>>> Jim heartfield <jim at heartfield.demon.co.uk> 01/14/00 02:21PM >>>
In message <b1.fcd2fb.25b0aff4 at aol.com>, JKSCHW at aol.com writes
>:Personally I think the appeal of conspiracy theories is that it makes our
>enemes seem more evil if they are supposed to know that they are doing wrong
>and still gleefully agree to do it. But this is a deeply anti-materialist
>perspective. Materialism tells us to look for structures that constrain
>interests, not for bad people. The system is an awful one, to be sure. But it
>is not awful because the Czar is advised by corrupt ministers. It is awful
>because of the sort of system it is.
I agree with Justin. Conspiracy theorists massively overrate the extent to which the ruling class rules. For the most part capitalism is a spontaneously reproducing system.
The rise in conspiracy theories is proportionate to the decline in political engagement.
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CB: This is not true. In the last period of heavy political engagment, the 60's/70's , activists took it for granted that the system hatched all kinds of criminal conspiracies - COINTELPRO, the prominent assassinations discussed on this thread etc. That's part of what I am getting at. This skepticism about the widespread existence of corporate/govt. plots is a mark of the rightward trend of the left in this period of less political engagement.
Put simply, taken the plotting nature of the establishment for granted is a key feature of distrusting the system.
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The less control we feel over our own lives the more willing we are to believe that someone more powerful is pulling the strings.
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CB: This is pop psychologizing. The reason to be aware of the major institutions of society cheating is as a step toward wanting to change the system. It is an important element of being dissatisfied with the status quo.
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The scene in Apocalypse Now where Martin Sheen asks 'who's in charge?' and the GI replies 'I thought you were' is a more accurate picture of how most government runs.
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CB: This is sort of crypto-anarchist wishful thinking. Justin overstates the "stupidity" of bureaucrats and the inability of the corporate/government, state-monopoly capitalism to organize itself and act effectively. It is sort of whistling past the capitalist grave yard. Oh they're just a bunch of bumblers. No, they are some of the most sophisticated and effective achievers in history. You are grossly underestimating the bourgeois enemy and its agents.
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OF course government's do promote all kinds of absurd and vicious intrusions into people's lives, but generally on the basis of trying to deal with a society they have no idea of how to control.
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CB: This defies the obvious. Society is completely under control. The efforts of the bourgeoisie to control society are a roaring success right now ( Doug can't even imagine a revolution, they have been so successful in this year 2000). They didn't stumble into this roaring success , as Justin and Jim would have us think. The bourgeois are smarter and more conscious than you give them credit for. It is not anonymous, objective, impersonal, mechancial forces that have achieved the current neo-liberral triumphalism at home and abroad.
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An example is the UK government's response to the Princess Diana grieving. Having all had a weekend seminar by psychologist Oliver James on public grief, the govt. were fast off the starting line when it came to associating themselves with this outbreak of mawkishness. But they are no more in control of it than anyone else.
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CB: The reason it is called a RULING class is because it rules. It does rule by accident. It doesn't unconsciously stumble upon retaining its dominance. The whole millenia long dominance of minority , tiny elite ruling classes , from the slave owners to the capitalists, is possible only because those ruling classes are more class CONSCIOUS than the majority classes they exploit and control. They couldn't exploit them without controlling them. Superior consciousness is the only thing the ruling class has over the ruled class.
Justin and Jim underestimate the intelligence and consciousness of the U.S. ruling class.
We can only defeat them with an accurate and realistic assessment of their consciousness and intelligence.
CB