----------
>From: wade tillett <wade@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> in part:
>The test, through isolation and surveillance, facilitates an agreement
>whereby the subject is reduced to an atomic unit of power, a
>power-in-kind with the system. The system responds with a privilege,
>an image, a shell, a position, a self for the subject. The subject
>justifies the system, thereby justifying the self, through the support
>of the system. The system justifies the subject, thereby justifying
>itself, through the support illicited from the subject. This is the
>creation of the reflexive dual circle of self-justification. This is
>how the knowledge/power economy is set up and perpetuated. This is how
>the circular process of state-legitimacy and self-legitimacy is
>constructed. This is how privilege and power perpetuate themselves.
Privilage and power imply a hierarchy. The ancient Greek world as well as
our modern one are permeated by a general appreciation for the hierarchical
order of nature and society and so the average person did/does not seem to
mind being subordinate to a ruling class as long as he/she retains the right
to elect, to "vote" on laws proposed and especially to ostracize unpopular
leaders.
This last right is the problematical one because of the circular process of
state-legitimacy and self-legitimacy. It implies that any leader outside of
the circle of legitimacy is no leader at all and therefore
ostracized/marginalized as a matter of course. The power of the majority
coupled with the tenacity of the ruling class keeps us all following the
same boobs around in a circle. It is a singular error to believe that we
enjoy liberty. We do not even have the idea of it.
Any sense of power or powerlessness we have revolves around whether we
beleive we have the qualities with which we can have some effect on our
destinies and on that of our whole society. To the degree you are not
thrilled by the demeaning assumption that we are driven by self-interest,
that consumption asserts our individualism, you are ready to be ostracized.
This is not the same thing as seeing the world as a place of certainties and
their oppositions, a Manichean division, but we do need the certainty of our
inner forces to face the world and ourselves. True, unabashed, unflinching,
responsibility.
Thanks Wade, your post was refreshing in the immediacy of its perception and
analysis.
I had a most productive and satisfiying day today and I hope y'all did too.
//Van
>From: wade tillett <wade@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> in part:
>The test, through isolation and surveillance, facilitates an agreement
>whereby the subject is reduced to an atomic unit of power, a
>power-in-kind with the system. The system responds with a privilege,
>an image, a shell, a position, a self for the subject. The subject
>justifies the system, thereby justifying the self, through the support
>of the system. The system justifies the subject, thereby justifying
>itself, through the support illicited from the subject. This is the
>creation of the reflexive dual circle of self-justification. This is
>how the knowledge/power economy is set up and perpetuated. This is how
>the circular process of state-legitimacy and self-legitimacy is
>constructed. This is how privilege and power perpetuate themselves.
Privilage and power imply a hierarchy. The ancient Greek world as well as
our modern one are permeated by a general appreciation for the hierarchical
order of nature and society and so the average person did/does not seem to
mind being subordinate to a ruling class as long as he/she retains the right
to elect, to "vote" on laws proposed and especially to ostracize unpopular
leaders.
This last right is the problematical one because of the circular process of
state-legitimacy and self-legitimacy. It implies that any leader outside of
the circle of legitimacy is no leader at all and therefore
ostracized/marginalized as a matter of course. The power of the majority
coupled with the tenacity of the ruling class keeps us all following the
same boobs around in a circle. It is a singular error to believe that we
enjoy liberty. We do not even have the idea of it.
Any sense of power or powerlessness we have revolves around whether we
beleive we have the qualities with which we can have some effect on our
destinies and on that of our whole society. To the degree you are not
thrilled by the demeaning assumption that we are driven by self-interest,
that consumption asserts our individualism, you are ready to be ostracized.
This is not the same thing as seeing the world as a place of certainties and
their oppositions, a Manichean division, but we do need the certainty of our
inner forces to face the world and ourselves. True, unabashed, unflinching,
responsibility.
Thanks Wade, your post was refreshing in the immediacy of its perception and
analysis.
I had a most productive and satisfiying day today and I hope y'all did too.
//Van