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ULTIMATE DEPARTURE

ULTIMATE DEPARTURE FASHION PLATES IN DEFENSE OF THE WILDERNESS THE COLLECTION MADE TIMELESS

AMERICAN MANUFACTURING THE SCARLET LETTER COMPANY

http://www.TheScarletLetterComany.com

ULTIMATE DEPARTURE

Tomorrow SETH SHAPIRO’S AMERICAN MANUFACTURING

ULTIMATE DEPARTURE

depends on you DESCENDENT BEING

WITCHCRAFT

NATURAL MAGIC

What can become of a non-existent fashion label called American Manufacturing? The continuation in a series of wilderness enchantments impossible to luxuriate in architects that write books instead of making buildings. IT is simply not a valid strategy to rise above the affectation and proclaim oneself author and not a mere craft person. Real human activity cannot depend on wagering ones name upon a FAIRYTALE existence! The role of artist, activist, punk, or politician is someone who generates a network of creativity and concepts, as opposed to the singular act of being in a void-like studio....must now hear the siren warning(s) of imminent reconstruction. In a moment of rebellious inspiration, the i becomes WE. And thus, to affect the framework in particular, WE turned away from the ‘world’ and found one another. Crafted a new reality with the words, paint, and song from the fragments of our imagination and the rhythm of a drum. In this derisive moment when one beat comes to a final conclusion, another one immediately follows it to sustain the

THOSE WITH NO REPUTATION ROSE UP AGAINST THOSE WITH REPUTATION. THE FOOLS AGAINST THE WISE. THE YOUNG AGAINST THE OLD. camaraderie. On the archimental platform varied among the current reality, a fashion company will emerge from obscurity. In this space i create.

American

Classic

THIS WORK IS DOCUMENT BEFORE IT HAS A CHANCE TO BE DOCUMENTED. IT TURNS AROUND TO UNLEASH WHAT IS ALREADY HISTORICAL (ALREADY PAST) AND PLUNGES IT TOWARDS NEW POSSIBILITIES.

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D é c i s i o n

American Manufacturing THE SCARLET LETTER COMPANY

TIMELESS

COLLECTION & ARKANSAS - KENTUCKY - LOUISIANA - MIS S O U R I

PRESENTATION

F F F F FF

F F FF F FFFFFF FF F F 3.5 billion s F

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F years, life has been blossom ing, diversify ing, and expanding into incredible form s and unimag F

inable complexity. And NOW, in the space of a human generation, we w ill momentari ly truncate this creative f l o w e r i n g . Human population and c o n s u m p tion has lead to this unprecedent ed destruction of life. But it is caused more fundamentally by our our failure to overcome barriers that keep us lockt in conflict and turmoil.

The crisis we are facing is a total meltdown. One-third of all speci es on Earth will b e c o m e extinct in less than twenty years. The remaining d e g r a d e d l a n d s w i l l n o t b e a b le to sustain its diversi ty and evolutionary process. We need a global front to halt and reverse the destruction. Healing the land means recon necting the parts so that vital flows can be restored transgen eration. We should th erefore reject the notion t hat wilder ness is a remote destination suitable only for backpacking. W e must see wilderness as a w i l d h o m e f o r u n fettered life. Protecting par ks and wilderness is not about saving a pretty face, to picnic or a place to be n-a-k-e-d. It's about fore stalling extinction. The battl e for environmental salvation will d e m a n d a t least the energy, and long-term co mmitment, as the battle to abolish slavery. T h at doesn't mean patience; it means planning for the long haul. It is less committed towards lamenting decline than in planning its resurgence! It

focuses on Wild erness as we inherited and are now destroy ing, but it is also Wilderness w e m i g h t y et c reate. Will the evolutionary flow of that beautiful brown bear in Glac ier National Park continue? Will humanit y grant her ursine d a u g h ters equivalent rights to life, liberty, and the pursuits of happiness as are accorded our own sons and daughters if any are beautiful? Will she bequeath to our children, h uman and wild, a world of steadily diminishi ng beauty and complexit y---a planet of weeds--or shall she leave [them] a legacy of wildness a nd diversi ty? Will o ur children and their children feel betrayed to dis cover (assumin g that such thoug hts are thinkable in the future) that previous genera tions ignored th e problem of o verpopulation and ecological disaster and dodged the diffi cult choices in favor of a com fortable, conventional exis tence whose price included migratory songbirds, large mammals, old-growth forests, and prehistoric ice shelves?

