The new avant-garde is made of hackers, amateurs, makers, DIYers and entrepreneurs. If only we all knew how revolutionary and politically charged what we do really is. There is a tsunami of technological, cultural and political revolution brewing. Even after all we have seen in the arab spring, the occupy movement and the battle over SOPA/PIPA it’s clear that we are in the early stages of a longer term war. Thanks to a wide gamut of technological forces the balance of power has shifted dramatically in favor of the masses over the masters. Its what makes this moment so unstable for both established powers and established freedoms. The open question is if we will accept the role of rightful creators of our own world or will we be contented to stay disengaged, small-minded and apathetic like the rest of the sheeple out there. Decades from now when our time has passed will we look back and see a flurry of creative destruction heralding a brighter future or will we instead lament the crescendo of controls, limits, gate-keepers and dictators? Make no mistake, this is the civil rights battle for the 21st century and it will require a similar amount of organization, effort and determination that was needed in the 20th century. The fate of this cultural upheaval is now within our hands, we need only grasp it firmly and not let it be given away by idiots or taken by crooks. We mustn’t let go of it now that we have it and now that we do, we must recognize how insanely huge this moment is. When they realize we aren’t about to let go of this thing, they will try to wear us down. If that doesn’t work they will try to co-opt us. Sadly I can see both of these strategies being successful. Lets not let that happen. Lets own our future rather than give it away. It’s time for the new avant-garde to unite and show the world what the future will look like by making it now. Otherwise we will be hoodwinked into a future of share-cropping for a few massive plantation owners as a bunch of contented, small-minded, apathetic, suckers.