Suicide
"Just as the scorpion threatened by fire shoots it's own venom into itself, democracy encircled by the flames of free market economics and the new world order pumps the searing venom of corruption into it's veins."
Jean Braudrillard Cool Memories 4
Old Jean is a pessimistic ex-revolutionary but his acidic intellect can still produce gems and these onservations written from 1997 to 2005 still resonate. As to a depresed democracy purposefully extinguishing itself, I'm not sure the allegory works perfectly, but witnessing the most current battle between corruption and the Spectacle play out one has to think that the disgusted populace must be reaching a point of rebellion (if not revolution).
The endless perp walk with it's handcuffed CEOs, Congressmen, bureaucrats, Rabbis, Priests, gurus, and cops has itself elevated cynicism to the role of the New Modern Religion. Institutions create culture and culture creates character. If the dominant, all encompassing institution is the Market, vice, avarice, greed and depravity should come as no big surprise. When each reltionship, each value, all philosophy is commodified and price controlled, it becomes harder and harder to explain "liberal democracy" to children.
posted by troutsky @ 7:31 AM
11 comments
11 Comments:
Sheep, like cows, don't understand rebellion or revolution...
Tsk, tsk, tsk...With complexity comes the possibility for crime and corruption. I ask again, do you want to return to the state-of-nature? Kultur might say yes, but Troutsky, where is there a society, except in your dreams and the Gospel that was without sleaze and venality? So many in our world are waiting for the man on a white horse to ride in and make everything right, a notion at which you would laugh, but is your constant surprise at the facts of life any less naive?
BTW, I had my semi-annual ephiphany today on the sidewalk, and I actually felt sympathetic to Kultur's zest for the primeval. Maybe I'll write it up, though that would be sort of counter to the whole mystical-revelation-satori spirit of thing, wouldn't it?
Lichanos
Glad I am having an impact!
Kinship-based societies are without many of the 'issues' that haunt stratified, hierarchical societies that are characteristic of 'civilization'.
Please do write it up... I wrote mine up in a whole book!!
I don't think a book of this stuff would help anyone, least of all me!
http://iamyouasheisme.wordpress.com/2009/07/31/recollected-in-tranquility/
the disgusted populace must be reaching a point of rebellion (if not revolution).
You're absolutely correct about a populace that is getting angrier than ever before. The political structure, however, has been set up to be very complex and cumbersome and as such will continue unabated in its two party political drama of partisanship. Their political craftsmanship, honed over many generation, have developed a system of successfully occupying the consciousness of the voting public by providing petty daily squables while they continue to build their quasi-special interest monarchy.
Rebellion, revolution? Don't count on it anytime soon. No one is lying in the street dying of hunger. They may have to go with only a 42" flatscreen TV instead of the 52 inch model.
The best we can hope for is a third party surge which will break the back of the aforementioned two party fiasco which has kept this nation from achieving its full potential.
Lichanos
That is quite a 'recollection in tranquility' that I read from you. (Troutsky - you got to check it out.) There is a feral memory trace encroaching upon the busy mundanity of your everyday life, Lichanos. And you have clearly and succinctly addressed both the loss of some primal sense, as well as the diversionary tactics and scaffolding of our 'culture'. You see, even in cynicism there is liberation from the cultural straight-jacket we find ourselves wrapped up in.
Lichanos, I know you would find my book (it is only about 140 pages longer than your post) more than just of passing interest for you. Just ask Troutsky. I encourage you to check it out and buy a copy. (Nice cover art from a painter friend of mine in Siberia as well).
http://www.amazon.com/Recovery-Ecstasy-Notebooks-Siberia/dp/1439227365/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249096264&sr=8-1
p.s. I was born in the Bronx, and find it hard to stay away from Manhattan. But, be that as it may, my wife, son and I are heading back to Siberia next week.
Lichanos, I am not a "returner", but I'm not sure I associate ever increasing "complexity" with a more just society.Capitalism claims to respond to Mans Nature but doesn't admit that it nurtures it's worst aspects.BTW, you're a great writer and a wider audience would appreciate your insights.
Kulturs Recovery of Ecstacy is well worth the read, and it's prescriptions, minimal though they are, of value.I'm just leaving metaphysical issues aside for now and looking for the political Path to Recovery.
Roman, my thesis here is that the economic system drives (and corrupts) the political system and so it is there we must initiate change. Of course you are spot on about the two party system but it is a product of "democratic capitalism", an oxymoron if there ever was one!
People are rebelling in ways we don't hear about. Last week my wealthy clients confessed their desire for deep change and expressed growing disgust at conservatism, a start! Most of the rebellion is undirected due to lack of organization meaning we have to double our efforts.
"People are rebelling in ways we don't hear about."
I believe you are correct Troutsky... check out my latest blog position:
http://blog.kulturcritic.com/2009/08/02/a-stricken-empire-the-shadow-of-our-hegemony.aspx
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There still seems to be a lot of belief that if we just pick the right party everything will be fine.
Move on to the next asset bubble, find a new source of cheap oil and keep going into debt to buy stuff from trading partners. It's just a matter of picking the party which can manage the perpetual motion machine.
The nation is having a tough time accepting the scope of failure and the fact that Obama wasn't going to get much done by just moving a little closer to the right of center.
Possibly we have banished the extreme far right for a good long time but I keep thinking of the ending of Werner Herzog's "Stroszek" which may have been the greatest capsule criticism of unregulated capitalism ever.
"Chief, we can't find him and we can't cut off power to the dancing chicken."
See it if you get a chance ... and we are the dancing chicken.
Now this is a great inspiration for commies.
Commies should emulate the example of Jim Jones. Jim Jones was the apex of Communism. He practiced class genocide on himself.
Now Ren should stop watching Alexis Payne films and Graeme should lay down the bong and follow the revolutionary example of Jim Jones.
Kultur a lynch mob has no logic.
Communists are populist parasites who are hemorrhoids on the buttocks of the human condition. Like Hemorrhoids we are best served when they are removed from the body.
All commies kindly depart to defend Hugo's right to smoke crack
and get his ass kicked by the folks in Bogota.
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