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February 26, 2009
Communism Undead
My post on capitalism sparked a few comments from my friend Francis, and eventually a fuller response on his blog. If you're interested, take a look there first, then come back here for my (hopefully not too rambling) response below.
The first thing that struck me about Francis' post was how much it resembled… The Communist Manifesto(!), especially the first part. Here's Francis:
"[ … ] my tenuous theory might go something like this: In the U.S., we’re slowly taking every other sort of prejudice and replacing it with one based on money. For example, I remember reading (in The Nation, I think), that the Sears Roebuck catalog gave a generation of black working class families the ability to buy household goods that they couldn’t buy in the local department store."
This is precisely what Karl Marx likes about capitalism! The first half of the Communist Manifesto is essentially Marx's love letter to the Bourgeois and the destructive/creative dynamics of capitalism. The Manifesto isn't very long and is worth a read. Here are just a couple of quotes related to the conversation:
"The bourgeoisie, wherever it has got the upper hand, has put an end to all feudal, patriarchal, idyllic relations. It has pitilessly torn asunder the motley feudal ties that bound man to his “natural superiors”, and has left remaining no other nexus between man and man than naked self-interest, than callous “cash payment”. It has drowned the most heavenly ecstasies of religious fervour, of chivalrous enthusiasm, of philistine sentimentalism, in the icy water of egotistical calculation. It has resolved personal worth into exchange value, and in place of the numberless indefeasible chartered freedoms, has set up that single, unconscionable freedom — Free Trade. In one word, for exploitation, veiled by religious and political illusions, it has substituted naked, shameless, direct, brutal exploitation."[ … ]
"The bourgeoisie cannot exist without constantly revolutionising the instruments of production, and thereby the relations of production, and with them the whole relations of society. Conservation of the old modes of production in unaltered form, was, on the contrary, the first condition of existence for all earlier industrial classes. Constant revolutionising of production, uninterrupted disturbance of all social conditions, everlasting uncertainty and agitation distinguish the bourgeois epoch from all earlier ones. All fixed, fast-frozen relations, with their train of ancient and venerable prejudices and opinions, are swept away, all new-formed ones become antiquated before they can ossify. All that is solid melts into air, all that is holy is profaned, and man is at last compelled to face with sober senses his real conditions of life, and his relations with his kind."
Marx is pretty impressed by capitalist dynamics! Of course, Marx saw capitalism as a transitional phase that would culminate in communism. Communism has been interpreted by many different people to mean a lot of different things. Anything from Stalinist dictatorship to Bakunin's anarchist collectivism. But, they're all linked by Marx's awe of the capitalist sublime, and it's potential to release – through it's contradictions – the enormous creative energies of the masses.
But, the Capitalist destruction of all old hierarchies and prejudices doesn't solve them. It merely exchanges them, as Francis himself says, for ones based on money. Racism may become less acceptable socially, but not so economically. Many minority groups (and women) still earn a fraction of white male salaries. A comment to Francis' post added that capitalism has been compatible with racism in the past. Slavery is only the most obvious example. Take a look at contemporary Dubai. It's frequently cited as a model of capitalist development, and yet it employs a huge emigrant underclass not allowed to integrate into the indigenous culture. This doesn't even get at the vast global pro(to)letariat (mostly non-white) that lives in cities of slums.
