or simply "pissing around and pissing us off", according to a certain individual.

Τετάρτη, Μαρτίου 21, 2007

Περί διανόησης, Huntington's Model

...
Nothing so contributes to the reproduction of class in our society, aside from property relations, as the institutionally enforced intellectual division of labor. It dissects knowledge into academic ghettos, and it attempts to freeze working class people out of the intelligentsia altogether. Credentials!

Capitalism needs its credentialed mandarins, and the mandarins often define even who are the "legitimate" critics of capitalism. Specialization and credentialing are the keys to this legitimation, and the keys to the exclusion of would-be transgressors.

Those of us who lack the credentials must be excluded from the intelligentsia, because the inclusion of our voices, the legitimation of our voices, calls into question the legitimacy of the whole fucking system.

I feel this personally, both as a former enlisted man and as a leftist. As a leftist, I have sometimes encountered powerful pressure to circumscribe my own role, and to limit my own public discourse, to criticism of US military policy… to serve the revolution only as a witness.

Leave theory to the experts. Just like the military.

The comrades at Freedom Road don't pull that shit. They include plenty of working class intellectuals.

Working class people can and must become intellectuals. We can and must study diligently, debate, self-criticize, re-study, and continually sharpen our ability to play intellectual hardball.

We can't be lazy about it. It's always easier to pretend you know something than it is to learn about it. It's always easier to be cute than it is to be rigorous. It is easier to talk trash than practice the humility of the serious student. We have to work, harder than the bourgeoisie, because we are at war.

But we can never allow ourselves to be intimidated by advanced degrees – just as we cannot become anti-intellectuals. We can never afford to contain ourselves within predetermined specializations. The experience of working class intellectuals will enrich theory. Our stories will keep things real. Our practice will define the future.

And we deserve to be heard.

Huntington's Model του Stan Goff, έχει κι άλλα στη στήλη Military Matters. Μερικά έχουν πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα οπτική, από πολιτική άποψη. Κάποια άλλα με προσωπικές αφηγήσεις είναι πολύ μαύρα, από ψυχολογική άποψη. Αλλά αφού γράφει γι' αυτά σημαίνει πως έχει αφήσει το σκοτάδι πίσω του.

2 σχόλια:

Ανώνυμος είπε...

Dear Akin,

I was moved by the excerpt you published for it contained truthfull thoughts some of which I have also made myself.

I am happy to say that being a leftist and having an otherwise useless Bachelor's Degree in bussiness management from an American College, I was helped in not going down from all this economic babbling from the neoliberal "intellectuals" and "experts", who sprung up like floating shit the last two decades trying to convince everyone about the infinite reign of capitalism and the utmost need for neoliberal reform of economy and society.

True, one of the best subversive practices used by the apologists of capitalism is the forced notion of the "expert", the "specialist", the "academician" enlightening the ignoramus to mute.

This practice has been effective for decades now, overwhelming the citizens into accepting this theoretical total trash, neutralizing the critical ability of the average citizen or even making him/her internalize these theories with the objective of turning him into a selfish animal..

akindynos είπε...

Oh Alex, that wordplay with my nickname is so moving!

In case you missed it, the funny side of credentials' worship was demonstrated last week. Olga, John and Elli were making witty remarks about that fella, the ex army officer and son of a nd official.

One of these cute raised-eyebrow remarks was about that fella's lack of a proper degree. How on earth was he supposed to run a fund only with his military expertise.

Ok, by the norm of the system that's high treason. And anyone who wonders why a degree is required to steal other people's money is a jerk. Rightfully so, every instrument of the system must denounce such conduct.

But then, as the natives say, μιλάνε για σχοινί στο σπίτι του κρεμασμένου; Δηλαδή αν έβγαινε ο Ψυχάρης στο τηλέφωνο ή ο Πάγκαλος και τους αρχίζανε στα γαλλικά, θα φταίγανε αυτοί;

Aaaaaaah, those damn contradictions of the system. The more you hate them, the more you like 'em.

(πάντως το ζήτημα του πτυχίου λύθηκε καθώς διευκρινίστηκε πως η σχολή ευεπλίδων είναι πανεπιστημιακή, άρα κάθε αξιωματικός πληρεί την τυπίκή προϋπόθεση του πτυχίου ΑΕΙ. And that's the fucking core of Huntington's Model!)