Shoplifting as Social Commentary:
European police are attempting to halt the spread of a guerrilla shoplifting network, seizing computer equipment connected to the cause.Yomango calls on anti-consumerism activists to “liberate” goods from stores in an effort to spread the ideals of brand-free living.
The movement started in 2002 in Spain, where thrifty followers staged choreographed shopping-mall stunts like looting clothes from one store and returning them to another or wearing them back for flash fashion shows.
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“Yomango is a brand name whose principal objective … is not the selling of things,” according to the movement’s manifesto, “but the … promoting of shoplifting as a form of disobedience and direct action against multinational corporations. Buying is an action based on obedience; (we are) taking to the extreme the free circulation of goods.”
Perhaps the greatest irony is that one of the movement commentators is selling a copyrighted book online. Como se dice “hypocrite” en español?
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I think the greater irony is that no one’s thought to rob Yomango’s offices…yet
at least if they were sharing with whom they steal…but corporation are not playing this game so its becoming more justified to be cynical about consumerism than to fight it where it is stronger…maybe i don’t take seriously the little one who’s lack of strategy to leave a message to the big one makes you look at its own consumerism even if its free to help him..maybe because he might lose his grip much easily, i don’t take part in your bashing at him.
sam, based on what you just wrote, how do two wrongs make a right?
Also, lumping all “multinationals” into the same category of Halliburton-types is not fair. Has Google stolen from anyone to be as prosperous as it is (notwithstanding ‘Orkut’)?
Here’s a story of theft that I’m quite surprised hasn’t reached this blog yet. It puts Yomango’s shenanigans to shame. Remember 1933, anybody?
Odd, it didn’t take the anchor tag. Here’s the URL: http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050826/ap_on_go_ot/rare_coins_5
Keep on going and the chances are you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I have never heard of anyone stumbling on something sitting down.
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