the dissident frogman

20 years and 10 months ago

Alteroppression

the dissident frogman

Necrothreading much?

Article content

Article copy

A riddle: what's the main difference between a British Lefty and French Lefty?

The British apparently still has fleeting moments of lucidity:
Whenever anyone in Paris announced that capitalism in all its forms should be overthrown, everyone cheered. But is this really what we want? And, if so, with what do we hope to replace it? And could that other system be established without violent repression? In Paris, some of us tried to tackle this question in a session called "life after capitalism". By the end of it, I was as unconvinced by my own answers as I was by everyone else's. While I was speaking, the words died in my mouth, as it struck me with horrible clarity that as long as incentives to cheat exist (and they always will) none of our alternatives could be applied universally without totalitarianism.
Well, that's what you get for talking without thinking first. Not very smart huh?

Meanwhile the French Lefty don't bother doubting anymore. Sheeesh! Those British sissies.

They're all faggots who don't know how to break some eggs for the omelet anyway.

It seems to me that the questions we urgently need to ask ourselves are these: is totalitarianism the only means of eliminating capitalism?
Short and long answer: yes.

We've known that for a long time. Next question please.
If so, and if, as almost all of us profess to do, we abhor totalitarianism, can we continue to call ourselves anti-capitalists?
Well of course Comrade. After all you're just professing that you abhor totalitarianism.

It's not as if you genuinely abhorred it. In the real world and in the facts, your political predecessors have been its best achievers and you're currently its best hope.

Got to love that "almost all of us" though.
Lucidity beyond stupidity I imagine.

Anyway, despite his doubts, our British alteroppressor is back on his feet, right in time for the end of the article and an ultimate harangue:
On Thursday, when George Bush is in London, we will begin to show our strength. But this movement is no longer just about protest, about ticking off the long list of things we do not like. It is now engaged in the troublesome and deeply serious task of building a better world.
Yeah, even if we still don't know how.

At all rate, we do have a long list of things we don't like so we'll urgently ask ourselves about that totalitariasomething later.

Let's show our strength and make some omelet first.

We ain't no f* fairies.

Article copy (alternate language)

Une devinette : quelle est la principale différence entre un gauchiste anglais et un gauchiste français ?

L'anglais à encore de fugaces instants de lucidité:
Dès lors que quiconque à Paris annonçait que le capitalisme sous toutes ses formes devait être supprimé, tout le monde applaudissait. Mais est-ce vraiment ce que nous souhaitons ? Et si oui, par quoi espérons nous le remplacer ? Et cet autre système pourrait il être établi sans violente répression? A Paris, certains d'entre nous se sont attelés à cette question lors d'une session nommée "la vie après le capitalisme" (sic). A son terme, je n'étais pas convaincu par mes propres réponses ni par celles de tous les autres. Tandis que je parlais, les mots mourraient dans ma bouche alors même que me frappait avec une horrible clarté le fait que tant que les moyens de tricher existeraient (et ils existeront toujours) aucune de nos alternatives ne pourraient être appliquées universellement sans totalitarisme.
Et bien, voilà tout ce qu'on gagne à parler sans réfléchir avant. Pas très malin hein ?

En attendant, le gauchiste français, lui, ne prend plus la peine de douter. Pfff! Ces poules mouillées d'anglais.

Rien que des tafioles qui ne savent pas comment casser quelques oeufs pour faire une omelette, n'importe comment.

Il me semble que la question que nous devrions nous poser de toute urgence est : le totalitarisme est il le seul moyen d'éliminer le capitalisme ?
Réponse brève et détaillée: oui.

Nous savons ça depuis pas mal de temps. Question suivante voulez-vous.
Dans ce cas et si, comme la plupart d'entre nous le prétendent, nous haïssons le totalitarisme, pouvons nous continuer à nous appeler anti-capitalistes ?
Bien entendu Camarade. Après tout, vous ne faites que prétendre haïr le totalitarisme.

