File spoon-archives/surrealist.archive/surrealist_1996/96-10-27.153, message 36


From: antonsen-AT-alf.nbi.dk
Subject: Re: ancestral diaphrams  
Date: Tue, 24 Sep 96 17:09:48 +0200


>Anton Pannekoek was considered as a starting point by the SI, when 
>they attempted to dig into politics.
>His theory is called in France "Conseillisme" or "Communisme des 
>Conseils)
>Typically, it says that there is no higher level of authority, 
>during, and after the "revolution" (and possibly even before) than 
>workers councils.
>Workers Councils are autonomous organisms in which workers 
>together define and control their actions.

Sounds a lot like what the Socialisme ou Barbarie group came up with, especially 
Cornelius Castoriadis. Is there a connection (or is the SI the connection)?
There is a very good French book store here in Copenhagen, so probably I can 
find the books you mention there. Are they very expensive?


>Recuperation is the action by which "the power" captures and uses for 
>its own goals and profit, the various products of the creativity of 
>its opponents. Interesting examples are how "the power" captures and 
>uses the various products of the creativity of Artists and 
>Scientists.

Yes, but doesn't the "Power" precisely do this through a reification, by turning 
the creative "products" into commodities, goods to be sold on the market place 
to the highest bidder? And by attempting to turn the creative persons back into 
"consumer-zombies", into "things"?

>As clearly results from the definition above,
>the critical point about recuperation is to be capable of controlling 
>how creativity work products are USED.
>They have to be built in such a way that they are totally UNUSABLE by people 
>who do not intend to make a creative use of them.

Wouldn't it also be interesting to make "uncreative" usage backfire, so that not 
just being unusable, the "products" actually become dangerous to try to use? 
This way turning recuperation into a weapon in OUR arsenal too, making every 
creative work into a potential mine-field.

More later....
Frank



   

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