Supper Club: The Black Oak Years

By Chris Lempa
The following pages contain articles I wrote for Black Oak Media.
Most appeared in Black Oak Presents, a quarterly magazine. All
articles appear in their original form. I hope you enjoy them. Feel
free to copy anything in this zine. Print it. Quote it. Do what you will
with it.
You can also email me at 8lempa8 (at) gmail.com
The Radical Whole
Black Oak Presents
Winter 2007
Community pride helps keep small town USA vibrant and livable.
One of the easiest ways to support your community is to support
locally owned businesses. The people who own these businesses
spend more money within the community and lend more support to
local events and charities. Thus, buying locally is the most efficient
way to insure community development.
The Buy Local movement is
Nativist in the sense that it
promotes the idea of
consuming as close to the
source as possible - whether
it's locally, regionally, etc. We
believe that this model should
be promoted throughout the
world. This can be called
Global Nativism. The end
product would be a spider web
of thriving, interdependent
local economies.
Our's is a positive campaign that focuses solely on what our
community has to offer. In other words, it is important to
acknowledge what we don't have while taking pride in what we do.
For example, while Charleston, IL - the town in which I reside -
doesn't have a locally owned grocery store, we do have a bustling,
seasonal Farmer's Market twice a week.
All too often people gripe about the deficiencies of small town life and
this is a shame. From unique shops to a much friendlier atmosphere
and slower pace, small towns often provide a niche that city life can't
offer. Big cities, such as Washington, D.C., are recognized as the
political hub. However, many social and political movements
originated in small, rural communities.
A shining example is the Populist Party of the late 19th century. The
Populist Party's power became so great that the Democratic Party
adopted much of the party's platform and nominated their
presidential candidate in 1896.
A more recent example is the Community Environmental Legal
Defense Fund (CELDF). They provide "free and affordable legal
services to grassroots, community-based environmental groups, and
rural municipal governments." For the past ten years they have been
"draft ordinances for local governments and assists organizations to
assert direct, local, and democratic control over corporations."
Through their hard work and dedication, CELDF has become a leader
in the reformation of the relationship between corporations and
American communities.
By promoting locally owned businesses, the Buy Local movement is
working to spread inclusion through Global Nativism.

The Natural Community Planner

Black Oak Presents
Spring 2007

Have you ever wondered why county borders lie where they do? Or
why cities have nonsensical borders? The arbitrary borders that
divide us make very little sense once we begin thinking about them.

A realistic vision for the future is essential to anyone interested in

improving their communities. In my utopia, bioregions would serve
as the basic building block of society. A bioregion, simply put, is a
geographic area of interconnected natural systems and their
characteristic watersheds, landforms, species and human cultures. In
other words, cities, counties, and states would be shaped by the
natural features that give them life and character.

To better illustrate this idea, replace words

such as “city”, “county”, and “state” with
terms that are descriptive of surrounding
landscapes. Fox Ridge and the Embarras
could replace Coles and Charleston in our
daily vocabularies, to use my local example.

Produce and manufactured goods would differ from one bioregion to

the next. Diversifying crops would enable farmers to stock local
grocery stores with foods that are currently imported from other
states and countries. The produce would be fresher and require less
chemical fertilizers and pesticides, not to mention cheaper to
transport. Our family farm would benefit from increased sales and
consumers would benefit from fresher and more natural food.

Currently, there is a major concern that buying locally is costlier.

Until we stop seeing local products as “novelties,” they will continue
to be more expensive. Worse is the downright refusal to stock local
products. A stunning example can be found at restaurants. One
would think that a locally owned restaurant would support local
farmers when possible.
Sad to say this is not always true.

Not that long ago I went out for breakfast and asked for some honey.
Naturally, I was expecting the honey to be from a local apiary.
Needless to say, I was astonished when I saw it was from a major,
multinational food conglomerate.

While this may seem trivial, think about the difference it would make
if restaurants purchased locally when possible. Not only would the
food be fresher, it would also drive the cost down while supporting
our neighbors. The increase in sales and competition would benefit
the consumer and producers alike.

By supporting local farmers and producers – and telling them what to

improve – we are helping to improve our communities. It is easy to
feel trapped because we feel that our community is mediocre. An easy
way to change our community is by changing the way we see it.

People have a natural tendency to organize their

daily lives based on what they have in common. By
allowing this to happen we increase the chances
for peaceful cooperation. Unfortunately, this
concept is foreign to rogue imperialists and the
dominant way of thinking amongst societal
planners. Fortunately it seems to be a common
feeling amongst most people. The examples are
endless. Look at the various subcultures, voluntary
clubs, or social organizations. These groups, unlike
governments, do not rely on force. People join
voluntarily. This is the idea behind the bioregion.

