Nihilism and the anticrapitalist mandate.
People are asking me why I like to waste peoples time in pointless [and yet hopefully amusing] ways rather than to use my energy constructively?
Well Hunter S Thompson provided the ultimate definition of what democracy is in just eight simple words:
“Politics is the art of controlling your environment,”
Ain’t that true. Make them believe that they have a democracy and miraculously that’s just what they get. And when that happens it leaves you free to just about anything you want, without either reproach or scrutiny.
In the modern world, fed by big corporations and 24-hour digital media it could equally be extended to the phrase “Wealth, success and survival in the 21st Century is the art of controlling everyone else’s environment”
My point?
There is more money circulating on this planet now than at any time in history, technology is all pervading, the media is said to be largely free, and state control is said to be more relaxed than at any previous point in time. So why aren’t we any more free? Indeed why are our lives now more controlled, more modelled, and more contrived than at any time in history?
Because between the top layer of our society - the George W Bush’s, Dick Cheney’s, and Tony Blair’s of this world; the people and the agencies now pursuing their warped grandiose objectives, creating the big money, acting virtually unfettered and safe in the knowledge that we understand so little about democracy that they are safe - there is a middle layer made up of millions upon millions of taxpayer funded arseholes running on pointless agencies, functions, and services to delude us into thinking we are empowered.
Tens of thousands of councils, and authorities; huge government bodies, and even bigger national and supranational organisations all providing the smokescreen of democratic empowerment.
Protest about the war in Iraq and the Government will pat you on the head and listen to you sympathetically as it is your “democratic right“ - but park your car in a red zone, refuse to pay your taxes, or even smoke in the wrong place and you will be arrested and charged. These small rules with big penalties are there merely to put you off transgressing the big ones like asking who is running what, and why are these people not accountable to whoever voted them in.
And all these agencies need is your tax money to control you … and if you don’t give that willingly then they have the power to take you out of society so you can‘t vote.
Anyway ….
My point is that nihilism is a coping strategy because if you let this army of ill-intentioned freeloaders affect your life … they will. If you let them believe that they have control over you … then they have. If you let them feed off you … then they will.
The mantra should be:
“Empowerment is the art of controlling your environment,”
For more bullshit visit:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1403395640/104-3952199-8291161?n=283155
posted by The Anti Crapitalist @ 11:39 AM
20 Comments:
I think we probably mean the same thing but express it differently.
Regarding nihilism I was reading this:
In one form, "nihilist" is used to characterize the postmodern man, a dehumanized conformist, alienated, indifferent, and baffled, directing psychological energy into hedonistic narcissism or into a deep ressentiment that often explodes in violence. This perspective is derived from the existentialists' reflections on nihilism stripped of any hopeful expectations, leaving only the experience of sickness, decay, and disintegration.
Nihilism is the belief that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated. It is often associated with extreme pessimism and a radical skepticism that condemns existence. A true nihilist would believe in nothing, have no loyalties, and no purpose other than, perhaps, an impulse to destroy.
What do you think?
"Nihilism is the belief that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated" your quote.
Everything that we guage our lives against today IS baseless. There is not one value that exists today in Western culture that is worth anything. Its just money as culture, money as values, consumer goods as proof of self-worth. Debt as a source of entertainment.
On this basis the definition applies to me as I believe that all these things are worthless, baseless and worthy of contempt.
The impulse to destroy fits as well - the only qualification is to know when to stop destroying. I loved Voltaires view of the Nihilists:-
... if you truly were a Nihilist you would have to destroy anything and do absolutely nothing to stay true to your beliefs. On this basis I guess its just " Nihilistic tendencies" I have to deal with.
You're right, if this society's values was all that there was we would have no choice but be nihilists if we were to be considered authentic human beings.
But there are alternatives to this society and materialism in general which does not necessitate nihilism or nihilistic tendencies.
yep. spot on.
Oy stop posting here and write your own bleeding blog. Im waiting
Oh you did LOL
I should refresh my browser more often :P
I fear a debate about religion coming when we discuss "alternatives to this society and materialism" and this Blog does not wish to explore this aspect of human nature.
I used Blakes "The Chapel" as the lead in to one of the previous pieces I wrote because that says all that there needs to be said about any religion in a global context.
There are alternatives that is true, but they are just replacement value systems to the current value system.
Empowerment is a personal system of values to achieve personal objectives ... even if that is just pissing off double glazing salesmen.
I wasn't talking about religion, or dogma, I was actually thinking about self actualisation, which requires knowledge of the full capacity of humanity rather than throwing the baby out with the bath water.
I fear I am already aware of the full capacity of humanity ... and in general in most of the west its pretty poor.
What about what the individual capacity is capable of?
I am an agent of state control. I work in the medium of psychiatry. Nihilism is not tolerated. You will be subjected to medication. You may be subjected to electrical currents passed through the temporal lobe. Your civil liberties will be removed.
This is the reality for thousands of people in this country. Increasing amounts of personal debt are reflected in increasing amounts of mental health problems culminating in many people commiting suicide as a way of providing financial security for their families.
Nihilism will not be tolerated....Suicide will be.
Deep.
Steve
Thanks for your input. Your job is certainly more worthwhile than mine. You must get professional pride from it.
I think the whole debt and credit industry must be one of the biggest "scumbag" initiatives of modern day capitalism. People are now more than ever stuck in that pathetic lifestyle trap and to survive pushed cheap credit, loans, and other quick fix means of raising money so that they can immediately spend it in the shops to make other people wealthy.
They are modern day cannon-fodder. Its sad but true. Big business does not care about personal casualties.
The horror stories you read in the papers will get worse as a whole decade of shoddy lending policies, and appalling credit decisions implode in financial misery for those who were lured into believing that cheap credit was the passport out of hardship.
It is truly appalling
In fact I think over the next couple of days I am going to apply for some loans and report back on the outcome!!
The banks own our souls
"The banks own our souls"
Sorry but its vanity that allows them to own our souls. They are only responding to our vanity and insecurity in lending us more money so we can keep up the illusion of wealth.
Most of my peers drive better cars than me, go on better holidays, and have their houses crammed with all the latest stuff....
... but i know that I earn more than a lot of them but I just don't feel the need to sell my soul to a credit card company to send some great message to the world.
I am not insecure, and I do not think that people will think any less of me just because my car is a few years old, or I haven't been skiing.
Sell your soul for an ideal, a cause, an experience ... but not for a flat-screen TV and an "investment property" on a compound with another bunch of wankers even more pretencious and image concious than you are.
yup.
You are in the minority though.
Banks own a lot of souls and it is in their best interest to give as many loans out as possible - can't start a revolution when you are in debt...
Your word verifications are the longest I have EVER come across.
I'm just very very bored (see said it twice_- I have the time to over verify.
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