A Series Of Shock Slogans and Mindless Token Tantrums

by Penny Rimbaud

This book was first published in leaflet form as part of Christ-The Album. It contains three separate essays all of which deal with the individual and their basic right to freedom and peace. This book, written by three members of CRASS, gives an insight into much of the thinking of the "punk generation" which, contrary to the media portrayal of punk as mindless and violent, is both caring and articulate.
Released in 1982 Christ-The Album in 1982, in book form in '82 and re-printed in 1983.


The first essay is a pocket history of the peace movement from its roots in the "beat culture" of the late '50s to the "punk explosion" of '77. Woven into this history is the story of Wally Hope, a visionary anarcho-mystic whose untimely death as a result of brutal treatment in a psychiatry hospital becomes symbolic of the death of hippy "love and peace" and the birth of punk's raw anger.

The second shorter essay is more of a manual on how, if not to succeed, the victims of oppressive institutions can not only get by, but subvert and use to their own ends the tools of that oppression.

The third essay is a well documented twentieth century history of pacifism versus war. It not only creates a perspective of war against which the urgency of pacifist answers become obvious and necessary, it also offers practical and workable approaches by which this could be possible.

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Using the pseudonym Penny Rimbaud, Jeremy John Ratter has long been a thinker, artist, musician and activist within British counterculture. Opening Dial House in Essex in 1967, an 'open house' for visitors interested in alternative living which exists and is a centre of activity to this day, for example for permaculture courses, he then found himself with like-minded individuals who coalesced into the anarchist punk band, Crass, also forming their own Crass Records label and becoming central to the large underground 'anarcho punk' or (as called in the USA 'peace punk') movement that still exists in its more obvious forms here and there, but also was influential way beyond, in terms of plain-speaking political and personal expression, severe criticism of and opposition to the political status quo and dominant patterns of culture, egalitarian, non-commercial and d.i.y. approaches to music making, record labels, distribution and any other resulting 'business', as well as in simply creating a massive network centred on the record label for small d.i.y. punk bands, records, concerts, related artistic projects, information distribution, activism, graffitti campaigns, media manipulation and tricksterism, etc., etc., etc. Since the band's break up in 1984 he has carried on with writing and his own artistic and musical projects, as well as continuing to live in and help maintain the function of Dial House.

Reviews

[Michael Damian Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book covering much relating to anarchism, anti war, the roots of Stonehenge Festival and Wally Hope from the perspective of Jeremy Penny RIMBAUD Ratter.