The possibilities are endless and it is up to us to make them happen.

Maybe I’m Not

Black Oak Presents
Summer 2007

When I discuss politics or current events with friends I am often told

that I do not sound liberal or progressive. Comments like that should
be taken with a grain of salt, since the two terms are relatively
meaningless.

After all, what is the difference between a liberal Republican and a

conservative Democrat? How about between a progressive
Republican and a progressive Democrat? Better yet, who can really
define what any of those terms mean? Thomas Jefferson was
considered a liberal when he was writing groundbreaking documents.
Yet today he would be considered a radical conservative because he
believed in a small government. This all changed when he was elected
to office, but that is not the topic of this essay. Frederic Bastiat,
Ludwig von Mises, and Ron Paul are classical liberals. By today's
standards, however, they are conservative.

As if this were not confusing enough, we could add in agorists,

anarchists, anarcho-capitalists, anarcho-primitivists, anarcho-
syndicalists, free market capitalists, free marketeers, geoists, geo-
libertarians, greens, left-libertarians, libertarians, market-anarchists,
market-socialist, paleo-conservatives, paleo-progressives,
primitivists, and many, many more.

What does it all mean? Better yet, why does it matter?

If one were to tell me that they want to be free, I would say that's
great. I would not, however, have any idea what that person meant.
One person's free society is another person's hell.
So it is important to be more specific. Because of this, people often
rely on political labels. While labeling is meant to unite those that
agree, it more often tends to divide people before they have a chance
to share opinions, ideas, and strategies.

One of my favorite pastimes is the potluck dinner. Potlucks provide

entertainment, food, and conversation. A suggestion was made to me
to provide themes for my potlucks. I supported this idea and
suggested that some friends lay the groundwork. Like so many other
good ideas, this went to the wayside.

Building on the idea, a friend and I were inspired to organize the

Coles County Libertarian Supper Club. Every other week we met to
discuss issues relevant to Coles County from an anti-authoritarian
standpoint. The ideological inspirations were Murray Rothbard and
Murray Bookchin's Left-Right Anarchist Supper Club.

As author L. Neil Smith wrote, “a libertarian is a person who believes

that no one has the right, under any circumstances, to initiate force
against another human being, or to advocate or delegate its
initiation.”

I was expecting much excitement about this new group since many
people had talked about similar ideas. Much to my dismay, the group
was met with some hostility. I suspect this was due to the group's
name. “Libertarians are Republicans that smoke pot,” was a common
response to invitations. Others told me that they were opposed to the
notion of libertarianism since they were ideological leftists.
Consequently, a group founded around the idea of free
thought was stifled because of a label. This trend has
unfortunately destroyed much more than a supper
club in Illinois. Even labels that seem more specific
have differences.

In a talk at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, John

Zerzan, renowned primitivist philosopher, writer, and speaker,
mentioned that there were plenty of differences in his thought and
primitivist Derrick Jensen's thought. Fortunately these two do not
allow their differences to stand between them.

Too many people are concerned with the labels use to describe their
ideology or scene. This must be overcome. If more energy were
focused on action than talk we would live in a much, much better
society.

Stop thinking about progressives and libertarians. Go out and start a

supper club.

Looking Forward, Moving Backward

Black Oak Presents
Autumn 2007

There is a glorification of the old days. What exactly that means

depends on who you ask. Sometimes people don't even realize what
they are acting out or admiring. Recently I have tried my hand at the
time honored tradition of food preservation. While this is currently a
hobby, my goal is to make it a way of sustenance. A number of people
have commented as to how great this new hobby is and how they
would like to start. Other comments haven't been as supportive.

People tell me that canning is pointless since it would be much easier

to go to the grocery store. “That smells funny” is also common. The
most amusing―and amazing―comments are from people who think
that this is some sort of new concept. Granted, we now have fancy
contraptions to dry and can foods that weren't around even twenty
years ago, but many of the most relevant cookbooks were first
published during the World War I era. Newer publications simply
adapt many of the old recipes!

There are other examples of reclaiming our past ways as well. A

growing number of my generation are considering homesteading and
organic farming. Homesteading in the 21st century is different, in
practice, than it was in the 19th century, but the idea behind it
remains constant. We are looking towards open spaces for our
futures. Cities are crowded, dirty, and downright annoying. Initially,
it can be difficult to give up metropolitan conveniences and so called
necessities.

