IGN on ISIS: Fear the Mind Killer

Watch this video wherein IGN staff are asked why it it that we love to fear zombies.  The answers, I think, are pretty bang-on:

- Fear of the loss of self
- They are the Heart of Darkness manifest
- There's a little part of us that fears Armageddon, the end of the world we know
- There's a little part of us that craves Armageddon, the end of the world we know
- Zombies are kinda human, but not really human - meaning it's okay to cut their heads off
- There's something terrifying about the perceived natural process of things (sociology to some, societal decay to others?)
- Fear that we're the rational actors we like to tell ourselves we are and could become zombies ourselves
- That mindlessness is infectious (ie Rome is the mob)

I love the concept of zombies, because they're such an apt metaphor for the human condition.

Which brings us to ISIS.  The people who flock to ISIS, whatever they might tell you, aren't all born-again Islamists or whatever.  Like those who join any aggressive cult, there is a drive to belong, to have power, to be safe against the zombie hoard and to survive the apoclypse.

It should come as no surprise that the US Joint Chiefs of Staff have warned us that "This is an organization that has an apocalyptic end-of-days strategic vision that will eventually have to be defeated."


ISIS is essentially a bunker for the apocalypse who fear the zombie masses of the Other.  The Other, oddly enough, that they have no issues beheading, because you know - if you're not us, you're a zombie.

Funny how, if you look to the left, you can't pick out any particular individuals, can you?

What happened as the walls went up around Ferguson?  The police started to get aggressive and call protesters fucking animals.  The use of force went up and the threats to kill escalated.

What response does the West have for terrorism, or society have for Ferguson?  Lines get drawn, sides are chosen and the other begins to look suspiciously like a person impersonation, not a neighbour.

Fear your neighbours, suggests ISIS - they could be one of us.

Fear outsiders, say North Korea, libertarians and Canada's Prime Minister - they mean to take away your individuality and even your life.

What's the consistent thread through each of these scenarios?

The more we fear the Other, the more distance we put between them and us.  They are a threat, inhuman.  It's okay to hate them - our hatred of what they could do to our individuality is, in fact, a purifying force.

Don't feel guilt.  Don't feel shame.  If you don't cut their heads off, they will destroy or worse, convert you. It's our tribe against the zombie hoard; you're either with us, or you're one of them.

Now, go back and read IGN's list.  Notice anything?

The more we dehumanize the Other, the more we feel compelled to band together, circle the wagons, stay on-message.  The more we identify them as an inhuman threat, the more justified we feel in treating them inhumanely.  As we feel increasingly outnumbered, the count-down clock ticks ever more loudly; no time to think, act now!!  Always be closing!


Fear is the mind killer.  It's as simple as that.

Community - What CosPlay and Politics Have In Common

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character.

   - Martin Luther King, Jr.

There's a kinship with other costumers that forms over the course of a con.  The best part is that they always have your back and are the first ones to tell off rude punks who behave disrespectfully.  It's like being part of a big team that fights douchebaggery.  So actually, cosplaying is like being on the Justice League or the Avengers.

Political people love cosplay.  They just don't know it - or at least, may not admit to knowing it.  

But part of them does.

Politics is a multi-faceted jewel with more than its share of inclusions.  There is fowl play, high drama, lost friendships and enduring grudges.  Somewhere in there are legitimate differences of policy preference, too.

But for anyone who has been to a political event - an Annual General Meeting, perhaps, or a leadership conference - they are familiar with that something extra, that something special that shines brighter than any blemish.

There is something special about being part of a process, of belonging to something that's a bit bigger than any one person.  It's certainly true of political teams, when a sense of common purpose exists; while there are some politicians and operatives who see Parties and events as tickets to their own success, the vast majority are there for what they contribute to.

But it goes beyond that.  

I've been at leadership events where strangers representing different candidates will sidle up to each other for a picture and a pitch, all with a smile.  The same holds true for events where folk from different Parties find themselves together, shirted up and ready for action.  

Beyond the walls of the convention hall and without the uniform, these folk would probably never even think of connecting, but something about the space that gets created when we put on our political super swag suits changes everything.

More than that - there's this mentality that forms where people are simply less judgmental all around. 

Not every political enthusiast has a head full of campaign lore, knows Minister by name and is fluent on the latest policy debates.  Shockingly, there are some who come out just because they love the feeling of being part of the political process.  

And you know what?  That's fine.  While there are always daisy-downers in a crowd, looking to pick fights and rain on other people's parades for morale reasons (to weaken someone else's or to raise their own), for the most part people at political events are accepting.  It doesn't matter your accent, your education, your anything - other than a commitment to be part of that community.  

You may have lots to give, you may have nothing; you may be young, old, New Canadian, 6th Gen or First Nations - none of that sets you apart, it simply adds to the texture of the community.

Like cosplay, it's that commitment to being yourself, being respectful of others and adding value to the greater whole that matters.  

When you make the effort, the community returns it.  

Is there a lesson in this for would-be leaders, looking to unite people behind... something?  

I think there is.

UPDATE 4/Feb/2014 - Avengers Toronto, assemble!

There's this funny thing that happens to me somewhat regularly - I'll write about something like, say, community created through costume, and then I'll find out that it actually exists.  I could tell you exactly why that happens, but where's the fun in that?