Hidden Civil War

HCW_banner2Rather than thinking that civil war starts at the margins of society, what happens if its starts at the centre? What happens if its a constant in all of our lives? One that was exposed, via the financial crisis of 2008, when the tide went out and revealed the vested interests of the dominant and most powerful elements of our society?

What happens if its a Hidden Civil War? One in which the state and those most invested in its cur-rent formulation are the primary initiators and agitators?

At first glance, the idea of a civil war within these lands may seem crazy. Surely it requires tanks on the street and constant civil disobedience? But what if we replace these signs with household debt and payday loans; deterioration of the NHS; increase in racial tensions; fragmentation of communities; zero-hours contracts..

Think!

What happens if the state and those in authority (media; banks; global corporations etc.) are acting to keep there power and privilege, rather than serve the people. What happens if the law-makers, become the law-breakers, all in the name of keeping the law?

Just how far fetched is this in the age of Hillsborough, phone tapping, MP’s expenses?

It is said that our imaginations have become so entrapped into the inevitability of living like we do, that we find it easier to contemplate nuclear 0r environmental disasters, rather than something different to global capitalism.

This ‘state of inevitability’ creates the perfect front in which those with influence and privilege can extend their authority well beyond where the law existed in the past; and at the same time withdraw from previously held collective responsibilities.

Just who does really benefit from ideas such as Brexit; austerity; privatisation? These are the questions found at the heart of Hidden Civil War.

Hidden Civil War explores the states of exception that are allowing those in power, to culturally, physically and psychologically attack not only political adversaries, but entire categories of citizens who for some reason cannot be integrated into the current economic and political system.

Hidden Civil War explores how certain forms of knowledge are privileged and accepted as true; and certain voices heard and valued, while of course, many others are not. History show’s that such acts hold great importance in relation to the production of power and wealth. The processes of both acquiring knowledge, and suppressing certain knowledge, is a violent act within a time of crisis.

Via artistic expressions; the stories of particular people groups; and emerging issues in post-Brexit Britain, Hidden Civil War shall seek to appreciate and celebrate alternative voices and expressions of life; whilst also disrupting and dislodging, mainstream forms of knowledge and understanding.

But make no mistake. Hidden Civil War is not some ‘lefty finger pointing exercise’. We are truly all in this together, in as much as we are all economic addicts. John Holloway writes:

‘We are all involved in the re-creation of the social relations we are trying to overcome. It cannot be otherwise in a capitalist society. The movement of doing is not a pure movement, but a moving in-against-and-beyond … There is no purity here: we try to overcome the contradictions, we rebel against our own complicity, we try in every way to stop making capitalism, we try to direct the flow of our lives as effectively as possible towards the creation of a society based on dignity.’

There are no simple solutions, but that cannot mean simple surrender. Placing art at the heart of this program is no mistake, but it is not in isolation. Voices and ideas from the areas of food, land, travelers, domestic violence, poverty, asylum and debt are all in the mix.

Our times require deep collaboration, reflection and listening. As the world renowned journalist John Pilger recently wrote:

‘What has happened to the great tradition of popular direct action, unfettered to parties? Where is the courage, imagination and commitment required to begin the long journey to a better, just and peaceful world? Where are the dissidents in art, film, the theatre, literature?’

Our hope is that Hidden Civil War will contribute to these needs.

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Bella is delighted to be part of the Hidden Civil war project. More details here.

Comments (16)

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  1. Johanna says:

    As someone who has worked extensively for NGOs and universities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Rewanda and southern Uganda, I find this post utterly reprehensible. Civil War and scapegoating (of anyone) are not terms to be mentioned lightly. Shame on Bella Caledonia. Please grow up.

    1. Alasdair Macdonald says:

      Is Johanna a troll?

      1. Doubting Thomas says:

        Of course she is in your tiny mind.
        Someone who presents an opinion you don’t agree with must be,no?
        Pathetic.

        1. Alasdair Macdonald says:

          I guess you are, too.

          I have no problem with views contrary to my own. Indeed, in my post regarding Johanna I made no statement of agreement or disagreement with her view.

          What I find disappointing is the insult and contempt overtly or covertly expressed in such responses, including your own.