Ce n'est pas comme si vous le haïssiez véritablement. Dans la pratique et dans les faits vos prédécesseurs politiques ont été ses meilleurs architectes et vous êtes de nos jours son meilleur espoir.

Cela dit, on ne peut qu'apprécier ce "la plupart d'entre nous".
La lucidité au-delà de la stupidité, j'imagine.

Quoi qu'il en soit et malgré ses doutes, notre alteroppresseur britannique reprends vite ses esprits, juste à temps pour la fin de l'article et une ultime harangue :
Jeudi, lorsque George Bush sera à Londres, nous commencerons à montrer notre force. Mais ce mouvement n'est plus seulement consacré à la protestation et au pointage de la longue liste de ce que nous n'aimons pas. Il est maintenant engagé dans la tâche difficile et profondément sérieuse de construire un monde meilleur.
Ouais, même si on ne sait toujours pas comment.

De toutes manières, on a une longue liste de ce qu'on aime pas, alors on se posera de toute urgence la question de ce totalitaquelquechose plus tard.

Montrons notre force et faisons une omelette d'abord.

On n'est pas des p* de tarlouzes.

Other

About

the dissident frogman's avatar
the dissident frogman

I own, built and run this place. In a previous life I was not French but sadly, I died.

Contact

To reveal my email address, find the 2nd  number in the code and enter it in the challenge field below.

66367

The Wise knows that Cities are but demonic Soul-tearing pits that shall not be entered.

More options

Related

Random (somewhat) related entries

  1. Tertian Fever ♠ Fièvre Tierce
  2. Stop Them. Now. ♠ Stoppez Les. Maintenant.
  3. Don’t Even Stink About It ♠ N’y Puez Même Pas
  4. When The Nazis Aren’t Enough
  5. Piggy Wiggy Sat Under The Tree. ♠ Petit Cochon, Viens Dans Ma Maison

Comments

Commenting as

You're presumed to have read and abide by the comments policy, but here's the gist of it:

Silly or serious, you are responsible for what you write. I slay trolls. Thank you for your comment.

Comment author avatar
Max. 300 characters
An email address is required.
It is never published or shared.

As in "valid" email address...

Once posted, your comment can't be edited. Feel free to (ab)use the Preview!

The Wise knows that Cities are but demonic Soul-tearing pits that shall not be entered.

Comments thread (5)

1036 - Tomas Kohl

Comment author avatar
Hilarious. If only such things didn't imply such a danger for many of us. Coming from a former socialist nation, I can't see how anyone can call for replacement of capitalism with a straight face.
  • November 20th 2003
  • @ 1956 ZULU

1037 - the dissident frogman

Comment author avatar

  • the dissident frogman France

Indeed. And I'd say that's precisely how I can gauge the stupidity of Western Socialists, for one doesn't even need a first hand experience of that evil to understand its predestined nature. In fact, while I could understand that people trapped under a Socialist rule and constantly fed with propaganda while being denied access to information could be misled, the same can't be said when it comes from activists in our open societies, where information is available. They should know better. And if (when) they do, their excuse is not stupidity anymore but plain malevolence.
Time to take sides
  • November 20th 2003
  • @ 2044 ZULU

1038 - Papertiger

Comment author avatar
It would be interesting to have this man repeat that speech he made, then have him fisk his own crap.
  • November 24th 2003
  • @ 1609 ZULU

1039 - Tom Grey

Comment author avatar
You might be interested in my work last week. Bush hate, Jew hate, Success hate; noting some disturbing similarities. Then, Money grubbing hate leads to Jew hate. The Left really, really hates the money grubbing rich, the capitalists; especially when successful. Most know lots of successful Jewish capitalists, at least by reputation/ name.
  • November 24th 2003
  • @ 1846 ZULU

1040 - brb

Comment author avatar
PaperTiger, that was funny. Maybe this is how Hitchens got started.
  • November 25th 2003
  • @ 0718 ZULU
Add a comment