There’s a Revolution Going on Down at Ban T-Shirts

For those who think that politics is boring you’ve got another think coming, it’s your future, nay your destiny; it’s the only way that we the people will ever be able to have a say in our collective lives, and seeing how much of Western political dogma has leant towards the far-right over the past decade or two, you have to make a protest where you can. Because, and keep this between you and me, if you rub the government up the wrong you can and expect at least a four year police operation on your back checking your every move and utterance.

For all the freedom that technology has brought us you have to admit that there have been some massive downsides to our information revolution, including the slow coaches in government catching on to ‘this thing called the Internet’. Essentially CCTV Britain doesn’t let you sneeze without recording it on some secret database or other, and i won’t even start on America, however let’s just say if you mention Iraq or terrorism in a phone call then you’re on their hot list, besides the fact that I very much doubt any of us are about to lay waste to civilisation, the alternative is a barcoded subsistence of mutual fear and conformity.

Now if you’re still with me and are at this very moment fidgeting as you wait for a less ethereal revolution to come your way, you might want to check out the offerings at BanT-Shirts.com, a site that provides a chink of light, a hope of fashionable resistance against the underwhelming moral minority that have little to look forward to except a turnaround in the world economy and their graves.

If you’re not a faceless follower of the mainstream media, and you want to shake up your community with a pithy yet pertinent message, then Ban T-Shirts organic cotton t-shirts have a collection that could help you on your way to becoming a socially acceptable political agitator. Ban T-Shirts offer a range of superb selection of printed on the finest brands of American made sweat shop free T-shirts including American Apparel; Royal Apparel and Organic Apparel. Read more

Political T-Shirt Elections at CollarFree.com

CollarFree.com are on a mission to make politics ‘more friendly’ and I wish them all the luck in the world, but I have a sneaking feeling they will be in a minority. On a commercial level I can completely understand what they’re doing, they don’t want to cut their target audience in half, i.e anyone in the world who both buys t-shirts and has a political opinion, which is quite a few I’d surmise.

However most people with a political opinion don’t particularly like the opposition, I doubt that many Americans out there who’d vote for Obama would have any kind words for McCain and vice-versa. The truth is electoral politics lives and breathes the antagonism of difference, without it the debate becomes stale, although it could be said that parties in power immediately switch to a politics of indifference in an effort to avoid being torn apart by the arguments of an unsatisfied and even angry electorate. I can’t think of a single political campaign that hasn’t sunk to the depths of bickering, sniping, and personal insults that CF obviously want to avoid. Read more

Robit - Built by Humans - Powered by Spirits

T-shirts of a tortured soul? Perhaps not quite, but going on the biography Steve Orlando of Robit Studios is not a happy man, I quote “What is a Robit? A mechanical man with an void in his middle. it’s like a robot only simpler. This particular Robit was created by a four year old. It’s fuelled by distilled spirits.”

I’d venture to say there’s a bitter-sweet theme that runs through all of Steve’s works, a quality I find both reassuringly honest and revealing, especially when put in the context of his fine collection of unique and pithy t-shirt designs. All of his tees are fair trade, 100% cotton American Apparel, hand-printed and highly original for the most part, so it’s well worth taking a gander the next time you’re passing.

Steve’s outlook on life may be on the dour side, but he still has a great sense of humour, I really think he should be British, we’re all like that over here, except the Scottish who are just dour, (I jest, we’re all miserable bleeders over here, especially since we haven’t had a Summer this year (or not one that you’d notice). Talking of the weather… Read more

New Designs From The Past at Retro Campaigns

RetroCampaigns.com have added new political campaign t-shirt designs to their collection, featuring ex-presidents JFK and Reagan amongst others. Retro Campaigns, Inc. is a small, Los Angeles-based company, whose aim is to recall unique characters from American politics, with style and fun. All of their designs are printed on high-quality, sweat-shop free American Apparel shirts and notably, a portion of their profits are donated to a very worthy cause at SaveDarfur.org.

Again they’re featuring some US political icons from the past, it would be nice to see them expand their horizons and venture beyond the shores of America, perhaps it’s all down to supply and demand, I know that Margaret Thatcher (ex UK PM) has had as much influence on political history as Ronald Reagan, in fact they were close allies and friends for many years, and even Ronnie remarked upon the importance of Britain’s first female Prime Minister on the world stage. Even today, at least in a majority of European political circles, the term ‘Thatcherism‘ is still widely used to describe the trend towards privatisation of most privatisation of public services and infrastructure, entrepreneurialism in a perspective of the aggregation of personal wealth and self-responsibility, be it on an economic level or one’s interaction within society and state.

I grew up through the Reagan/Thatcher years, and learned to hate that time, it was oppressive, materialistic, politically paranoid and filled with grand gesture which in the long run failed to achieve much. The Star Wars Program was one example of Reagan the actor ousting Reagan the politician, another was the Falklands War and in particular the furore surrounding the sinking of the Belgrano overridden by a cult of personality, a more sophisticated circle of political pr experts and high economic forecasts for the UK at the time. But the worst of all must have been the infamous recording of Ronald Reagan announcing the beginning of WW3 for a laugh. Prior to his weekly radio address on August 11 1984, Reagan uttered this on what he assumed was not a live microphone. “My fellow Americans, I’m pleased to tell you today that I’ve signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.” Read more

Obama: Live Long and Prosper

*Ammendment: Prosper has been declined by Threadless for copyright reasons!

WHAT THE HELL IS THAT ABOUT?

They sell Obama t-shirts and they even sell Star Trek T-Shirts, I’ve asked if it’s the font which is an open source .TTF - besides this is the 1960s Star Trek we’re talking here! It can’t be Obama, his image seems to be public property as far as I can tell. I’m ranting at them now, but any ideas or defence I can put forward to them before I submit the design somewhere else would be appreciated!

Live Long and Prosper With Obama! Yes yet again I am submitting another design to Threadless.com - it’s almost like a lottery to me, taking a punt, a gamble on my own talents. Threadless are asking for political t-shirts whilst the US political elections are running and so I thought I’d chip in. Besides I was inspired by the tees I featured at Thriving Ink and thought what the hell.

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New T-Shirts On The Block - Politicians and Babies.

I’ve a rather diverse selection of tee news for you today, starting with a few Barack Obama t-shirts available at ThrivingInk.com. Before you ask, I would feature McCain tee shirts here if they were as funky as Thriving Ink’s, but I somehow doubt that Republicans would want to wear anything as out there as these (first two) beauties. I do lean towards Obama for obvious reasons, the world oil crisis which has worsened so much more since the initial attack on Iraq, Guantanamo Bay, and the travesty of the Iraq war as a whole, plus the fact that Obama looks awake! Read more

T-Shirts at ShortBusClothing.com - Come and Take a Ride!

Justin at Short Bus Clothing has offered up his work for review and I have to admit it is certainly refreshing to see such a democratic approach to politics when it comes to t-shirt design. I am a confirmed lefty, if you haven’t noticed, I’d rather not take sides in all honesty as I, as well as at least a few more million lost souls out there have lost the will to live when it comes to electioneering. Read more