(RETERRITORIALIZING THE REALM)

The King is Alive

THE WILDeRNESS WITHINISTHE WILDERNESS WITHOUT. INSIIDEOUTSIDe.

A s i m p l e , yet radical d e p a r t u r e is required, especially a m o n g t h o s e living in " W e s t e r n civilization." Let u s not d e c e i v e o u r s e l v e s a n y longer. If w e d o not m a k e this b r e a k a w a y o u r s p e c i e s will s o o n b e c o m e extinct, a fate a l r e a d y recently m e t b y t h o u s a n d s of the other a p p r o x i m a t e l y 1 0 million s p e c i e s o n this planet. T h e n u m b e r of extinctions is e s c a l a t i n g daily at a n a l a r m i n g rate primari ly d u e to the d e s t r u c t i v e policies of the West. U p until n o w , o u r a n c e s t o r s h a v e m a d e the n e c e s s a r y a d a p t a t i o n s r e q u i r e d for o u r c o n t i n u e d salvation s i n c e o u r b e g i n n i n g a b o u t 7 million y e a r s a g o . T h e a w a i t e d b r e a k - a w a y requires n o n e w technological i n v e n t i o n or p h y s i c a l alteration. T h e r e q u i r e m e n t s i m p l y is a n e w c o n s c i o u s n e s s - or a revival of a n c i e n t c o n s c i o u s n e s s - - t h a t r e c o g n i z e s d e e p within the p s y c h e o u r intrinsic i n t e r c o n n e c t e d n e s s . T h i s m u s t b e felt s o that it c a n inspire daily life. T h e q u e s t i o n is w h e t h e r w e c a n a c c e s s in t i m e this d e e p but s u b m e r g e d part of o u r p s y c h e in o r d e r to "realize" o u r i n t e r c o n n e c t e d n e s s s o that w e c a n b e i m p a s s i o n e d to m a k e radi cally-different life altering c h o i c e s . T h e beliefs a n d s y s t e m s that h a v e d o m i n a t e d m o d e r n m a n ' s e x i s t e n c e for the p a s t 5,000 years h a v e evolved around p o w e r c o m plexes a n d bureaucracies aided by technolo gy. T h e y h a v e thrived o n v a r i o u s f o r m s of the control of large labor pools, u s e of force, e x p a n s i o n of territory, a n d the p u r suit of e c o n o m i c g a i n for a f e w at the e x p e n s e of m a n y .

Since the end of the nineteenth century the United States of America has been a genuine world imperial power. Since victory in World War II, the U.S. has been on a campaign to assert its economic might throughout the globe. Shrouded under the cloak of "democracy," it engaged in a battle against terrorism. But was in fact a concerted effort to contain people's independence movements (generally in the Southern Hemisphere) that threatened the needs of unfettered capitalism to control resources, markets and labor forces in its quest to feed an ever-expanding economy with associated greater pri vate profits. In the process, the American Way Of Life (AWOL) has become a monstrous threat to the health of the entire planet and all her species, including our own. With only 4.5 percent of the world's population, collec tively the U.S. is responsible for massive, disproportion ate amounts of terrorism on the earth's finite resources and corresponding pollution of the earth's ecosystem.

The countries that comprise the "First World Order" possess nearly a quarter of the world's population, consuming somewhere around 85 percent of the entire world's resources. The result is that 75 percent of the earth's human population is squeezed out and must fight for the remaining 15 percent. Not only is this grotesquely inhuman and unjust; it is totally unsustainable and must not continue any longer. The cries of the earth and her warning signs are now ominous, as recognized by the vast majority of the world's scientists and common folks alike. People's revolts have continually "plagued" the smooth operation of nation-states for centuries, being especially con spicuous fol lowing World War II, as peo ple in the "Third World" vigorously struggled to free themselves from colonialism in order to attain some semblance of justice for their aggrieved populations.

