View of humans

[Otto]

----- Original Message -----
From: "The Great Quail" <quail at libyrinth.com>
To: "The Whole Sick Crew" <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Monday, June 23, 2003 5:03 PM
Subject: View of humans


> > In the end the hippies were just humans, like everyone else bound to
> > error
> > and failure. It's just an ideology but what makes "socialism" more
> > sympathetic than every other ideology is that it has a generally
> > positive
> > view of humans, contrary to capitalism that sees humans only as part of
> > the
> > production line & as consumers and fascism that sees humans as generally
> > bad
> > & egoistic who must be terrorised to serve the state.
>
> Well, you ascribe views to these ideologies that show your own biases, of
> course. A much more sympathetic case could be made for capitalism, and
> probably even fascism! Let alone the untenable elements latent in pure,
> hippie socialism.
>

Don't forget that I've grown in a family & society that really had a more
sympathetic view of fascism, always was talking of the millions of
unemployed that got work after 1933; which was always saying that under
Hitler all those demonstrating Berlin & Frankfurt students would have been
sent to KZ's immediateley.

What would you say were those "untenable elements latent in pure, hippie
socialism"? I'm really interested.

> While I certainly am not sympathetic to fascism, I do think that
> capitalism
> has something to do -- in theory -- with the worth of the individual, with
> rewarding ingenuity and enterprise and talent. It's not all a view of
> humans
> as cogs-in-the-machine! ;)
>

But what about those without talent, those who end as bums for example? In a
liberal democracy there must be some rules that limit capitalism, otherwise
it will inevitably grow to a moloch. Just take a look at us-prisons who are
filled with Blacks who never had a chance. Yes, I believe that the positive
American values are in danger.

> (And, yes, of course all ideologies become tainted and distorted through
> mass practice and the abuse of power and privilege. I am not defending
> sweatshops, Microsoft, or Starbucks here, and I doubt you are defending
> Nazis, Maoists, Stalinists, Leninists, et al.)
>

Not at all, but I defend an American youth who believed in the words written
down in the constitution, taking it literally, and influenced millions of
other youngsters around the globe. The raise of the German Greens would have
been impossible without this.

Looking back I don't think that our generation can be blamed for today's
wrecked political, social & ecological situation. It just turned out to be
ineffective against capitalism because in the end everybody has to look
where he/she gets his/her money to put some butter on the bread.

> Respectfully,
>
> --Quail
<

my deepest respect goes to you too

Otto