I've become convinced that we have been duped by the advertising

industry, along with others in search of a quick buck, into pursuing
our own demise. As theorist and activist El Ray wrote in the late
1960s, we need to:
"Distinguish comforts and conveniences from status games. Some
claim they enjoy the “comforts of civilization” too much to opt out.
But almost all the free men of whom I have knowledge―land
nomads, yachtsmen, and backwoodsmen―have shelter from the
rain and cold, nutritious and tasty food, bathing facilities,
comfortable bed, books and records, and leisure to enjoy these. Some
chores may take more time; cooking with wood instead of gas, for
example, but time saved on outside employment more than
compensates. What a free man probably DOESN’T have is a house
which would impress non-libertarian relatives."1
We are living in a time when people feel as if they “need” fast food or
prepared meals. A time when we buy new gadgets to make our lives
easier. Upon closer examination we realize that we are really
complicating things by adding another addiction, another vice, or
another complication to what generally amounts to a complicated
existence.

In a time when innovation means sonar washing machines and

Luxury Pet Beds, our survival depends on something much different.
It is pertinent to reduce stress loads and increase our independence
rather than looking towards technology that makes us feel more
independent and less stressed. Self-cleaning toilets may shave a few
minutes from one's cleaning duties, but isn't that going too far? How
much time and energy was spent designing such a useless device? Has
the human species become so lazy that cleaning the toilet must be
automated?

Thankfully, a subculture more in line with El Ray is growing while the

dominant culture continues to sing its tired ol' anthem of “buy more
stuff.”

Alternative Currency: What and Why

Black Oak Report
October 1, 2007

Most people use money, but how many people think about the money
that they use? My guess would be not that many.

Generally speaking, money is an instrument of exchange used rather

than directly exchanging your goods and services for the good or
service you desire. For many years, people far and near relied on gold,
silver, and various other precious metals to serve as money.

Imperial governments soon realized that it was

easier to control people if they controlled the
money. Thus, they instituted a fiat money system.
This form of money, as the name eludes, is created
by law or decree. It isn't backed by anything other
than a government's order and the support of the
citizens. Currently, governments the world over
have a virtual monopoly over money. Notice that I
said a virtual monopoly.

In my wallet are $80 worth of Liberty Dollars—two $20 silver pieces

(real, one ounce silver pieces), and $40 in silver certificates. The
Liberty Dollar (www.libertydollar.org) is backed by silver and gold.
Each coin is made of silver and gold while the paper is an actual
warehouse receipt for silver or gold. Keen observers will note that an
ounce of silver isn't worth $20. That is true and is explained on their
website, but the Liberty Dollar isn't an investment, it is made to
spend.

Another example are the numerous local currencies throughout the

United States and the world. The E.F. Schumacher Society has been
promoting local currencies through their publications and website.
“Widely used in the United States in the early 1900s,” the website
notes, “local currencies are a legal, but underutilized, tool for citizens
to support local economies.”
Local currencies generally function one to one with US Federal
Reserve Notes but are accepted within a single community. This way,
more money stays within communities and therefore helps the
economy.

The Learning Channel produced a television program called Making

Money, which highlighted a small town that reported economic
growth based on the usage of the Liberty Dollar. Local currencies
have also served as a lending agent for locally owned businesses.1

It is no secret that locally owned business bolster a community's

economy, so it should come as no surprise that local currency would
do the same.

Liberation Education
Black Oak Presents
Spring 2008

Think about the question, "What is education?" Okay, what is it?

What is it not? We are told that it is important to read Dickens and
know what a mol is, but that gardening is a hobby. Woodwork is a
hobby―but I better know my ABC's. While I agree that knowing the
alphabet is important, is it any more so than the ability to grow one's
food or build one's shelter? Does Tale of Two Cities really matter if I
can't survive? Does the anarchist theory that I love so much matter?
No.

Let's not forget the purpose of schooling. As a judge once said, "A
primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children
in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation
as a means of protecting the public welfare."1

That is the point of education today. If we wanted a real education we

would learn a trade or multiple trades. But, of course, the point of
education is not survival. It is indoctrination.

We are all guilty if we don't act to fight this unjust system. I have
difficulties with this, but that's how I see it. You see, I know many
teachers. In fact, I was once a teacher’s aide, a good one at that.
Therein lies the problem; I am actually a good teacher. I encouraged
my students to think critically and question injustice. Not one student
of mine could rightfully accuse me of playing the authority card. Nor
could any of the youth that I currently work with, for that matter.
Respect should be earned. That's what I believe and that is what I try
to pass on.

