Resolutions to Make Revolutions

Dave Abs (01.16.11)

Hey All!

As this is the New Year – indeed two weeks into it! – I’d like to introduce you all to my own “Resolutions to Make Revolutions.”  There are projects I’m hopefully going to pursue over the course of the upcoming year.  If any of you are interested in working with me on some of this, well that’d be awesome…

1) Building New Community Spaces

In the short term, this means reading groups, meet-ups, and lots of inclusive radical discussion.  In the long term, of course, I mean “spaces” more literally.  That is, I would definitely like to work with you wonderful radicals to establish real radical spaces for community education and organizing.  I don’t necessarily mean Infoshops.  Whatever you call them, I mean inclusive and inviting spaces that provide radical educational programming, reading, and community and workplace organizing space.  Emphasis on the INCLUSIVE.

2) A New KY Social Forum

There was a KY Social Forum in 2008, I think.  As our points of unity made clear this summer, we all believe that our nation is increasingly turning toward a reactionary, fascist ideology and form of governance.  Recent events seem to corroborate this analysis.  Obviously, it’s still necessary to organize against this trend.  To me, this means that we 1) need to confront the fascist threat directly at their rallies, marches, etc. and 2) need to organize a more unified left in KY and across the country.  As I see it, a KY Social Forum would be a good start in organizing a more unified left and spreading our radical critique(s).

3) May Day Organizing

Another significant step toward developing a more unified and powerful (!) left in our immediate vicinity, in my opinion, is to reinvigorate the tradition of May Day marches.  Recently, these marches have become devoted to issues of immigration and citizenship.  I think this an important development and one we should celebrate.  But I think it’s also important to emphasize the history of the marches in labor organizing and the Haymarket lynchings.  I was approached by someone working on organizing a May Day march in Louisville for this year not too long ago.  If anyone knows how to get involved, I’d appreciate the information.

4) Barnstorming

The idea is to develop a 2 hour panel on “Financial Crisis, Austerity, and Education” — Joan will recognize it… ;)  The panel will visit communities and colleges across the state, speaking with students and community members about how to organize around education.  My part being, obviously (?), to recount my own experiences in Berkeley and the occupations and to present my analysis of these events and how they apply to colleges and communities in KY.  If you’re interested to help out in any way, I’d love it!!

5) Louisville Copwatch

Probably speaks for itself.  Probably doesn’t apply to most of you.

Supposedly, I’ll also be doing “academic work” in this time… :) If you know anyone in Louisville, who’d be interested in such things, please put me in contact.

This entry was tagged , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Dave Abs

Dave Abs is the 21st century epitome of worldliness and high culture. A true sophisticate and renaissance man, Abs cut his teeth at the age of 15 with a small English theatre company called “The Pantaloons,” making the move from his home state of Kentucky to the UK. Abs’s breakthrough performance was in Shakespeare’s As You Like It, bringing new life to the character of Rosalind—the daughter of Duke Frederick.

When Tiny Ninja Theater in New York City debuted Macbeth, they sought out none other than 17 year old Abs for the role of Lady Macbeth. A slave to humility, Dave accepted the responsibility, and chose the pseudonym “Mrs. Smile” instead of his surname, so as not to steal too much limelight from the up‑and‑coming actors. One can go incognito in Lady Macbeth garb, after all.

A true rootless cosmopolitan, Abs was a globe-trotter for most of his youth, moving about from France, Vietnam, Australia, and landing in Moscow, Russia. He decided academia was his route at the age of 20, settling comfortably into “Kremlinology,” or the study of Russian/Soviet politics. For years, Abs was considered the pre-eminent Kremlinologist of his generation. Abs had been known to dine over Russian caviar with the likes of Vladimir Putin and Mikhail Gorbachev.

By age 26, Abs had had enough of academia, settling down in the Twin Cities, occasionally offering his services to the Gremlin Theater, a most fortunate arrangement for this small, intimate space; this was akin to a Robert De Niro or Jack Nicholson doing a low-budget, art film. Our cosmopolitan then finally returned to his native Kentucky, taking a rather unorthodox turn: he founded a singles dating website called Louisville Mojo. For some time, Abs embraced a taste for the unrefined, jettisoning his cultured ways for a simple life—running a dating website between singing in a Kenny Chesney cover band, and watching endless hours of Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy stand‑up comedy routines. Dave Abs: an enigma, indeed.

Wandering one day through the city streets of Louisville, Kentucky, Abs—via happenstance—stumbled upon a NO BORDERS meeting. Abs was warmly welcomed, and was henceforth converted to the gospel of anarchy.

Comments are closed.