But, I don't want to get sidetracked into identity politics. In my original post I wanted to point out that part of the problem in solving many of these issues is in the way we talk about them. For example Francis says: "Sure, I can complain about how Paris Hilton never had to work the way I did, but I can still work hard and make okay money." That simple phrase "I can still work hard and make okay money" contains so much hidden history behind it. It assumes that capitalism makes it possible to for us to "work hard and make okay money", where in fact it was the struggle of socialists and communists that created those conditions. Historically "working hard and making ok money" wasn't always possible under capitalism. Working hard (for far more than 8 hours a day) guaranteed basic subsistence at best. It was only after a long (and often violent) struggle that the right to "make ok money" was wrested from capitalists. Social Security, Minimum Wage, Universal Health Care, etc., these are all socialist and communist ideas. We generally accept the premise of capitalist meritocracy under the guise of 'equal opportunity'. But in 'actually existing capitalism' it was only the creation of (socialist) Public Schools and Universities that really began to level the playing field for large portions of the population… and Public Schools have been under a capitalist siege for decades now. And, as Paris Hilton demonstrates, we still have a ways to go. So next time lets say "Sure, I can complain how the capitalist scion Paris Hilton never had to work the way I did, but I can still work hard, and thanks to the long international communist struggle, make okay money." ;)
In addition to the socialist institutions I mention above, capitalism also absorbed concepts like 'democracy' and 'markets'. These concepts all blur together now. We can't conceive of a democracy without capitalism (Chile). Markets have existed before capitalism and will exist after capitalism. Capitalism has been naturalized to the point of becoming the language of economics itself! This conceptual over-stuffing resulted in the disappearance of the very word 'capitalism' (over the last 30 years). This is the point I was trying to make in my original post. I think this naturalization of capitalism makes it more difficult to introduce new ideas (or even interesting old ideas) that have never been tried. The reappearance of the word in the midst of the current economic meltdown, is a reminder that capitalism IS a system, a concept, an idea, a choice; it's debatable!
Is it possible to have a market based economy without private property? Is it possible to democritize private capital? I don't know. Is it possible to have democracy under capitalism? Headlines like these: "Lobbyists Line Up to Torpedo [Obama's] Speech Proposals" make me think that maybe the answer is no. This kind of thing always amuses me. Capitalists are asking for a bailout with one hand, and with the other they scuttle the proposals of a DEMOCRATICALLY elected figure. How is there always enough money to overturn the collective will of the people, but never any for better wages, benefits, etc.? They can't have it both ways!
Now, I'm not convinced that communism is the way to go. I grew up in 'communist' Poland, and it's not something I'd like to repeat (though I do have nostalgic fondness for that period - more on nostalgia soon). But the Marxist critique of capitalism is valid (though maybe it's too successful) and should not be discarded, especially not during this crisis. So how do you turn a critique into an alternative? I don't know, but that's why I'm interested in utopian ideas. They contain kernels of something else, an alternative… Zizek said that the death of communism may have been the best thing to happen to communism. As long as capitalism exists it will be forever haunted by the specter of communism. It's undead revenants will keep rising up to haunt the (privatized) houses of capitalism.
Posted by tomk at 07:50 PM | Comments (11)
February 23, 2009
Umfeld, Pole and Others at Bedlam
On Saturday night at Bedlam Theatre several laptop musicians took the stage and lit up the crowd with abstract visuals, spooky experimental soundscapes, and some good old fashioned techno. Electronic music has taken a back seat to a series of revivals and re-inventions (80's psychedelic freak folk metal, etc.) over the last decade or so… at least in the US. In Europe the two headliners, Pole and Umfeld, continue to play to huge audiences. Courtesy of the annual Spark Festival, Minneapolis got a little glimpse of what's been happening in electronic music. I didn't get to see any of the other Spark events, but what I heard on Saturday failed to make a huge impression. It was fun and well executed, but it failed to break new ground. The sounds were a little different, the processors faster, the visuals more sophisticated, the resolution higher, but there could be no doubt that the night had a distinctly late '90s vibe. The event did leave a warm nostalgic glow behind… which is enough for me to want more… I just wish someone would bring Felix Kubin to town!
Here are a few drawings from the event executed under the faint glow of laptop screens… I didn't do a drawing of Alex Rae… mainly because he started his set well before the announced starting time, and in the manner of self-effacing laptop musicians, he failed to notify anyone that he was in fact playing... And it was a pretty good too once you realized what was happening. Click on the images to enlarge them.
I really liked the set by locally based Cepia... too bad it lasted less than 20 minutes!
Pole went for a crowd pleasing techno set.
Umfeld created some stunning visuals to accompany the music... or was it the other way around? Check out their DVD. It's a free download!