Unfortunately, this means little if we continue to support a

hierarchical indoctrination system, and our society is to blame for not
rigorously challenging the educational system. Worse, parents often
send their children to school without thinking twice and without
being involved.
Sadly, most ultimately go along. I have encountered many people that
end up defending the system. By doing so they are also lending their
credibility to it. Teachers and other educational professionals that
actively support something they know is wrong do much more harm
than good. Even if their intentions are good, the outcome will
necessarily be negative.

What is the solution? Ideally, public

education would morph into a collection of
home schools and educator run cooperatives.
There are already examples of these, but
clearly there are not enough. It is up to
concerned individuals to build alternative
educational institutions. Internet based
programs such as the Online Freedom
Academy and Z Education Online are great
tools. The ultimate goal, however, must be to
transform educational institutions into
participatory structures with educational
goals dedicated to the basic principles and
values of solidarity, diversity, equity, and self
management.

Education should encourage individuality while also promoting the

aforementioned values. Additionally, so-called trades and other skills
should be promoted. High school “guidance” counselors often tell the
below average performers to consider becoming a welder, mechanic,
or carpenter, but some suburban schools won't even mention these
career choices. Ironically, these “careers” can lead to more self-
reliance than that of a stockbroker, secretary, or senator.

We will not be a free society until individuals increase the levels of

autonomy and independence in their everyday lives. Creating an
educational system focused on various survival and life skills is the
first and most important step in that direction.

Cooperatives for the Future

Black Oak Report
February 1, 2008

Cooperate:
intr.v., -at•ed, -at•ing, -ates.
1. To work or act together toward a common end or purpose.
2. To acquiesce willingly; be compliant: asked the child to cooperate
and go to bed.
3. To form an association for common, usually economic, benefit:
When buy-ers cooperate, they can make large wholesale purchases at
a discount.
There is a growing movement against “corporate greed.” A movement
that crosses the meaningless left/right divide. Both Pat Buchanan and
Ralph Nader have fingered corporate greed as a destructive force.
Unfortunately, few are proposing, let alone working towards,
alternative models to replace the current corporate capitalist system.
Few is, of course, a relative term. The town in which I reside is home
to a number of cooperatives and collectives. Both of these models are
working to replace the current system. In many cities, if you ask
where “the Coop” is you will be directed to a cooperatively run
grocery store. Of course, a lot of people will have no idea what you are
talking about.

According to the National Cooperative Business Association,

cooperatives follow seven internationally recognized principles: 1)
Voluntary and Open Membership, 2) Democratic Member Control, 3)
Member Economic Participation, 4) Autonomy and Independence, 5)
Education, Training and Information, 6) Cooperation Among
Cooperatives, and 7) Concern for Community. Most people would not
consider these principles to be radical. In fact, a majority would
probably agree that they should be society's basic organizing
principles.

If more businesses were owned and operated cooperatively, more

people would be in control of their lives. Finances tend to be the
number one concern in most people's day to day lives. The fear of
losing one's job is prevalent. This fear is magnified when it is realized
that the person controlling your occupational fate is relatively
unaccountable to anyone other than themselves. In a cooperative that
is not the case. Decision-making is much more transparent and
therefore accountable. (This is a brief example. Please do some more
research if you unfamiliar with the cooperative model.)

Aside from the financials, cooperatives extend the sense of

community beyond the traditional settings. Aside from grocery stores,
cooperatives have been formed to provide credit and personal
financial services, electricity, telephone, internet and satellite and
cable TV services, legal and professional services, and just about
anything else you can imagine. In fact, electric coops are a staple in
many rural areas.

Most amazing is the broad range in size of cooperatives. While many

cooperatives are simply storefront businesses, there are also Fortune
500 companies that are organized cooperatively. This broad range
demonstrates that a participatory organizational structure is a
realistic goal. All that is necessary is for the people participating to
desire control over their own lives. Cooperatives won't be the be all
end all, but they will definitely be a start in the right direction.

‘Trust’ in Cooperatives
Black Oak Presents
Summer 2008

By cooperative I mean, “an autonomous association of persons united

voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural
needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-
controlled enterprise.”

One can see both historical and present day examples of successful
cooperative economic and social endeavors. This article will briefly
discuss trust – an important element of the cooperative structure.
(For more information on what a cooperative is, check out The
University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives).