          1. Doubting Thomas says:

            Of course you have no problem with differing opinions that’s why you called us trolls – such a straightforward response.
            Why didn’t I see that?
            You are of course correct in that I have only contempt for people like you who immediately default to this position.

    2. Chris erskine says:

      Hi Johanna thanks for response. Just want ensure that you know I don’t use these words lightly. The context you mention are clearly different, but don’t have the monopoly on defining what is and isn’t a civil war. Having said that you should know that those involved in this program grappled with the issues you raised….

  2. picpac says:

    I don’t understand Johanna’s post. She ought to be agreeing with the “Hidden Civil War” thesis! I find the concept absolutely spot-on and brilliant. I recommend people to read Carroll Quigley’s “Tragedy and Hope” (very long but available on Kindle for a very cheap price) and/or “The Anglo-American Establishment” (also on Kindle) – or, if you want the analysis of “Tragedy and Hope” done for you there’s also “Tragedy and Hope 101: The Illusion of Freedom and Democracy”, by Joseph Plummer (Kindle version for £6.45). Quigley’s books expose the largely hidden machinations of a secret elite aimed at a one-world government (i.e. dictatorship). This is not conspiracy theory – it’s conspiracy fact (Quigley was a professor who happened to also be an insider, so the information is from the horse’s mouth).
    The EU was designed and constructed as an experiment in removing power from the nation states and concentrating it in an undemocratic centralised authority – the EU structure as we have it today, in which the least democratically legitimated body (the Commission) has the greatest power, and the most democratically legitimated (though still weakly legitimated) body i.e. the Parliament having the least power. We have seen the latest move to concentrate power in the invention of the – completely undemocratic – Troika which has given itself the power to destroy nations for the interests of the big finance.
    A core part of the machinations of those orchestrating the Hidden Civil War is the false demonisation of Russia – because it is the country, under Putin’s leadership, that presents the biggest challenge to the global domination project.
    The great value of Brexit is that it has

    1. Doubting Thomas says:

      She ought to be????
      She isn’t ffs.

    2. Haideng says:

      Lol, you don’t have to go very far to find a Putin apologist. And it isn’t a binary FFS. You can be a fierce critic of both US-Anglo policy and the authoritarianism of Russia.

  3. picpac says:

    Ahhrrrgh! My post was obviously too long – the end was chopped off! I wanted to say that the great value of Brexit is that it has opened Pandora’s Box (or the can of worms, if you prefer). Merkel is scurrying about Europe trying to mend the fences, but the cat can’t be put back in the bag (to mix metaphors). I don’t want to see a retreat – a turning back of the clock – into nationalistic nations states. I want to see a Europe of solidarity and justice. It’s still possible – but we have to expose the Hidden Civil War.

    1. MBC says:

      For internationalism to happen you first need to have nations. The nation state is the most successful human construct ever devised for providing security and prosperity for its citizens. There is therefore no contradiction in being a nationalist-internationalist; in seeking Scottish independence so that we can assume our role in the international family of nations. International co-operation cannot happen without the existence of nations: the existence of nation states is axiomatic to international co-operation.

  4. Connor mcEwen says:

    http://bilbo.economicoutlook.net/blog/?p=34313 Jist fur a change stick yir moose on this.

    Part of the hidden economic civil war

    1. Chris erskine says:

      Connor thanks for this link, really helpful.

  5. MBC says:

    Hidden civil war? You are either a bit slow or just young and inexperienced. It’s been as plain to me as the nose on my face since 1979 that the Tories are phonies. They are not British patriots, they just pose as such using an obliging foreign owned media acting as their propaganda arm to present them as such in order to con gullible Britnats into voting for them. They are an asset stripping business syndicate of conmen selling the UK’s assets to the highest bidder for their own private gain, and using the British people as slaves to be sold to whatever corporate power is willing to use them.

    1. Chris erskine says:

      Haha it must be slow because I can’t count myself as young anymore. Great comment though. I hope if you have a look at the whole program it might show much agreement in a dislodged kinda way…

  6. John says:

    I would rename it to “Establishment Manipulation Of The Populace For Their Own Ends War “

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