The Opiate, Fall Vol. 15
Seeking the Thugs James Kincaid
“Violence is a calm that disturbs you.” Jean Genet “Non-violence is the policy of the vegetable kingdom.” H. G. Wells “There is a violence that liberates.” Benito Mussolini
T
hese guys are legend, Sally.” “Legendary thugs—violent fools, assholes, drunks, psychopaths.” “Right. Just what we came to England to get to know.” “We, Terry? And don’t we have that back in L.A.? We gotta do a semester abroad to find hooli-
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gans?” “This type, yes. We don’t got this in America, you see, not really, not in this sweet, organized, upyours, anti-establishment, pure form. This is violence raised to religious ecstasy, or so we read.” “And that made you want to seek it out, violence as devout mania? Why didn’t you tell me that before bringing me over here to this piss-ant town?” “It’s very pretty here in Nailsworth. Sorry we missed the festival, though. I’ll bet that’s something. But we do have the match, in just three hours. You nervous?” “Petrified.” They had taken a fast train and then two very slow buses to arrive here at this beautiful—from certain aspects—Gloucestershire village, certainly giving no sign of thuggishness, football variety or any other kind.
