Prof. Al-Tikriti's FSEM

Category: Anarchist Cookbook

Context

The Anarchist Cookbook was written by William Powell as a teenager during the time where counterculture was becoming popular. He specified that this book wasn’t a call to action and only wanted it to be used as an instructional guide to build bombs and make drugs. Although many argue about the accuracy of the recipes, the FBI made a public statement denouncing the book.

The Anarchist cookbook was dropped from its first publishing company for “having no social purpose” and was the only book dropped that year. It was later revived in 2002 from a banned books company in Arkansas. William Powell himself wanted the book removed from circulation because he no longer believed the values he was preaching.

Anarchy is usually associated with violence and a lack/hatred of authority. The Anarchist Cookbook has Anarchist in the name so many associate the book with having Anarchist values. The Anarchist Collective Group devalued the information in the book because it didn’t represent what the cause stood for.

Today, many people who have been in possession of the book have been charged with crimes of terrorism. Other crimes also include being involved with mass bombings and school shooters.

The Anarchist Cookbook

CVS as exploitive, shoplifting as revolutionary, frog skins as smokable fun times! Who wouldn’t want to read this? Putting aside the floorboard bombs and blackjacks (wet socks filled with sand) this book is actually a pretty interesting read. I can say that I now know the exact (according to the extremely opinionated and suspiciously experienced 19 year old author) lethal and non-lethal dosages for heroine, cocaine, LSD, and cough syrup. Information about dealing with police, my rights, and destroying the government can be found on these very (heavily monitored) pages.

In all honesty though, this is a very dangerous book. It feels normal, almost too casual when you’re reading it. As though discussions about making smokeable drugs out of peanuts and using a rifle as a device for bludgeoning were as everyday as talking about what’s for dinner. It kind of makes you feel like since the author is saying its okay, then it must be. Very convincing and knowledgeable approaches, as though he knows that if he appears too manic or aggressive he can lose the interest of readers, implying to them that these are just ravings of another “f*** the government” kid who doesn’t really know what he’s talking about. But in fact, I feel like he does. There isn’t a lot of anarchist ideology, and I don’t believe that was its purpose. This book was meant o plant the seed of anarchist thought. To make these “recipes” available for culinary perfection. A lot of people look at a dish and want to make it, but never do because they don’t know how. But when that cookbook opens its golden pages, you’re presented with a lot of “I can do that” and “oh I for sure have that in my pantry.” And thats exactly what this text does for the reader. I was shocked reading the list of kitchen replacements for ingredients in the common bomb, finding that nearly everyone was within the walls of my own home. This is the bomb-making fo idiots text, this is the “anyone can cook” for terrorists an essentially, anarchists.

Personally, I found the drugs section to be the most interesting. I have never experienced the absolutely life-changing effects of any drug besides prescription, (which considering the difference between life with hemiplegic migraines and life without I would conclude that excedrin is, in fact, life-changing) and was drawn in like a moth to flame, living vicariously through the descriptions of side effects, dosages, pill shapes and colors and over-dose effects. Now, I can say I find that a little disturbing, but that’s what the book does to you. Normalizes the content, turns it into digestible chunks of meat that are so tasty you don’t even realize its human flesh, and when you do, its too late-you’re addicted and you want more. Not Saying that I do. I am not an anarchist. I just want to watch Steven universe and write poems about elderly people who still go to Dairy Queen together in search of classic vanilla cones. FBI please don’t target me.

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