Next Meeting: S.C.U.M. Manifesto

SCUM MANIFESTO: link to text
The S.C.U.M. (Society for Cutting Up Men) Manifesto was written by Valerie Solanas. A major feminist, Solanas is the classic man hater, but prompts interesting questions about gender in our society and feminist goals. Solanas is also known for shooting Andy Warhol (movie on topic: "I Shot Andy Warhol"). I think to organize a discussion of this manifesto we will need a good gender balance, so show up to defend your gender against Solanas' words. First we will have the males of the group say what they dont agree with and why, and also what they do agree with. Then the females can support or reject Solanas' ideas and beliefs. Then at last we should see what we really see as the womans struggle today, and if the two genders agree on that front. SCUM manifesto may strike you as "out there", and it is definitly fringe politics, possibly the creation of a psychologically troubled woman, but to read this politically should make it a valid reading.

We also tentatively planned topics to cover in upcoming weeks:

The prison system:
"How Prison Picks its Victims" by Eve Pell and also
"Social Functions of the Prisons in the US" by Bettina Aptheke
(copies to be handed out at SCUM discussion)


Disobedience:
with readings from Howard Zinn (planned for a meeting towards the end of april)

Situationism:
excerpted chapters of the entirety of "The Revolution of Everyday Life" by Raoul Vaneigem

Maoism and the Little Red Book