Thursday, July 20, 2006
(12:18 AM) | Amish Lovelock:
Democracy is an (often White) Governmental Fantasy
So get used to it.You know, actually, I reckon that Democracy is just another one of these old object petit a thingys. First of all to have more democracy you need places where there is no democracy, so, the System and the Man ensures this. They go about creating places of no democracy so there can be more of it – this kind of parallels those arguments for continuous primitive accumulation, right. And, to make things even better, Democracy has the structure of a fantasy. It gives people a tick; makes their lives seem viable. It has an affective dimension; an Object-Cause. If I do not posit a desired Democracy, I cannot exist as a Democrat. Hence... wait for it... constitutive lack!So, I bully the non-Democratic into becoming more Democratic. But of course, he can’t just go and become democratic because that would mean I’d cease to exist again. Bummer. So, I can only but include to exclude and vice versa.
Now, what gives me this magical ability to decide who’s in and who’s out? That would be Ol' modernity: you know the creation of those nationy-states through colonialism, biopower, and all the rest of it. But what about now? I hear you say. Haven’t we gone from discipline to control? From imperialism to Empire? Sure, but that is exactly why now you feel that special relationship with your magical power is under threat, even more so than it used to be. Society no longer must be defended you’ve got to bloody well make that damn society all over again. Go to the UN, go to the International Criminal Court, Human Rights Watch, whoever you can!
Ok, so what can we do about this magical power invested in us? What about letting in all the immigrants just like that, abolishing borders, and being mighty hospitable? What about moving the UN to Europe? Sure, you could do that but it is still you doing something – being active – you are the one with the magical power to do these things. So, Malcolm, what can a concerned white guy (like Jacques) who really gets your message and thinks that what you’re trying to do is really special and important do to help? Answer: do nothing. Don’t govern. No Democracy, nothing. A formal gesture of refusal in itself – that’s what you need. Get out of identity politics and governmentality and desubjectivize, or, in other words, re-subjectivize. You too Slum boy!Let’s all do nothing together and rock this world!
