These "Stop Bitching Start a Revolution" t-shirts and bumper stickers are sold by a communal group called "Zendik Farm" in rural West Virginia. Earnest young people have been standing around Georgetown here in Washington DC for YEARS trying to push this stuff on pedestrians and recruit new members. The group certainly has some cult-like and commune characteristics, although there is no evidence of coercion as far as I can find, other than the soft "coercion" of group-think. It sounds kind of like Liberal College co-ed dorm culture in a rural setting without the obligation of paying rent. There is no evidence that people are not allowed to leave or are intimidated. Zendik offers free housing and food (via working on the farm) to young people and they appear to have a fairly mushy communal living feel-good "eco" philosophy, common to 20-somethings all over the country. They seem harmless (..despite the use of the term "Revolution" in their slogan). As MachoResonse repeatedly reminds us, young people are often easy to impress with mumbo jumbo. Here's a link to a good article on them. Decide for yourself if this is some version of New Ageism or not. http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/cover/2005/cover1104.html
Dude, that ain't a cult - it's a joke - and a very funny one at that: Whether it was the writer's style, or the actual circumstance of those losers, I laughed, wide-eyed, all the way through that article. It was great. Probably the best how-to manual, for how-not-to, I've ever read.
And I think I've got an important link in here somewhere,...Found it!!!
These "Stop Bitching Start a Revolution" t-shirts and bumper stickers are sold by a communal group called "Zendik Farm" in rural West Virginia. Earnest young people have been standing around Georgetown here in Washington DC for YEARS trying to push this stuff on pedestrians and recruit new members. The group certainly has some cult-like and commune characteristics, although there is no evidence of coercion as far as I can find, other than the soft "coercion" of group-think. It sounds kind of like Liberal College co-ed dorm culture in a rural setting without the obligation of paying rent. There is no evidence that people are not allowed to leave or are intimidated. Zendik offers free housing and food (via working on the farm) to young people and they appear to have a fairly mushy communal living feel-good "eco" philosophy, common to 20-somethings all over the country. They seem harmless (..despite the use of the term "Revolution" in their slogan). As MachoResonse repeatedly reminds us, young people are often easy to impress with mumbo jumbo. Here's a link to a good article on them. Decide for yourself if this is some version of New Ageism or not.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/cover/2005/cover1104.html
"It sounds kind of like Liberal College co-ed dorm culture in a rural setting without the obligation of paying rent."
ReplyDeleteLOL - I'll check 'em out and get back to you. Thanks for the laugh.
CMC
Dude, that ain't a cult - it's a joke - and a very funny one at that: Whether it was the writer's style, or the actual circumstance of those losers, I laughed, wide-eyed, all the way through that article. It was great. Probably the best how-to manual, for how-not-to, I've ever read.
ReplyDeleteA sheer joy. Thanks.