More Umfeld.
Posted by tomk at 11:59 PM | Comments (4)
February 22, 2009
Doodle Dump 010
This week's Doodle Dump™ continues the sketchbook previously featured here and here. It happens that a lot of the drawings this time are copies of drawing by other cartoonists. Yuichi Yokoyama and Jack Kirby are just the more obvious examples. Click on images to enlarge them.
Posted by tomk at 11:39 PM | Comments (0)
February 20, 2009
Art Shanty Project
dIce Houses by Mr. Mike Click on the image to see the full Flickr set.
I caught a brief glimpse of the Art Shanty Project on a frozen Medicine Lake on Valentine's Day. It was the last day of the project and the lake was packed with people. Going into the shanties felt like entering a can of sardines. I definitely didn't get to see all the shanties as much as I wanted to. There is always next year...
Posted by tomk at 10:36 AM | Comments (0)
February 17, 2009
Sketchy Komiks: I'm Not Here
It's time for Skechy Komiks™ again! Click on image to enlarge.
Posted by tomk at 04:02 PM | Comments (7)
February 16, 2009
Bill Patten at Dusty's: Valentine's Day
Bill Patten doesn't get old. Valentine's Day ended on a high note with rousing performance by Bill and his cohorts. The high point was an excellent rendition of Smoke on the Water led by the gentleman with the accordion. Click to enlarge the images.
Posted by tomk at 11:55 PM | Comments (0)
February 15, 2009
Doodle Dump 009
Another Sunday (only minutes left!), another Doodle Dump™. Click on the images to enlarge them.
Posted by tomk at 11:55 PM | Comments (0)
February 14, 2009
Delirious Dubai
A friend of mine alerted me to an interesting article in the New York Times on the trouble in Dubai. Dubai, one of Mike Davis' Neoliberal Evil Paradises, has been enjoying an economic boom over the last several years. A corollary to Dubai's financial power has been an unprecedented building boom. Dubai wasn't building just any old skyscrapers. It was building the world's tallest skyscraper, revolving skyscrapers, whole archipelagos of luxury islands and many other wonders of contemporary starchitecture.
Photo from AP [ via ]
The building boom was so extensive, that an estimated 25-50% the world's construction cranes were located in Dubai. The crane boom was matched by the production of architectural forms. World's most prominent architects lined up at the Emirate's door offering science-fictional visions of mutant architecture.
Unbuilt Tribune competition entry and rotating tower
I've always thought that Dubai resembled the 1922 Chicago Tribune design competition for its headquarters. Hundreds of architects and lay people submitted sometimes outlandish proposals for "the most beautiful and eye-catching building in the world." That competition was won by Raymond Hood & John Mead Howells. In Dubai every starchitect was a winner. Almost every month some marketing materials announced a new iconic project. It seemed that every design was going to get built!
Now, the Dubai economic bubble seems to be popping. Streets once full of luxury vehicles are empty. Thousands of cars sit abandoned in the Dubai airport left by foreign workers fleeing the country to avoid debtor's prison. Unemployment is rampant. Dubai's economic power now resembles a desert mirage. That huge number of cranes (which appears to have been a little... inflated) is sure to shrink as the building boom is grinds to a halt due to plummeting real estate values. Things are not looking good.
The NYT article had a tantalizing passage:
Lurid rumors spread quickly: the Palm Jumeira, an artificial island that is one of this city’s trademark developments, is said to be sinking, and when you turn the faucets in the hotels built atop it, only cockroaches come out.
A couple of months ago I wrote about an imaginary Ballardian 'Drowned World' theme park… in Dubai. It seems they're getting a little closer to accomplishing the task.
On a different track, check out Jeet Heer's recent post on the role 'free and rich' Dubai played in neoliberal capitalist imagination. The comments section has an interesting discussion which vaguely reminds me of a recent comments on this blog.
Posted by tomk at 01:40 AM | Comments (1)
February 10, 2009
Sketchy Komiks: Two Legs
Time for another installment of Sketchy Komiks™. Click to enlarge.
