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Meme Warfare

Stephen DeVoy | 15.01.2004 06:47 | Education

Learning the power of meme warfare is essential to the success of any movement struggling to destroy the dominant paradigm.

This short article does not intend to cover the topic of meme theory in great depth. A more in depth work on that topic will be produced at a later date. However, having engaged in meme warfare over an extended period of time, I believe that it is time to share some of my observations and techniques with others within the resistance. I believe that meme warfare is the primary and most effective means of ideological struggle for our century. Learning the power of meme warfare is essential to the success of any movement struggling to destroy the dominant paradigm.

Meme warfare has existed as long as humankind has been able to communicate and to imitate. Like many existing phenomena, it went unrecognized for eons, despite the profound role it played. This should be of no surprise and the failure to recognize meme warfare until recently has no bearing on the effectiveness of meme warfare. Biological evolution existed for billions of years before Darwin recognized it. This late recognition of biological evolution, likewise, has no bearing on the significance of the discovery.

There is a very strong analogy between memetics and genetics. In fact, the term "meme" was derived from the word "gene." Memes, like genes, are subject to evolution. Where genes rule biological evolution, memes rule the evolution of ideas, cultures, human activities and human thought. Memes are best thought of as the basic unit of intellectually motivated behavior. Memes are mental recipes for behavior, manifested both in terms of outward behavior and patterns of thought. Like their biological cousins, memes reproduce. While the environment of the biological entity is the external world, the environment of the memetic entity is the mind. Memes reproduce by copying from one mind to another. They are copied through communication and/or imitation. In the process of copying, they may be altered. Altered memes that out compete their progenitor memes are said to have evolved. The mental universe of humanity could then be thought of as a constant struggle between memes for resources. The resources, of course, are human brains.

In the course of the lifetime of a single human being, many memes may reproduce and evolve. Therefore, memes have the potential of evolving faster than the physical entity that is the biological human. Since memes guide much of human behavior, the behavior of any given human can change radically over the course of his or her lifetime. We've all seen examples of this. Some people join cults or find religion and change forever. Their physical being remains the same while their behavior changes.

Just as complex biological organisms are constructed from the instructions of many genes, complex behavioral frameworks are constructed from the instructions of many memes. These complexes of memes stand in symbiotic relations to each other, each helping its peers to survive and compete against other complexes of memes. Such complexes of memes are referred to as memeplexes.

Ideologies and religions are examples of memeplexes. As complex memetic entities, they are composed of memes and sub-complexes of memes that serve to improve the survival and ability to reproduce of the memeplex. Highly successful memeplexes include memes that compel humans to engage in behavior specifically for the purpose of reproducing the memeplex and defending the memeplex. Thus, in many religions and ideologies we see individuals engaging in preaching to the unconverted and persecution of those whose behavior impedes the reproduction of the memeplex. Scientology, for example, preaches active attacks upon detractors, some strains of Islam preach active opposition to "infidels," Zionists engage in smear campaigns against opponents and Christians have, from time to time, murdered the children of non-believers.

The relationship between the individual human and his or her suite of memeplexes is analogous to that of the host/parasite relationship. Just as genes seek only to reproduce, memes seek only to reproduce. If shortening the life of the creature described by a complex of genes or if making the life of such a creature miserable will increase the probability that the gene will reproduce and evolve over time, the gene will evolve to use this strategy. Thus, the gene "cares" not about the creature it encodes but about its own reproduction. Genes, therefore, are sometimes referred to as selfish. The same holds for memes. Memes will choose to destroy their hosts if destruction of their hosts improves their ability to reproduce. Thus, suicide often spreads memetically, war spreads memetically and other self destructive behavior often spreads memetically.

Most individuals caught in the grip of a self destructive meme spend a great deal of their time and energy serving the meme. We all know religious fanatics that give up a comfortable life and choose instead to serve their memeplex. The same is true of political ideologies. For example, the working class Republican is a good example of an individual whose memeplex compels its host towards self defeating behavior.

Up until memes were understood, most memes emerged unintentionally. The Twentieth Century, however, saw the rise of mass marketing, television, radio and other means of providing for the hyper-reproduction of memes conducive to the interest of those with sufficient capital to own radio stations, television stations, newspapers and magazines. The capitalist ruling class quickly learned to use these meme broadcasters to induce individuals into behavior that benefited the capitalist class. Specifically, the goal was to increase consumption (and therefore fuel markets), decrease critical thought (and therefore put off revolution) and sap away the will to take a proactive role in shaping one's own individual life.

