Aspies For Freedom

Maxmillian, I really love the phrase 'Cultures of Dominance and Cultures of Resistance.'

Usually they say "The Dominant culture and the 'subordinate' culture"  -- or some other "poor, passive victim" way of describing the "defeated, ***-upon" culture.

Every ***-upon culture must become a culture of resistance.

I love that.

are you suggesting what i think you are: that you have compare us and your self to poeple who hurt others-children, which is the deftion very sumed up of pedophilia.

Ignore him, guardian001. It's just another of his attempts at starting a flame war.

"Fantasizing wastes time and energy..."

No it doesn't.  Pointless bickering about pedophiles and deconstruction wastes time and energy.

There are many definitions of culture, Dogbrain, and no one needs to justify their definition to you.

Here's my definition:

"Culture of resistance" indicates that when there is a collective act of resistance against oppression, that resistance spawns its own culture. Aspies, blacks, gays, women -- any set of people who is targeted for oppression and who resist that oppression -- are part of  a broader culture based on challenging the hegemony of white/straight/male/NT dominance. We are parts of our own cultures, but we are also part of a common culture of resistance.

If "culture" is not the word you want to use, Dogbrain, don't use it. But stop sniping at everyone in the thread. You're thwarting progress.

=/=/=/=/=/

Definitions of culture on the Web:

    * a particular society at a particular time and place; "early Mayan civilization"
    * the tastes in art and manners that are favored by a social group
    * acculturation: all the knowledge and values shared by a society
    * (biology) the growing of microorganisms in a nutrient medium (such as gelatin or agar); "the culture of cells in a Petri dish"
    * polish: a highly developed state of perfection; having a flawless or impeccable quality; "they performed with great polish"; "I admired the exquisite refinement of his prose"; "almost an inspiration which gives to all work that finish which is almost art"--Joseph Conrad
    * the attitudes and behavior that are characteristic of a particular social group or organization; "the developing drug culture"; "the reason that the agency is doomed to inaction has something to do with the FBI culture"
    * the raising of plants or animals; "the culture of oysters"
      wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

    * The word culture comes from the Latin root colere (to inhabit, to cultivate, or to honor). In general, it refers to human activity; different definitions of culture reflect different theories for understanding, or criteria for valuing, human activity. Anthropologists use the term to refer to the universal human capacity to classify experiences, and to encode and communicate them symbolically. They regard this capacity as a defining feature of the genus Homo.
      en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture


    * a set of learned beliefs, values and behaviors the way of life shared by the members of a society.
      http://www.saa.org/publications/sampler/terms.html

    * The reflection and prefiguration of the possibilities of organization of everyday life in a given historical moment; a complex of aesthetics, feelings and mores through which a collectivity reacts on the life that is objectively determined by its economy. (We are defining this term only in the perspective of creating values, not in that of teaching them.)
      http://www.bopsecrets.org/SI/1.definitions.htm

    * The accumulated habits, attitudes, and beliefs of a group of people that define for them their general behavior and way of life; the total set of learned activities of a people.
      http://www.geographic.org/glossary.html

"One might as well just say "Ooogabajunga" to mean anything at all."

That's a thought, Dogbrain. Maybe you should try it and see if it improves your posts.

Dogbrain, are you familiar with the term "thread shitter"?

It's a particularly annoying subspecies of troll who has nothing to contribute to a thread, so he just pointlessly shits on everything other people say.

This thread was established to discuss the AS aspects of a culture of resistance. To a great extent, this entire website is a significant voice of such resistance. That is much more "true activism" than your hostile and witless attempts to trash everybody else and your endless, complaining self-pity.

You obviously have nothing to contribute in this thread but to stamp your little foot and scream "No! No! No!" to every post.

When people have tried to talk about their ideas about an AS culture, all you have done is shout them down. You will define all terms, you will tell people whether their thoughts and dreams have any value (and, of course they don't.) My god, what a miserable, unpleasant way to respond to everyone. Is this what you do in your "real life"? Is this how you treat the people around you? That would explain a lot...

If you simply disagree with everybody and everything,  go start your 49th "poor me" thread. But don't go from thread to thread dumping on everyone else.

"different definitions of culture reflect different theories for understanding, or criteria for valuing, human activity"

Dogbrain, perhaps you should recuse yourself since you've never provided any indication that there is any human activity you understand or value. We understand your consuming bitterness and we see what it has done for you. But it is not the pathology by which the rest of the world must live.

Guardian, in debates "Ad Hominem" means to attack the person rather than the person's argument.

