I cannot breathe.
How can I? The idiotic cult of death is still alive as ever—permeating every little bit of my existence; all those phantom-acolytes in school, workplace, mom, and dad, making disgusting pronouncements that call everyone to throw themselves to the nothingness of some inexistant “greater cause”--of that monstruosity called virtue and the ideal.
We haven't advanced a damned bit since the beginning of civilization. We are still obsessed by the fucking phantoms of virtue: of the hard worker, the humanist, the humble, the martyr.... the man who willingly castrates himself, and then points at his mutilated genitals and regurgitates “damn you, damn you, you evildoer!”.
Yeah, all of us have heard about those stupid shit-filled declarations of “family values”, “nationalism”, “work-ethic”--ideals that we need to work hard to emulate, rather than those ideas emulating us. Temptation is looming inside our guts, and we are so pathetic, so hypocritical, that we publicly deny that will to live, while secretly craving for it.
What has this to do with communism?
The cult of death—that supression of the will to live, is the most solid base of class society. The most reactionary elements of society are always cultists of death—always. Whether they are rallying behind family values, nationalism, work ethic, culture, tradition—they always speak about the refusal of the will to live. Whether it is the capitalist glorifying boring hard work, the conservative condeming gay marriage, the soldier being sent to die, or monoculturalism—we always see the hateful zombie condemning flesh, blood, and true creativity.
After refusing the importance of our immediate desires and dreams, everything seems logical. Dying for your country, hunger, hatred for your lust, being bored to death---the will to live is categorized as “beast-like”, as irrational, while the will to die becomes the stellar, shining star for everyone to follow.
Radical change always comes with the affirmation of the will to live. The French Revolution didn't shake civilization just because of “altruism”, or empty self-martyrdom—it thundered precisely because people were desiring deep inside their heart, a qualitative change in their lives. Communism is precisely that affirmation of the will to live in the capitalist mode of production. The communist preaches that “we are nothing, we should be everything!”, while the revolutionary break changes the phrase to “We are nothing, we shall be everything!”,
There are books and books about the theoretical framework of communism and its historical roots, but it is extremely important to understand the gears that move mass socialist action, which in their most basic essence, are nothing more than politics of temptation, rage, and dreams.
Showing posts with label Karl Marx. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Karl Marx. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Thursday, December 20, 2007
the continuous scramble for africa
From the so called great scramble to the new scramble, I believe that there never really is any difference or change in scrambling. The imperialist tendencies and actions towards Africa have been concentrated in one continuous scramble - for resources: land, people, minerals, diamonds, timber, markets, etc. A continuous scramble and a systematic exploitation and looting of the African continent. Globalization and the global political economy are generally not looked at through the African perspective. While I can hardly offer that perspective, I work to understand.
For a long while many people, non-Africans, Europeans and African alike have understood the systematic destruction of Africa. Quoted in an article in Alternatives: A book written by Walter Rodney in the 1970s was titled "how Europe underdeveloped Africa" and Karl Marx noted in his Critique of the Political Economy that the "hunt for black skins" signaled the dawn of capitalism. It seems the African continent may have been doomed from the birth of the capitalist dream.
The Scramble for Africa began long before the Berlin Conference of 1884-5, when the African cake was divided by European powers for land claims and resources (slave trade). The scramble, however, did not end after that conference. The European powers were not appeased with just staking claim to the land. Oppressive and brutal remained in control and increased their thirst for more, and more. The Alternatives article notes that there now exists NEPAD, the WTO, EU, AGOA, EPA, and I think you could place any international agreement that places the wants of those in power over the long exploited African people.
The article also notes the increase and spread of the Chinese influence in African markets seeking to gain access to fossil fuels and resources. There is now considerable critique into the effects and practices of the Chinese (I have been part of this). However, this makes the practices of the EU and the USA almost completely fall from the picture. Well the Chinese may be pursuing extremely detrimental practices in Africa they cannot be left as the scapegoat for why Africa is "under-developed," exploited and robbed of resources to spur growth. The European powers and the USA need to be exposed and the ills of their actions need to be dissected and understood as well. These "historically-structurally disadvantaged societies" need leaders who will place the interests of their country-people above their own advancement. A lot needs to happen if the scramble is to end, but that requires a recognition to the problem and a plan to empower local communities. Resources do not have to be the downfall of a country. As long as the resources are used properly and agreements are in place so that the benefit reaches the people resource can be a positive. It is my opinion that African countries need to adopt a near protectionist policy in regards to socio-economic matters if the scramble and following exploit is to stop.
China is pouring money into Africa for "development" flooding markets and building infrastructure with money that will flow right back into China, the US is militarizing the continent at a frightening rate (nothing new) to "fight terrorism" and gain access to resources in their "triangle of interest," Brazil, India, Russia, and countless other countries are positioning themselves to yet again eat from the African cake. This competition can work as a positive for Africa, but only as long as the minority of elites need to recognize the great need of their people.
From the When not in Africa. . . blog.
Previously posted on the Young People For Blog.
For a long while many people, non-Africans, Europeans and African alike have understood the systematic destruction of Africa. Quoted in an article in Alternatives: A book written by Walter Rodney in the 1970s was titled "how Europe underdeveloped Africa" and Karl Marx noted in his Critique of the Political Economy that the "hunt for black skins" signaled the dawn of capitalism. It seems the African continent may have been doomed from the birth of the capitalist dream.
The Scramble for Africa began long before the Berlin Conference of 1884-5, when the African cake was divided by European powers for land claims and resources (slave trade). The scramble, however, did not end after that conference. The European powers were not appeased with just staking claim to the land. Oppressive and brutal remained in control and increased their thirst for more, and more. The Alternatives article notes that there now exists NEPAD, the WTO, EU, AGOA, EPA, and I think you could place any international agreement that places the wants of those in power over the long exploited African people.
The article also notes the increase and spread of the Chinese influence in African markets seeking to gain access to fossil fuels and resources. There is now considerable critique into the effects and practices of the Chinese (I have been part of this). However, this makes the practices of the EU and the USA almost completely fall from the picture. Well the Chinese may be pursuing extremely detrimental practices in Africa they cannot be left as the scapegoat for why Africa is "under-developed," exploited and robbed of resources to spur growth. The European powers and the USA need to be exposed and the ills of their actions need to be dissected and understood as well. These "historically-structurally disadvantaged societies" need leaders who will place the interests of their country-people above their own advancement. A lot needs to happen if the scramble is to end, but that requires a recognition to the problem and a plan to empower local communities. Resources do not have to be the downfall of a country. As long as the resources are used properly and agreements are in place so that the benefit reaches the people resource can be a positive. It is my opinion that African countries need to adopt a near protectionist policy in regards to socio-economic matters if the scramble and following exploit is to stop.
China is pouring money into Africa for "development" flooding markets and building infrastructure with money that will flow right back into China, the US is militarizing the continent at a frightening rate (nothing new) to "fight terrorism" and gain access to resources in their "triangle of interest," Brazil, India, Russia, and countless other countries are positioning themselves to yet again eat from the African cake. This competition can work as a positive for Africa, but only as long as the minority of elites need to recognize the great need of their people.
From the When not in Africa. . . blog.
Previously posted on the Young People For Blog.
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