy. They wish to abolish America’s capitalist system. Revolution.