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Prison Papers # 1 (PDF here):
BRANDISHMENT MARKETEERING
By Don Meinshausen

The term marketeer is a takeoff on the term musketeer from Dumas's famous book “The Three Musketeers.” It is a tale of various intrigues, wars, guns, religious conflicts, sex and gaudily dressed adventurers that call to mind gangsta rap videos.

Even the Musketeer fight against Cardinal Richeleiu has modem parallels. Richeleiu has been called the father of the modem nation state. He was effectively the political administrator of France during the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) He deprived the French of their civil liberties, increased onerous taxation and engaged his country in numerous wars; civil, religious and foreign. He alternatively fought wars against the Protestants and then aided them in their fight against Spain. While engaging in all types of political intrigue to save his religion and the state he oppressed and murdered political and religious dissidents. That he did this without the help of modem technology or Kissinger is remarkable.

“The Three Musketeers” is a revolt of style against misery, wars and oppression that is based on a modern technology (muskets were quite modern then). Muskets were not used much in the movie yet are rather flourished in duels and even then are used less than swords. The musketeers while fighting Richeleiu reinforces these same bad conditions by engaging in war themselves but have a grand time doing it, thereby giving hope. How the musketeers are rebels and even radical is that they do their revolt in style and joy. They confront authority and beat it by outwitting it and being loyal to each other making them better warriors. That can shock the established order even while strengthening materialist values and violence.

Fortunately today there are other ways of brandishment and conflict besides guns and swords, even though they still make good props. Could we see drive bys with lasers? Car bombs and shootings are just so overused. When the news just repeats itself the show must be changed especially since it involves real people dying and so much expense. What toys do we bring to our next virtual life? Pop culture and its commercial heft are important though seemingly vulnerable to criminals and not to be redundant, government seizures. Gangstas are like a few romantic adventurers against an army led by an evil mastem1ind. Even those doomed to fail by lack of power can have a huge symbolic importance in future conflicts.

Until the time that people find out what is really wrong with the system such rebelliousness is thrilling to watch even though ultimately wrongheaded. I do wonder why there is no culture of dueling but maybe they are more sensible than that. Creativity is, thankfully, now seen as a way to recognition and riches rather than just the use of force. Brandishment, the flaunting of force, is a style or martial art. It is a posture of power rather than a political or military gesture. While not always a discipline or a real show of force it is for show and sometimes amusement like professional wrestling.

To seize the ring of power you must perform in it. It is better than wearing it as was found out in the Lord of the Rings. The Ring can be a ring of power as well and dangerous to all concerned. It is a statement of readiness of attack as well as well as you expect it as a condition of life. It can become a manacle. One can leave the circus ring but to leave the cross hairs ring in a scope is something else. Is life a gladiator arena of all against all? Is this the only way to achieve manhood or to even entertain each other? Even the leaders of the world can't answer this and they are quite unsafe. The house of power can become a prison in the pursuit of safety.  What ring tones do you want in your cell?		PDF'S OF PRISON PAPERS
By Don Meinshausen



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