The chat isn't really what I would expect after reading the content on theicarusproject.net. While they are ostensibly abiding by the mission statement &  guidelines of The Icarus Project, in reality there are some folks exercising dictatorial control to suppress discussion....it's clearly not being maintained by "people who have a radical view of how this society should be dismantled and recreated".

In the time I was there tonight I saw a channel operator viciously attacked by another channel operator because of the former's  criticisms of 'war and militarism'. The peacenik was maintaining that he was 'calm, but honest', while he was being treated to an outrageous barrage of insults like: "you absolutelyly useless motherfucking cocksucking whoreson... you're a piece of dick cheese ... i wouldnt eat you if i were dying, you fucking cockroach". Yet, surprisingly, it was the relatively calm and rational 'communist' who was kicked and banned from the channel for merely contesting the (apparently) prevailing notion that all soldiers are heroes -- especially American soldiers. After the uber-Patriot grew tired of insulting the defiant young socialist she threw down an ultimatum, "either he goes, or i go!"...evidently she had seniority because the peace protestor was banned and remains so. Ironically, the uber-Patriot still found reason to storm off in anger, vowing to never return. So the contributions of both were lost, due to inconsiderate and inconsistent authoritarianism on the part of chat administrators. As if that wasn't enough, the head honcho joins and declares that the obvious solution is a new rule banning all discussion of politics and religion... violators will be banned and added to a blacklist that's maintained on the site. (I've not included any names to avoid from embarassing folks... but I've got the whole sordid scene documented if anyone doubts my account.)  :-/

This is certainly not the anti-hierarchy/anti-oppression wildy inclusive Icarus Project that I know from the forums, the stated objectives, or most any other aspect of the project. It's not even that they want to discuss 'mental illness' in a socio-political vaccuum... it's more like one or two or a handful of admins who are power-tripping and seeking to limit conversation to nothing but platitudes and sycophancy.

I know we're supposed to be all anti-hierarchical and stuff, but someone with some 'authority' really ought to remind the chatroom moderators about this: https://site.icarusprojectarchive.org/scraps/a-note-about-our-politics .

I would, but I'm sure if I mention the mission statement or guidelines one more time I'll be banned too -- as one chatroom mod told me when I linked to The Icarus Project's mission statement: "good for them... we're unofficial".

 

"It is no measure of health to be sane in an insane society." -- J. Krishnamurti