International Dumpster Divers Union

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“Fervent advocation of willful insubordination” is the candid intent of this new poster by artist Guy Sparger. That’s enough, right? The poster title is taken from the two most important words in this Abbie Hoffman quote from Soon To Be A Major Motion Picture: “Kids must be educated to disrespect authority or else democracy is a farce.” For those of you who came from outer space, Abbie Hoffman (1936-1989) was an American Author/Activist/Prankster & counter culture revolutionary who co-founded the Youth International Party (“Yippies”) & wrote close to a dozen books including Revolution For the Hell of It & Steal This Book.
This month marks the 42nd anniversary of the conclusion of the Chicago Eight conspiracy trial resulting from violent police clashes during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. On February 18, 1970, Abbie Hoffman & four other members of the Chicago Eight were found guilty of intent to incite a riot while crossing state lines. A verdict of not guilty was handed down on the associated conspiracy charges. During sentencing, Hoffman suggested the judge try LSD and offered to set him up with “a dealer he knew in Florida” (the judge was going to Florida for a post-trial vacation). This wasn’t the courtrooms first incident of judicial recalcitrance, in fact the judge was continually taunted by the defendants throughout the trial. Some of Hoffman’s other funky gibes included, “your idea of justice is the only obscenity in the room” & “this court is bullshit.” It’s important to note that in most legal cases, a sound defense strategy insists upon avoiding insolent provocation of the judge during the sentencing phase. In the case of the Chicago Eight & Hoffman however, a rare opportunity presented itself; a chance to ridicule a kangaroo court of uptight pricks who (like most self righteous dumbfucks) had their heads so far up their asses they couldn’t see their own ignorant reflections. Hoffman was a seasoned 33 year old prankster & agitator in 1970. He tactfully lashed out while the media spotlight shined & exposed his persecutors as farcical talking dickheads. The entire trial was a crazy three ring spectacle that included the court proceedings, network TV, & daily demonstrations organized by the Young Lords & Black Panthers. Each of the co-conspirators were sentenced to five years in prison & a $5,000 fine. All convictions were subsequently overturned by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. During the trial each defendant & both defense attorneys were cited for contempt & sentenced to jail but those convictions were also overturned. The Kerner Commission later found that in fact the ’68 DNC protest had been a “police riot“.

STEAL THIS POSTER! Yeah that’s right, you can get this without money. CLICK to download the FREE black & white version NOW. It’s an OVERSIZED (9 x 12 inches) vector PDF file that’s scalable to any size! Make a stencil & go vandalize something, use it in your ‘zine, whatever …it’s Ⓐlright!

PS: You can also choose to support art activism by purchasing a high resolution 13 x 19 inch (signed by the artist) giclée print of this collectible graphic printed on heavy archival paper. Only $20! All proceeds directly fund the Hungry Knife Artist Collective!

The intrepid hackers/heroes of the Anonymous movement have vandalized the GEO Group’s website! GEO Group is an evil international prison contractor intent on slavery & human warehousing for mega-profits.
Unfortunately the site had been restored by the time I heard about it, but according to the Associated Press, “The GEO Group’s website was defaced and replaced with a hip-hop song devoted to former death row inmate Mumia Abu Jamal.” …fucking excellent, Anonymous! A daring display of art meets Ⓐction! Pay attention kids; pranks are what’s happenin’ & even cooler than smoking or binge drinking (both also still cool).

What’s totally uncool is human cattle. Regular cattle is uncool as well but more on that later. Prison corporations are manifestations of straight-up fascism in AmeriKKKa. I’m not one to don’t go about drawing Hitler mustaches on photos of my political adversaries (unless they’re actually fascists, maybe). That would be stupid. Fascists are real & everywhere. You’re likely to encounter one (+!) someday. You may need others to believe you if that happens. Like right now, for instance.
We’re gonna go much deeper on the ‘US Prison Industrial Complex’ in a future issue of Dumpster Union Dispatch so I’ll conclude with this quick analysis: If Italian dictator Benito Mussolini invented fascism & defined it as “the merger of state & corporate power”, then what the fuck else would you call this GEO shit?
PS: Please steal the graphic.