it discusses the Synanon cult that was born out of AA, how it related to MKULTRA and 60s psychiatric research, and how it birthed the modern troubled teen industry.
also i finally learned what the fuck Deleuze meant when he talked about rhizomes
I think hexbear sent me here: https://elan.school/. Graphic novel about a troubled teen abuse camp stemming ultimately from Synanon. Content warning: this sent me into a funk for like a day.
Learning about the Elan School is a legitimate cognito hazard. Every time I think about it and get doomer about it all over again.
I was cynical coming in because these child torture chambers are just American imperialism aimed back at the homeland, on a small and individually tragic scale. All the atomization and dehumanization of our country, perfected and performed on purpose.
Elan is despicable, but it’s nothing new.
I think it’s the “individually tragic scale” that really activates my empathy. On a conceptual level of course shit like napalm bombing Vietnam or blowing up important water infrastructure in Iraq is much worse, but the story of a kid’s parents signing him up to get a black bag thrown over his head and driven across country to be physically and emotionally abused for years feels like something that could have happened to me if things had turned out slightly different.
The sheer sociopathy that late stage capitalism encourages and permits in parents is revolting on a fundamental level.
Yes that’s the kind of thing Brace had to endure
The Elan School was like the worst of the worst, kids dying, fighting rings, etc. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was being studied by some government institution while it was around.
