Today's commentariat must articulate their sentiment on even the most minor of events lest their substack subscription model wavers due to lack of content
1000 words on the TFC dried food section noodle wars today, I think, a crack of the knuckles and away we go
Balzac’s social networking among the literary and aristocratic elites of Paris, the control he attempted to maintain over his own image, the money he spent on champagne, tailored clothes and elaborate canes “of gold or rhinoceros-horn gleaming with precious stones” (27) foreshadow the marketing demands made of writers today: the need to publicise yourself on social media, to develop and protect your brand on behalf of publishing agents, in order to secure future work. Meanwhile, and miraculously, writers remain infatuated with their own profile, a situation intensified and limited by the very social media platforms they depend upon for success. In the same way that Lucien discovers, too late, that he is not really free to write what he thinks, writers today find themselves captured by the social and rhetorical limits and expectations of their niche publics. They must be careful what they write or say on all occasions and across all platforms to avoid losing their constituency of readers and allies and, indeed, prospects of work. At the same time they also need to provide a consistent stream of topical commentary, however unnecessary or perfunctory, in order to maintain visibility; ideas and opinions, in this context, do not really exist for their own sake, but to advertise and protect the position of a writer within a social and professional network, just like Restoration Paris. Finally, payment remains precarious, with writers being exposed to similar exploitations and temptations as Lucien in 1821, and being forced to find income streams anywhere they can like Balzac throughout his own career. Over this whole pitiless landscape hovers the grey clouds of publishing schedules, portfolios and KPIs.
I hate these people so much I find it hard not to take a position even it it's just that they're absolutely fucking scumIt's true, I was thinking the same thing when I was posting it, why am I posting him as if he's important in any way?
But then, I get gripped watching how the self-declared anti-imperialist left contort themselves in the face of these events.
In the same way that Lucien discovers, too late, that he is not really free to write what he thinks, writers today find themselves captured by the social and rhetorical limits and expectations of their niche publics. They must be careful what they write or say on all occasions and across all platforms to avoid losing their constituency of readers and allies and, indeed, prospects of work. At the same time they also need to provide a consistent stream of topical commentary, however unnecessary or perfunctory, in order to maintain visibility; ideas and opinions, in this context, do not really exist for their own sake, but to advertise and protect the position of a writer within a social and professional network, just like Restoration Paris.
Or when lefter-than-thou Twitter bellends blame George Monbiot for the current Tory government, because out of every 20 times he mentioned Corbyn, on only 19 occasions was he uncritically supportive.With this, I particularly had in the mind the time Owen Jones dared to make some mild criticisms of Jeremy Corbyn, only to receive a tidal wave of abuse from his fans and even his mates at Novara Media, a situation he brilliantly resolved by becoming a craven Corbyn partisan instead.
Here's another interpretation of events:
I do find it really weird that there's a section of the British left that still has a default sympathy towards russia. Obviously it's a hangover from the cold war but it's odd right? Like it can't have escaped their notice that Russia today (pun intended! I'm like Mr Tea!) is ideologically miles away from the Soviet Union (and indeed Putin reckons the very concept of Ukraine is just Leninist bollocks) but still they hang onto this identification with Russia.and another,
read this and seethe
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It's a political form of 'pick-me-ism'. "My people are bad, but I despise my people, so I'm one of the good ones." In this instance, "The West is the root of all evil, but I hate the West, so I'm good." (Bit different in Ali's case, since he's an Asian Muslim, but perfectly applicable in the case of Pilger, Craig Murray, or anyone like that.) That kind of identitariam self-loathing is always a vehicle for personal narcissism.I do find it really weird that there's a section of the British left that still has a default sympathy towards russia. Obviously it's a hangover from the cold war but it's odd right? Like it can't have escaped their notice that Russia today (pun intended! I'm like Mr Tea!) is ideologically miles away from the Soviet Union (and indeed Putin reckons the very concept of Ukraine is just Leninist bollocks) but still they hang onto this identification with Russia.
The psychology of it is interesting. Like us, perhaps, they are caught up in their own 'nuum, and while when they look up and see nothing is at it was, they still cling to it. Some of us try to pretend to like post dubstep. Some of them try to pretend to like Russia today.
It's a political form of 'pick-me-ism'. "My people are bad, but I despise my people, so I'm one of the good ones." In this instance, "The West is the root of all evil, but I hate the West, so I'm good." (Bit different in Ali's case, since he's an Asian Muslim, but perfectly applicable in the case of Pilger, Craig Murray, or anyone like that.) That kind of identitariam self-loathing is always a vehicle for personal narcissism.
Simply rooting for any state or faction that stands in opposition to the West is the unavoidable consequence. And weirdly it seems that the less well each state or faction embodies any kind of socialist or progressive principles, the greater the appeal. Probably because that just pisses off actual progressives even more, who can then be slandered as imperialist stooges or whatever.
Ha, indeed. Westerners ruining shit for other Westerners.White people ruining shit for other white people
Exactly as the title says this was inspired by stories i've had people tell me a guy telling me he swore off rap for the longest time cause he was bullied in grade school by a "white trash shithead that worshipped Eminem. Dressed like him, looked like him, would quote him all the time" (see also...dissensus.com
Share you're fame secrets @craner