ALL the United in the "First ght, with citizens living cially those residing in y without thou ll ua pe rt es vi d t, an complici World," global es systemic, fect have been States, in ef itical system that requir y. (i.e. why everyone ol ssar has become an economic-p litarily enforced as nece n that simply "neo-lib er mi tt , pa on ti ic ta or exploi t of ng hist r the concep ). It is a lo hates the US d more far-reaching unde years. Generally, people an 30 ey can more intense onomics during the last believing th r , en tt ro ec d le eral" global become spoi The trans-bo States have at any time. ed nt it rt) wa Un e ey th th in only real expo tal erything ur ev (o y em ll st ua rt sy capi on consume vi omic producti rnments, whether called on ec e at or have been gove der, corp s all that we a, nation-state he is st rn mo fu by y d il protecte mass medi rian, happ t, or totalita have. Advertisers and ttern of ist, socialis st th te to is pa e we mu bu ev ri li nt be co l to al d e self induce system, to critique th e educational along with th ction, without being able nite growth through ever fi di in ad in e iv ef pt li consum ne, be therefore insa nsumption. co destructive, d an oduction t expanding pr and dependen r intrinsic ou od of er g n in ga nd cosmos be understa e t th en ci of an es , and the forc The historic d over the th the Earth y disappeare wi ll ua ip rt sh vi on s ti ha . Founded rela ars ago, and tic thinking ye is 0 an 00 ch 5, me me n ster ed by petro ing so d years of We uently enhanc rmation re eq nd bs hu su d w an fe past lution in the info dustrial revo ly escalated on s ng out ha during the in ss re of prog to be spinni s on em gi se li s re es e leum, th This proc at are in revolutions. structures th ic om on ec d and computer an vast the political d, ignoring ee oc pr es of control as plex e power com charge of th g in suffer amounts of

l, l a d n a usso n i m o e tchl e a r l y gvnis iobfl ew os ir lDd E S rc ut i on .

Fortunately, millions, perhaps billions, of the earth's nearly 6.5 billion inhabitants either already adhere to or are beginning to grasp these understandings of our intrinsic interconnectedness with nature. However, we in the West have sanctioned them with our own living patterns, and operate as oligarchs. Those at the top of the power complex (we) are quite removed from being genuinely representative, and unable to promote just and sustainable policies that conflict with our oligarchic interests. Thus, a major challenge for those of us who live in the "First World," as we begin to seriously understand this sacred dimension, is to extricate ourselves from continued dependency on and support for the structures of this power complex. The complex is deeply and intrinsically flawed, and has been throughout five millennia of oligarchic patterns and unaccountable power. Deliberate withdrawal of our continued support is therefore necessary. It makes no sense to petition the power complex (in our case the U.S. Congress and the President) for solutions, for they are inextricably connected with and committed to continuation of policies that create the problem. The fact is that historically our power complex, like those in other empires, is obsessed with its own power, both economic and political, and has little room to maneuver toward justice and redistribution policies. An issue that has rarely been examined, though there are exceptions, is that the size of structures, machines, administrative units, etc., has been an intrinsic problem since the beginning of the advent of power complexes. It is likely that, upon examination of the historic evidence, we will find that size itself is an extraordinarily important independent factor that must be considered when assessing the workability and practicality of everything from machines, political and economic administrative units, farming and production processes, to communities, cities even, fashion. Of course, continuing efforts to block implementation of destructive policies is important. However, unless at the same time we find a solution by intentionally and dramatically altering our consumption patterns, and begin modeling sustainable, local alternative living practices, we will continue to feed and rationalize the existing power complex and its policies. The former activity of resistance is, in form, something that people have somewhat more experience with. The latter, which many people, of course, have been taking seriously, is a path that requires more radical changes than what we are normally used to. However, as the consciousness shifts and emerges, new choices become more natural, and obvious.

FIGHTTOGET IN. FIGHT TO GETOUT. THREEINDISFIGUREMENT, LETOUT!!!

