HolyZapatos Chicago: January 2007

2100 Songhu Lu, New Jiangwan Town Stop Line 3(yellow line), Shanghai, China.
I've worked on a couple different planning commissions/task forces for skateparks in Minnesota... We got tier one, 3ft tall bullshit. SMP approached the Chinese government and within a year had a half-government-subsidized monstrocity of a park for the 4,000-10,000 skateboarders in a nation of 1.3 Billion. WE HAVE 8 MILLION SKATERS IN A COUNTRY OF 200 MILLION! The world's largest beaurocracy moves faster than pretty much every american city's public works.
Now... It's rant time...
I used to be "opposed" to globalization in that typically American, "they took ouuur jaoooobs!" kind of way... and still felt the extremely strong urge to pull a Lacey Peterson on the blond bitch behind the counter of STARBUCKS IN THE FORBIDDEN CITY... Buuuut...
We have to face the fact that we have fallen behind the rest of the modernized world in industry, agriculture, education, and work-ethic. The economists are right, this is China's century. The 20th century of America's newly-crowned corporate manifest destiny spreading across the world made us fatter and lazier than ever before. I've been to two countries this year that I would have never expected to get to in my life: El Salvador, and now, China.

In El Salvador, the cost of living is sky rocketing and the people are adjusting with it. Why? Did you know that their official currency is the US dollar? That they have the 2nd largest US embassy in the world that looks and feels like an area-51 style compound that encompasses 5 city blocks? That 30% of their country lives/works in the US and sends money home?

Would you pick up and move to another country to feed your family? or enroll in unemployment and start collecting welfare checks? I know, I know... America's great because we CAN get on welfare and sustain life... But how long will that last?
How many skilled machinists, scientists, textile experts, and inventors are we producing? What is/was your college major? What trade have you learned? (This is all coming from someone who's taken 5 years -including "breaks"- to finish a degree in the most inane, pointless industry ever, TV) In my experience, the next generations (including whatever our generation has newly crowned itself) are trending towards laziness and more creative outlets because we feel that the real work of the world wasn't meant to be done by us, the deservedly crowned princes and princesses of the globe. We can overconsume and party our lives away because, shit... someone's gonna pay for us to do it.

The people in the new industrial countries aren't a threat to us... Why? Probably because central american heat and beach access tends to make people a little less productive... Especially when cramped in a small country ravaged by civil war or US sponsored chaos that kept the country ravaged...
Probably because our news is so corrupted, censored, and biased that normal people never hear (or maybe comprehend) the implications that free trade will have on our generation(s)...
Probably because a people who cram themselves into trains and tiny apartments seem silly to us in our big cars and SUV's while we drive to the mall to buy a carload of products produced a "world away"...

In both places I've been this year they manufacture goods in clean, safe factories that employ adult, experienced workers (for the most part). Why can they do it in such high volume for such cheap prices?
"They're doing the jobs we don't want." Last time I checked machinists didn't complain too badly about their working conditions and getting paid our minimum wage while being trained in a mastercraft would have been perfectly fine with any of my boys who used to gang bang and deal drugs to eek out an existence. (And think about how powerful a well trained craftsmen with a predisposition towards sales would be if given a chance and a refuge from American style poverty - plus the ignorance it comes with- )

As for China... They now make and staff the machines we and they use for manufacturing goods, plumbing, printing, and pretty much every other industialzed field. They handle bigger volumes, export a ridiculous amount more goods than us, and work longer (and cheaper) hours than us.
Why? Because their food is cheap.. they don't have a social system in place that tells them they need to shower twice a day and wear new clothes every day... they think it's silly to waste money on things like SUVs, expensive clothes, and disposible baubels... BUT MAINLY... because they're hungry for their turn on the world stage as the next great super power.

What's their plan to do this? Some secret manifesto deep in the communist agenda?
How do you think we get the money to spend 2 Trillion on the US military?

No Bitch... (Mao's elated Ghost speaking)It's our fully transparent take-over of the world scene that has happened while your dumbass president has robbed your poor-punk-asses while all the while borrowing huge amounts of money that we lent in goods and sevices that we WERE ALREADY PROFITING FROM IN THE FIRST PLACE... Oh, by the way, we want that interest on the loans too... You better have that money! As mister Sangster (C!K) and Diddy would say, "Take that Take that Take that."

Oh and did we mention that we're going to stay socialist/communist so we can own absolutely everything involved with our country, including the land you dumbasses are leasing on 70 year contracts in order to pay us more money?
We built a new Wall street in 10 years ho, AND we have a new missile that can knock all of your fancy little military satellites out of space and chop your military back to Nam aged weaponry.

I don't know whatcha heard about me... Cause I'm the motherfucking M-A-O-Tse...

Hello Friends,
Happy New Year, hope everyone had a great holiday.
With that said, I would like to you invite to my first art show of 2007.

"Love is a Four-Letter Word"
This Valentines Day Celebration, features artwork by Erik DeBat "Risk", Kingdom Kilpatrick and "FLASH". The show opens this Saturday, January 20th. We’re showcasing new paintings and photography consisting of stencil, collage, and vibrant shapes and colors. The shows theme is based on our meanings and interpretations of the word love.

Revolution Tattoo & Art Gallery is graciously hosting this event. The owners Cheri and Omar are long time friends of mine, and run a very unique gallery and tattoo parlor in West Bucktown. Their vibe is laid back, and professional. That energy flows through their beautiful art gallery and workspace. Which lends itself to great times at their openings and always relaxing time if you’re getting some ink done. So, come on through this Saturday. If not, the show runs through to February 24th, just drop by and check out our newest works, and put your honey’s name somewhere sexy. Or at least, go over the X’s name - in LOVE.

Opening Reception
Saturday January 20th, 2007 8pm-12
The show will run through February 24th, to coincide with Valentine's Day.

Revolution Tattoo & Art Gallery
2221 N. Western Ave.
Chicago IL 60647
(773)486-8888

Hope you can make it out to show, feel free to forward this invite on to other friends who you think would enjoy the show.
Thanks alot and see you there.
Erik DeBat “RISK”