On 27 Feb 2025, at 8:46, paul van der walt wrote:
I do think (at the risk of pulling the camera, as it were, ever so
slightly back to the angle we agreed is not worth discussing),
however, that one other possibility is missing from David's list: that
of leverage, whether through direct funding of the presidential
campaign, or whatever other reason we may never know. And i humbly
submit that in spite of everything it is worth considering that angle,
because from the point of view of a potential resistance, it is quite
pragmatic to consider your opponent's weak spot(s). It is also worth
considering who pulls which strings, because that is quite obfuscated,
i think. I think this question stands in isolation and regardless of
the despot's inner state, which i agree is moot.
I might be off base though.
Not at all, Paul — your question points toward empirical reality, not
some imaginary phenomenological realm between a fascist’s ears.
That’s why we say “follow the money” not “follow the greed,”
or ask “cui bono,” *who benefits?*, rather than speculating about
how or why they experience something as beneficial.
The impulse to psychologize everyone and everything is baked *really*
deeply into the liberal imagination. It’s a key part of how we got to
where we are, and making it go away will be a key to how we untangle
this mess.
Cheers,
Ted
On 27 Feb 2025, at 20:09, Ted Byfield via nettime-l
<[email protected]> wrote:
My rule these days is simple: Don’t speculate about a
fascist’s inner life. Don’t do it, don’t distract others with
it, and ignore or challenge others when they do it. It’s a waste of
time and, worse, it helps fascists by imposing their thoughts and
feelings on the public sphere. And it’s also how authorities give
them a pass: “he was just joking” or “she didn’t know” or
any one of a long list of liberal-denialist negations — they’re
UNcultured, INsane, UNeducated, DEprived, it’s “really” about
this not that, they don’t “really” mean what they say, “if
only they knew,” “those who forget history,” etc, etc. It’s
all bullshit. Those things don’t matter. The ONLY things that
matter are the concrete consequences of what fascists say and do.
< . . . >
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