CLODO
Encyclopedia
Committee for Liquidation and Subversion of Computers (CLODO) (in French: Comité Liquidant ou Détournant les Ordinateurs, 'Clodo' being a slang word for the homeless) was a neo-Luddite French anarchist
organization, active during the 1980s, that targeted computer companies
. In 1980, after a series of attacks in the Toulouse
area, they released a statement to the French media in which they explained their motivations. It read, "We are workers in the field of data processing and consequently well placed to know the current and future dangers of data processing and telecommunications. The computer is the favorite tool of the dominant. It is used to exploit, to put on file, to control, and to repress." Their major attack was in 1983, when they firebombed the Sperry Univac Company, in Toulouse. At the time, French police
were convinced that CLODO was simply an outgrowth of Action Directe, a libertarian communist group.
, there has been some debate among technology critics and cultural theorists such as Arthur Kroker
and Peter Lamborn Wilson
as to whether or not the group still exists in an atomized state. In CLODO's 1983 manifesto disguised as an interview the group reveals that although their future projects are intended to be less spectacular than the firebombing of Sperry-Univac they plan to carry out actions geared towards an impending telecommunications explosion. It has been argued that an anonymous group of Neo-Luddites
consisting of academics and scientists from various fields have been conducting experiments focused on the societal effects and potential dangers of new technology.
Experiments are divided into two dynamically related categories: Saturation
and Abstinence
. Saturation refers to the process of subjecting human volunteers to higher than normal amounts of technologically generated noise
and noting the biological and psychological effects. Abstinence refers to the act of a human volunteer abstaining from the use of an electronic system or object and noting the biological and psychological effects both pre and post-saturation. The data collected in such experiments is quantified and used to ascertain the sociocultural value and potential of technological systems and objects.
Anarchism in France
Thinker Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, who grew up during the Restoration was the first self-described anarchist. French anarchists fought in the Spanish Civil War as volunteers in the International Brigades. French anarchism reached its height in the late 19th century...
organization, active during the 1980s, that targeted computer companies
Company
A company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...
. In 1980, after a series of attacks in the Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
area, they released a statement to the French media in which they explained their motivations. It read, "We are workers in the field of data processing and consequently well placed to know the current and future dangers of data processing and telecommunications. The computer is the favorite tool of the dominant. It is used to exploit, to put on file, to control, and to repress." Their major attack was in 1983, when they firebombed the Sperry Univac Company, in Toulouse. At the time, French police
French National Police
The National Police , formerly the Sûreté Nationale, is one of two national police forces and the main civil law enforcement agency of France, with primary jurisdiction in cities and large towns. The other main agency is the military Gendarmerie, with primary jurisdiction in smaller towns and rural...
were convinced that CLODO was simply an outgrowth of Action Directe, a libertarian communist group.
Underground Testing and Experimentation
Although CLODO is no longer classified as 'active' by the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to TerrorismNational Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism
The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism is a counter-terrorism research center based at the University of Maryland, College Park. It is a Homeland Security Center of Excellence. It informs decisions on how to disrupt terrorists and terrorist groups, while...
, there has been some debate among technology critics and cultural theorists such as Arthur Kroker
Arthur Kroker
Arthur Kroker is a Canadian author, editor, educator and researcher of political science, technology and culture.-Life and career:He earned a Ph.D. in political science from McMaster University in 1975...
and Peter Lamborn Wilson
Peter Lamborn Wilson
Peter Lamborn Wilson , is an American political writer, essayist, and poet, known for first proposing the concept of the Temporary Autonomous Zone , based, in part, on a historical review of pirate utopias...
as to whether or not the group still exists in an atomized state. In CLODO's 1983 manifesto disguised as an interview the group reveals that although their future projects are intended to be less spectacular than the firebombing of Sperry-Univac they plan to carry out actions geared towards an impending telecommunications explosion. It has been argued that an anonymous group of Neo-Luddites
Neo-luddism
Neo-Luddism is a personal world view opposing any modern technology. Its name is based on the historical legacy of the British Luddites which were active between 1811 and 1816...
consisting of academics and scientists from various fields have been conducting experiments focused on the societal effects and potential dangers of new technology.
Experiments are divided into two dynamically related categories: Saturation
Sensory overload
Sensory overload , related to Cognitive load in general, is a condition where one or more of the senses are strained and it becomes difficult to focus on the task at hand...
and Abstinence
Abstinence
Abstinence is a voluntary restraint from indulging in bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure. Most frequently, the term refers to sexual abstinence, or abstention from alcohol or food. The practice can arise from religious prohibitions or practical...
. Saturation refers to the process of subjecting human volunteers to higher than normal amounts of technologically generated noise
White noise (slang)
The term white noise, the 'sh' noise produced by a signal containing all audible frequencies of vibration, is sometimes used as slang to describe a meaningless commotion or chatter that masks or obliterates underlying information....
and noting the biological and psychological effects. Abstinence refers to the act of a human volunteer abstaining from the use of an electronic system or object and noting the biological and psychological effects both pre and post-saturation. The data collected in such experiments is quantified and used to ascertain the sociocultural value and potential of technological systems and objects.
See also
- Neo-LuddismNeo-luddismNeo-Luddism is a personal world view opposing any modern technology. Its name is based on the historical legacy of the British Luddites which were active between 1811 and 1816...
- Anarcho-primitivismAnarcho-primitivismAnarcho-primitivism is an anarchist critique of the origins and progress of civilization. According to anarcho-primitivism, the shift from hunter-gatherer to agricultural subsistence gave rise to social stratification, coercion, and alienation...
- Theodore KaczynskiTheodore KaczynskiTheodore John "Ted" Kaczynski , also known as the "Unabomber" , is an American mathematician, social critic, anarcho-primitivist, and Neo-Luddite who engaged in a mail bombing campaign that spanned nearly 20 years, killing three people and injuring 23 others.Kaczynski was born in Chicago, Illinois,...
- Action directe (armed group)