Reification and sexism.
I saw the movie Fire ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116308/ ) today. Like Requiem for a Dream, it demasks and brings out the tortorous backside of the reality that we live in. We reproduce patterns of oppression constantly, both ones that are in some manner "beneficial" to us (if we accept the idea that men can gain on women's weakness, or if one ethnicity gains on the weakness of another - which I don't really buy entirely, but whichever) and ones which are bad for us - like sporting burgeoise opinions and voting right wing if you're working class.
It's utterly revolting to come face to face with structures that we all have a part in maintaining, even as simple actors. Free will is a petty lie, and better for us that it is - if it truly existed then it would be completely unbearable to live (as Sartre realized).
I've realized, lately, that it is easy to talk about class struggle as a white man: what must be remembered is that freedom for each individual is a prerequisite for everyone elses freedom, as Marx writes. It is imperative not to back down when faced with disgust over our own actions, or actions that we take part of or in, and even more stupid to laugh it away and think nothing of it.
There are two possibilities when faced with the realization that things aren't set in stone, not god-given or by nature. Two possibilities when you see problems, or when you find weaknesses. Reaction or revolution. The first is timid, cowardly, biased, internal, prejudiced. The second is powerful, dynamic, external and active.
Every people must liberate itself, every sex fight itself free, every class struggle for freedom. Freedom from oppression, which is the most important freedom of all (perhaps it really is the only freedom possible).
We're all bound to liberate ourselves, and as a part in that lend a hand in liberating everyone else.
It's utterly revolting to come face to face with structures that we all have a part in maintaining, even as simple actors. Free will is a petty lie, and better for us that it is - if it truly existed then it would be completely unbearable to live (as Sartre realized).
I've realized, lately, that it is easy to talk about class struggle as a white man: what must be remembered is that freedom for each individual is a prerequisite for everyone elses freedom, as Marx writes. It is imperative not to back down when faced with disgust over our own actions, or actions that we take part of or in, and even more stupid to laugh it away and think nothing of it.
There are two possibilities when faced with the realization that things aren't set in stone, not god-given or by nature. Two possibilities when you see problems, or when you find weaknesses. Reaction or revolution. The first is timid, cowardly, biased, internal, prejudiced. The second is powerful, dynamic, external and active.
Every people must liberate itself, every sex fight itself free, every class struggle for freedom. Freedom from oppression, which is the most important freedom of all (perhaps it really is the only freedom possible).
We're all bound to liberate ourselves, and as a part in that lend a hand in liberating everyone else.
posted by Björn at 11:47 PM
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