CAR Militia link

[commissarmoody]

Even brones don't like other brones.
 I think you have the social inept folks in every facet of are hobbies, I have also known some nice and well rounded LARPers. And don't get me started on the collectible card gamers. Like the 50 year old fat guy that doesn't take baths and plays Pokémon. I know I can some times fall into the historical button counting set on my worst days.
But lets not worry about it. I mean We are hear to talk about the Crazy outfits worn by African Militias.

[juergen c. olk]

Hilariuos video-commissar and very imformative video spectre.

[carlos marighela]

Superb, had not seen that episode.

[commissarmoody]

No problem and thanks for sharing the video spectre

[carlos marighela]

This thread has given me inspiration. I think i now know how we can avoid the hipster apocalypse.

 Hipsters love retro shit. Hipsters live for the notion that they are the first and indeed only people to find something cool. Most hipsters are too young to recall D&D and the players in a personal sense but will dig a vaguely familiar pop reference....

We plant the seed, or rather deposit some games in their haunts, coffee shops with seventies wallpaper, 50s espresso machines that only produce free trade macchiatos and watch them self immolate. Own goal as the realisation sinks in that they are now unclean and will never be cool again.

[commissarmoody]

I know many hipsters over here in Vegas. That just might work.

[Arlequín]

Taking the Commissar's lead (I do like it when you guys 'self-police'   ) we should be getting back on track-ish. That's my second favourite Mitchell and Webb sketch btw, the favourite being the "Hans, are we the baddies?" one, which I can't even link to due to the forum rules.

While I am used to seeing virtually anything you could imagine of for African militia to wear... I was surprised by this.



Take away the AK and replace it with spear and shield, or a trade musket and you'd have a pretty timeless group.

[leadfool]

Every combat good luck charm works.  Just ask any guy with one.  Of course you can't ask the guy with the defective charm.

Do you think the wigs etc are to make their opponents unwilling to shoot them?  

[Arlequín]

Do you think the wigs etc are to make their opponents unwilling to shoot them?  

Given the tradition of violence over all, I'd guess not and it may have more to do with belief in 'shape-changers', which is a feature of several belief systems in Africa (and indeed Europe), or the 'power' associated with certain objects, be they 'fairy wings', or a 'wedding dress'. A comprehensive answer would obviously have to come from one of those guys...

I doubt it's a million miles removed from our use of rabbits feet, four-leaf clovers.

It's had me intrigued though and I found this: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/the_gist/2003/08/scare_tactics.html

[Elk101]

Very interesting article Arlequin.

[commissarmoody]

Yes, That is a very interesting article. I always thought it was some kind of intimidation tactic. kind of like the Celts going to battle in the nude against fully armored foes, or Amerindian tribes counting coup.

[carlos marighela]

Taking the Commissar's lead (I do like it when you guys 'self-police'   ) we should be getting back on track-ish. That's my second favourite Mitchell and Webb sketch btw, the favourite being the "Hans, are we the baddies?" one, which I can't even link to due to the forum rules.

While I am used to seeing virtually anything you could imagine of for African militia to wear... I was surprised by this.



Take away the AK and replace it with spear and shield, or a trade musket and you'd have a pretty timeless group.

They're just African hipsters that's all. Classic retro look, with a twist. Just out of shot will be a guy with a scraggly beard, rolled up chinos and a straw trilby talking about how he only ever buys vinyl. They probably kept him out of shot cos he's lactose intolerant.

I'm not so surprised. Just folk drawing on their tradition. The Simbas did all of this in the sixties. Some of the more militant nutjobs in South Africa were doing similar stuff in the 1990s. Didn't Hitler's favourite poultry farmer bedeck his stormtroopers in runic symbols in some atavistic appeal to the teutonic soul? At least in this instance there's a better than even chance the tradition has some real cultural basis.

[Brummie]

In quite a lot of places Tribal influences are far more evident and dominant. Although what 'tribe' you come from is still a big thing even in big cities, there are a lot of border areas in the bush that aside from being on a map, may as well not exist.

There is one group (its worth going on youtube and having a gander) who maintain the tradition that when you kill another person, you have to scar yourself (and make a specific pattern in the process that covers the body vertically). Practically ancient form of punishment, dating back to when warfare was largely a ceremonial thing, when maiming/humiliating your opponent was the objective, not killing.

Of course since they have gotten their hands on AKs and LMGs etc, they have to scar themselves far more frequently.

[Arlequín]

Yes, That is a very interesting article. I always thought it was some kind of intimidation tactic. kind of like the Celts going to battle in the nude against fully armored foes, or Amerindian tribes counting coup.

I would imagine it's only effective against someone with the same or similar beliefs... a lime-haired, woaded-up Brit was unlikely to impress a typical Legionary, but being so done up for battle might make the guy himself feel more confident and impress his mates, which is of course important too... "Dat Caractacus, he a crazy mo-fo, check him!", "Fo' sho' an if he say charge, I ain' arguin' wid 'im".

 

They're just African hipsters that's all. Classic retro look, with a twist. Just out of shot will be a guy with a scraggly beard, rolled up chinos and a straw trilby talking about how he only ever buys vinyl. They probably kept him out of shot cos he's lactose intolerant.

I'm not so surprised. Just folk drawing on their tradition. The Simbas did all of this in the sixties. Some of the more militant nutjobs in South Africa were doing similar stuff in the 1990s.

Sure, I'm just more used to seeing most African militia dressed like those Jay Zed, Florida and William guys, that the kids seem to like. The numbers of 'authentic' tribal warriors operating during the Congo Crisis is a given, but fifty years or so on (gulp), I'm more used to seeing 'Nike' and 'D&G' with accessories by 'Kalashnikov'.

There is one group (its worth going on youtube and having a gander) who maintain the tradition that when you kill another person, you have to scar yourself (and make a specific pattern in the process that covers the body vertically). Practically ancient form of punishment, dating back to when warfare was largely a ceremonial thing, when maiming/humiliating your opponent was the objective, not killing.

There are several Pacific groups who also fought 'ritualistic' battles in their wars and if someone got injured, let alone killed, it was a major screw-up. The idea was to out-impress your opponents, who would then agree that they had 'lost', or vice-versa. It saved scant human resources and served the same purpose as real war. It was a huge surprise when Europeans showed up and did the whole Indiana Jones bit, shooting the warriors after they had pranced around demonstrating how skilled and ferocious they might be if this was the real thing.

[carlos marighela]

I think you meant to say.

"That Caractacus, he's dead 'ard 'im,  innit? "

At least that's how I imagine our ancient ancestors to have spoken.