Posted by tomk at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)
February 09, 2009
Closed on Mondays
Closed on Mondays.
Posted by tomk at 11:36 PM | Comments (0)
February 08, 2009
Doodle Dump 008: Field Portraits
This week's Doodle Dump™ presents portraits drawn in the field. Click on the images to make them bigger.
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Posted by tomk at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)
February 07, 2009
Birthday Suits, 1000s of Cats and Strut & Shock at 7th Street Entry
The concert at 7th Street Entry proved to be the most challenging yet to draw. The lack of a reasonably well lit surface demanded I draw standing up, holding the sketchbook in my hands, at an angle that made it possible to catch some light on the drawing surface. The drawings are consequently faster and more impressionistic. Note to self, check the level of ink in the brush pen before attempting to do this again. By the time the Birthday Suits came on the ink was gone half-way through the drawing.
Strut & Shock. Click to enlarge
1000s of Cats. Click to enlarge
Birthday Suits. Click to enlarge
Posted by tomk at 01:46 PM | Comments (1)
February 06, 2009
Minneapolis Street Car Golden Age
I recently started researching the historical Twin City Street Car system for a future project. Having moved back to the Twin Cities from New York fairly recently, it's hard to prevent tears from flowing, when you see the following article from the July 1954 issue of the Mass Transportation Magazine posted in a short by informative article at Eyeteeth:
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Needless to say, the local public transportation system hasn't really recovered since the death of the Street Car. Still there are glimmers of hope. The Hiawatha light-rail line is a great start, and I hope they hurry up and build the Minneapolis-St. Paul link already! Then there is the tantalizing 2007 Street Car Feasibility Report. It took some 70 years for the Twin Cities to build a world class Street Car system. It took less than 3 years to dismantle it. How many years (if ever) before we can have a system as extensive as this again:
Map by Brett McKean. Click to enlarge
Posted by tomk at 01:13 AM | Comments (2)
February 05, 2009
Blue Face
Ink & colored pencil, 2 x 2 inches
This drawing has been staring at me for a couple of months. Somehow it ends up in front of me no matter where I'm sitting and what I'm doing. Clearly, I don't have the right place for it. So, if someone out there wants to give it a new home, please leave a comment. First come, first serve.
Posted by tomk at 08:51 AM | Comments (2)
February 04, 2009
Sketchy Komiks: Influence
I was moving some stuff around the apartment when I stumbled on this little 3 panel strip in the margins of an old sketchbook. I must have drawn this in the late 90's or maybe early 00's. I've been also re-reading some biographical material on the Polish writer Bruno Schulz. I'm a big admirer of Schulz's fiction and art. The strip instantly reminded me of Schulz's drawings of submissive males, prostrating themselves under the feet of princesses, amazons and dominatrixes. I don't remember anymore if the strip was conscious or unconscious imitation of his themes, but in my mind it's still instantly recognizable as a Schulz homage... in a sketchy-90's-emo-mini-comics kind of way.
Click to enlarge.
Here is a couple of Bruno Schulz drawings:
Procession from Xiega Balwochwalcza
Untitled
Posted by tomk at 11:02 AM | Comments (0)
February 03, 2009
Popular Again
It's amazing how quickly things can change. In In Defense of Lost Causes Slavoj Zizek wrote that the success of capitalism was marked by the disappearance of the word 'capitalism' from public discourse. Capitalism has become the status quo to such an extent that we no longer recognize it as an economic idea (something made-up, invented, artificial), we see it only as 'the way things are' (the reality, natural state of things). Needless to say, the book was published before the crisis of Capitalism we're currently enjoying. Capitalism is being questioned publicly once again, and with good reason. Still, one has to do a double take when the word appears so frequently on the lips of the British Conservative politician David Cameron. Here's a couple of choice quotes from his speech at Davos:
"A lot of people are angry with capitalism. Instead of representing hope for a better future, they think capitalism threatens it. This matters because in the future, social, economic and environmental progress will only come from the drive, energy and enterprise of individuals. So if we want capitalism to be a success again, we need to make capitalism popular again.""Today, the poorest half of the world's population own less than one per cent of the world's wealth. We've got a lot of capital but not many capitalists, and people rightly think that isn't fair."