THE ZAPATISTAS defy authority by physically blocking the military when it attempts to enter their villages. Their only weapons are their strong desire to preserve their culture, and the machetes needed for work in their milpas. They often refuse to pay taxes or utility bills to the state, choosing in principle to forgo the services. They walk or ride on horseback from community to community. They have no vehicles. They have few goods. Their clothes and shoes look ragged to a Westerner. They conduct their own checkpoints on the one dirt road that meanders through their villages. They do not want weapons, as they know how useless they would be against the well-equipped Mexican military. They do not want to provide any extra excuses to the Mexican government for repression, already abundantly present. The military troops that cruise daily through their territory wear new uniforms and boots, carry modern weapons, and ride in new Humvees and armored personnel carriers, most of this equipment provided or paid for by the U.S. military. U.S.-supplied helicopters fly overhead. The Zapatistas are relentless for one basic reason. They know that their lives and their dignity are on the line. They would rather die fighting for their self-reliance in the manner of their own choosing, than buy into the capitalist model that the Mexican and U.S. governments are trying to impose on them. In the minds of the economic and political architects of "neo-liberalism," the Zapatista example of defiance is like a virus that might infect millions of other poor throughout Latin America and the world. The fragile foundations of unsustainable capitalism might then

come crashing to oblivion.

??? ? For most people, pursuing the American Way Of Life (AWOL) is generally a full-time individual endeavor that keeps people chained

to a frenetic rat race precluding time and energy for vital participation in local policy-making. The opportunity for reflection and critical thought is virtually lost in frenzy. Exhaustion often results just from keeping up the effort involved in making a living, managing a household, paying taxes, buying all the necessary goods thought necessary to have the "American" life, getting to and from work, getting to and from the store, getting to and from children's activi-

Earth and the Cosmos would quickly enable us to see our way to radically different choices. The search for a different consciousness

years

leads to corresponding values.. Different values leads to corresponding choices and policies, one will lead to the other. We must break free from the current reality.

ties, etc. The terrible exacting price we pay is to give up interactive community (the man who believes in private spirituality only sees half himself. Whilst his fellow man suffers he builds a palace and calls himself king. Such a person cannot attain true spirituality) the ill conceivd myth of rugged individualism. Now we know that this

lifestyle isn't even possible to sustain, whether examined from a psychological, economic, political, social, ecological, genetic, spiritual, or practical perspective. It simply will not continue much longer, no matter how many plans Bush and other Western officials make for controlling resources and people's lives. Something is going to burst, and it might be that the karmic consequences of several cen-

turies of Western plunder and murder will catch up with us mighty soon. Whether it is our own weapons returning to kill us, escalation

of catastrophic ecological, economic and, political collapse, or other unnamed disaster, destruction is eminent. To repeat: There is one path that is clearly, obviously, and readily available to us that would offer an historic, evolutionary opportunity

for our survival with dignity. A manifestation of an already percolating ecological consciousness that deeply integrates the understanding of our ancient interconnectedness with all the processes of

The famous Twentieth Century archaeologist, V. Gordon Childe stated that "man" makes himself. His book by the same name, Man Makes Himself (1936), is a classic study of the origin and progress of "man" from earliest recorded history to the rise of modern civilization. "Man" has made the institutions and structures, the power complexes, that are on the verge of destroying the world as we know it, even destroying ourselves period! "Man" can also undo all of this and reinvent a way of life thatis beautiful and sustaining. As a species we know what to do, and how to do it. We simply need the will. "Man" can make the new world, the world that virtually all the species on the planet, and the vast majority of the humans around the world are desperately waiting for.

Those with no reputation rose up those with reputation. The fools against the wise. The young against the old.

T /he big gun

presently pointed at the earth and at our heads has been placed in the hands of a small oligarchy by the vast majority of the citizens living in the "First World." These citizens pay for the gun. Many even vote in elections believing somehow that they are part of genuine democracy behind the gun. The sons and daughters of common citizens serve this power complex and actually carry and fire the guns. The few, who comprise the oligarchy, if not converted quickly to humble, common person status, are about to order the firing of the final bullets. In the meantime, those of us living in the "First World" who to varying degrees have been complicit in allowing this out-of-control power complex to get to this point, must now begin an escalated nonviolent program to resist continuation of these destructive human [and ecological] policies, while having the courage to radically shift our daily reality. The Zapatista revolution that erupted in southern Mexico on January 1, 1994, the day NAFTA went into effect, offers us a courageous and inspiring example for our own course of action. The Mayan uprising was precisely over their insistence on preserving their local cultural and economic self-sufficiency. Their culture, and their lives, was about to be destroyed by the requirements of "neo-liberalism" to incorporate into a cash, rather than subsistence, economy, and to become landless employees, rather than community owners of their small farms. They refused to allow their lands and their own labor to be sold for the benefit of the "free" market. Everything is for sale under the terms of the new religion of "Globalization." That is how far removed our species has come from our sacred connection to each other and the Earth. The Mayans have shown us an example of defying authority, including the military, literally with their bodies, while deepening their local democratic, consensus decision-making community process. Other than a short period of less than two weeks of a shooting war in early January 1994, there has been no violence exercised by the Zapatistas. The U.S.-equipped and supported Mexican military or their paramilitary sidekicks have committed virtually all the violence.

