What sort of world do we want to create and how do we intend to get there? There are about seven billion human beings on the planet. The scientific consensus is that the present levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are going to be joined by many more tonnes over the next few decades and that this is going to raise the average temperature of the earth by 5 degrees Celsius, producing radical transformations of climate patterns. Croplands will shift and shrink. Coastal areas will be flooded. Local species will go extinct. Overpopulation will bring wars for basic resources. Governments in many places will not be able to cope with the unrest and mass migrations. The Fordist economy of mass employment and mass production is being replaced by the Post-Fordist economy of automation and de-industrialization and mass unemployment. The official economy centres around financialization and the manipulation of public and private debt to subsidize elite speculation.
I have long argued that it would be more efficient in the long-run to work with the system we presently have and militantly see that it is improved, than to advocate for the total destruction of our present political system and its replacement with something completely new. I have argued this because it seems that the numbers of people who would sign-on to such a project are pitifully few in both numbers and resources. Also, the new society that is supposedly necessary is never clearly articulated. Even if we had a realistic possibility of smashing the capitalist-imperialist system, we would be asking people to take a leap into the dark.
Recently though, I've come across an exciting articulation of all of these issues, which has allowed me to reconsider my pessimism and think that, perhaps, a new world is possible. Allow me to quote from the most relevant part:
"Everything that is" refers to whatever demands the total rejection of the present. That might seem contradictory at first glance, but hear me out: The stuff we want (social justice, environmentalism, peace, etc.,) is "good." Therefore, whatever is opposed to what we want is "evil." As "evil," that which we want "goodness" is absent. Therefore the absence of what we want is "evil." What we want is absent from the present system. Therefore the present system is "evil."
If you still can't see how "Everything that is" means "the rejection of everything that is at present," well, I can't be expected to spoon-feed you. We have to move on, because this is too important to delay with mental stragglers.
"The Spectacle" refers to the bullshit of the present system of sham democracy and sham economics. It is "evil" because it is. It denies what we want, which is "good." And, because it is what is NOT, (which is what we want), it doesn't exist. If it was what we want (a political system built on what is "good" ... which, sadly, we don't have at the present time) it would exist and it would be "good."
No one can deny that the present capitalist-imperialist hegemony (which doesn't exist) is very effective. It's fooled a lot of people. But that's because all it has to do is deny what is, (what we want) which is "good." By that I mean, it's easier to do nothing than to do something. All we have to do to get along is to NOT build a better world. That's it.
We actively do evil when we pretend that the present system is not evil. Our indifference to the evil of the present system is what gives capitalist-imperialism it's ability to continue. It's a different way of saying "All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good people to do nothing." Which is a statement that has never been made by anyone who believes in anything "evil."
Lastly of course, it should be added that, contrary to what I just said, that "evil" is more than just NOT doing what we should. Some people actually love the system (which doesn't exist), but that's part of its power.
What does any of this have to do with how to build the world we actually want? What does this have to do with the practical steps we have to take from the world that [doesn't] exist to the world we want to exist [which does already]? It's quite simple actually; we avoid what is "evil" and pursue what is "good."
If even more clarification is desired or needed, simply go to this thread where I, and my esteemed mentor, who goes by the nom de guerre of "slumberjack," explore these concepts further.
ETA: Obviously, this post is complete bullshit.
I have long argued that it would be more efficient in the long-run to work with the system we presently have and militantly see that it is improved, than to advocate for the total destruction of our present political system and its replacement with something completely new. I have argued this because it seems that the numbers of people who would sign-on to such a project are pitifully few in both numbers and resources. Also, the new society that is supposedly necessary is never clearly articulated. Even if we had a realistic possibility of smashing the capitalist-imperialist system, we would be asking people to take a leap into the dark.
Recently though, I've come across an exciting articulation of all of these issues, which has allowed me to reconsider my pessimism and think that, perhaps, a new world is possible. Allow me to quote from the most relevant part:
Now, obviously, this sort of writing is what's known as "philosophical." Allow me to put it into layman's terms.Everything that is, is good. The world of the Qlippoth, the Spectacle, is all entirely evil. Evil isn’t a substance; if it were it would be good. The mystery of the effectiveness of evil comes down to the fact that evil doesn’t exist; it’s just an active nothingness.What’s evil is not distinguishing evil from good. Indistinction is its kingdom, indifference is its power. Men do not love evil, they love the good that’s within it.
"Everything that is" refers to whatever demands the total rejection of the present. That might seem contradictory at first glance, but hear me out: The stuff we want (social justice, environmentalism, peace, etc.,) is "good." Therefore, whatever is opposed to what we want is "evil." As "evil," that which we want "goodness" is absent. Therefore the absence of what we want is "evil." What we want is absent from the present system. Therefore the present system is "evil."
If you still can't see how "Everything that is" means "the rejection of everything that is at present," well, I can't be expected to spoon-feed you. We have to move on, because this is too important to delay with mental stragglers.
"The Spectacle" refers to the bullshit of the present system of sham democracy and sham economics. It is "evil" because it is. It denies what we want, which is "good." And, because it is what is NOT, (which is what we want), it doesn't exist. If it was what we want (a political system built on what is "good" ... which, sadly, we don't have at the present time) it would exist and it would be "good."
No one can deny that the present capitalist-imperialist hegemony (which doesn't exist) is very effective. It's fooled a lot of people. But that's because all it has to do is deny what is, (what we want) which is "good." By that I mean, it's easier to do nothing than to do something. All we have to do to get along is to NOT build a better world. That's it.
We actively do evil when we pretend that the present system is not evil. Our indifference to the evil of the present system is what gives capitalist-imperialism it's ability to continue. It's a different way of saying "All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good people to do nothing." Which is a statement that has never been made by anyone who believes in anything "evil."
Lastly of course, it should be added that, contrary to what I just said, that "evil" is more than just NOT doing what we should. Some people actually love the system (which doesn't exist), but that's part of its power.
What does any of this have to do with how to build the world we actually want? What does this have to do with the practical steps we have to take from the world that [doesn't] exist to the world we want to exist [which does already]? It's quite simple actually; we avoid what is "evil" and pursue what is "good."
If even more clarification is desired or needed, simply go to this thread where I, and my esteemed mentor, who goes by the nom de guerre of "slumberjack," explore these concepts further.
ETA: Obviously, this post is complete bullshit.
2 comments:
Good grief!! It would be much easier to throw, the fascist Harper and his Cons off the planet. Not forgetting Nigel Wright either. Kick the Campbell/Clark BC Liberals out into orbit. Send the greedy mine, oil and gas barons back, from whence they came.....To the Ninth Ring of Dante's Inferno.
And, shut this country down and start over. The first corrupt s.o.b. Politicians? Kick them off the planet too.
How can anything be ruddy right, with the scum we have, running this country to-day?
How do you plan on accomplishing any of that?
And what new system are you proposing to replace the one we have a present?
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