one for @luka, @version and @shiels
6.2. Self-assured submissiveness: the political “we”
In the civic “we” that he insists on using when discussing every affair of state, the modern individual aligns himself in all
his righteousness with the rule he submits to. He generously overlooks society’s antagonisms and discusses himself and his
interests as the actual purpose of political power. While those who have a say and benefit from the relations of power that
protect person and property always say “we” when making demands on the losers, the latter allow themselves the noble
gesture of consenting by merely complaining that this “we” is poorly realized. The submission they have carried out customarily becomes an argument for the right to make critical comments, so that these comments never lose their character
of expressed disappointment. The ploy of being a taxpayer, with which one proves oneself definitely entitled to get worked
up over some government measure, illuminates the desolate need of citizens who are so smug about their blasé attitude
toward power: their declared interests always boil down to their wish that the state not bestow so many favors on others, or as
the case may be, that it has to be stricter in dispensing justice to them, while the complaining individuals pose as its
legitimate victims. When regulars talking politics at the pub resort as citizens to badmouthing injustice from those “on top”
like this, their objection ends all debate: they don’t find some deplorable state of affairs, get incensed about it and then seek
the reasons for it; much less ponder the question, “What is to be done?” 18 because the pride of a righteous person displeased
with his government has been fully satisfied with his expressed disappointment. Statesmen of all orders of magnitude are
well aware of this and “explain” their every action as helping to assert the inalienable right of taxpayers. No matter whether
they are putting up nuclear power plants or building up the army and celebrating public tattoos to swear in drafted recruits —
they always land at the satisfaction being given to the esteemed taxpayer.