"So we must shape capitalism to suit the needs of society; not shape society to suit the needs of capitalism."
That's quite a statement from the leader of the party of Margaret ("There's no such thing as society." - as Bruce Sterling deftly observes.) Thatcher! Red Tory indeed!
For all his bluster Cameron still clings to tired old Capitalist dogmas:
"Yes, as I've said many times, we must stand up for business, because it's businesses, not governments or politicians, that create jobs, wealth and opportunity, it's businesses that drive innovation, and choice, and help families achieve a higher standard of living for a lower cost."
Somehow 'The Government' never amounts to anything. It's as if property laws & regulations, monetary systems, public education and transportation, trade treaties, research subsidies, etc. had nothing to do with the 'success' of business. Just as Capitalism disappears into 'just the way things are' so does the government. We forget that a lot of the great things Cameron attributes to business (wealth, opportunity, innovation, higher standards of living, etc.) had to be forcibly wrested away in a bloody struggle by several generations of workers and enforced by generations of politicians and lawmakers… yes… the government.
Ultimately, he's simply a moralist. According to him, the system is fine, we just got too greedy. We just have to shape up:
"Markets without morality. Globalisation without competition. And wealth without fairness. It all adds up to capitalism without a conscience and we've got to put it right."
This call for a new moral Capitalism isn't as new as it seems. It's been slowly bubbling up to the surface of politics for years. In fact Zizek already identified its 'chocolate laxative' center while discussing another global economic summit in… Davos… in 2001!
This sentiment is echoed in some recent statements from Obama:
"And when I saw an article today indicating that Wall Street bankers had given themselves $20 billion worth of bonuses — the same amount of bonuses as they gave themselves in 2004 — at a time when most of these institutions were teetering on collapse and they are asking for taxpayers to help sustain them, and when taxpayers find themselves in the difficult position that if they don’t provide help that the entire system could come down on top of our heads — that is the height of irresponsibility. It is shameful."
There is an expectation of morally right behavior without creating any incentives that encourages that behavior. But, outside the tough rhetoric, there is little evidence that anything of consequence will happen. Instead the strategy seems to be this: wealthy capitalists need to hit the pause button on excess and selfishness until things are 'fixed'… then we can return to regularly scheduled programming. At least Cameron, by using the word 'Capitalism,' is willing to acknowledge that this is an ideological battle. No such acknowledgment is forthcoming from the 'post-partisan' and 'bipartisan' Obama administration. This evasion of politics makes it harder to question major economic assumptions and blind-spots that we keep carrying on our backs like the proverbial monkey. Obama is even going to appoint a Republican as a Commerce Secretary. How post-partisan! It only reveals that Democrats and Republicans don't differ all that much on the basic substance of economic policy. Jacques Monin, the French journalist, has it right [ again via Beyond the Beyond ]:
"You no longer imagine, it seems to me, that there might actually be such a thing as a "choice of society". Along with New Labour, the very idea of anything resembling an ideology vanished. In France, on the other hand, politics still condition the life of the individual. Rightly or wrongly, my fellow countrymen still want to believe that a choice of society really remains possible. They might resist reform, as you like to point out, but they involve themselves - deeply - in politics."Here, however, the boundaries between the major parties have been all but eroded. This drift to the centre, combined with the weakness of the extremes, has anaesthetised British politics. So the British don't vote very much. They don't object very much. They don't dream very much."
Substitute 'Americans' for 'British' and that statement still rings true. Of course it doesn't help when the Global Left is a chaotic mess.
Posted by tomk at 01:31 PM | Comments (6)
February 01, 2009
Doodle Dump 007
This week's installment of Doodle Dump™ is a continuation from last week. The sketches come from the same sketchbook. Enjoy. Click to enlarge.
Posted by tomk at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)