Gary, sorry I haven't replied to your last three entries but last week was hell, with extra teaching at Adelaide that kept me on the hop. I'll try to reply to everything. I'll start with your last entry.
Yes, sovereignty is connected to wasteful expenditure but not in the way you desribe in your first paragraph. It is self-sufficient activity performed for its own sake but not as historically displayed in the luxury of the ruling classes. This luxury is a substitute for sovereignty, not an example of it. Luxury is compensation. 'The sovereign is a king no more,' wrote Bataille,'it dwells low-hiding in big cities. It knits itself up in silence, obscuring its sorrow. Crouching thick-wrapped, there it waits, lies waiting for the advent of him who shall strike a general terror; but meanwhile and even so its sorrow scornfully mocks at all that comes to pass, at all there is' (Bataille, Madame Edwarda: 147). The passage, which is really a prose-poem, begins, 'Anguish only is sovereign absolute.' Where is the anguish of the ruling classes as displayed in their luxury? You are right that sovereignty stands in opposition to instrumental reason but not just in the public sphere of politics and economics. It is in opposition to utility everywhere. Wasteful consumption, as far as it is practised in the public sphere and by the ruling classes, is compensation.
The ritual sacrifice of the Aztecs is compensation. It is like religion, it is like fireworks displays on New Years Eve and every other fucking performance they can think of having them at. Wherever this crap goes on it is a sign of a lack of sovereignty. Get A Ma Soeur out on video and watch it. It is a film about sovereignty. I'll put the essay Ivan and I have just written in the library.
What Bataille calls 'general economics' is in essence an history of compensation that identifies different epochs or social formations based on the way they waste. Perverted monsters like Gilles de Rais are also cases of compensation. Perhaps it could be called an history of seeking after sovereignty. Yes, you are right: art belongs within this schema. We do have religion, art and eroticism built into a mode of expenditure.
The bunch in charge in Australia love fireworks and grand games but you are right that we are largely ruled by productive economic activity, but they'd rather waste it than redistribute any surplus. What has happened to the sacred? you ask. It has become associated with paedophilia but perhaps we shouldn't be too surprised about that. It's about compensation, about seeking after sovereignty, isn't it? South Australia has people who like killing their acquaintances with chainsaws, who like cutting up young boy's bottoms, who get off on murdering hitchhikers, toddlers, et cetera. This isn't organised by the state, of course, although it is related to state activity. We're a pretty sick bunch here in Australia. No atrocity is out of the question.
Meanwhile the general economy is marked by its absence. Capitalism is close to complete rationalisation. For Bataille, socialism a la Stalin et al was its apotheosis, the complete elimination of childishness, reason completed---see the chapter on Kafka in Literature and Evil.
Posted by at October 28, 2003 10:34 AM | TrackBackJust in case most of you who are not familiar with G. Bataille here is a little info for you about the guy.
George Bataille, novelist and philosopher, was born in Billon, Puy-de-Dome in France. His father was blind, and his mother suffered from mental illness. He served in the French Army during World War I. He studied to become a priest at the seminary at Saint-Fleur. After a few years serving a congregation, he studied at the Ecole des Chartres in Paris and then at the School of Advanced Hispanic Studies in Madrid. He worked as librarian and a deputy keeper at Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris, but he resigned in 1944 because of tuberculosis. His work included THE INNER EXPERIENCE, DEATH AND SENSUALITY,THEORY OF RELIGION, He loved the work of NIETZSCHE and wrote many articles about him.
Bataille published his first work, HISTOIRE DE L'OEIL (THE STORY OF THE EYE), when he was 31. He also published under the pseudonyms Lord Auch, Pierre Angelique ,and Louis Trente.
OK so we have now a philosophical debate encounter!
Sometimes I actually feel what it was Voltaire was talking about, but what the hell should we be mentionining these philosophers? Maybe to try and make sense of our history? Well we are a very PRIMITIVE RACE!
Always jumping ahead without thinking of the consequences.
The scorpion said to the frog please can you help me across the pond, it is so deep and so wide I need help.
