Burning Man Burns Early

[Alex]

One of the things I found interesting about Burning Man was how it demonstrated where rules come from despite the institutional desire to not have any. A living demonstration that despite any intentions, once you have more than 1 person living somewhere rules will start to develop.

That said, when I was going these were essnetially the rules:

1. Camps only in the spaces designated for camps.
2. Once you park, no driving until you're leaving.
3. Once you're leaving, no coming back.
4. No exchange of money for anything except the two exceptions mentioned above.
5. No fires except in designated places and times.
6. If you're going to be doing drugs we don't care, and the police will generally look the other way, but don't be so stupid as to actually offer some of your drugs to the police.


It may not be the anarchist nirvana, but it is a lot closer than much anything else and a living demonstration of why the anarchic nirvana doesn't really exist in a social space larger than someone's basement.