Coolies at war? (4 Viewers)

[Space]

Quick point: There's exceptions to every rule, anyone who doesn't know that is naive.

 

[Corm]

but the quote says that power tends to corrupt. i agree with the statement but cops dont have absolute power. what im trying to say is that there are some exeptions.

I actually disagree with the Acton quote; I was going to say something at the time it was posted but I didn't think it was necessary.

"Absolute" has nothing to do with it: power = abuse, intrinsically, sooner or later. Any situation. For instance, a dude that lives with me gets on my nerves sometimes by being lazy, not buying any food but eating others', etc. He has the spare bed and doesn't pay rent. I get on well with him most of the time, but sometimes if I'm in a shit mood or had a shitty day or whatever and he does something that typically gets on my nerves, I'll find myself thinking about and sometimes saying shit in regard to me working to pay rent and him living there for free. Thus reminding him that I have influence over his right to live in our place, thus exerting my own power and control over him. I don't like this, and though I try not to do such things I still do it sometimes -I'm human, I get pissed off and fed up, that's life, all I can do is strive to not do this.

Now, there may be saints amongst you who would not ever react in such a way, in any number of different situations, but I severely doubt it. In one way or another, everyone does and has exercised their power over another being. Now, take the example of, let's say...a cop. Someone who believes in power, control, authority. Forget about striving not to abuse their power in such a minor way as I described -these people BELIEVE in power and control, BELIEVE it's for our own good -they're not gonna give a fuck if they abuse it in some minor way, never mind in the major ways they do, either proactively or by their consent of silence when they witness their colleagues do it.

Humans are fuckin shitbags, and we can't be trusted with power in any form.

This isn't about cops and individual cops being good/bad. It's about power and the tragedy that is any person wielding power over any other being.

 

[W.]

Destroy the ring Frodo!!

 

[Shorty]

"We should not look for utopian theories, but simply ask how power operates in our society" - Michel Foucault

State: An association that establishes sovereign power within a defined territorial area, usually possessing a monopoly of coercive power.

I actually disagree with the Acton quote; I was going to say something at the time it was posted but I didn't think it was necessary.

Yeah, I've actually been thinking about this today and yesterday, and probably wouldn't use that quote again, whole human nature, chicken/egg, power/corruption thing that I'm wary of.

"Absolute" has nothing to do with it: power = abuse, intrinsically, sooner or later. Any situation. For instance, a dude that lives with me gets on my nerves sometimes by being lazy, not buying any food but eating others', etc. He has the spare bed and doesn't pay rent. I get on well with him most of the time, but sometimes if I'm in a shit mood or had a shitty day or whatever and he does something that typically gets on my nerves, I'll find myself thinking about and sometimes saying shit in regard to me working to pay rent and him living there for free. Thus reminding him that I have influence over his right to live in our place, thus exerting my own power and control over him. I don't like this, and though I try not to do such things I still do it sometimes -I'm human, I get pissed off and fed up, that's life, all I can do is strive to not do this.

Yeah, well I heard this one time ... !baggyyyy !ninjaaaa

Now, there may be saints amongst you who would not ever react in such a way, in any number of different situations, but I severely doubt it. In one way or another, everyone does and has exercised their power over another being. Now, take the example of, let's say...a cop. Someone who believes in power, control, authority. Forget about striving not to abuse their power in such a minor way as I described -these people BELIEVE in power and control, BELIEVE it's for our own good -they're not gonna give a fuck if they abuse it in some minor way, never mind in the major ways they do, either proactively or by their consent of silence when they witness their colleagues do it.

I think we're actually pretty much in agreement, I'm coming down with a cold and can't think straight at the moment so amn't able to write anything too coherently, just stuff about how 'power' can be enabling as well as coercive, the police being purely coercive and not having any doubts about it. Some stuff about stuff I've read, "will to power", mask(s) for power, analysing power relations (in my personal life and elsewhere), blah blah.

This isn't about cops and individual cops being good/bad. It's about power and the tragedy that is any person wielding power over any other being.

Agreed, I would put in some poetic,emo,political,philosophical piece here damn cold !cheezy


You going to Salem next month?

http://www.palmestal.ws/~leonard/Salem2003.mov

 

[Corm]

You going to Salem next month?

Yeah but to be honest I'm fuckin shitting myself over it.

The power thing -group or individual empowerment is great when it's at the expense of no other, but I see that as different to power in and of itself. Such empowerment is usually the result of taking abck something that's been taken from us -e.g. squatting, autonomous housing/gig/work collectives, indymedia, etc. Completely sovereign individual power and self-belief/motivation is the ultimate goal, but again I stress only when it's impossible for it to be harmful to others. I don't think we're disagreeing withe ach other here.

 

[Corm]

Just watched that video, fucking hell...watch from about 7 mins into it, and especially then from 10 mins onwards...nazi-loving pig bastards. Notice how they're not even bothering to try and arrest anyone like usual, it's strictly violence/intimidation.