anne's dispatches from sydney

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I get off the train - "Wilson" on the CTA Red Line- an elevated train line that snakes above urban Chicago. I realise it is my stop when I see the 'dunkin donuts', Western Union and McDonalds signs. There ARE more interesting places here such as the El Salvadorean restaurant, the African Grocery store and the old buildings that signified wealth and prosperity in their 1920's heyday, but you can't see them from the train line. I get off and walk down the stairs. A young African American girl says she likes my jeans, and I feel proud of them- they're from Newtown (the gentrified Newtown unfortunately)- much better than the typical American big bum blue jeans or the tight Britney Spears ones. They're like bomber jeans for girls and I got them cos I liked my cousin Tara's ones, and also those of Tara Povey from the SRC.

I walk down the street to JPUSA, or Jesus People USA- an urban commune I am staying at for free... try sayin that like 'Jizas pipl US A' and you get the sound of the kind of unselfconscious boisterousness that evangelical/ pentecostal religious traditions in the US epitomise- except after being on the streets as an intentional community for so long- they kind of had to gain a social and political conscience- in contrast to the kind of parochialism and denial that is typical of small-town US christianity. As John, one of the key members put it- 'we realised we were in a class war'. Or maybe it was just John who had that realisation- he certainly was speaking the lingo- which could have been trying to impress us at the anarchist conference around the corner.

Unfortunately, not very many people share John's holistic analysis, at JPUSA- just bits and pieces here and there. John says that many people here rigidly support the Republicans because of their stance on abortion, which for them has ultimately become the yardstick of moral worth. I can't believe this- maybe people take for granted the fact that they are LIVING COMMUNALLY- against most of the individualistic capitalist values that Bush stands for. In the room that I am staying in, there is a compelling black poster on the wall of 'Stand True Ministries' that says "Pray to end Abortion", with a mother and child entertwined, with big wings on the mums back. Such a message in the long term drives a wedge through Christianity, building uncritical, long term support for the Republicans. It is a worry that abortion is the main life and death issue that enters peoples' minds when people here think of politics. It's a convenient (propagandistic) way of ignoring structural injustice. Such a simplistic equation makes me really concerned about peoples' political educations here... anyway...

What seems strange here is that many people are into hardcore music- death metal bands and punk bands. Most people display their body as massive artworks of tattoos, especially the people my age and younger (though not the kids of course). One of the enterprises of the commune is managing Christian bands, and organising the annual 'Cornerstone' Festival. After all, they say, "Why should the devil have all the good music?" Which is an aspect of their spirituality that is foreign to me. I find it unfathomable that you could label all things apart from rigid Christianity as 'that of the devil'. I think that the idea of a 'devil' is a useful concept to some extent- as a manifestation or representation, but ultimately shows evil to be more simple than it is in reality.

There is a real gothic aesthetic among the young people. Apart from random references to God and the Holy Spirit in contexts I wouldn't normally expect, and 'being saved' and 'waiting for the coming of God' the community is very familiar in some ways and easy to connect with. It is good to be here, meeting people I wouldn't normally come into contact with. Whilst I have quite a different sense of spirituality to them, I really admire the communal institutions they have created. Last night I played rummy (a card game) with some guys from the place - its actually a really interesting game- will have to teach it to ppl when I come back- they guys were a bit younger than me and really goth- did I say that almost everyone in the place has lots of interesting tattoos?

JPUSA has several properties around Chicago, where residents work (for free-outside the mainstream economy) and see themselves as carrying out the simple lifestyle that is required of them as Christians, a la the early christian communities. [this makes me wonder- I wonder if there is a parallel between this and the industries that Hillsong runs? BTW a person I met asked me enthusiastically about Hillsong in Australia, and I did not know how to react- other than to say that I am skeptical about their 'prosperity theology' and also their uncritical appraisal of conservative politicians.]  It was interesting hearing the story John told about the JP-USA community/ commune and its politicisation- when they got involved in helping defend Cambodian families from being evicted from apartments across the street several decades ago.

Anyway... In the local area, I have started counting nationalist t-shirts and the ratio of people wearing them. At one stage it was 1 in 2, but now its gone down to about 5%. Maybe there are some hotspots around where I am staying. They are usually worn by very poor, overweight or migrant people. There are also stickers on the bank windows saying "God bless America", and lots of stickers on the back of SUV's saying 'Support our troops', or something about the army. It's funny that whilst travelling, I meet people who I think to myself- I would love you to meet my friend (who is in Australia) - because their personalities are similar. Also, certain situations remind me of Australia. I think about people from home and how they would react to the experience-

Anyway- I heard that Sydney Uni Lefty people had their first election meeting today. When I think about it, I cringe. I am still emotionally upset about elections in general -because it is just so easy to become overcome by the power games, and to fit oneself into a rigid shell in protection from the factional nastiness. I feel totally sorry for all the younger activists who are taking on such a great burden by running in elections. It's funny that I feel a responsibility to be there- its not as if their difficulty would be alleviated much by my sharing in it. I still believe that student electoral processes in Australia can be run in better ways- however i have never felt qualified to work out exactly how to best reform them, so keep asking the question in a pointless circular type of inquiry, not really getting anywhere. Maybe the point is to change the culture in the long term- rather than to work at the coal face of the nastiness.

posted by: anneinchaosland at 22:46 | link | comments (2) |

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