Poacher turned gamekeeper wrote:
roc wrote:
Poacher turned gamekeeper wrote:
... how can you claim that 'revolution', defined as that which opposes the system of life you have outlined above while seeking to conceive of and create a superior, more intelligent and obviously, as of yet, undefined alternative, is somehow undesirable? ...
One, because there is no doubt that the self-regulating organisation of free market economy is a far superior method of organisation.
The organisation that stems from the self-co-ordination of independent initiatives towards a common purpose is the only type of organisation suitable for groups as large as societies today imo. I have no doubt that a single authority eliminates independent initiative, and reduces joint effectiveness to that of the single person directing from the centre, paralysing co-operation etc.
But there is a HUGE problem with the current free market system - that is its purpose.
What I hold is that we need to move on the spectrum away from the purpose of base 'profit' towards a more noble purpose that aspires to transcendent values and purposes - like truth, justice and beauty, capable of stirring up the best that is in human-kind.
Indeed, that requires a "revolution". However, I despise the conceptions of revolution that are currently forming in our society. What is more they don't understand what revolution consists of. Revolution ALWAYS consists of a religious fervour that seizes the minds of the whole population. In the French revolution for example, the religious fervour consisted of the adoption of faith in reason, skepticism, and the scientific method, that displaced the old faith of the church and superstition etc.
There will be no revolution here until a similar religious epiphany takes hold of and spreads through the mass. But in all the talk of "revolution" here, all I see is the same old religion of self-interest and wanting a larger share of the pie etc. Call me when hearts and minds stir with something more worthwhile. Until then, I have no appetite to see mass stupidity and horror inflicted on society at large in the name of so called "revolution".
Well perhaps duality itself will save the day...because, I for one (and there are plenty more like me), am not about to sit idly by while a new fascism takes centre stage...regardless of the fact that I am not in a position to outline a new textbook-type vision of the future, delivered as it would no doubt be, with the type of (religious!) conviction that many here seem possessed of when they speak of their ideal 'free-market'-based society of the future.
And while I understand your sentiment with regard to the status quo being the lesser of any number of evils, IMO what we have lived through over the past two decades has merely paved the way for the rise of what we are now seeing in Greece and may soon see right across the continent of Europe. The status quo is defunct on its own (real/economic) terms as well as in moral (human) terms. A way of life that seeks to impoverish people on the basis of that impoverishment providing the basis for the sustenance of said system ie 'competitiveness', is evil as well as being doomed to failure.
That is certainly how it has developed.
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In times like this I think its worth bearing in mind the old maxim that change itself is the only constant. At times of flux change is a given and maintenance of the status quo an impossibility (IMO).
And this is because everyone is concerned with their survival needs.
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Having spent a lot of time recently with young(ish) people from Poland, Spain and Portugal, and bearing in mind the fact that youth unemployment right across the continent of Europe is astronomical, IMO the only honest debate worth having at present relates to the manner and ultimate face of the change to come.
Perhaps.
Statistics: Posted by orienlair — Tue Mar 11, 2014 9:35 am