Date: Sun, 25 Mar 2001 17:19:45 -0500
Subject: Philosophy and Political Action


Hi Steve, Eric, et.al.

The oppressed in the Civil Rights struggle won an important battle.  The
oppressed in the Vietnam War resistance movement gained their objective.

The 68 issue in Europe became "interesting".

As to present problems of the oppressed,  Eric wrote of  "a forum for
discussing issues in a way that is philosophical as well as political."

Issues and interests and discussions are easy - a "thousand points" of light
without the organization and focus to change  consciousness or stimulate
action by the oppressed.

Thanks for your comments, and would like to see more discussion of the role
we think philosophical discipline(s) should play.

Hugh






> Hugh
>
> The 'they' in this as in all cases is always the oppressed. The oppressors
> already have an ideological perspective/position...
>
> The 1968 issue is related to the problem of revolutionary movements
becoming
> dictatorial and oppressive. The left revolutionary movements of the late
60s and
> early 70s were interesting because of the way they deliberately faded
> away....The impacts on the European western democracies remain... It is
> important to remember the level of entrism into the socialist parties in
europe.
> Though they all shifted to the right as a result of neo-liberal economic
> policies - the hell of monetrism - the curse of thatcher...
>
> Thanks for the note on philosophy - am thinking...
>
> regards
>
> sdv
>
> hugh bone wrote:
>
> > Steve,
> >
> > > The issue is not that of a "movement" but rather how can the >actions
> > visible
> > > around you today can become more overtly political - that is >the
attempt
> > to
> > > formally take control, and transform these societies.
> >
> > **A good example of the above in this country was Montgomery and Civil
> > Rights.  The Montgomery boycott of segregated buses was an important
step
> > towards of changing public consciousness of segregation.**
> >
> > > Consider the counter-globalisation movement and the nomadic movements
of
> > populations.
> >
> > **The link Silvano posted has many pictures of the counter-globalisation
> > movement. A book, titled "Changing Consciousness" by David Bohm and Mark
> > Edwards (he's the photographer) describes in,words and pictures, the
> > terrible effects of globalization. The population movements are
> > involuntary - move or die, or move, then die.**
> >
> > > How can these diverse challenges which are being made to >the
post-modern
> > world with its endless repressions, >stratifications and
> > re-territorialisations become more directly >political in the above
sense?
> > (and of course the question of >whether they should - which is the
unsaid in
> > relation to 68)
> >
> > **The present situation is already "directly political".  Control of
> > national governments by global corporations, was unbelievably fast and
> > effective following the   breakup of the USSR.
> >
> > Seattle and Davos and Naples were small steps.  Whether such steps
should be
> > taken?  Why ask the victims of
> > globalization, or the victors?. Everybody knows the answer.**
> >
> > > It can only do so in my view when they develop a >consciousness
capable of
> > understanding the repressive >operations of the globalised world.
> >
> >  **Who are "they" - the rulers of victimized nations or the masses they
> > rule - the chairmen of global corporations or the employees who serve
them?
> >
> > In industrial democracies, governments are selected by voters in
elections
> > which are often decided by corporate wealth.  In industrial democracies,
> > legislation is, to a great extent controlled via corporate lobbyists.
> >
> > In the U.S., only half the voting age population votes.  If some
postmodern
> > Marxist secret organization could persuade, cajole or force them to
register
> > and vote (ignoring paid ads and publicity) they would determine the
winners
> > of elections.  Historically, Marxism lead to forcible seizure of  power,
the
> > gulags etc, not much in the way of individual freedom and choice.
> >
> > If you've read "Ten Days that Shook the World", you
> > know that, in Russia, pre-Revolution industrial workers had their own
local
> > organizations.  The Revolution was not about empowering workers with
> > ownership of the property they used and the goods they produced, or the
> > right to choose their leaders by secret ballot.  The industrial
democracies
> > who are globalizing the World pay lip service to local democracy, but
the
> > big corporations own the valuable properties and control their use.**
> >
> > >Perhaps the question >implicit below is what is the purpose of >theory,
of
> > philosophy. My own view is that it exists to invent >concepts and
propose
> > ways of understanding the world - what >is yours?
> >
> > **I think of the "pursuit of wisdom".
> >
> > 1)We accept modern technology and science as the inventors and
explainers of
> > the world of Nature.
> >
> > 2)Concepts of  what a human being is, does, and can do, are partly
derived
> > from the natural sciences, the social sciences, plus inputs from
history,
> > religion and art
> >
> > 3)Socio-political concepts are much-involved with what social scientists
> > tell us - whether we believe it or not.
> >
> > Philosophers try to "make sense" of all the above, in terms of
> > the individual lives we lead and the social milieu we inhabit.
> >
> > To obtain degrees and earn a living, philosphers must specialize in
almost
> > limitless detail(s), a contradiction of the traditional aims of
philosophy.
> > The same necessity afflicts physicists, scientists, theologians,
economists.
> > God help us!**
> >
> > hb
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > >
> > > Since I'm middle aged - Karl and Groucho to great Marxists - plainly
> > > related....
> > >
> > > regards
> > >
> > > sdv
> > >
> > > hugh bone wrote:
> > >
> > > > Eric et. al.,
> > > >
> > > > Agree with most of this analysis, but can't imagine how intentions
based
> > on
> > > > even a hint of Marx, a name has negative meanings to the middle-aged
and
> > > > older, or intentions based on the ideas of Continental philosophers,
> > known
> > > > to only a handful of
> > > > people in the U.S., could possibly become a "movement".
> > > >
> > > > A significant global movement without strong support within the U.S.
> > seems
> > > > impossible.
> > > >
> > > > Movements in the last half-century, in which minorities
> > > > changed history, were Civil Rights, ending the Vietnam War, and and
> > > > Perestroika.
> > > >
> > > > Information Age resources might, in theory, have accelerated
achievement
> > of
> > > > those causes.
> > > >
> > > > The African American community of Montgomery struggled through 13
months
> > of
> > > > passive resistance to overcome legal segregation on buses in 1956.
> > > >
> > > > The 1968 protests in Paris were were noisy and newsworthy, but were
> > wiped
> > > > out in just a few days.
> > > >
> > > > The questions for Cyborgs and the others, are:  where, when and how
to
> > > > begin.
> > > >
> > > > Regards,
> > > > Hugh
> > > > '
> > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > > >
> > > > > Here is where postmodern Marxism becomes possible, as Cyborgs and
> > other
> > > > > workers complexify to create not merely revolution, but a
singularity
> > > > > that goes beyond these attempts to intervene and regulate the
> > > > > spontaneous order of information.  The stakes are over whether or
not
> > to
> > > > > continue a "winner take all" unstable economy or drift  towards
> > > > > cooperative coevolutionary decentralized structures. Ones that
support
> > > > > more ephemeral and sustainable pleasures, as the job economy moves
> > from
> > > > > work to play and our Calvin ghosts take on ecstatic flesh to arise
in
> > a
> > > > > profane resurrection of joy, a virtual pagan Easter where
information
> > > > > breeds like bunnies.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > >
> > >
>
>