On The Logical Possibility of Revolution
Yay for long titles!
Right, I really must stop being so happy; it's a little disturbing considering I'm supposed to be a cynical, misanthropic sourpuss (who now has a spring in her step and a great big goofy smile on her face...). I must also really start being logical and practical and...ah fuck it, all this logic and practicality still works, just not quite as you'd expect it to.
I must confess I have fallen into the habit of saying and thinking "When the revolution comes...", a habit that I once swore I'd never have. This has less to do with me being against revolution (I used to think it was going too far, but now I quite happily advocate that world revolution should hurry the fuck up and get here) and more to do with me thinking that the revolution was not certain to come. It is a view I still hold today.
I have heard anti-capitalists talking about how capitalism must inevitably collapse - and logically, they'd be right. Capitalism eats itself. That's simply the best way to put it. (Capitalists and sheeple: stop worshipping the system for one moment and think about it.) But in practice, capitalism's been around for hundreds of years - not because it could ever last that long, but because people have kept propping it up after it should have been left to fall to pieces and then set on fire for good measure. Of course, there's no logical reason to do this. Logically, capitalism should be scrapped and replaced with something that actually works (I'm not talking about feudalism or state capitalism, or indeed most systems that we've tried - let's come up with a new one). But people aren't logical, much as I'd like them to be; they cling to old dogmas. They expect different results from the same failed system. They're scared or, worse, unwilling to push for better, even when basic rights and freedoms are trampled over. You can't get a revolution from complacency. And until that is overcome, the revolution won't get here any time soon - if ever.
Right, I really must stop being so happy; it's a little disturbing considering I'm supposed to be a cynical, misanthropic sourpuss (who now has a spring in her step and a great big goofy smile on her face...). I must also really start being logical and practical and...ah fuck it, all this logic and practicality still works, just not quite as you'd expect it to.
I must confess I have fallen into the habit of saying and thinking "When the revolution comes...", a habit that I once swore I'd never have. This has less to do with me being against revolution (I used to think it was going too far, but now I quite happily advocate that world revolution should hurry the fuck up and get here) and more to do with me thinking that the revolution was not certain to come. It is a view I still hold today.
I have heard anti-capitalists talking about how capitalism must inevitably collapse - and logically, they'd be right. Capitalism eats itself. That's simply the best way to put it. (Capitalists and sheeple: stop worshipping the system for one moment and think about it.) But in practice, capitalism's been around for hundreds of years - not because it could ever last that long, but because people have kept propping it up after it should have been left to fall to pieces and then set on fire for good measure. Of course, there's no logical reason to do this. Logically, capitalism should be scrapped and replaced with something that actually works (I'm not talking about feudalism or state capitalism, or indeed most systems that we've tried - let's come up with a new one). But people aren't logical, much as I'd like them to be; they cling to old dogmas. They expect different results from the same failed system. They're scared or, worse, unwilling to push for better, even when basic rights and freedoms are trampled over. You can't get a revolution from complacency. And until that is overcome, the revolution won't get here any time soon - if ever.
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