The most compelling thing about BM must be the socialogical experiment put forth by it's creators.
It's a genious concept to pit the utopian concept of marxism against the ego driven eccentric nature
of the Libertarian art culture.

"Leave not a trace" is a beautiful concept of green minded conservationalists, yet dealing with the debris
required the purchase of land to store recylables, and construction machinery...leaving behind an unsightly mess. The libertarian would argue the right to "do what thou will" with their land...regardless of the appearance, or freedom of activities offered by the right of ownership in the private sector.

The no money policy is pure marxism.. yet money is used at the center cafe' again sending a mixed message to the community. Libertarianism, which of course holds the free market as the shrine of it's
alter, is well alive here. Though the giving of the proceeds to local institutions seems honorable, it
is really right in line with Libertarian philosophy; by accumulating wealth in a free market system,
that wealth has the greatest opportunity for philantropy..(eg. Warren Buffett's 40 Billion dollar donation to
the Bill Gates Foundation to fight world hunger) and again that theme is repeated by BM organization
forming the "Black Rock Arts Foundation" for it's own self created channel of philantropy.

The creation of a 7 mile fence around the event and creating a "city" is pure Libertarianism establishing
the illusion of land ownership, and charging $300 to enter the kingdom is capitalism at it finest hour,
in complete contrast to the idea of non ownership that was embraced by a more communist view of
the aboriginal Native Americans.

The fenced in "city" of a gift community... based on donation, pits itself against the poor who might try to sneak into the city to see all the free art created by a purely marxist altruistic idealism. Being caught
they would likely be arrested and spend the week in a Gerlach jailhouse.

The hired police and security force is funded through private money, again a purely Libertarian ideal,
to serve and protect the freedom of expression of it's township... which is not allowed to spend money or trade aka marxism.

The irony of the whole event is.. that to have a utopian marxist temporary reality, you need to
have it funded and protected by the virtues of capitalism's cold hard cash.