International Errorist Movement Favorite 

Date: 

Nov 14 2005

Location: 

Buenos Aires, Argentina

errare humanum est 

Augustine of Hippo, Sermones 

 Capitalism is the most insidious error that
has 
been successfully dissimulated. 
The International Errorist Manifesto 

 The IV Summit of the Americas took place in Mar del Plata, Argentina on the first days of November 2005. By that time, President George W. Bush´s war on terror had been going on for several years. 
 Colectivo Etcétera (Etcetera Collective) decided to manifest their inconformity and repudiation of this war by creating a counter summit called The People´s Summit. Those who participated in this counter summit were quite different from those who attended the official Summit of the Americas. Social organizations, NGOs, peasant movements, leftist parties, human rights advocates, students, unions, artists and independent media were the main actors in the counter summit that November. 
 Part of the resistance to Bush´s war on terror was the creation of the Errorist Movement (Movimiento Errorista). On one hand, this movement is based on the idea that error is the ordering principle of reality. The concept of error is considered more open than the capitalist notion of what is an error; error can be a philosophy of life. On the other, the word errorist alludes to the word play with the word terrorism without the ´t´. This word play evidences not only the movement´s fascination with humor but the possibilities of resisting by language alteration and ideological deconstruction. 
 While both of the summits were taking place, the streets of Buenos Aires were “invaded” by members of Colectivo Etcetera performing as “errorists” driving commando trucks with masks and head scarves, while carrying cardboard machine guns with the word BANG coming out of them. With this action, the collective intended to reproduce, satirically, the idea of the constructed enemy in the war on terror and by that denouncing its absurdity. 
 Here a few excerpts of the International Errorist Manifesto: 
 1. “Errorism”
Concept and action are based on the idea that "error" is reality's principle of order. 
 2. "Errorism"is a philosophically erroneous position, a ritual of negation, a disorganised organisation: failure as perfection, error as appropriate move. 
 3. The field of action of "Errorism" contains all those practices that aim at the LIBERATION of the human being and language. 
 4. Confusion and surprise, black humour and absurdity are the favourite tools of the "errorists". 
 5. "Lapses" and failed acts are an "errorist" delight.
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