While trust is important in most relationships, it is especially

important when you venture into cooperative ownership. Most of us
have joined groups that failed to get past the second meeting. My
experience points to the lack of a common element. Often this is trust.
People tend to join groups in which they don't or can't trust the other
members simply because they want to belong.

Whether it is ideological or social, people want to belong or fit-in.

This desire, this need allows us to join groups even if we don't have a
full trust of the membership. One participant at a recent meeting of
Midwest anti-authoritarians made it clear that he only trusted a
handful of the people in the room. Without a careful analysis this
seems like a sign of disrespect, but those feelings make more sense
when one considers the recent "Green Scare" or Cointelpro. This
participant’s main concern was that he didn’t know the people in the
room. He mentioned that the group was potentially full of informants,
cops, or infiltrators.

Perhaps this one example doesn’t speak directly to farmers interested

in starting a grain cooperative, but the issue of trust is very relevant.
Both organizations rely on participant interaction and cooperation to
succeed. Without trust, true cooperation is not possible.

Trust, as defined by the anarchist Wiktionary, is “confidence in or

reliance on some person or quality.” It can also be defined as “a group
of businessmen or traders organized for mutual benefit to produce
and distribute specific commodities or services, and managed by a
central body of trustees.” While the latter definition differs from that
of a cooperative, the similarities are obvious.

Trust should be at the basis of all relationships. Without trust there is

no relationship. Life is not worth living if we are constantly looking
over our shoulder or are always suspicious of the person next to us.
Communities, in their purest form, are a group of interacting
organisms sharing an environment. Communities, however, are also
voluntary structures that arise when people have a common interest.
Church groups, political groups, and sports teams are all examples of
voluntary, participatory communities.

Black Oak Media’s goal is to reshape and rebuild our communities.

This will not happen, however, without a paradigm shift. A basic
system of trust and understanding with our neighbors and other
community members is a good starting place. Once trust is
established we will have the building blocks for flourishing
cooperatives and mutual aid institutions.

Preparing for ‘the Crash’

Black Oak Report
Vol. 2 Issue 4
Crash – to fall or come down violently.
‘The crash’ is a common conversation amongst my friends. To be
clear, ‘the crash’ refers to what others call ‘the collapse’ or ‘societal
collapse.’ For further clarification, the entry for ‘societal collapse’ on
the anarchistic Wikipedia reads, “societal collapse is the large scale
breakdown or long term decline of the culture, civil institutions or
other major characteristics of a society or a civilization, temporarily
or permanently.” What may surprise some is that our talk of the crash
is not negative, but, rather, it is quite positive. Understanding and
preparing for societal shifts can be fun, but more importantly will
ease an otherwise stressful and harmful predicament.
The institutions that maintain modern culture are rotting. Proof is
everywhere. Suspicion can be overturned by looking at the Financial
Times or www.bloomberg.com. (If you can't stomach reading the
business press, I suggest you check out the We're Fucked Report, a
news aggregate run by the Burdock Collective.) Here's a headline
from Bloomberg: Chrysler Says Lending Unit to End Auto Leases
Aug. 1.
That may not seem like much on the surface, but something has gone
awry when an auto giant stops helping people buy cars. Chrysler and
GM were also featured as the Stupid Investment of the Week on
the Market Watch website. It really wasn't that long ago that the auto
industry was the bedrock of the US economy.

Elephants in the Living Room

Of course there are many factors that led to the decline in the auto
industry and our economy in general. These same factors are leading
to ‘the crash.’ The elephant in the living room seems to be fossil fuels.
The Enron debacle, along with major power failures on both coasts,
started a buzz in the media, but energy companies and their think
tanks were quick to respond. Typical, since the media is often owned
by the same companies (or their friends). At the very least the
corporate boards are incestuous.

Most people's lives are centered around fossil fuels. Whether it's the
computer being used to type this article or the plastic bottles in your
house, oil plays a key role. After oil there is coal. Coal is hazardous on
so many levels. A report by the Natural Resources Defense Council
links sulfur dioxide, A respiratory irritant associated with the onset of
asthma attacks, to the burning of coal and crude oil.1

Societal Shift – Forced or Voluntary?

Society as we know it will change. This article spent a little time

talking about the fossil fuel industry, but the actual effects are much
further reaching. Critics from every point of the ideological spectrum
point out the flaws. While the critics don't agree on solutions, they do
agree that we are on a terrible path. What is not clear is how the Earth
will look fifty years from now. What is clear is will change drastically.
We have a choice. Either we sit around and watch it crash or we work
to tear down the antiquated structures and replace them with
something new and sustainable.
www.picklesnotpipebombs.info