[lbo-talk] internet connectivity as vice and other bull dada

B. docile_body at yahoo.com
Sun Mar 27 14:43:24 PST 2005


Kalle Lasn's notion of "down-shifting" one's life fits into this discussion nicely; it seems to be what Tully's talking about.

Welfare escapism, 'dropping out of the rat race' -- hard to find fault with that lifestyle choice really any more than someone choosing to live almost any other kind of lifestyle the US opportunity structure affords.

But people who choose such things shouldn't pretend that that will fundamentally change the socio-politico-economic structure. You can't "down-shift" imperialist capitalism out of existence -- at best you can carve a semi-tolerable niche for yourself out of it, which is a far different thing from social change.

It's like Chomsky said, if you drop out of the rat race and think it will change anything, that's like committing suicide: The world will go on as before, just without you in it.

-B.

"I'm not too worried by hegemony / I know the cadre will look after me" - Magazine, "Model Worker," 1978



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