??? ? For most people, pursuing the American Way Of Life (AWOL) is generally a full-time individual endeavor that keeps people chained

Earth and the Cosmos would quickly enable us to see our way to radically different choices. The search for a different consciousness

years

leads to corresponding values.. Different values leads to corresponding choices and policies, one will lead to the other. We must break free from the current reality.

turies of Western plunder and murder will catch up with us mighty soon. Whether it is our own weapons returning to kill us, escalation

for our survival with dignity. A manifestation of an already percolating ecological consciousness that deeply integrates the understanding of our ancient interconnectedness with all the processes of

Those with no reputation rose up those with reputation. The fools against the wise. The young against the old.

T T T T T T T T T

The withdrawal of larger and larger numbers of people from centralized economies of food, goods and energy production, is the most important aspect of these new strategies. As that happens, dramatically simpler, higher quality lifestyles will begin to prevail. This process requires substantial dialogue and experimentation, while sharing respective ideas with communities all over the world. There is no magic in the ingredients of sustainable practices. There is a consensus worldwide on the need to live within the carrying capacity of nature in each region of the earth. Consumption patterns within local resource availability must be transformed from "thoughtless" practices to necessary "mindful," sustainable ones. We need to reinvent within our respective local communities to reduce, eliminate, or change various choices--what and from whom we make purchases of food and essential goods, by which means and for what distance we regularly travel, taking back the day with reliance on direct energy from the sun, reassessing all of our past consumptive patterns, changing work endeavors, etc.

FIGHTTOGET IN. FIGHT TO GETOUT. THREEINDISFIGUREMENT, LETOUT!!!

l, l a d n a usso n i m o e tchl e a r l y gvnis iobfl ew os ir lDd E S rc ut i on .

(RETERRITORIALIZING THE REALM)

The King is Alive

THE WILDeRNESS WITHINISTHE WILDERNESS WITHOUT. INSIIDEOUTSIDe.

F F F F FF

F F FF F FFFFFF FF F F 3.5 billion s F

FF or

over

F years, life has been blossom ing, diversify ing, and expanding into incredible form s and unimag F

C C C CC C C C C C ASSIC C C CL THE CCC CC CCC CC CCCCC C C C C C OLLECC CCCC CC C TION C C C C C CCC CC C C C C C MADE P a r

D é c i s i o n

American Manufacturing THE SCARLET LETTER COMPANY

TIMELESS

COLLECTION & ARKANSAS - KENTUCKY - LOUISIANA - MIS S O U R I

PRESENTATION

American

Classic

THIS WORK IS DOCUMENT BEFORE IT HAS A CHANCE TO BE DOCUMENTED. IT TURNS AROUND TO UNLEASH WHAT IS ALREADY HISTORICAL (ALREADY PAST) AND PLUNGES IT TOWARDS NEW POSSIBILITIES.

Tomorrow SETH SHAPIRO’S AMERICAN MANUFACTURING

ULTIMATE DEPARTURE

depends on you DESCENDENT BEING

WITCHCRAFT

NATURAL MAGIC

ULTIMATE DEPARTURE

ULTIMATE DEPARTURE FASHION PLATES IN DEFENSE OF THE WILDERNESS THE COLLECTION MADE TIMELESS

AMERICAN MANUFACTURING THE SCARLET LETTER COMPANY

http://www.TheScarletLetterComany.com

years

E S P R I T D E S M O RT S

THOSE WITH NO POWER ROSE UP AGINST THE STRONG, THE FOOLS AGAINST THE WISE, THE YOUNG AGAINST THE OLD

Par décision

American Manufacturing

The Scarlett Letter Company

years

E S P R I T D E S M O RT S

THOSE WITH NO POWER ROSE UP AGINST THE STRONG, THE FOOLS AGAINST THE WISE, THE YOUNG AGAINST THE OLD

Par décision

American Manufacturing

The Scarlett Letter Company