Doggie is mistakenly assuming that what we are having here is a formal debate. Just because he has butted in and declared a debate doesn't mean it is one, of course, but he doesn't understand that. It's just a discussion of a topic he has declared his disbelief in. Apparently he feels people should try to change his mind. I'm not sure why he thinks anyone cares. Usually if a person doesn't like what's on the menu he just goes to a different restaurant rather than running around the table spitting in everyone else's meal.

Dogbrain, I'm not sure anyone actually gives a *** about your argument. You've called for a debate, hijacked the thread to demand a debate -- but it seems no one is interested in your debate. What people would like is to be able to continue this discussion without your nasty, intrusive negativity. You have said what you had to say, and no one seems to agree. Now would be a good time for you to get a clue and move on.

You don't like the way we -- and others -- use the word "culture." Your complaint has been registered and dismissed. What more do you need here? This is a thread about discussion of AS Culture. Since you think there is no such thing, you really have nothing worthwhile to contribute.

Why don't you start your own thread called "There is no such thing as AS Culture" rather than hijacking and thread-shitting in this thread? That way, anyone who is interested in your views can go frolic in the fountain of your wisdom.

"We could develop an Aspie culture over time."

Exactly. The recognition of AS is a very new thing by sociological standards, and already Aspie culture has begun to emerge.

"...it would be nice to now that there's a group you could fall back on in stead of facing merely by yourself when you're going through a rough period."

I think this is very true.

In another thread, someone asked "Do you know other Aspies?" and so many people said "no" or "I think I knew one once." I remember when I went off to college and discovered that I was not the only gay boy in the world -- it made a huge difference not to feel I was totally isolated, and to know others who were like myself. I wish Aspies had the same opportunity, and maybe as an Aspie Culture evolves, that fellowship will come to pass...

Ultra Magnus "we could set an example to the rest of the world of how people of several colours, sexualities, genders, religions and whatnot could work together to achieve the same goal."

And Aspies are in a unique position to do this because AS cuts across all minorities -- there are Aspies of color, gay Aspies, Jewish aspies -- all other "minorities."



Andrew "those with autism (us) have gone thyrough a similar treatment in one way or another. We have autism as a unifying factor, NTs don't have that, so they'll have to work harder to get the peace and harmony we have. "

The theory of "interlocking systems of oppression" looks at (among other things) the idea that although the specific causes and reasons for oppression of Aspies, blacks, gays, women, Jews, etc may not be identical, there is still a fundamental experience of oppression, and a common system of advantages and disadvantages that work to provide some groups with privilege at the expense of others.

This is how I agree with what you say about the potential universality of the Aspie experience.

No, I don't know what it's like to be aspie in an NT world, but I know what it's like to be gay in a straight world, and ADHD in an NT world, etc.

The crucial thing is to let our various experiences create an understanding and unity rather than a separation -- especially that tiresome "My group is more oppressed than your group" *** that creates so much unnecessary division.

"That's nice in theory, but the reality is that power structures instead manipulate oppressed groups against each other."

That's simple and obvious, but there are two points you're missing -- one being multiple and shifting identities and the resulting access to resources of privilege,  and the other being the increasing (and increasable) ability of oppressed groups to make informed choices in action. We're talking about the future's potential.

"You're, no doubt, familiar with Ignatiev's writings on the Irish in the USA, for example."

Read the book (How the Irish Became White)  and come from a family who directly benefited from the Whitening, Brightening power of racism.

That doesn't mean people can't move beyond it. It's a guided tour of the past, not a roadmap for the future. If you've read his more recent stuff (Race Traitor, etc, ) you know what I mean.

"Autism isn't something a person has, or a 'shell' that a person is trapped inside. There's no normal child hidden behind the autism. Autism is a way of being. It is pervasive; it colors every experience, every sensation, perception, thought, emotion, and encounter, every aspect of existence. It is not possible to separate the autism from the person--and if it were possible, the person you'd have left would not be the same person you started with."

This is important, so take a moment to consider it: Autism is a way of being. It is not possible to separate the person from the autism."

God, that is brilliant. Just **** brilliant. I am really grateful to you for posting it. But, Andrew, avoid the temptation to believe that this only true for AS people. Many people with many variations from "the norm" feel the same way, and their perceptions of themselves and the powerful role of their exceptionality are valid and real and true for them, too.

A) Many "variations from the norm" are biological in nature, and B) whether something is biological, psychological, sociological or whatever does not mean it is more or less real.

and C) your ONLY MY EXPERIENCE MATTERS attitude is not helpful to yourself or to anyone else.

Yes, you probably should be dismissed, DogBrain, but you seem to have so little in your life, and such desperation for my attention. It plays on my pity. I'll try to restrain myself.