Heidegger

Bernard,

For many people in that country, liberal democratic freedoms are an ideology
which justifies the fact that their own children are malnourished. The real
problem is not freedom of speech, but it is justice. Those people have a
right to say: freedom of speech has been there in order to oppress us, to
hell with freedom of speech!

What is relevant in the quarrel between socialism and capitalism is balance:
both are systems with their own limitations and both fail to realize
paradise on earth (either for the working class or for the petty bourgeois).

I think that balance is offered by the Dutch song of the band Klein Orkest,
whose lyrics are on:
 http://www.lyricsdownload.com/klein-orke…

(It is Dutch, but speakers of German language could understand it with some
effort, and there is the Altavista Babelfish which gives rough translations
from Dutch to English).

Eventually, those people will see that socialism fails to offer the paradise
it promises. And maybe it leads to some Stalinist regime. Yet, they have
their democratic right to have it their own way.

When people accumulate too much frustration, they react with force, with
violence. That’s according to George Homans rational choice theory 101. Not
that their violence will accomplish something better for themselves or for
their children. But simply they react to centuries of oppression and of
being treated with contempt by the rich. It is not a question of common
good, it is simply a question of social justice: you starved my children, I
will starve yours. And justice is beyond good and evil. Justice is not about
what is good for everyone. Justice is about proper punishment of
misbehavior, be it either individual or collective misbehavior.

Excess terminates thus all regimes: capitalism, because it plants the seed
of rebellion when the starving are confronted with the de facto privileges
of the leisure class, and socialism, because the leaders of the people and
by the people turn against the people, according to the iron law of
oligarchy.

So, one can assure governability by avoiding excess. If the rich would not
have so overtly abused and exploited the poor, perhaps they could still go
on making as many millions dollars as they wish. But now that’s too late
for, in Venezuela. The bill is being paid for some centuries of abuse.

And, no! I do not condone their actions; I simply explain why they behave as
they behave. I’m neither a supporter of socialism, nor of capitalism. What I
oppose is this: excess. Or: hybris.

Greetings,

Tudor

Posted on Tuesday, May 29th, 2007 at 7:25 pm
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