Why be a lord of time when you are already a Criminal?
A Sequence of essays investigating the crimes we commit, and what we might do about it.

Friday, February 11, 2011

the classic rhythm war

The classic conflict pitches people (mobs, crowds, armies) against money, state and technology. The Former of course deals also with people, money is made through people, and yet registers the point where having had many support one at one point has becomes itself a power independent of what that many actually think. The making the money turns the weilder of the wealth into a man of consequence, man with many behind- and some point somewhere or some how. The silent majority is then set into the schemes of grasping individuals and becomes a power as does the siren voices of greed that infuse it.
States or organs of these states are traditionally playing the same game. A slice through people is specially priveleged and made to matter, we are all expected to beleif in it. and look to it as the source of our freedom. we are only free through it and it alone. Its existence across a mass, gives it its power - our belief makes its demand for reality itself real. we paly national anthems and go dopy. We invent systems that we think set us free as a part in that state.
If the state does not work then traditionally one organ can work and the country hold together- i mean the army. the world is rather full of dysfunctional states and up to dat armies- which both oppress but organize a nation. It is as if there is only a certain amount of westernization allowed to certain nations, and often as not it is spent on the army - ensuring no doubt power for the rulers (or the generals)- but also (and one needs to remember this), creating a single organization that can cope with emergencies in differnent forms.
Finally technology has long been the main bulwark against a folk. Organize correctly, create enough machines doing enough stuff, and you break the power of peoples or unions to resist. technology allows one man to count as many, from the gattling gun onwards.
Traditionally these forces have been enough to ensure a more or less comprehensive defat in the rhythm war for collective organizations. revolutions were only allowed to work if they were check mated into extremism (or immediately lost hemslves in our system). You can revolt we said, but we will ensure the cost is so hight that you will never like what you get.
It is this truth that appear at the moment to question. technology seems no longer the sole presevere of capitalist or sats (you are looking over blown and not good and using it)- it is coming gently round, if but for a moment to support the folk. it allows debates and real discussion. It is important not to be romantic here. Something has changed, but we do not what or for how long - or whether it will really allow that most illusive of political entities the real democracy to flourish. Indeed surely it will not (as that is almost impossible) - but if and when it does not we are going to live the legacy of that failure or partial success, as a new power a new rhythms in the land.
Lets hope we like it tho'...

No comments:

Post a Comment