Steal This Wiki launches alpha version of Steal This Book for 21st Century

For the past 18 months, the Steal This Wiki project has been industriously updating Abbie Hoffman's 1971 classic, Steal This Book, and now they're ready to ship. Ploney Almoney sez, "We now have our first alpha available for people to download as ODT or PDF, it is a huge bloated draft with minimal images but we have added just about every survival tip we could think of for shelter alternatives living out of a pack, cooking without a kitchen, escaping the United States, and even making a fabber, plus all of the protest and propaganda distribution in a more useful DIY format. Now we need lots of people to read it and help us get the edits done so it can be sent for printing."

This site is intended to support and distribute information that is relevant to this day and age, which can be reasonably defined as one in which Americans are forced to deal with difficult issues (such as a military led by an unwise and unreasonable group of people) as well as with real and dangerous threats.
Hopefully as the content on this site evolves, it will become a new and useful work, holding true to the spirit of the original, and providing useful information to those who value freedom, peace, and justice.
This site contains the how-to information on everything from how to grow a garden to how to teach a college level class. How many revolutions were about putting the existing means of production into the hands of the people. We have seen that these revolutions, given enough time, always ended with a new power caste abusing the under class. We want to give the means of production for basic needs back into the hands of every person so they can choose to ignore the heavy hand of a government which has melded itself with the mega-businesses in a way that leaves ordinary humans with a voice or a choice. [edit]

Link to Steal This Wiki, Link to download PDF of alpha edition

Discussion

Take a look at this

#1 posted by Jeff , February 19, 2008 6:20 AM

This information sounds as if it needs to be dynamic. So, what's the point of printing it if it's cultural relevance is always changing?

#2 posted by firsty , February 19, 2008 7:14 AM

the purpose of the print edition is to encourage a broad distribution, beyond the confines of the internet, which does have its own set of restrictions, especially for many of the most interested readers of this new version. making the print edition available is only one step — getting it on the streets is the next.

#3 posted by James David , February 19, 2008 8:06 AM

What a badass project for print and wiki. Go Yippies!

#4 posted by License Farm

, February 19, 2008 8:17 AM

Now that I have a PDF of the book, I can give away my hardcopy. Maybe now that the idea of stealing it is moot, the title ought to be changed to Gift This Book; the idea of "sticking it to The Man," while romantic, pales in comparison to "teaching a man to fish."

#5 posted by arkizzle , February 19, 2008 8:59 AM

"Share" seems more appropriate.

#6 posted by Michael R. Bernstein

, February 19, 2008 10:29 AM

Cory, the PDF download link is for the original edition, not the alpha release of the update. The alpha release is available in four parts from here:

http://www.hackerlabs.net.nyud.net/downloads/stw/STBT/0.0/

#7 posted by ZippySpincycle , February 19, 2008 11:11 AM

About halfway between his release from prison and his suicide, I saw Abbie Hoffman speak at Northern Arizona U in Flagstaff. When he signed my battered copy of Steal This Book, he grinned and said, "There, now it's worth at least a hundred bucks!" (During the talk, he insisted that he and the Yippies actually had managed to levitate the Pentagon, but that the gummint covered it up). Hell of a guy!

#8 posted by SacrificialGoat , February 19, 2008 11:49 AM

I get the feeling I'm going to read every single article on this page

#9 posted by RussNelson , February 19, 2008 11:53 AM

People wanted the government to control business, but never realized that they'd get a government controlled by business. OOPS! It's not too late to fix matters, though. Stop pushing against businesses, and they'll stop pushing back against government.

We need an amendment guaranteeing Freedom of Trade, to keep businesses out of government, just like we needed Freedom of Religion to keep churches out of government.

#10 posted by Takuan , February 19, 2008 11:59 AM

you never cared for the FDA?

#11 posted by saint_al , February 19, 2008 1:39 PM

In this book, Hoffman said that the most important purchase you may ever make is... wire cutters.
*That* one stuck in the ol' head.

#12 posted by MOONBAT , February 19, 2008 1:48 PM

The free market economy is the best known method for putting the means of production in the hands of the individual so he can "choose to ignore the heavy hand of a government which has melded itself with the mega-businesses."

Where do you think 3D printers came from? Where did the Internet come from? What pays for Burning Man?

I understand and support the desire for a better future, but leftwingers are just too impatient. They want future progress by stealing from the present. Give it time and quality of life will improve for all people as technology advances.

Can government do more to safeguard culture and provide basic services? Sure. But we don't need a revolution for that. Just vote Democrat and pay your taxes.

#13 posted by Roach , February 19, 2008 8:24 PM

@Russnelson

The Founders put Freedom of Religion in the Constitution to protect religions from the government, not the other way 'round. It's just a bonus that it (usually) works the other way, too.

Totally agreed on the part about business. Not sure if an amendment would be exactly the way to go, but progressively working to separate government and business would be nice. How we'd regulate anything would be a question, among many others.