For the average individual this act of meme warfare against the working class and the individual has been disastrous. We have become mentally and physically lazy, isolated, indebted and unimaginative. We have become sheep. Until the dawn of the Internet, we were on a one way trip to complete enslavement. However, now that a means of meme broadcasting exists which is sufficiently accessible to the masses, the masses are now able to engage in meme warfare themselves. Adding to the improved balance has been the rise of new authoring technology, such as the word processor and inexpensive printer. We can now produce our own documents, bumper stickers, posters, banners and distribute them at little expense. Given that the tools now exist to aggressively employ meme warfare against the ruling class, we would be foolish not to employ these tools in the forwarding of our cause.

Indeed, the ruling class is already on to the threat. Steps are already being taken to erase anonymity from the Internet, increase governmental control of the Internet and to spy on those that actively use the Internet to wage psychological and memetic warfare against the ruling class. The working class has been slow to understand the true potential of the Internet. Unless they seize the Internet quickly and employ it to their own ends, the ruling class may succeed in squashing this threat to their monopoly on meme warfare. It is with this in mind that I put forth this article.

Meme warfare is not difficult to employ. One does not need to invent a meme to engage in meme warfare. Indeed, I've only invented a few memes that I have intentionally deployed as weapons. Most of the memes I have deployed were invented by others. The key to choosing a memetic weapon is to find a source of memetic-combat-ready memes and then apply some criteria of selection. Deploying the meme requires some form of broadcasting.

One of the best sources of dissent memes ready for deployment has been (and continues to be) IndyMedia. Every day thousands of activists imagine some new activity or modify some existing activity and post their ideas or activities on IndyMedia. Monitoring IndyMedia is an effective method of meme harvesting. This is exactly why IndyMedia has been targeted by the FBI and its brownshirt lackeys for harassment. Their goal has been to shut down IndyMedia specifically because it forms an effective meme fountain.

Another source, in my own experience, has been the act of "occupying" a public place for the purpose of dissent (i.e. the "be-in"). The DisOrganized resistance movement has successfully employed the "occupation meme" as a means for harvesting memes from passing pedestrians. Once identified, good memes can be deployed.

Not all memes are "good memes." As mentioned above, memes are parasitic and are interested only in their own reproduction. Therefore, before deploying a meme, one must evaluate whether its side effects benefit the working class (and the individuals hosting the memes) or whether the effects are self destructive. It is unethical, according to the rational anarchist philosophy, to use individuals to ends other then their own ends. Therefore, any deployed meme must benefit the host to be ethically deployable.

In addition to being "good" a meme should have a good chance of reproducing before one considers deploying it. It is a waste of time to deploy a meme that does not reproduce easily. Meme warfare depends upon successful reproduction of deployed memes.

A meme is more likely to reproduce if it satisfies some psychological need of its host or increases the power of its host. Therefore, memes that are entertaining, sexually gratifying or profitable are good candidates for reproductive success. Indeed, if you look at our growing Resistance Field Manuals collection, you will see many memes that fit into these categories. Another good example was the John Poindexter Awareness Office meme. This meme increased the sense of power among its hosts. Sticking it to the Big Brother is something that Orwell never imagined. I am certain that the sense of naughtiness and the voyeuristic aspects of the product assisted in its reproductive effect. These meme, of all that I have engineered, was my greatest success, for it brought down its target.

Broadcasting memes can be accomplished through standard broadcasting mechanisms (in pirated form). However, the Internet provides an excellent means for the broadcasting of memes with the additional benefit that it is legal. Meme broadcasting can also be accomplished via bumper stickers, public demonstration, leafleting, wheat pasting, street theater, T-Shirts, body painting and other communicative means.

The only limit to meme warfare is your imagination. Learn more about memes. Subversion of the dominate paradigm requires your active involvement in meme deployment. Be an active player and have fun.

Stephen DeVoy
- e-mail: SRDeVoy@aol.com
- Homepage: http://www.breakyourchains.org/meme_warfare.htm

Comments

Display the following 2 comments

  1. Um... — ~
  2. Try This Meme — anti-Bushler