The frog said but your a scorpion and you will sting me. Oh no I wont said the scorpion I promise, ok said the frog after obtaining confidence from the scorpion. So off they went and right in the middle of the pond the scorpion stung the frog! Why did you do that as the frog was dying? To which the scorpion replied sorry mate it's just may nature.
If the Government is the scorpion and the people frogs how long can we feel confident being led by those who continually sting us!
Please visit my friend Sherman Skolnick a man who I am very proud to network with. http://www.skolnicksreport.com
Also a must visit is http://www.cloakanddagger.ca
let us keep up with the times and not go back too far into the past for we will just be confusing the major issues of to-day.
Mr X
BEWARE THIS SITE IS NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED!
http://www.mayhem.net/Crime/murder.html
There are three types of mass murderers, the family annihilators, the paramilitary enthusiasts, and the disgruntled workers. They all tend to be young, white, males with easy access to weapons. Unemployment, loneliness, a family break-up, or just a tongue lashing from a supervisor can trigger their deadly rage.
Though a phenomenon usually related to postal workers, it's becoming commonplace in high schools throughout the U.S., as well as in the Red Army in the former Soviet Union. Strangely, Australians and New Zealanders are also prone to sudden fits of lethal madness. Most rampagers tend to save the last bullet for themselves.
Those that don't are usually declared legally insane.
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Social Problems and Occult Tendencies
If after you visited my previous links about the "Bush Crime Family" and the efforts by S. Skolnick to put Judges and white collar criminals behind bars was not enough!
Are you dissatisfied with the ever growing problems of society as we see it today!
Ok to get away from it all why not join a group of people that will uplift your spirit and help take care of what burdens you!
Well all I can say is THINK AGAIN! DO YOUR HOMEWORK FOLKS! I have come face to face with several of the people mentioned here and I can tell you they all seem to be very convincing.
The TRUTH resides within and so does the ANSWER to your questions!
http://www.stelling.nl/simpos/simpoeng.htm
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Antonio Meneghetti Italy The "Brightest Man" on the Face of the Earth!
The Ontologic Connection of Psychology
hehe Then please pay a visit to this site:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~oracle/ops/ontosito.htm
This man has been invited to speak at the International Congress of Psychology Beijing, China, August 8-13 2004
He has been invited as guest speaker "The ontologic connection of psychology" Overall it looks like quite a good conference especially being held in China.
http://www.icp2004.org/index.htm
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Two monks were talking. One of them bragged about how his teacher was so spiritually developed that he could float in the air while meditating. The other monk said, "My teacher also is very spiritual. When he's hungy, he eats. When he's tired, he sleeps."
Zen Stories
"Life is nothing more than an Interaction with Attraction"
Especially as children always discovering something new and their attention span is relatively short. How many parents allow their child to play with the milk they have just spilt on the floor? The child is so busy making patterns, enjoying the feeling of touch and taste. When all of a sudden the parent shouts what have you done? Why did you do that you bad boy/girl and most probably gets a spanking. Day after day I see it every where I go and I must say it saddens me to where I feel great heartache.
I personally believe that there is a HUGE amount of shame and guilt placed upon the child as it is growing up to have an affect later on in its life. I also believe that in our schools the teachers are handing out too much negative criticism rather than positive affirmations.
Is School Bad For Your health?
So not only do we have shame and guilt placed upon our children but also by our teachers in an epidemic proportion! Ought we look into the FUNDING aspects to be able to give our children the very best education possible with skilled teachers who have to pass a psychological exam as part of entry?
"Man is made God's plaything, and that is the best part of him. Therefore every man and woman should live life accordingly, and play the noblest games... Life must be lived as play, playing certain games, making sacrifices, singing and dancing..." Plato"
If we look into the word PLAY in its Greek origin it means two things 'Paidia' and 'Agon' paidia is its joyful activity and agon is the competitive activity with the possibility of deadly consequences!
This is an area that really needs peoples attention! Throughout history it has shown itself to be like a Trojan Horse only to conceal a deadly weapon.
It is of great importance to those interested in history and culture to read up on a wonderful philosopher Johan Huizinga he was born in Groningen in 1872 and died whilst being held in detention by the Nazis in 1945
Posted by: Mr X on November 6, 2003 02:05 PM