Incredibly Important Talk From Evan Calder Williams and China Mieville

Salvage Punk from Mute Publishing on Vimeo.

Theorist Evan Calder Williams who blogs at Socialism and/or Barbarism and novelist China Mieville who writes at Rejectamentalist Manifesto (among many other excellent books and articles) present the birthgrave of Salvage Punk- a study they have built over the last couple of years and have come to reject, even as their book on the subject is being launched. In explaining their move away from Salvage Punk, they provide an incredible overview of the problems faced by and consuming leftist study, and provide tantalizing hints at left thought moving forward: swagger and sabotage.

Watch it. Watch all of it.

I won't address what they say, because they say it much better than I ever could, and you really need to watch this, but I will say that the Q + A section that makes up the last half of this video shows exactly why there's no reason left to talk to the academy. Imagine how much more productive this discussion would've been if they'd been talking to writers and artists involved in SalvagePunk rather than defensive, idiotic professors.

It's not Evan and China's fault, and I think they respond with more respect and serious consideration then their questioners earn--although I hope the next time they speak like this they're talking to intelligent people--but look how useless these academics are: they basically force Mieville and Williams to repeat themselves over and over again, unwilling to believe that limited cultural study is of limited use-value.

It's incredible to watch these two theorize us towards revolutionary action. In a year, these two will be calling us to the ramparts.

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